YESTERDAY'S HOLIDAY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 262, 12 November 1878, Page 2

YESTERDAY'S HOLIDAY.

Tempted by the lovely 'morning, picnic and pleasure parties of al! kinds were early ou the move in all directions and adopting every available description of locomotion. Steamers, boats, cabs, buggies, and railway trains all and each had their patrons, and seldom before has there been such a flitting out of town excepting on some such special occasion as a review or agricultural show in the country. The Lady Barkly took a goodly load of passengers to Motueka, the "Rocks" were swarming with little ones (some in half dress and some in undress) and their guardians, and the trains were rushed as they left <he station at stated intervals. A fete at Wakefield under the auspices of the Mansion of Peace Lodge of Odd-Fellows attracted a large number of people, and afforded some amusement to those who were present. Before the sports commenced the locai Oddfellows, together with a number from town and other parts of the country, marched in procession to St. John's Church, Wakefield, where a sermon was preached by the Rev. C. Moon, from the text " Let brotherly lore continue." The sports were not of the best, but as most of those present were interested in one competitor or another, any shortcomings were not so much noticed as they might otherwise have been. The Nelson gymnasts performed at intervals, and their feats were loudly applauded. The Wakefield Brass Band helped by their eulivening strains to make the day pass off pleasantly, and Messrs Menary and Purser took good care that nothing in the shape of refreshments for the inner man was wanting. In th evening there was a ball in the Choral Hall, which passed off with great spirit, and was unanimously voted by all who took part in it as the most enjoyable part of the day's proceedings. The following is the list of sports and the winners: —

Boys' Race, under 1 6 — J. Askew, 1 ; P. Ricketts, 2. Four entered.— Boys' Race, under 12— Pearce, 1; Muntz, 2. Six entered.—Running High Jump, under 16— J. W. Askew, 3ft 10ic, 1 ; H. Boddington aud Ricketts, a tie, 2. Four entered.— Men's Flat Race, 220 yards— J. A. Askew, 1; H. Tovey, 2. Three entered.— Hurdle Race, 440 yards— A. Bird, 1; J. W. Askew, 2. Four entered. — Vaulting with Pole— H. Tunnicliff, Oft. Tin., 1; A. Bird, 2.— -Friendly Societies Race— Biddle, 1; Fathers, 2. Eight entered. — Standing High Jump — A. Baigent and A. Bird, tie, 4ft. 3in. Three entered.— Three-legged Race— Pearce and Macfarlane, 1 ; Dee and Stallard, 2.— Girls' Race— Miss Tunnicliff, I.— Running Long Jump— E. Biddle, 16ft 3in., 1; J. W. Askew, 2. Four eutered.— Half-mile Handicap — Griffith, 1 ; Tovey, 2. Five entered. — Hop, Step, and Jump— Tovey, 33ft, 1; Biddle, 2.— Men's Running High Jump— A. Baigent, sft. 1; J. W. Askew, 2. Four entered.— Men's Three-legged Race— P. and C. Ricketts, 1 ; Tear and Baigent, 2. Eight entered.— Sack Race— Pearce, 1; Hunt, 2. Six entered.

Trout are very plentiful in the Shag Rivers intersecting Burnside and Kiverbank Farms, Mr Eullerton, of Pleasant Valley, has taken fish from 4lb to 111 bin weight, while larger ones have been observed in some of the many pools of the river.

A complete classification of the large freehold estate in Victoria has been published, in which the aggregate of thia class of property is shown to be over £14,000,000. The West Coast Times which was a warm supporter of Sir George Grey's nominee, Mr George, at the last election, and has always up to the present time been a strong ministerialist journal indicates a complete chaDge of opinion by writing as follows : — Speaking generally and locally, we are sorry to admit that the Ministry have failed utterly in realising the high hopes that were formed of them at the outset of the session, and though they must inevitably have another year's tenure of office they must amend their ways considerably before they regain the confidence of this portion of the Colony, and, as far as we can judge from the opinions of our contemporaries originally favorably to them, of many other constituencies in New Zealand. They have broken distinct pledges, they have dealt unfairly and exceptionally with weak districts, have pandered to the most important, and have utterly failed to carry out more than the shadow of the policy they expressed at the outset of the session. Let us hope they will yet tura over a new leaf."

