NEW YEAR'S DAY SPORTS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 2, 3 January 1881, Page 2

NEW YEAR'S DAY SPORTS.

II I The annual sports under tbe auspices ofj the Tradesmen's Athletic Olub were held in! the Botanical Reserve on Saturday, when,! with the exception of one heavy shower bfj raiu that would gladly have been dispensed, with by wearers of frail bonnets, pretty hats, and thin muslin dresses, the weather was all 1 that could be desired. During the morning the attendance was unusually poor, and the promoters began to have uncomfortable misgivings as to the tale the gatekeepers would have to tell, but in the afternoon a continual stream of visitors set in, and the receipts, soon ran up to £75, which, seeing that children were admitted free, and that that section; of the community was very numerously represented, must have represented close on 2600 persons. la addition to the ordinary sports' the Committee had made arrangements with: Messrs Burletti and Downes to give exhibitions of their skill on the trapeze, their, clever performances being watched with a considerable amount of interest. Thp former also walked, and went through a variety of clever tricks, on the tight rope^ and also displayed the powers of a marvellously strong jaw with which Nature has gifted him by taking up chairs in his teeth and throwing them over his head to a con-j eiderable distance behind him, and walking about with apparent ease while holding one -in his mouth by the back with its legs elevated above his head. The Baby Show was not quite so numerously patronised as usualj twenty- six being the total number of infants who claimed for their mothers the handsome tea and coffee service offered by the Club for tbe finest specimen of infantine humanity!. They were a chubby-faced, rosy-cheeked;, bright- eyed little crew, and gave a deal oj trouble to the judges, Mesdames Walker:, Carter, Intemann, and Cook, to decide which of them was to carry off the prize, but ultimately it was awarded to a five monthk old child of Mrs H. Batt's, of Wakefield, second honors going to Mrs Fred Main's youngster, whose sojourn on this earth haci extended over just double tbe period thajt had elapsed since the winner first saw the light. The babies \»ere pretty considerably interviewed during the afternoon, and the atmosphere of the tent in which they were ranged began to grow some-what oppressive before the judges had completed their task, so that it must have been a relief to all wheb the award was made, and they were free to get out into the fresh air again. The Battalion Band, under the leadership of Mr Oakey, helped to make the time paaß pleasantly away during the day, and in the evening they met again in the large marquee, where dancing was kept up until nearly midnight, and would probably have continued longer but for the fact that twelve o'clock marked tbe transition irom Saturday to Sunday. A medal kindly presented by Mr Hunter for the winner of the largest number of events was won by E. Arnold. Mr Bloch, we understand, has kindly offered to photograph and present tbe mother with a picture of the prize baby, as he has done in previous years. At the close of the sports the prizes were presented to the respective winners by Mrs Bunny, for whom three hearty cheers were given when the proceedings terminated. The following is tbe programme of the nikftlfTifr 1 with the list of winners:— '. HHHliden Race, 200 yards. Entrance 2a. £1; 2nd, 10s.— Bartlett, 1; G. Bull, Sraf • Johns, Ellis, and Coleman also started,

