THE UP-COUNTRY CHRISTMAS SPORTS.

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 772, 29 December 1870, Page 2

THE UP-COUNTRY CHRISTMAS SPORTS.

(PROM OOR OWff\JORRffSK>NDENT.) •■:'-'.-■; AhaurAj Dec. 21. Work of all description has been suspended during the past 1 "week throughout the Upper Grey district- in' consequence of the Christmas holidays, and with the exception of the excitement about the r,eefs at Murray Creek, nothing of importance has taken place in the; mining districts,. There have' not been any athletic sports

at the Ahaura tln3 year, but at Napoleon, vHalf^Ounce, tho Little Grey Junction, Nelson Creek, No Town, and other places the prizes have been keonly contested for, and a., stranger would wonder where all the' pebple came from, who assembled in .suck large numbers at the different niiuing . townships. At Itfapoleon the sports commenced early in the day on Monday, and continued with unabated vigorimtil uightfalL The prize for the highest standing high jnrnp fell to Mr Patrick Bburlte, 4W- : height/ -4?t B£in, being cleared with the. greatest ease. His . brother,' Morgan Bourke, took the second prize, at- 4ft 7in. Patrick Molougney was a good third. ~ "7. .' ' '"' "* The prize for throwing the hGavy stone — 21|ib3, Scotch style, was taken by Constable Jeffries. The distance was 29ft lin.. Morgan Bourke was second, at 28tt fan. Patrick Bourke took the first prize with the same stuie at the Irish style. The distance was 31ft 10-^in. Morgan Bourke was second, at 30ft 3in, and Patrick O'-tfiell third, at 29ft lO&in. The quoit playing was continued at intervals during the day, but the match was not finished until late in the evening. The race for the boys' prize'^was very amusing, and it was laughable to see the little urchins tumbling over each other in their en'leavor3 to reach, th^e winning-post. The first prize fell to a lad named Bailey, and a sister of his took the prize in the girls' race. The sports weVe carried on during Tuesday, and altogether m -, they past off satisfactorily. '<. At Half-Oimce the gathering was very nuraeronrs, and although grtfat interest was taken in the. , proceedings, , there was "not the slightest approach to a quarrel, although at -iimW excitement ran very high. The 100 yards flat race was won by Frank Marryatt, Edward^Ed wards second. The qnoit match wa3 won by John Marks, with Tom Rolleston second. The dictance was 18 yards. The prize for the three, best consecutive standing jump was won by Patrick Dunne,- Rolleston second. Thomas Car thy took the first prize for putting, the heavy "stone (211 b) Irish style, and Pat. Dunne the second prize ; the distances were 35ft and 34ft respectively. The prize for. the longest hop, step and jump was taken by Tom Rplleston, and the wrestlingjnatph (Cumberland style) was won by Patrick Small, Charles Harrington second. The prize "for. vaulting with the pole was eagerly contested, arid was eventually taken *by James Marshall. The struggle between J. Jenkins and Marshall for first place was very exciting. O'Meara atood well to win this prize in the early part of the contest, but he had to retire in conse- . quence of an accident. The sports were— continued here also throughout Tuesday, t and with the exception of a slight drawback, owing to, , the roughness of the ground, tttey were' very successful. ; At the Little Grey Junction "there was a novelty in the shape of a 'horizontal, pole, "projecting from the bank out over the river. It was well greased, and the prize was fixed- at the further end of it. The several competitors started from th<* ■' land bravely erioiigh, but geuerally when they were about half the distance to the L 2, which were nailed on the end of the pole, they disappeared, apparently without any provocation, into the deep water below them, where they had to sink or swim, and not the least amusing part of the affair was the bewildered appearance some o£ them presented when they came to surface of the water after taking their involuntary headers. The prize was at length taken' by a youngster named Swords. The 100 yards flat race was won by James Nagle after being close pushed by W. J. Potts. There were three '• other entries^' : but from tfie manner ia which .the parties ran they mast have paid their entrance fees with the purely philanthropieintentipnof making the prize larger for the winner. The first prize for Cumberland wrestling was won by aMaqri named Jack, from Reid's, station, after a hard tussle with Archy^fii'Laren, who took the/second 'prize. Later in^te • evening the Maori undertook to show aquiet and inoffensive publican a| the Ahaora the manner in which he won the prize, and he nearly broke three of the worthy boriifaceV ribs in the attempt. The quoit match at 21 yards was won by a- bootmaker at the Junction, named - Young. The prize for collar and elbow wrestling was taken by Peter Alwell, after a hard struggle with Patrick Deare. The ; prize for. putting the heavy stone was won Tby Patrick Deare with a stone weighing 301bs, which he threw 28ft. James M'lnroe was a good second. Tfte best standing jump was given by Pierce Fleming, Patrick Deare second. The flat race for 150 yds was again won by J. Nagle, with Mark Arpns a very good second. In thia race, as in_the former pnejvthere -were a number of benevolent, individaals who parted with their^entrance money like heroes. The sports,. ' with horse racing, were continued on Tuesday. At Mackley's, at the Upper Greyy the games Were well contested, a"nd the prizes ; were competed for in a very spirited manner. At the foot of NfelSon Creek the foot race for the publican's purse was. quite a patriotic affair. The distinguished, "bungs in the locality mustered in force,, and the honor of .the trade- was ably upheld by Mr Win Kinsella, of the Nelson Creek Hotel, who, xame in first, closely followed by. Mr I?.. EJaward, o£ the Diggers' Rsst Hotel, S?ith Mr Jacob James a good, third. The rest were nowhere, a- fact which they attribute to the fattening qualities of the beer, which is brewed in the neighborhood. The 500 yds race, wWdi was open: to all coiners, was won by Joshua Slack, Wm. Kimella well up, closely followed by John Winter ; and William; ; Jones. The boys' race was won by Fred.; James, and'the second. prize was divided between Charles Gitibiris and John ' Eoss. The 200 yards race was won by 'Jpsliua Slack, with Wm, Kinsella again a' good second. The 'prize for putting the stone, 211 b, was taken by John Clear, wlia>hr%w it 28ft 9in, Edward. El ward, second, at |Bft 6in. The three, best consecutive jumps was given by Wm. who jumped 37ft 3in, backwards and forwards. 1 ' The running high jump was taken by Wm. Kinsellaj at sft; Slack second, at 4ft lO^io. The first prize for ; the standing jump was taken by Patrivk Breunanj from Napoleon, at 4ft Bin. Several other events came off, including scratch matches, in which tie. winners of the prizes were haadicapped. The sports at this place were principally attended by tuine^^tfßtf he Blackball and Ford's <)reeks^^^^^^^| of which places the popnlatioi|^^^^^^^H increasing:*; - - ' ■"■ ■ At ' Hatter's Terrace,, NelsonMl^^^^^^| hnfdle race of 200 yards was wSWyTP^ young Canadian, named James Lunen.. ■

who has taken the majority of the prizes for the last two years in this locality and at Red Jack's. The same winner also took the 200 yards flat race, and the first prize for vaulting with the pole ; the height cleared waß.,Bft Win. The prize for collar aud elbow wrestling was taken, by Thomas Galligan, and for the Cumberland wrestling prize by John Carroll. The first prize for Cornish wrestling was taken by John Jnllian. The quoit match was very well contested, and was won by Frank Kent. > The No Town sports were well attended, and in the -an amateur concert for the benefit of the Greymouth Hospital was lo be given, and|frora the number of people in town, and the prosperous state of -the district it is likely a handsome sum would be realised for the benefit of the institution.