SPORTING.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 1140, 24 January 1903, Page 3

SPORTING.

TAPANUI RACING CLUB. The following handicaps have bf-en declared by Mr H. J. Gourley for the above annual race meeting, to be held on the Tapanui racecourse on Tburday and Friday, January 29 and 30:— President's Handicap, six furlongs.—Donna Eosa 9.1, Tugela 8.10, Avenue 8.4, Beauclere 8.2, St. Brigid 8.0, Yseult 7.10, Saladin 7 10, Mayo 7.7, Shoimn 7.4, Hed Ronald 7.2. Tapanui Handicap, six furlongs.—Sirius , 9.3, Donna Rosa 8.12, Tugela 8.7, Picket 8.3, Avenue 8.1, Beauclere 7.13, The Spinner 7.13, Lady Dundas 7.11. The Malster 7.10, St. Brigid 7.10, Yseult 77. Open trot, one mile and a-half.—Rocket scratch, Governor 2sec, Yankee Doodle t>, Smiler 8, Leonore 10, George M. 14, Whirl- , wind 16, Elata B 18. Young Liberty 18, The j Gem 18, Blackweed 20, Nancy C. 25, Waikoi i 25, Jet 25. i Novel Handicap, six furlongs.—Amaze- < ment 9.1, The Gunner 7.12, Enfield 7.9. , District Trot, one mile and a-half.—Rocket scr, Yeoman 3, Silverspot 14, The Laird 14, , Kentucky Yet 10, John Temple 20, Harold's , Pet 20 Tib 20, Lord Vanderbiit 22, Nancy C. . 25, Sligo 25, Jet 25. Grand Stand Handicap, one mile.—Sirius i CO. Tugela 8.5, Belligerent 7.13, Vulcan 7.10, , The Spinner 7.10, Saladin 7.7, Briny Breeze 7.1. A story, which the ' Standard's ' Moscow correspondent says is badly told, without the least interest in what appears to be some relic of age old ceremonial which may be worthy of the attention of the learned in such , matters, appeal ain a Kazan paper. It is an , account of a heathen sacrifice recently offered ( up to idols in a Chuvash village of the , Province of Kazan. Contributions of butter. , milk, salt, and rueil were requisitioned by the priests fiom the villagers, and on a propitious day the whole people turned out to the rivtr bank, where prayers were offered up to the gods for rain, and a swallow, having been caught and smeared with butter, was released to " fly upwards to carry our ( prayers to the ears of the gods." The pro- i cetdings closed with a feast, after which the : priests began pushing one another into the i water, and then flinging water over the i assembled crowd. I The Glasgow ' Weekly Mail' has the following:—" The heart of every true Celt will be inflamed within him when he hears cf the ■ martyrdom of a Scot in Galveston beciuse of ' his attachment to the garb of old Gaul. The sad incident fell on this wise: Mr John A. Walker was the manager of a side show that was travelling in connection with a large circus, and to lend eclat to the exhibition.be was wont to robe himself in Highland cos- ] tumc and dispense music from the bagpipes, j In these parts triers are still a few barbarians, and one of ihtsi, John Perry, is described as ; being a notoiious character. When Mr Walker entered the tent with his kilts on and , his bngpipes beneath his arm, Perry's wrath wits enkindled, and he h.udly ordered the , Scot to clear out and attire himself in ordin- - ary civilian garb. Walker took no notice of the insolence, and Perry at once drew a re- ; volver and shot the hapless Scot dead. What ; has been done to Perry we do not know; but , certainly the man who would shoot a High- , lander for wearing kilts is not fit himself to live." A New Zealand carpenter, who emigrated to South Africa some months ago, writing to a Wellington rosident, emphasises the oftrepeated axiom that to go to South Africa without money is madness. He found 150 carpenters out of employment inDurban when he landed there, and therefore decided to go to the Transvaal, where he succeeded in getting work at £24 per month at Pretoria. " I suppose," he writes, " you would like to know what I think of South Africa, so I will just tell you straight that I would sooner be working in New Zealand at £3 a wiekthaul would hero r.l £ti, shut up in the Transvaal hundreds of miles from any seaport at the nearest point. It is nothing but work and alcep in this country, and not much fun for the money you pay for it. Drinks cost Is a glass, and whisky and soda Is 6-.1, shandy Is Gd, while a box of matches costing in New Zealand one penny is 3d here. Board and lodgings cost £8 a month (paid in advance), and it costs you lis a dozen for your washing which runs you into another £1 a month, so you can see that with all the big wages a man gets it does not go far when you go in for any amusement. For a young fellow with a trade, who i 3 single, you cannot beat it for saving money—that is, if you get steady work and lose no time. For a married man it is no place at present. The rent he pays is from £l4 to £l6 a month for a five or six roomed bouse, in Johannesburg or Pretoria, and the further north one goes the dearer it gets. The poultry keeper up country in New South Wales has some novel enemies to guard against. Mr George Somerville, a farmer at Kiania, says that a night or two ago, hearing a fowl crying out in distress, he went out about ten o'clock to investigate the cause, and turning the light up the tree in which fowls were roosting, saw a large snake, which subsequently was found to measure Oft 3in long, preparing to make short work cf a full-grown hen. On Eeeing an enemy in Mr Somerville, the snake promptly dropped from the tree, and made its escape in some weeds growing underneath. An hour afterwards Mr Somerville thought be would see if the snake had ruturned, and took a gun with him. The reptile had certainly paid another visit, for there ho was again with three coils round the identical fowl, which was quite dead. A shot from the gun ended its career. Stockwhip lost. Gospel meeting in Temperance hall tomorrow evening. Misses Hood start dressmaking at Riversdale on Ist February. Messrs Scott and Riddel have bought Mr Slocombe's business at Eiversdale. A telegram from Springfield (Mas?) states: —Mrs Carrie Nation, the temperance crusa- j dor, is appearing as a member of a burlesque company. The manager of the show has a-reed with Mrs Nation that she shall lead or. a bevy ° f chorus girls, who are dressed in abbreviated skirts. Mrs Nation advances to the footlights and gives a little homily on life. The McCormick Harvester is the only machine that is good enough for everybody.— Four desires attained in the New Century Soft Rubber Hair Curler—lnvisibility, Pliability, Effectiveness, Cheapness.—(Advt.) T'i.e McCormick Binder is easily handed bv the operator. It is easily drawn by the noises. It is the binder you want.—(Advt.) The Peerless Incubators are the greatest money makers for the poor man, farmer, rich man, or anyone else. Ducks, chicks, geese, or turkeys find a ready sale, and each one means a profit with hardly any work. Send for our ' catalogue. We sell on cash or time payments, and can give you real assistance at any time. The advice and help of our expert is always at vour service. Send to us for the best of everything for the poultry yard.—[Advt.]