THE PIGEON MATCH DINNER.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 588, 26 February 1876, Page 3

THE PIGEON MATCH DINNER.

Bomb fcrty gentlemen sat down to dinner on Wednesday evening after the pigwn match. A Cox, Esq., M.H.K. for the district, the Piesident of the Waikato ' Gun Club, acting as Piesident, and ;Mr Claude as' "Vice-President on the occasion. The room had been tastefully decorated -with evergreens md flowers, and a really excellent and well -served dinner was placed before the guests. Y. hen the cloth was oleared, and the usual loyul toasts had been proposed and responded to, the Vice-President gave the " Army, ISavy, and Auxiliary Forces." Capt Dawson returned thank* for the army, alluding to the services which the Iraperiiil troops had rendered iv the very district in which t bey were now met to - celt-biote their annual pigeon match. The British army b»d done its duty in the past and would ever, he was proud to foel - be ioond ready when callrti upon to maintain the hoi.or of the tmpire. .Commander Nowell of the gun boat :j#y in Auckland, who was present 1 brSHty returned thanks for the navy, and * there wai a call for Maior Mair. In replying to the toast of the Auxiliary Forcer, <hia gentleman alluded to the fact that a no more fitting place for such a toast to be heartily responded to could ; 1* conceived than that of tiie Waikato. " Theie wns ample evidence in what had 1 been done there by the combined army, and lucnl forces that their exertions hud not been uselessly employed, while to the latter the settleis owed the peaceful enjoyment of the «oil which the combined « efforts of both branches of theaervice had yon. Mr Cox in proposing the toast of the 'evening "The Hamiey Guv Club," said tie wm sorry to be in the samo portion us before— not because he had to propose the liealth of the Hamley Gun ' Club —but be- - «aa?e' he had to acknowledge that there were better irsrksnien out of Waikajo than in it. This had been uppermost in his mind and he-cpuld tell the Waikato if ihey didn't learn to make better shooting be should be ashamed to be their president. (Cheers at.d laughter.) He was however, joking apart, one of those who are always glad to see better men than themselves and it pleased him- to welcome Auckland men coming up in th« spirit that the members of the Hamley -Club had evinced, and be hoped that in future, Wuikuto would be better able to receive them at the traps. There was alias a little doe to luok in such matches as the one of that afternoon. The Waikato men had uot done badly, thorgh beaten, and he brtped that they wou d be encouraged by what they had done to do better. Capt X Wynyard in returning thanks for the Hamley Club, said they should always be happy to tneet the Waikato 'Club iv Auckland or anywbereelfio. Mr Claude siid that though they h d toasted the Hum-ley Gun Club, they had yet to drink tue health of the winners of to-daj's match. They weie a tough lot and had phot remaikablj well. He hooed on the next occusiou one of the Hamley G'oii Club would have the duty of proposing the health of the winners, which he sow gave, coupled with the name of their highest scorer, Mr filiddleton; Mr Middieton said he bad done his best to make top score, but he hadn't bar* gained lor the present duty imposed upon bim. He would however sincerely thank them for the kind manner in whioh the toaßt of the health ol himself and brother champious had been received. C.ipt. Wynyard propoted the health of the Waikato Gun Club. ppy McGregor Hay in returning thanks that as secretary of the Waikato Club, lie bad bad a gieat deal to do with it, and had tirken much interest 'in it. tie aUo knew much of the Hamley Gun Club, having been fur some time a member ot it also, though, he bad not, as bad been loughingly suggested by a gentleman present, been taught shooting by them. Long beVfore the Hamley or the Papaknra or the Waikato Gun Clubs were iv existence he -wnf, he flattered bimtelf, quite us good a 4feot«e be waf bow. He wM-ftorry to

