CRICKETERS' CARNIVAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12829, 25 November 1903, Page 3

CRICKETERS' CARNIVAL.

A SUCCESSFUL EXHIBITION, Cricket clubs at the north end of the city have for many years been seriously haiidi 1 capped for want of a good ground upon which to play, and, with the object of forming,a fund to provide a suitable ground aiid engage, the services of a "coach," the Dunedin and Albion Clubs some little time back decided to •join hands and make a united effort to raiße the necessary money. It was resolved to hold a carnival, and a combined committee was set up to carry out the project. The gentlemen forming this committee worked most energetic-' ally, and received a great deal o£ outside assistance, and last evening the public were afforded an opportunity of seeing the- results of their labours. The ('arrison Hall was the place . selected for holding the carnival in, and before the time for the formal opening had arrived the gallery all round the liall was densely packed, large numbers also surrounding the space set apart for the dancing, whicty. was to form a prominent part of the evening's-amuse-ment. The stalls, eight in number, were .very handsomely-decorated, and contained-. nil endless variety of goods. - The .refreshment siall occupied the end of the hall opposite the stage, and ita contents were most temptingly laid out. The remaining stalls occupied the two sides of tho hall, and their fronts were very prettily arched in • and ■ decorated with bright-coloured material. All contained- a- moßt plentiful supply of fancy goods, and also lots of things of a useful character. The flower stall presented a particularly nice ■ appearance, and in the centre of if was a fountain at play. There were side snbws innumerable, and among thera were a mock art gallery, a gipsy tent, and an apparatus for stamping names/ The. wants of .the juveniles hod not - been forgotten, the usual Christmas tree, with, an abundance-of toys suspended from its boughs, standing-m a corner, The hall itself had received more jtlian the ordinary amounft of attention in the way of decoration. ElagSiOf, all colours and nationalities were hung overhead, and aloijg the front of the-gallery .were numerous devices, prominent among tllem bein^. the initial letters of the two clubs; The combined effect of the hall decorations and the - gaily-dressed stalls was exceedingly pretty and right. The carnival has been got up under the general supervision of Mr C. R. Gooch. and the two secretaries who have worked in con--junction with him, and who have not spared themselves to make the carnival a success', are Messrs E, S. Wilson and W. Piokard. The following are the principal ladies presiding over the stalls:- . • .Lolly stall—Mrs Graham and Miss Piejden. Fancy goods stalls (4)— Mrs Maitland, Mrs Lewie, Mrs West, Hrs Pollock, Jfrs Graham, Miss Graham,, Miss Wills, Miss Hill, Miss E. OiflTK, and Miss Wynne. Flower stall-Mrs Oliphant, Mrs Hamel, and Miss Booker. Refreshment stall—Mrs Bla'koly and Mrs Harris. * 'Christmas Tree-Miss Maitland. Tvs*.^ r , a^a^1 J president of the Dunedin. wicket uub, in addressing, those present, said he was there to .join in assisting to make the opening of the carnival a, success. He was quite sure , that there would he-no lack of support from the citizens.- The only thing that might interfere with the succcss of the carnival would be the weather. He was.also quite sure that those who had engaged in promoting the carnival had .been to a great deal of trouble', but they would be amply repaid by. the support lie felt satisfied would bo accorded. lie then calledon the Mayor to open. the carnival. ' Tho Mayor (Mr T. Scofct)\said-a carnival like the- present one primarly' had one objectin view, and that ' was. to raise; money, and he', trusted that the effort? of the ladies-arid gentle-. •«icn in th»{ direction would be" crowned witlr

