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New Zealand Mail, Issue 1440, 5 October 1899, Page 15

Mr P. W. Tait, who has been in the Government service in Wellington for the ( ■ past eighteen years, and also- a prominent figure in Wellington chess circles for some years,: as well as a member of the Star Submarine Mining Corps, has decided to - leave for Central Africa in a few days. . At the sports in connection with the Cardiff (Wales) Athletic Club on July 29th, one of the chief attractions of the gathering was the re-appearance of that marvellous little rider, J. Platt-Betts, who, notwithstanding his recent bad accident, showed no deterioration of form, ‘ On the contrary, he showed pretty conclusively that he had lost none of his former speed by covering a mile behind a motor in. Imin 54 l-ssec, whicja is a record,for cinder track. Later in the afternoon he attacked the five, miles British record, but owing to the wind that prevailed he was unsuccessful, the time being 9min oOsec. On the way, however, ' he succeeded in beating the two mile* English record for a cinder track, which distance he covered in 3min 57 2-ssec. The casual visitor .to Wellington who happens to arrive by steamer on a Sunday is sur- "'j prised to see the large number of peoplethat assemble on the wharf and eagerly ; ‘ wait behind the restraining chain until the vessel is berthed, when a rush is made to the gangway to watch—what? The passengers and their luggage come ashore. There must have been about 500 people to meet;the Botomahana yesterday morning, and' it was with the utmost difficulty that some of the female v passengers, many of whom were laden with boxes and portmanteaux, were enabled to make their way through the -throng of people, whose conduct was by no- means the best towards the young ladies of the Pollard Opera Company* and in instances was positively rude.