St. Paul's Carnival.

Otago Witness, Issue 1812, 13 August 1886, Page 27

St. Paul's Carnival.

The carnival in the Garrison Hall promoted by the members of St. Paul's Church in order to supplement a promised gift by Mr George Gray Russell of £250 towards the church debt, was inaugurated on Monday night under the most favourable auspices. The weather was not too cheerful, but it was not sufficiently unpleasant to deter the public from attending in large numbers. There were marvellous dresses to be seen, an imposing opening ceremonial, and the infallible attractions of a fancy fair to follow. The galleries of the Garrison Hall were consequently filled by half-past Beven o'clock, the hour fixed for the commencement of proceedings, and the floor and wall space certainly presented a very attractive spectacle. The contractors for the general decorations (Messrs Smith and Smith) could not have engaged a better artist to execute their work than.Mr Foder, whose scenery has been already referred to. These canvases extended round the hall from the balcony to within a convenient distance of the floor, and underneath them were ranged the various stalls — bright in colour, and containing for the most part delicate fancy work and flowers. The ladies who arrange stalls at such undertakings as this know well how to deck them to the best advantage, and they certainly did not last night fall short of any previous efforts in the same direction. The hall wore a real aspect of pageantry even before the pageant proper commenced. And this was not allowed to burst upon the spectators immediately : the carnival had first to be formally declared opened, and this office was deputed to Mr T. Bracken, who read the following lines written for the occasion: —