TE AROHA. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Te Aroha, Monday.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1950, 6 January 1885, Page 2

TE AROHA. [FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Te Aroha, Monday.

Thk festi\c season is ni>\v over and holidaymakers h.no attain nottled down to the ordinal y avocations invigorated, it m.iy bo assumed, by the relaxation from the cue. and duties of every day life. New Yftir'i Day was celebrated here in the usual fashion. The morning was ushered in \\ itli the customary demonstrations of a less boisterous kind than is common at such a tune, and the dm that makes night hideous on these occasions was of briof dilution The brass band welcomed the new born year with a few lively tunes, and after a short tm-kcttle seienade by the youthful revelleis, the town resumed its wonted calm. There was a laige turn out of the residents both old and young, dining the day to participate in the vaiioiib auiu.semonts. The feast provided for the children attending the day and Sunday schools was a great biicccs". Not a hitch ouciu red to mar the proceedings and the littls folks, of whom thoro was a great muster, enjoyed themselves immensely till dusk, when they were marshalled into ranks nnd matched homewards headed by the band playing the familiar strains of "Horns Sweet Homo." A picnic party was got up among the older ouos, some thirty or forty of whom betook themselves to a pleasant spot in the Rotokohu gorge, but unfortunately their festivities were paitly spoiled by a local thunder shower that fell in tho afternoon And interfered with the pleasures of tho day. At Waiorongomai the members of the Band of Hope united with tho school childien and paused a very enjoyable time at Long's paddock. There was an abundance of good things to gratify the youthful appetite and everybody present. Athletic sports wore also got up in the tow nshtp and were witnessed by a goodly muster of pcoplo. Tho competitors were mostly the snme as those who took part in the similar events at Te Aroha on Boxing Day. Tho money distributed in the form of prizes exceeded £20, and excited keen competition. Footracing formed the chief part of tho sporta and the following are the principal events. Thk Waiorokgomai Cup. — Ist prize, £4. W. Hyde ; 2nd, £2. J. Johnson ; 3rd, £1, W. Comes and P. Qninlan tied. Four others ran. Hurdlk Rack, 120 yds., (> hurdles, 3ft. Inn. — Mercer (Byds. start), Ist prize, £2 ; Cdssidy (7yds.) 2nd, 10s. Five moro entered. Milk Race.— G. Faulkner (20yds), l-,t prize, £3: W. Hyde (scratch), 2nd, £1. Emmett, Munro, and Cwrnes also started. Mudkn Rack, 150yd«. —Faulkner, Ist pri/.0, £1 ; J. Shea, 2nd, ss. Consolation Rack, 200 yds. — Dehar (scratch), Ist prize, £1; Quinlan (10yds.), 2nd, lO.s. Tmrkk Standing Jumps. — J. Shea, 20ft. 7m.i £1. Hop, Step, and Jump.— W. Lawrence, Ist prize, los, 38ft. lin. ; A. Dehar, 2nd, ss, 35ft. lin. Pittino thb Stonb, 24lbrf. — M. O'Donoghue, 22ft. sin. RrwiNo Hick Jump.— MncKenzie, Ist pri^e, Ijs, sft. 3m. ; Mercer, 2nd, ss, 4ft. 10m. There wero also sack, three-legged, and boys' races, as well as other items, which helped to m.\ko up a good afternoon's sport and a feu- hours' pWs.mt Amusement. The holidays have, on the whole, passed off heio very cnjoyably. On Saturday afternoon a raco was run between Mr A. Jamiesons horse Paddy, and Mr C.issid.iy's Piebald for £10. The match enmo off in tho racecourse, and resulted in Paddy coming in an easy winner. Two other races were got up, but tho sport was partly spoiled by a heavy thunder shower which fell at the time, and dienclied to the skin many of those who wcte piesont to witness the running. Considerable improvements have been made recently in local mail services, and the c\ ils complained of at tho public meeting held come three weeks sinoe have now in a largo measure been remedied. Daily postal communication, invtead of triweekly as before, is now established with Waikato and Auckland, and between the Thames nnd here the service has also been placed on a satisfactory footing ns rogards the convnnienoe of tho public But our postal amusements can never be regarded as complete until an alteration is mado in the i tinning of the train from Auckland, whereby tho mail arriving from there can bo delnoiod tho same evening, and replies foiw.uded by return mail the following morning. Hopes aro entertained that the alteration in tjhe railway time-table, which hus been solaigely petitioned for, will yet be effected and, if so, this additional boon will thereby bo secured. A rumour is current that tenders will soon be required for completing tho line from Morrtnsville to this place. Tho commencement of a work upon which our future prosperity so largely depends is looked foiw.ird to here with mnoh int,eiost, and it ii sincerely hoped that recent advices tegai ding loan arrangements will not have the effect of retarding tho work.

Thk death of Verdi and other members of the Emily Melville Opera Company, reported some time ago, m behoved in Melbourne to be without foundation. T w kntv Medical practitioneers have died in Naples out of 139 engaged in nttending cholera patients, under the White Cross Society, during the recent epidemic. .Mr Robert McVeigh, of Cambridge, make* an important announcement in our advertising columos.