This is how a paper published in Charleston supports a friend and castigates an opponent : — " We hear that Mr George Lamplough intends to contest the seat in the Buller County Council allotted to South Wareatea Riding at the coining election. Truly Mr Lamplough is the most suitable and best qualified man that could be found to represent the Addison's people, and we hope they will exhibit their good sense by electing him, and mark their disapproval of ' the exile' by returning him to his proper sphere — forking atones at Dirty Mary's Kill. The reputation of the Addison's people is again at stake, and we hope that at this election they will make the amende honorable by electing a person able to represent them in a straightforward, sensible, and honest manner, and not return an ignorant, stupid, vaceillatory, and painfully idiotic blunderer, or one whose every action will tend to bring himself and those he represents into the most unmistakable derision. 5 '

A Diinedin coffee merchant intimates that he will he d buyer of chicory root in any quantity next year. The. following description of the Khyher Pass; is taken from Sir George Lawrence's Keminiscences :— the Khyber Pass, which the Viceroy of India will probably annex to Britsh India, is a narrow defile, twenty-eight mites long, between lofty, perpendicular hills, the road, during its entire length, passiug over rocks and boulders, which render n speedy advance or retreat of any body of iiiea impossible. The heights on either side entirely command the defile, and are scarped sd that they cannot without great difficulty Ye sealed.- They are also perforated with numbers of natut.il cave*,- the secure haunts of the savage robbers v/ho have for ages held possession ot the Pass. The crests of the hills are further defended by stone breastworks, called suughns. A small valley called Gurhee Lull Beg, about six miles from the western entrance to the Pass, is the only open spot to be met with during the entire distance. A " steep" story is given in the Augusta (Georgia) Chronicle, to the effect that a planter near Midway, iti Sonth Carolina, has cultivated his entire farm this yefitj so far as ploughing is concerned, with an alligator. This domesticated Silurian is described as being unusually large, weighing 3501 b., and being perfectly docile, lie is reported as workiug splendidly in plough, harness, and being far superior to mules or horses. His only failing is a difficulty he has to repress the natural penchant for having a little nigger for dinner, a circumstance that may save the race of alligators generrally from being broken to harness, A Yankee riding on a railroad was disposed to astouish the other passengers with tough stories. At last he mentioned that one of his neighbors owned an immense dairy, and made a million pounds of butter and a million pounds of cheese yearly. The Yankee, perceiving that hi 3 veracity was in danger of being questioned, appealed to a friend, " True, isn't it, Mr ? I speak of Deacon Brown," " Y-e s," replied the friend, "that IS) I know Deacon Brown, though I don't know as 1 ever heart! precisely how many pounds of butter and cheese he made a year, but I know he has twelve sawmills that all go by butter-milk." In a silver mine in Norway, 309 feet deep, the bottom is covered with snow. It has been computed that nearly every person has two years' sickness before he reaches the age of 70. Recently the barn of Mr Swinger, a farmer in Hardin county, lowa, was struck by lightning, and six horses were instantly killed. Twenty thousand cabin passengers left New York for Europe last summer— the largest number during any single season on record.

Hollow at's Pills.— The slightest indisposition, to that it may not rapidly run its disastrous course from bad to worse, should engage the immediate attention of the afflicted of all classes. A few doses of these thoroughly purifying and strengthening Pills will always be beneficial when the least disorder reigns, or when nervous fears oppress. Two or three Pills at bed time have the happiest effect in promoting perfect digestion, whereby the muscles are rendered more vigorous, the spirits more buoyant, and the entire frame more handy. Holloway's medicine increases the quantity of nutriment derivable from a given puantity of food, and so the quality of the blood is improved, the tone of every fibre throughout the body is heightened, and the disposition to fall into disease is reduced to a minimum.