NEW YEAR, 1899.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10234, 2 January 1899, Page 5

NEW YEAR, 1899.

NEW YEAR'S EVE. The bidding of good-bye to 1898 and the j welcoming of 1899 on Saturday night were marked with yen- little fuss or demonstration. The streets were fairly well filled with people, not nearly so many, by the way, as on Christmas Eve, and there was plenty of interchanges of greetings. The Oerbasi Brothers contributed in no small degree to the enjoyment of a large number, playing several selections very artistically, and attracting quite a crowd of listeners. The Cathedral bells began ringing at an early hour of the evening, somewhat to the discomfiture of the audience at the Theatre. There was an almost total absence of the nuisance of cracker throwing, for which the crowd of promenaders ought to be thankful to the ponce authorities. That some' of the light-fingered gentry were in evidence was proved by the fact that a man had his pocket picked of 17s in Cathedral square during the evening. Though there was a great crowd in aul the principal thoroughfares it was a well behaved and very good humoured crowd. Just before midnight a number gathered up in front of the Cathedral, and as 12 o'clock pealed out cheers were raised. A number of -_.c members of the Caledonian Society, with several Dunedin visitors, duly celebrated Hogmanay at the rooms of the Society. The New Year was duly welcomed in true Scottish fashion, and the health of "The year that's awa" was also honoured. In addition the toasts of the "Canterbury Caledonian Society" and "The Visitors" were given, and some excellent speeches made in response. An hour after midnight and everything was as quiet in the city as on an ordinary night. Indeed the Inspector of Police considers it to have been the most orderly for the last twenty years. The worst that appears to have been done was to remove gates and signs, and one of the latter, belonging to a barrister and solicitor in Cathedral square, has found its way to the Police Depot.V

At Lyttelton the New Year was_ welcomed with the usual ringing of bells, sounding of steamers' whistles, and discharge of fireworks, but on the whole the proceedings were not of so boisterous a character as on previous years. Yesterday the weather was fine, and a large number of people came to port by the railway to meet friends coming by the Rotorua or to enjoy the sea breeze, and the trips to Governor's Bay, &c. A number of cyclists took the trip by road to Governor's Bay. There was no demonstration at Kaiapoi to mark the ushering in of the New Year. Even the children were prohibited from the use of crackers, and as for giving the church bells *or the fire bell a merry ring, there seemed to be a dread lest anyone attempting it would have to suffer penal servitude. New Year's Evetpassed off quietly in Rangiora, although a good many people paraded the streets. The Rangiora. Band played selections in High street. About midnight a gorse fence in Perceval street, the property of Mr J. Johnston, was found to be on fire. The Brigade turned out, and soon extinguished it, but about an hour and a-half afterwards it again broke out, and the fire bell was rung. There is little doubt', some larrikins were the authors of the fires.

TO-DAY'S HOLIDAY.

New Year's Day falling on a Sunday, will be celebrated ba-day. The chief item of the day's proceedings will be the Lyttelton Regatta. The New Zealand Shipping Com-pa-nys chartered ship OElbe, Captain Fox, will be the flagship to-day. The Elbe is a fine full-rigged vessel of some 1700 tons. - As previously mentioned in these columns, the preparations for the annual, gala day at the Port have been most elaborately worked out, and every effort will be made by the residents to make the time of their visitors pass pleasantly. The Rotorua and Jane Douglas will run round the harbour with excursionists, the John Anderson will run trips to Diamond Harbour Park, and the Canterbury and W-iw-ra will visit Governor's Bay as often as possible. On land young and old will have their amusement catered for in various ways, such as ." the kinematograph, merry-go-round, etc. There will be fehe annual sports at Dunsandel in the Domain; the EUesmere Cycle Club open their new track with a racing meeting, the annual North Canterbury District Sports will be held at Rangiora, and the Natives' Association held a picnic at Kaiapohia. The cricket match, Canterbury v Wellington, will be continued at Lancaster Pork. For the lovers of racing there will be the Canterbury Trotting Club's Meeting at the Show Grounds, and racing at Ashburton. The trams will, no doubt, take a goodly number of pleasure seekers to Sumner and New Brighton, and also to the Port Hills. Should the weather prove fine, the New Year celebration ought to be a thoroughly enjoyable orife. In the evening Mr Rickards's Tivoli Company will again appear v!o the Theatre RoyaL I

(PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, January I. The weather yesterday and to-day was very hot. The New Year was ushered in in the usual manner, but the demonstrations were not so nronounced as usual. The shipping mode very little display beyond the ringing of bells. The streets were crowded nnfeil an early hour in the morning, but there was very little larrilrinism, and the police cells toAlay are without a single occupant. There are still a very large number of visitors in the town, and the crowd in the streets last night appeared to be larger than any seen in Wellington on any similar occasion. The Rotomahana runs an excursion to Picton Regatta to-morrow. . .