The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, MARCH 4, 1901 DE WET’S ESCAPE

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 53, 4 March 1901, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, MARCH 4, 1901 DE WET’S ESCAPE

We had hoped this morning to hava had the pleasure of conveying to our readers the intelligence that De Wet had bee n captured, but though some hundreds of the rear guard have fallen into the hands of the British, the clever Boer general has again eluded the British.' “ During the silent watches of the night,” is the poetic style in which the escape is described, but the hard, dry fact is that Do Wet has again given the slip to those w T ho thought they had him cornered.

The Matawhero school picnic is to be held nest Thursday. The Elingamite on Wednesday takes ten remounts for Wellington. By the Moura yesterday Mr Williamson shipped two polo ponies to Major Maddos.

The opening run of the hunting season is to take place on Thursday, April 24th, at Murewai.

The next meeting of the Hospital Trustees will be held at the hospital on Wednesday evening. Members of the Hunt Club are to visit Tologa Bay on March 16, the Saturday before the annual races. John Filmer, aged 60, was found shot at Onehunga. He had been ill, and is supposed to have suicided. David Baxter, a well-known Dunedin wine merchant, and a prominent bowler, died suddenly on Saturday. Special precautions arc being taken in Australia against the introduction of the plague from South Africa. A report of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Company’s stock and wool sales of Thursday and Friday last will be found on the front page of this issue.

Siam has agreed to receive letters from New Zealand at one penny per half ounce. The rate of letters from Siam for the present will remain at an equivalent of 24-d per half ounce. The last few days of Mark Way’s 20th century sale are announced. A great variety of ribbons, lace remnants, ties, prints, and ladies' and children’s wearing apparel are offered at exceptionally low prices.

There was a large attendance at Messrs Wyllie and Mason’s horse fair on Saturday. Ordinary hacks brought from M to £6, and light draughts £l9, Mr Martin’s Medallus, by Medallion out of Rosebud, was purchased by Mr J. C. McLean for £2O 10s.

The annual meeting of the A. and P. Society will be held on the 22nd inst., at 2 p.m. Nominations for the Committee must be in fourteen days before the meeting, and the sitting members require no nomination. Mr Guthrie Smith will not seek re-election.

There was only a moderate congregation at the Holy Trinity Church last evening, when a special service was held in connection with the Home Mission Society. The sermon was preached by the Rev. H. Williams, and had appropriate reference to the occasion. St. Patrick’s annual social is one of the chief social functions held in this district, and great things are promised for the gathering on the 14th inst. The committee are working hard in arranging the details, and everything points to the social being an unqualified success. Miss A. McCabe is acting as hon. secretary. The Tolago Bay races will this year be held on the 18th inst., and the excellent entries received should assure a good day’s sport. Seven are entered for tho Hurdle Race, and soveral of our best local horses are likely to start. There are thirteen entries for the Flying Handicap and about the same number for the Uawa Stakes and other flat races. Mr C. D. Bennett has made an excellent handicap, and the acceptances, which close to-day, should be of a satisfactory nature. Our Tolago Bay correspondent writes : —A social was held in the wool-shed here on Wednesday evening, when notwithstanding the adverse state of the weather, there was a good attendance. During the evening songs were contributed by Misses Broadbent, Spence, Dobson ; Messrs Orpwood, Bousefield, Rowsell, and Goodley. Dancing was kept up till a late hour, the genial “Harry” Glover acting as M.C. The privileges in connection with the Tolago Bay Jockey Club’s annual meeting will be sold by Mr J. B. Kells, auctioneer. The acceptances close on Monday evening. The meeting promises to be a great success. At the Bowling Green on Saturday) teams skipped by Judge Batham and Mr J. W. Bright defeated those skipped by Messrs McGow’an and Price by 23 to 14, and 20 to 11 respectively. An interesting match was played in the handicap singles botwoen Ponsford (4 behind scratch) and Gaudin (6 points). On the fifteenth head Ponsford had overhauled his opponent, having two points to the good, the score being 19 to 17, but on the four following heads Gaudin put up ten points, and ultimately won by 27 to 21. -A meeting of the committee will be held early this week

to arrange future matches._ Tho annual meeting of tho Sheep Dog Trial Club was to have been held on Saturday afternoon, but tho only member who attended was Mr W. Leslie Oates, the hon. secretary. He expressed himself as much disappointed that members had not attended the meeting, and stated that if they wished to have a trial during the coming season 'they had better arrange a time and place, and he, the Secretary, would be only too glad to hand in his accounts and the balance. He added that he wished the Club all success. It is cer-

tainly to be regretted that Mr Oates has not been more loyally supported in the work of the Club. That gentleman rides in a distance of about .thirty miles to attend meetings, and yet notwithstanding the time and attention he gives to the affairs of the club it is impossible to get a quorum.

A committee meeting of the A. and P. Society was held on Saturday. Present: Messrs Macfarlane . (Chairman), Dobbie, Kirkpatrick, Barker, Holden, H. N. Watson, White, and Guthrie-Smith. Mr Mason was appointed to the Inspection Committee for the flock-book, Mr Dewing being unable to act, A qqmrriittee was appointed to interview Mr Carroll, with a view to getting tho portion of the Patutahi Domain now in the possession of the Society vested in the Society. Mr Macfarlane reported for the sub-committee appointed to deal with the levelling of the show ground that they had everything ready for the contract, but would require an extension of authority in connection with the matter. They- were about to personally interview the directors of the Park Company, with a view to getting them to find the pipes for the necessary drainage. If the directors would agree to that, the Committee felt justified in arranging to undertake the work of putting them down.

A general meeting of the Hunt Club was held on Saturday. Present : Messrs Acland-Hood (President), Harding, E. Sherratt, F. S. Des Barres, Dewing, White, Holden, and J. C. McLean. The tender of Mr J. Malone was accepted for keeping the hounds. The balance-sheet was adopted. Mr J. M. Cumming was elected Secretary. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Mr D’es Barres for his past services. Mr White’s motion, that members twelve months in arrears should cease to become members came up. Mr White stated that the adoption of the suggestion would enable, them to ascertain the club’s position. Mr Holden seconded the motion, which was carried. The President said they were glad to see anyone hunting, but -wished that‘when they had become fond of the sport they would pay their subscriptions and join the club in a busi-ness-like wav. Mr Harding and Mr White supported this view, laying special stress on the'desirability of those who liked the sport joining the club. Mr Harding did not see that they;should provide sport as a regular thing for those' who were not members. The Secretary was instructed to have bprse qualification cards printed.