CONTINGENT JOTTINGS.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 716, 27 March 1900, Page 3

CONTINGENT JOTTINGS.

INCIDENTS AND EXPERIENCES OF THE GLOBIOUS 24th. Those from this district who were in ©unedin on Saturday (and who were not?) express themselves surprised at the soldierly bearing of the men of the fourth and fifth contingent, having regard to the fact that only a few weeks ago most of them were fiery, untamed rabbiters, farm laborers, and station hands from the hills. The astonishing metamorphosis spoke eloquently alike of the capacity of the officers conducting the training and of the splendid material among the men coming under their treatment. The boys from the Mataura Valley and from Southland generally were especially admired by those visitors coming from this side of the Clutha district. In conversation with friends, the members of the Mataura Valley troop expressed complete bewilderment at the kindnesses showered upon them from the Gore district ever since they went into camp. Each one gave the most emphatic assurance of his complete inability ever to forget what had been done done for them, and each was strong in the determination to do credit to the district tuat sent him forth to fight for his country's cause. As was to be expected, the accommodation at Duuedin proved all inadequate to meet the cilemands made upon it from Friday night onwards till Monday. On Saturday night the bed -famine reached its acutest stages. jGittle bedrooms in hotels and boardinghouses which, under ordinary circumstances, would not comfortably absorb the average man and his boots, were made to do duty as sleeping (?) apartments for eight or nine ; hundreds of people walked the streets praying for daylight, which seemed somehow to have missed its passage; dignified citizens of country villages (men of note, perhaps, 'wayback) crept into stables, and were thankful to mingle their righteous snores with the eontrmjiiative munchings of ordinary cart horses ; many slept in shop doorways with a concrete step for mattress and a star or so for coverlet, while some 300 weary pilgrims, ■who had shouted Rule Britannia, and had finished killing Kroger with their mouths, sought seclusion in the carriages and trucks at the railway station. It was a memorably trying night for thousands, but the verdict has been passed that the occasion fully the sacrifice. Of such is the dominion of British pluck 1 [ A returned holiday-maker informs us that though since Saturday owing to participating in go sumptuous a feast of patriotic music he is un&blo now to decide whether it is " Sons of the tywen," " Soldiers of the Sen," oi " Rule Britannia" who never never never shall be slaves, and has had red, white and blue specks floating before his eyes up till now, he has learnt to regard (owing to one foodless day and one sleepless night) with almost awesome reverence the British Tommy Atkins and his colonial protjtype who will cheerfully face a vista of weeks on shott commons and nights yielding only a couple of hours for repose. Shortly alter 11.30 on Friday night an excursion train left Gore carrying fully 700 passengers for Dunedin, these being drawn from all stations ooitfa of Invercargill. The Gore Brass Band and volunteers entrained at the local station, the former playing inspiriting music meanwhile, while most of the citizens preferring to view the celebrations from afar assembled to see the holiday-makers off. The passengers (some in trucks And others in carriages, but all wedged tightly together) faced the journey in a light-hearted fa&hiou, cheering and singing merrily as the train steamed off. A second train from Invereargill, ajso carrying a very large number of passengers, followed about half an hour later. Dunedin was reached about 5 a.m., with a considerable amount of light-heartedness vanished, but with the fires of patriotism burning still brightly, and a general advance was made either for bed or breakfast as individual tastes dictated. The local volunteers were promptly bustled off, and after having been treated to greatly appreciated refreshment at 6 a.m. were despatched to Forbury Park. Tho day was a most trying one for the volunteers (some of whom dozed off while standing at attenion during the speechmaking) as they jyere kept'on their feet till well on in the afternoon. With an amount of foresight which diJ infinite credit to their town, the Gore Rifles carried a light and airy luncheon in their haversacks. Few of the other corps weio so provided, and as n consequence their members put to the test a well-favored remedy for dyspepsia, and took gentle walking exercise on an empty stomach. The first special train away from Dunedin to the south on Sunday was very largely patronised, tho many passengers wearing a look which betokened that patriotism on scanty rations and still less sleep is indeed an heroic sentiment to worthily express. The train whidi left Dunedin shortly after 10 p.m. on Sunday wns also well filled, and still further detachments of holidaymakers returned by the express trains yesterday and to-day.