New. YeaTs Handicap, 400, 200, and 300 yards. Entrance, ss. Points 5, 3, and 2. .Ist prizej. £5; 2nd,; £2. First event, 300 yarde.-r-li. Arnold (scratch) j 1$ E. Arnold (10yas),2; T. A, Agkew (scratch), 3. The following also rah:— -A.. Lines (scratch), F. Smith (6yds>, A. Bird (6yde), C. Maxted (10 yds), L. Belt (Byds), j. Coleman (6yds.) This race was well contested throughout. Boys' Race : For a packet of lollies presented by Mr 11. Frank.— Sis entered, and Hart proved the winner. .'■ '-.Hurdle Race, over sis hurdles .Ift Sin high. 'Entrance, 3s. Ist prize, £2 10s ; 2nd prize, £I.— A. Bird, 1; E. Arnold, 2 ; C. Maxted, 3. A. Lines and Smith also ran. There was some dispute arising from the fact of Bird runniDfc through, instead of clearing, the last hurdle/and thus baulking Maxted, who was close upon his heels, but no formal protest was lodged. Horizontal Bar. Entrance, 23. Ist prize, £1 10 a ; 2nd prize, 10s. — Downee, 1 ; Petford, 2. Johnson, also competed, but the -company was too good for him, although he • afforded pretty clear proof that with practice ho might become a clever gymnast. Downcs was indisputably the best, and bad ■ the advantage of appearing in coatttmc, but Petford ran him very close. ; . • New Year's Handicap." .2r«l event. 10Q. yards.— Askew (scratch) 1 • Sfaxte.d (4yds) 2 ; E.^Arhbld ( 6yd'e) 3. A very pretty race, between these three, being alrrfost a dead heat for second place. • --• , Jump.. , Entrance, *2*. i Ist prize, h : prize, 10j.— E'. Arnold! (4ft 9|in) i; ttTaxteji and Bartlett diyidefl the second-prize'; j ':" '■'■ .-..=.•. ; . ■ New-Year's Handicap, last event, 200 yds.— , Maxted, 1 X E. Arnold, 2 . • • Aike w, 3. The final resiilt of the Handicap after the | ■three events. Was aa foll^wi. :— Askew (9 J points) 1 ; Maxjted (S points) 3 ; E. Arnold | ,(5. points) 3.' Maxted and Arnold having tied in the* total number of points, ran again for the second prizs, which fell to Maxted. " Tug of War, between Jeami of six men. Entrance 6sr; Open to '.all- -Artillery, Kifie, and Naval Fire . Brigades, end Salvage Corps, Cricket, Boating, and Football Clubs. Each man of the winning team to receive. a handsome gold locket engraved; second team a handsome silver locket each. —Brigbtwater Cricket Club 1. Over this event there was as usual a large amount of excitement, but, whether it was owing to the appearance of the giants who represented Brightwater Cricket Club or for some other reason, but one team was found wining to tackle them, and they belonged to the Naval Brigade, who until the men from the country first put in an appearance were accustomed to have it all their their own way. The first .tug resulted in a comparatively easy win for :tbe Brightwater team. In tha second the : positions of the teams were reversed and so i was the result, as after a desperate struggle jlaßting several minutes, and accompanied by encouraging shouts and cheers from the by- , jstanders, the Narala succeded in dragging their unwilling opponents acrosß the line. ;In the next contest the endi were again I changed and this time the Brightwatera again . had the beat of it, the foremost man of the, Navala being- pulled and pulled until he i reached the toe line, but over that he could ; not be dragged, and the struggle had become : most exciting when some of the spectators I called out that the Brightwater men had ! won, upon which some of tbeir number let go the rope, A dispute then arose as to which* side waß tbe winner and on .being referred to the Committee they decided after considering all the circumstances that it should be pulled over again. The Navals, however, declined to do so, and the i Brightwater team were therefore declared the winners of the first prize no second prize was. awarded. -.' Go-As-'Tou-Please ; Distance 4 mileß. Entrance ss. Ist prize, £4; 2nd prize. £2. —Hunter (30yds) 1 ; Coleman (100 yds) 2 ; Skelly (scratch) 3. A. Askew and Akersten also started. There were 32 laps in this race, and Askew retired at the 11th, and Akersten at the 25th. From the start Hunter looked most like winning, as he ran steadily, and as lap after lap was covered, appeared to be goiDg well within himself. Coleman astonished all by the pace at which he travelled, and the seeming ease with which he was going, and he amused the spectators by his humorous proceedings, every now and then waiting until the next man to him came close up, and then darting off with a rush ; occasionally, too, he indulged in a pas seul, and nothing for a time seemed able to tire him, but these pranks, funny though they were to look at, were scarcely conducive ' to success, and towards tbe close he had to succumb to Hunter, who went to work in a more business-like way, and won the race as he deserved to do. Time, 24| minutes. Vaulting with pole ; Entrance 3s. Ist prize, £2 ; ?.ud prize, £I.— E. Arnold (9ft Gin) 1 ; A Bird, 2. Both competitors, R. Arnold having retired early in the contest, acquitted themselves well, E. Arnold receiving much applause for the easy and graceful manner in which he cleared the bar. Baby Show ; Entrance nV. Prize, Tea and Coffee Service or £5. Twenty-six entries.— Mrs H. Batt's five months' old child was declared the winner. Walking Race for youths under 17; handicap; entrance, 2s; one mile; Ist prize, £1 10s; 2nd, 10s — Bingham (20yds), 1; Lipscombe (scratch), 9; Woodhouse (60 yards) retired in the first lap. This was the prettiest and best, contested race of the day. Lipacombe passed biß opponent in the third lap, ' and. retained tbe lead until within £0 yards of the winning post when Bingham put on a spurt and breasted the tape an inch or two ; in front of Lipscombe. j| Mile Handicap. Entrance, ss. let prize, 1 £5; 2nd, £2.— Smith (30yds), 1; Lines (20 \ yds), % ; Bird (20yds), 3. The following also j started : — Hunter (scratch), retired in sth ' lap; Mercer (30yds), retired in last lap; Dee (50yds) 4 retired in sth lap; Coleman (20yds),; retired in sth lap. Smith very soon took the : lead and kept it throughout, winning a fast : race with comparative ease. Time, 4mins' Sosecs. . . ; Sack Eace, 300 yards. Ist prize, 10s ; 2nd,; prize, sa.— For this about a couple of dozen , youngsters started, and there were the usual \ number of spills and plenty of fun over thei race, which was won by young Ball, who dis-j played no little cleverness in running under j such cramping conditions, Woodward being! j second. „ 1 Stone and Basket Race.— -F. Smith, 1; E.,! Arnold, 2. Six entries. ' . Consolation Race.— li. Arnold, 1; C.Dee,2-