MOUNT CARGILL. PALMERSTON AND SHAG VALLEY

Otago Witness, Issue 1765, 19 September 1885, Page 13

MOUNT CARGILL.

PALMERSTON AND SHAG VALLEY

Septbmher 15.— The following is the Inspector's report on the examination of the school : — Number presented in Standards, 29 ; percentage pa,sed, 97- The .school has again parsed an excellent examination notwithstanding irregularity of attendance for some time, owing to serious sickness in the locality. The whole of the pass work has been done with intelligence and considerable care. Elementary science and object lessons have received a large share of attention. Singing— good. Sewing— a large amount of work of good quality was shown. The order, attention, and tone are excellent. The infant classes have been well taught. The condition of the school floes great credit to the ability and diligence of the teacher. — Signed, War. Taylor, inspector.

September 14. — A large number of persons, chiefly young people, gathered at the town hall on Thursday night to witness a very pleasing ceremony — namely, the presentation of the colours to our football club by the young ladies of the district. The flag, which is red with white bars diagonally across it, was made by a number of the ladies, and it was resolved to celebrate the presentation of it by a short impromptu concert and danee — the concert by a happy arrangement being free to all, and a small charge of 2s being imposed for the dance upon non-footballers only. Everything was just as it should have been, and many an entertainment which has taken weeks of preparation has not provided a more pleasant evening's amusement. The mayor (Mr Gillespie) presided, and came out quite in a new character as a humourist. Seeing that Mr Gillespie enjoys the reputation of being a skilled phrenologist, I 33, astonished that he has never before discovered what a large fund of humour lies dormant within him. For the donors Miss M'Ritchie acted as spokeswoman, and in a few suitable words made the. presentation, which Mr Hally, as captain 0$ the club fittingly acknowledged. Tho. ooncert was "short and sweet," but the dance which followed was only concluded at 2 in the morning when the musicians mutinied and swept off the last bars of the " Lancers " into " God savu the Queen." " Why couldn't wo have something of this sort at least once a month during the long nights?" said someone to me,' and I heard many others make a similar remark ; and really there is a terrible lack of wholesome amusement here. But to return to football . The flag has witnessed the inglorious defeat of its club on the first field that it has waved upon. In the match Pacific v. Palmerston at Dunedin on, Saturday, our team wa,s defeated by 24 points to nil. I must state, however, that the team was no,t composed of our. hest; W en. ; and, seeing

the little practice they have had, it would have been more judicious not to have ventured abroad this season. Salvation.— l was disturbed this afternoon by a noise of shouting in the street, and thinking there was perhaps a dog-fight on, I hastened to the door in time to see a procession of Salvationists discoursing sweet (?) music as they marched to the site of the new barracks. The occasion of their pilgrimage was to celebrate the laying of the fh-nfc si one. What the proceedings were I cannot say, as I did not go to see, fearing that a collection might be raised — not to place in the hollow of the stone, but in the hollow of the '• captain's "■ trousers pocket. As 1 closed my door the faint strains of " Here we'll hoist our Fjlimiozm- '" were wnftod to my ears. Thj; Wga nu:u at profit is seasonable — that is there is plenty of " seasoning "' in the shape, of hard fri»<t*>. sirnny winds, .showers, &c.