THE VOLUNTEER BAZAAR.

Press, Volume XLII, Issue 6304, 2 December 1885, Page 2

THE VOLUNTEER BAZAAR.

Nov. 12th was a fairly good day at the bazaar, and the ladies who have bo kindly given their valuable services must have felt quite fagged out with their unceasing exertions to-add to the funds being collected for so deserving an object as the one for which the bazaar was projected. Certainly the whole of the Volunteers owe this devoted band of fair guerilla combatants a heavy debt of gratitude, which they can scarcely ever repay. No one who has not practically tested it can tell how hard it is, in these times of universal depression, to wheedle even a shilling out of the pockets of the visitor, though the cause be ever so good for which it is needed, and thus the work done by the ladies, one and all, deserves the warmest commendation. In the evening Mrs Jarley—the "only Jarley"—was in full swing, and the patrons of that most entertaining of exhibitions had no cause to complain of lack of fun for their money. This gallery of all but living resemblances of the popular men of the day must be seen to be appreciated. No one can gaze without a thrill of emotion at the classic features of the Grand Old Man Gladstone, with his ample' shirt collars—now histori-cal--and. his little axe. Mr Scott introduced his celebrated collection of animals, and gave a description of their habits and manners, which was highly instructive. : Several tableaux vivants were also given ; effectively. As a whole the exhibition is ' one which, as an Italian visitor remarked in the liquid patois of his native lane 1 , "Bates Banagher." Christehurch has long- held the premier position amongst the cities of the colony for its liberal encouragement of; art, < and the citizens will not be true to their reputation if they do not en matte visit thia exhibition prior to its departure for foreign climes. As the gentleman one meets - on the race courses and show grounds, says, '" This is the Hemperor's own game," and : the' collection, it is rumoured, has been 'privately-Exhibited before-all-'the crowned heads. In the other departments of the Baztar a brisk trade was done. Telephonid'ebmmunication with the oracle of • Cashel atreetj who had set up a branch from the head office of Delphos, at the Drill Shed was so much in favor with the ' visitors that the lady whose high privilege it was to convey to the inquiring mortals the behests of the oracle nearly lost her voice from constant use. The post ladies ' who flew round the bazaar, as lightly as Cupid's messengers should go* seemed jto be engaged in a perpetual go-as-you- > please contest, so numerous were themes- ,; sages addressed to various persons. The | ladies in charge of the commissariat deSi pairtment having received fresh supplies, I came up smiling to the charge once more, [and bade defiance to the detachments of ft hungry visitors who tried the merits of the ; lunch provided. Who is responsible for , s the very excellent menu has not yet i been revealed, but whoever it is deli serves to be decorated, as evidencing 'perfect taste in the important matter I of luncheon.

f On November 13th the ambulance oomi petition took place in the drill yard, the two teams competing representing the Fire Brigade and the Garrison Band. The judges were Colonel Bailey, Drs. Chapman and Anderson. The competition was for a subject supposed to have fractured his thigh, and it was divided into two sections. In the first the wounded man had to be picked up, bandaged, placed on a stretcher, and carried to the rear., In the second the man had to be lifted over two obstacles. Both teams worked well, being equal in smartness and accuracy, but the Fire Brigade were the best m ' matter of time, and the prize was awarded to the Brigade. His Worship the Mayor announced that the Committee .of the Ambulance Association, with a view of testing the practical efficiency of those men not Volunteers who had gone through the course of lectures and passed their examination, had offered prises to be given to each man of the winning team, provided the judges considered that the work had been done-satisfactorily. He had hoped that teams from «the police and the railway employes would be present, as he considered a practical knowledge of such work. was highly necessary to them in the discharge of their duties. The judges having certified that the work had in their opinion- been well done, Colonel Bailey was requested to present each man with a silver Maltese cross which was done. 'A vote of thanks to the judges was moved by 3St Superintendent Turton.. .The judges, in view of the work done by the band' being so well carried out, and being unable to award a prize, owing to the conditions providing that three Volunteer teams must compete, agreed to recommend them to the favorable consideration of the Committee for some recognition

_ Saturday, the 14th, saw the completion of what, to tiie ladies who have taken such a warm and practical interest in the Volunteers, must have been a most arduous and fatiguing week. Being the last opportunity on which tiie young ladies could exercise their powers of fasci- . nation over their natural enemy, man, they redoubled their efforts, and the result was ■ most satisfactory from a pecuniary point of view. Miss Sorivenor particularly, who had charge of the telephonic fortunetelling office, had quite a rush of clients eager to know their fate. The Aldington Workshops Band discoursed some excellent music in the grounds, and many took Advantage of the beautiful night to enjoy the music "far from the madding crowd " which thronged the Lazaar. Shortly before closing time Mr Hawkes mounted a chair, and, commencing with the City Guards stall—which, thanks to the efforts of Mrs ;B. C. Bishop and her- efficient corps of assistants was pretty weß sold out— •a miscellaneous collection of article?, all of which brought good prices. The same process was repeated at the stall superin- , tended by the Mayoress. The majority of the stalls presented quite a wrecked appearance, being nearly all sold out. The waxworks exhibition was* in full swing, and whether it was owing to the cool weather or some other cause, the fieures

*ere ejdowed with peculiar powtr or locomotion, and were to be met wrthfr the tbrong of people emiling most affabS and joining in the raffles with a keen au? prec-ation of sport. Altogether, 3. Volunteers are to be congratulated on th* success attending their Basaar-a aucceS for which they are indebted to the zealaS energy of all the ladies assisting XJ worked with a will throughout, ft iLT be hoped that the Volunteers will see theit way to recognise their efforts in a amril degree by giving them a ball-a form* dissipation moat in favor with the fair ae. and which would form a very pretty con elusion of a successful fete. y a

It must be satisfactory alike to tt» motors of the late Volunteer Baaaar as! the ladies who so ungrudgingly anS zealously lent their valuable aid to th* work that the pecuniary result has tura#d out bo successful. Despite the dull time, and the powerful opposition iathe wav of inducing the expenditure of any loose cash offered by the Show and Races, the netSn» of no less a sum than 476813s 6d eho*; that great exertions must have been mad* by the ladies who are principally to h* thanked for the result. The Volunteer* now, thanks to this, are in the positional being able to clear off the debt on thl Drillshed and start fair, and it ia to h* hoped they will ever remember that f» this position they are indebted to those S the ladies of Canterbury who at great dm sonal sacrifice came forward to show in thk practical manner how much they atnrß. ciated the efforts made by the Volunteers to fit themselves to defend, if needle, their hearths'and homes from foreiimia. vasion. * **-