. success before the carnival came to a- close. It was a general axiom that they all wanted money. /Whatever the object, it could not be accomplished without the one thing needful, and that was money. -The- object these two cricket clubs had in view required a, consider-able-sum, and it was an object that deserved sympathy and assistance. Tho first- and principle part of the object was the formation 0/ a cricket ground at the north cud of the city which would bo a credit to them. The time had arrived when this matter should be faced by cricket clubs, and he was glad that it was one of the objects of the present carnival. He took it that everyone was agreed that cricket wes one of the very best things a, young man, and perhaps an old man, could engage in. ..Nothing could do a young man more good iu ft variety, of ways. Physical exertion was the very filing needful for young men not employed in labour during the (lay, and cricket provided that; as for those .who laboured, cricket- to them was a means of rccreation. There was nothing better to follow on manual work (haii cricket. Ho had always maintained that cricket was one of the finest games that any young man could go in for.-—(Applause.) ■ He trusted the carnival would be entirely successful, and that cricket would, through its - instrumentality, receive a lift'tliat would put it on a-much better fooling in the future. He would ask those present- to let their sympathy continue after the carnival closed that evening, in regard to the game, and expressed tho hope that all who had come to the carnival had come with fulh'pockcts, in which case it would be tho duty of the voting ladies in the hall to see that they were empty before the audience left. He had much pleasure in declaring the carnival open, and in wishing it- every success.—(Applause.) Jjr T. A. Maitland (president ot the A'.biou Cricket Club) called on those present to accord the Mayor a hearty vole of thanks for performing tho opening ceremony.. It was only courteous on their part to' do so.—(Loud applause.) Tho space in fi'ont of the stage was then cleared of the few who had occupied it, and tho carnival began in real earnest." The management, as usual in function oE tho kind, relied largely on. an attractive spectacular display of dances to. act as a- draw, and - the , children taking part . have been studiously rehearsing these for some months past, under the able tuition of Mrs Hanuinn, who has designed new and special daticcs for the occasion, in which the performers have arrived at a degree of proficiency that does (heir instructress great credit. Alter about 11 hundred ladies and gentlemen, appropriately arrayed, had. gone through the Cricketers' Grand. March with excellent spectacular effect, a dance entitled " My Lady Greenaway'' followed, some 40 girls very prettily dressed in old-fashioned Greenaway gowns taking part, and Miss Eileen It'Kechnie -taking tho central position. Next came a Highland fling, clev-Ttly danced by Miss May Anderson in appropriate costume. Following this, a " Bat-and-balt' dance was gone through in capital style by some 30 gilrls in very pretty costumcs of blue and white, decorated with bats in gold ana Irnng with gold balls, and with a speoies of mdrtar-bonTds on their heads. Perhaps the prettiest of the danccs was the next ill order, entitled " Kay of Sunshine," in which the varied colouring of tho children's dresses made a. capital picture, tho girls being nicely graded in size from two diminutive performers, wearing alternately red, white, pink, and yellow gowns, a.nd carrying sunshades of - the same- colour. Tho dance was sot to waltz time, and tho different evolutions -were, cleverly done and most taking to tho eye. These dances and the grand march all took place in tlie portion ot. the floor space reserved for them, but subsequently another very pretty and entertaining dance was given from tho stage, the girls taking part this time being dressed as very fully-equipped laundrymsids, and entirely win-' ning'the approval and provoking tho amusement of tho audience by their appropriate act-ions and well-dwlled movements. One other dance item contributed was an or popular. Highland fling, dexterously given by Misses l Eileen M'Kechnio and Fanny Lacey, and great applause followed t-lie marvellously clever club-swinging performance by " Baby" Anderson, a mite of a girl from whom nothing of the kind' would naturally be expected. Altogether, the drosses of the "children taking part in the dances reflect the utmost credit on the-parents who have gono to the pains of supplying them, and on their-designer, Miss Hamarin; nor should the fact be omitted that very pretty costumes elsewhere are the order of things, the ladies in- chaTge of the stalls having . shown no want of thought or good taste an this respect. Music is an important item in tho evening's programme, and is very efficiently supplied for the dances by nil orchestra- under X[r J. G. Briggs, which also contributed selections.

Hie dancing concluded, the small army ot stallholders and assistants applied themselves with the utmost 7.eal to the task of reducing the not over-hardened visitor to a state of penury, and, judging by appearances, excellent business was done, the entire floor space of the hall being fully occupied, and the gallery remaining in the same condition. The carnival will bs open again this and following evenings.