6ml their president thought to little of them, ntul that they had been "badly licked." He, Mr H»y, did not thiuk Uiey bud bran badly licked. H© fairly believed they could lick the Hamley Gun Club and if they hadn't done it thatdav they'd do it next time. They had now bad three contests with the Hamley Clab md had never won one of them yet. He wonld chnl. lenge the Hamley Club or any other Club to produce a score equal to that day's •hooting. He wan proud to respond to the toast The Waikato ( !lob were always able to meet th« Hamley Club at any time and will beat them, and on the same ground perhaps as that 6red over to-day, peihaps in Auckland. Mr Hay then proposed the healths of the scorer a and umpire*. Nothing need, he '.nought, be ttaid of the scorer, every one knew his excellent judgment. As to the umpires, especially Mr Maik«,- no greater compliment could be paid him than the fact that be was appointed year after year to this position, aud that yet no fault had ever been found with his decisions. Complimeut in such case w»8 superfluous. The other umpire, Mr F Whituker had worked ably also, and they had both done much to bring about the success of the meeting, especially tin arranging the difficulty of the Hamley Club tiringiEg a men short upon the field. Mr Marks said he felt almost inclined to commence with the remarks of the clown " Here we are again," such an old stager was he at these affairs. '1 he Waikato Club had always received them kindly, bnt this time more kindly than ever. It was very flattering to them to think that with a club of a >me 14 members mostly all shopkeepers and buHiness men they were able to 'beat a club whose members were residents in the country, and might be supposed to be continually practising with the gun. The small number of' their club mu»t be also an excuse for the f.tct that they unived a man short of the appointed eight. Mr Jas Russell hud been detained on important business &< d Mr Aitken and another of their shots were detained by illuesg. It was no fault of (he club that they did not send a ful. complement of competitors. 'It gave him pleasure to acknowledge that the shooting of the Waikato Gun Club had improved since last year, and where nuc'h friendly -spirit was shown bflweeu competing teams as betwten the two cinbs, to be umpire was a work of pleasure Jiot of trouble. Mr Whitaker, with a melancholy expresaiou of countenance, simply rose to say that after the event of the afberm -on, his heart was too much broken to allow him to speak. Mr Kii>k<wood said be had a happy duty to perform in scoring 4or the Hamley Gun Club. Air Hay had compilmented him upon his excellent judgment. -His judgment to-day, he was proud to say, was good as the event proved, and he was prepared to' back his judgment any time the Waikato Gun Club liked (loud laughter, amid uhich Mr Whitaker was beard to say, By Jove Kirk wood if I'd have known you'd been going to crow like that I'd have h»d a word too.) Mr X Hill proposed the press with 6ome highly complimentary remarks to the local journal, which were duly res jjonded to. The toiBt of the ladies proposed by the President, was responded to l>y Mr James Wood, who exoused himself from a long speech by saying that "as yet he hadn't seen much of the ladies but he hoped to know more about them by and bye." The remainder of the evening was .given to conviviality and several very good songs weie capitally rendered, hefore breaking up the president said there wus just one toast he wished to givo and that was iheir visitors who were neither members of one club nor the other amongst whom was his friend Mr O'ftorke, M H.R. Mr G'Rorlce on behalf of himself and others included in the toast returned thanks for the very-kind hospitality shown to them. He had scarcely stepped ashore from the steamer that evening when he was pi eased into the very agreeable duty of being present at the convivial meeting at wbioh he had thoroughly enjoyed himself. It was ten years since he had previously visited the Waikato, and he was forcibly struck with the altered aspect of the country. Perhaps there was no better evidence of civilisation than a good dinner, such an one indeed as that which in the very heart of the Waikato they had just partaken of. Prom the rapid strides the district had made of late years, from the impetus which would be given to settlement by the opening of the railway, and from the superior character of much of the land he could not but think that a happy and prosperous future was before the Waikato men, u sturdy and an energetic class of settlers who richly deserved the good fortune which had fallen to their lot. A few more songs followed and the company separated at about eleven o'clock. To the host and the hostess Mr and Mrs Gwynne belongs gt eat credit for the excellent arrangements and capital dinner which made the affair so complete a success as it was.