The Inagahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1883.

Inangahua Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1342, 31 December 1883, Page 2

The Inagahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1883.

The next English and European mail via San Francisco, will close at Roefton on Thursday, 3rd January. The Carnival in aid of the Hospital Fund will be held on the race course today. It has been arranged to inaugurate the proceedings with a monster procession in which the Oddfellows, Heather Bell, Foresters, and Good Templar Lodges, the Fire Brigade and the general public will take part. The members of the different societies will inarch in full regalia, with the banners and insignia of the respective lodgesj the whole being headed by the Black's Point and City Bands numbering some sixty or seventy performers. The marshalling of the procession has been kindly undertaken by a distinguished military officer, General "Von Saur Craut, late of the 79th Royal Uhlan Brigade, in full army uniform. The procession will leave the Oddfellow's H all at noon to-day. We publish elsewhere in our columns the programme of events on the ground, and in addition to those announced several special novel sports and amusements will be provided. With fine weather the gathering will no doubt be the largest ever assembled together in the Inangahua, and the public may depend upon a good days amusement. A bit of a commotion was created on the race course towards the close of the second day. It appears that early in the day a telegram was received from the Inspector of Police for the district instructing the local authorities to put a stop to the working of the "Under and Over " tables, two of which had done a jjood busineßs on the preceding day. Some hours later it leaked out that tho

prohibition had been ordered in consequent of a private telegram received by the 1 nspector from Reef ton, and the names of the senders having become known the parties, or supposed parties, were quickly surrounded by a mob and subjected to rather rough treatment. They were first hooted and jostled oft" the course, but this degradation not being considered sufficient they were howled back again, the crowd encircling them and buffeting them in a by no means pleasant manner. Eventually the police interfered to protect the "informers," as they were called, and after cuffing several of the ringleaders the police broke the circle, and enabled the parties to escape from the wrath and indignation of the crowd. The annual tea and soiree in connection with the United Methodist Free Church, Reefton, was held on Thursday evening last and proved a very successful and enjoyable gathering. The tea tables were bountifully provided, and presided over by Mesdames Oumpton, King, Collings and Hocking, assisted by Misses Nbwton, <ustin,-Eddy, King and Liddicoat. The attendance was unusually large. After tea the concert was opened with an address by the Refc.- Mr Penney, after whtohthe choir, under the leadership of Mr Green, rendered a selection of sacred music. A number of vocal solos, duets and recitations then followed, interpersed with addresses by Rev. Mr Sedgwick, Rev. Mr Gow and Mr Thornton, after which the company separated. We regret to learn that when running in the R.J.O. I- andicap on the second day of the meeting Volunteer strained a muscle of his ' near hind leg, and up to yesterday morning was not able to leave his box. The misfortune was the more annoying to the owner, as at the time it ocenrred Volunteer had a capital chance in the race, leading by a length and a-half in the last round. Much sympathy is expressed for Mr Thorogood, who ha* had singularly bad luck upon his first essay on the turf. That ahorse with the splendid pedigree and performances of Volunteer should not have figured to better advantage in the Inangahua 'up can only be attributed to his want of form . Possessed of magnificent health and being of a groas nature, coming from the stud he required much preparation, and although Cahill no doubt ' did all that could be accomplished in the time, the period was to short to bring the horse down to his proper running form. Whatever may be the opinion as to the character of the racing at the first two days of the Reefton Summer eeting, there is no doubt that the result has proved very satisfactory financially to the club. The record of the meeting shows that something like £280 was received in nominations acceptances and qualification fees ; £150 for tho sale of piivilege.3 ; £62 5s receipts from grand-stand 1 -; gatea, Lll6 3s. 6d, and totalisator about L2BO, limiting together LBSB 83 (id, which, with members fees, would bring the gross receipts up to something like LI .OOO. This is irrespective of the third days racsing for which about I 80 was offered in stakes, and which was rather more than covered by the receipts of the day. The gross sum which passed through the totalisator during the three days was as follows — First day, L 105 7; second, L 1217 aud third L 746, total L 3020. With the Hospital Carnival in Smi'h's Paddock to-day, and which promises to be one of the events of the holidays, and the ceremony of heating out'the Old and welcoming in the New Year, which will take place at midnight to-night, the festivities of the season will be brought to a close, so far as Reefton is concerned. To-morrow will, hdwever. be n<j doubt observed as a holiday by the business places, and the pic nic at Cruahington will provide many with the means of spending the day pleasantly. The Greymouth Jockey Club, meeting opens this morning, and, with fine weather, will no doubt be largely attended The Ahaura races take place to-morrow. The settling over the Reefton Jockey Club races two days summer meeting, took pltice on Friday evening last, when the following amounts were paid over to the winners as under : Comet — Inangahua Cup, L 12 5; Miners Handicap, L 4 5; R.J.C. Handicap, LIOO, Goldfiolds Handi : cap (second money) L 5; total f 275 to Mr Hathorn. Barney — County Handicap, L4O ; Selling Hack Race, L2O and County Handicap, L 45, total LlO5 to Mr Re.ily. Redan— Novel Race, 115 to .VI r Casely. Volunteer - Inangahua < 'up (second money) L 25, to VI r Thorogood. Ada — Trotting Kace, Lls, to Dr Thorpe. Black ■ oy, Trotting Race (second money) L.2, to \r • arshall. Pippin— V! in ers Handicap (second money) L 5 onsolation Stakes, L2o— total L 25 to Mr Osborn. Liability - Hurdle Race L 25. Hurdle Race (half stakes for walkover) L2O Total L 55 to M r Robinson. Jack R. J. 0 Handicap (second money) LlO to ' r Osborn. Talent- Flying stakes L2oto Mr Osborn. Sincerity Goldfields Fandi. cap 145 to Mr J. McGaffin. Albion — County Handicap (second money) L 5 to Mr Reily— Grand total L6lO A musical treat of exceptional merit i announced for this'evoning in the Oddfellow's Hall The concert has been arranged by Mr Bonfield Akers, who is conductor of the Harmonic Society, N elson, and also organist of All Sain s Church there, and a gentleman holding both as an instrumentalist and vocalist, a leading position in colonial musical circles. He is assisted by Mrs Akers, a most accomplished pianiste and violiniste, holding the diploma of the Royal Academy of Music, London, which, in itself, is a sufficient guarantee of her qualifications, They will be assisted this evening by several local amateur vocalists, and to the music 1 loving public, the entertainment ia one

which cannot fail to commend itself Our 3 amateur performers on the piano have : now an opportunity of learning something to their advantage. ':