GAELIC SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2299, 24 March 1898, Page 34

GAELIC SOCIETY.

A social gathering of the Gaelic Society, to celebrate the Jubilee of the province and to welcome the Southland Pipe Band and other friends, was held in the Choral Hall ou Tuesday, the building being crowded. The chair was occupied by the Chief of the society (the Hon. J. M'Keuzie), and there were also on the platform Mr D. Hunro (the president of the society), and others.

The Chaihjcax, who was received with applause, expressed his very great pleasure, as their ciref, at; being preseab at their gathering, especially on the occasion of the anniversary of the Province of Ofcugo. lie was to hare been present it other gatherings that evening, but he took upon himself to leave his chief, the Premier, to do duty *t these. They were met there to do honour to thpmselves and to the people who came out 50 years ago and founded the province and made it what it wns at the present time. — \ (Applauaa.) Capfcain Cargill, one of the ; iiret to land here, was a Highlander, so that Highlanders were to the front on that occasion. Then there came Dr Burns to look alter the spiritual welfare of the people, and they had his son, who acknowledged that he was a Campbell, so that tbe Gielic t lement had had a great deal to do with the settling- of the province. Before these emigrants left Home they selected the Highland name of Edinburgh for the city, and called it Dnnedin, so that they would see that they had done something in sending leaders out here to call fcha first city by a Gaelic name. They could also trace in the early history of tho province the names of a number of other Highlanders who were associated with its foundatiou. There was Mr M'Glashan, a de'candant "of Highlanders, and ,also Dr Lindsay. Th«n they bad a very eminent gentleman in the Rev. Dr Siuir!:, acd they would all admit th*t he did his full share to bring the province to what it now was. — (Acplause.) The late Mr James Macandrew was a. Highlander. — (AppKuse.) Then they had a true Highlander in Mr Alexander Tolmie. who took a prominent part in p-ovincial sffairs. There wks another gentleman whose name had almost gone out of date, snd that was Mr Donald Reid, of the Ta'.eri, who had done a greab deal to bring the colony to its present condition. He roigbt go on for several ■iionrs pointing out different promicenl Highlanders whose namps were identified with the progress of the province but he bad said enough to show thit as far as they were con- ! eerned they bad done their share in the settling of Otago. Ttey wero a very important portion of the community, and he waa auie Oi ago would not be what it at the present time if it were nob for Highlanders. It would be impossible for the British uatiou to get on without them. — (Laughter and applause.) For bis own part he arrived here in 1860, and waa told that he could not bo regarded as an old identity, and as he arrived before the influx of diggers he was not included among the young iniquities. He had, however, since he arrived been associated with a large number of the earlier set'.lers in public matters in the colony, and he had no hesitation in saying that the prosperity, not only of Otago, but New Zealand, ,was due to them. In vie early days they were very happy and contented, and he could I tell iihem that the first four yea:s he spent in ! Otago the happiest fdiv year* ha had { spcub in his life. Everyone came with the intention of bettering themselves, and they did it in their own slow way. Gold was discovered, and there was sn invasion irom all parts. This tumid their heads, and hs doubted if they had done so well . as they wouKl j bavd done if g~ld had nob been found. Wliea tbe early settlers arrived 50 years ago ■ the place was a wildernesr, and they had ollv | to look around to ste the change which had ! taken place. If the early settlers had Dot been ! composed of the right stuff and the people who 1 came after tbem cast in a similar mould, they would never have b=en where they were to-day. They had a large programme to go through and ethers had to speak, so he would not detain | them longer but would thank thorn for allowing ] him the pleasure of presiding over the meeting. Mr M'Xellab, cf the Southland Ga«!ic Society^ a!so briefly addressed the meeting, mentioning that that body had only been formed a short while ago, and one of their I achievements was the gsiting together of the i band of p : pers they had present, j Tise Hon. J. G. Wabd, who was received with applans?, ou being called upon to speak, said he regarded bicasolf as a stopgap. He had only come to pay his respect? to a people who under all circumstances had sho^n that, I no matter what position a man might be ! placed iD, he wou'd receive their considera- > tion aud fairplay. He ws,3 proud of the Southj land Pipe Band, being r. Southland man ] himself. He referred to tbe progress that had been made during the past 50 yenrg, which he considered was due to the pluck, zeal, and ability of the men and women who had come from Scotland to New Zealand. Their chairman bad given them m*uy names of those whs j had been instrumental in making OSwgo, and j it he had go?ie bank far enough into ancient j history he wou'd have fcuud that the first mau was a Scotchman. He verily believed that when the last trump wes sounded it would be blown by a Scotchman. — (Laughter and applause.) He thanked them heartily for giving him the opportunity of making these few observations. Dr Gordon Macdokald and Mr Donald Cameron (of Nokoai;.!) also spoke briefly, and an addrofs was given in Gaelic by Mr ■Dugald M'Lauchlant. Mr J. F. M. Feaser, in the course of a short address, caid there was one name that had pot been mentioned enough during the Jubilee v/fiek. None of those who had passed away had left such an indelible mark as Mr James Macandrew. He was a far-seeir;g man, a very enterprising man, and a man who had tha welfare of the province aft heart, and died a poor man. He was a Ross-shire Highlander. Later in the evening tbe Premier attended the gathering, and gave an address, in which he contrasted the position of things in the early days with the condition of things at the present, showing the progress that had been made. During the evening tbe Southland Pipe Band played ; Mrs J. M 'Donald, Misses M. Morrison, Jane Cameron, Ray Marks, K. Blan?y, Messrs Neil M'Fadyen, J. Jago, D. HuttoD, J. Blenkinsopp, D. A. De Maus, and Duncan M'Pherson sang; and Masters R. M'Kechuia and D. M'Donsdd danced. "Auld lang syne" was then suDg with great heartiness, and the proceedings concluded with the singing of " God save the Queen." — Tho elephant dees not amell with his trunk. His olfactory nerves are conUired ia a single nostril which is in the roof of the mouth, near the front. — A suggestion has been put forward to raise the ill-fated battleship Victoria, which sank in tha Mediterranean with nearly all hands, by means of, atnor/g other things, heavy electro- » magnets. Tne successful raising of the vessel > would coat nearly £100,000.