The Holidays.

Southern Cross, Volume 7, Issue 41, 6 January 1900, Page 5

The Holidays.

The holiday season now rapidly becoming 1 a memory passed off most happily in Southland. The weather, it is true, was not of the best, the high wind blowing during Monday forenoon and the whole of Tuesday making things unpleasant out-of-doors. But the sun shone out and the rain kept away, and so it happened that town and country residents made their way by thousands to the Queen’s Park, the scene of the annual games and gathering of the Southland CALEDONIAN iSOCIETY. People poured in by rail and road until shortly before 11 a.m., when the Caledonian Pipe Band led the way to the trysting place, followed soon after by the City Band. The grounds weie in capital order, and when a new grandstand has been erected, and arrangements carried out whereby onlookers round the ring can be made aware of the results of the events, nothing will be wanting- As it was, the officebearers worked with a will, and had every item carried out punctually. They were on their mettle on this occasion, having agreed to make Invercargill the scene of the first championship meeting under the auspices of the affiliated. Caledonian Societies of New Zealand. The President and Secretary of the Association (Messrs R. D. D. McLean and R. Smith, of Napier) were present, and expressed their pleasure at the success of the gathering. It was made a condition of the first sport-s under the new order of things being held here that they should extend over two days, and this was the only regrettable feature in the business, for people are so accustomed to journeying to Southland e port on 2nd January, that a good attendance at the second day’s games was out of the question, and as a matter of fact only some 500 or 600 persons returned next day. However, the takings on the first day reached the very handsome total of £293, or nearly £IOO better than the previous year, so that the Society has come fairly well out of its plucky acceptance of the offer of the affiliated Caledonian Societies. The competitions were more interesting than usual, the presence of several visitors from the North stimulating our local men to do their best, with the result that they worthily upheld the honor of the district, and annexed nearly all the prizes. The high jumping of Hanley, the vaulting of the Cowie brothers, the wrestling of Scott, McPadgen, McLean, Dickson, and others, the running of Broad, Keddell, Green, Gnnu, Coaling, and other light-footed mortals, the piping of K. Cameron and his stalwart colleagues, the poetry of motion as exhibited by Forbes McKenzie and McKechnie, and other less distinguished but skilful Highland dancers, and last but not least the excellent playing of the City Band, kept the throng interested till the close of the programme. For the results of the different items in a most successful gathering, we refer our readers to the subjoined lists, which represent £350 in prize money

First Day. Half Mile (championship)— 1, L. Broad J 2, Ohas. Evans; 3, A. Coaling. JTime, 2 min. 0 8603. One Mile Bicycle Race—l, G. Cushnie (85 yds) ; 2, R. Marie (scr) ; 3, A. Corrie (50 vds). Time, 2 min. 31 4-sth secs. Throwing 161 b Hammer (champion)—l, P. Porde, 123 ft 1 in. B. Tobin and D. Manson tied for second place, and divided second and third money. They each threw a distance of 104 ft 2 in. _ , High Leap (championship)—!. M. Hanley (Gore) sft 6 in. Carlson, P. Porde, and ,W. R. Bates tied at sft 5 in, and divided second and third money. Vaulting with the pole (championship)— 1, J. A. Cowie (Winton), 10 ft 5 in ; 2, A. P. Cowie, 10 ft’. 100 Yards Plat Race —l, A. G. Gunn, j( 7 yds ; 2, E. Sinoothey,s yds; 3, A. Fowler, 3 yds. Time, 10 2-sth secs. Throwing Stone (Irish style)—l, F. Porde (44 ft 10in); 2. W. Robins (42ft Sin); 3, A. Carlson (41ft 2 in). Tossing the' Caber (champion) —l, A, Carlson ; 2, F, Porde ; 3, J. Tobin.

129 yd 9 Hurdles (champion)—l, J. T. May ;2,G. H. Harris;. 3, W. B. Bates, Time, 17 3-sth secs.' Mile Bace —1, W. J. Lopdell (65 yds) ; 2, A. Couling (20 yds) ; 3, W. Mason (49 yds). Time, 4 min 39 see. Sword Dance (champion!—l, McKenzie Forbes; 2, It- Smith ; 3, J. McKechnie ;4, M. McDonald. 220 Yards Bace (champion) —l, J. W. Green ; 2, L. Broad; 3, (4. H. Harris. Time, 25 secs. 440 Flat Bace —l, C. Bobinson, scr ; 2, Chae. Evans, 5 yds ; 3, G. H. Harris, 5 yds. Time, 56 2-sth secs. Sawing (2 ft red pine logs)—1, E. Tobin and M. Mclntosh, scr ; 2, Hudson and Fisher, ecr ; 3, McNamara Bros. Time, 39 secs. Quoits —I, A. Currie (3 points) ;2,T. W. Stevenson (2 points); 3, W. Martin, (8 pts). Fibrochs (champion) —1, K. Cameron ; 2, D. Cameron ; 3. A. S. Wilson. Youths’ Bagpipe Music —1, W. Jenkins; 2, T. McKay. Irish Jig—l, W. Burke; 2, D. Beidie; 3, J. McKechnie. Beel Dancing (champion)—l, McKenzie Forbes ;2, J. McKechnie; 3, B. Smith. Six competed. Bicycle Race (one mile) —1, G. Cushnie (85 yds) ; 2, G. Dempster (140yds); 3, W. Cowie (95. yds). Time, 2 min. 31 4-sth secs. Highland Fling (champion) —1, McKenzie Forbes ; 2, J. McKechnie ; 3, H. Geddes. Bagpipe Music (Strathspeys and reels) 1 ; 1, D. Cameron'; '2, J. McKechnie; 3, K. Cameron. Border Wrestling (champion)—l, J. McFadgen ; 2, B. J. Scott ; 3, D. Manson. Collar and Elbow —1, E- J. Scott, 2, D. Manson; 3, J. Valli. Second Day. Quoits (champion)—-1, and gold medal presented by Mr J. W. Kelly, J. Hannah ; 2, A. Currie; 3, T. W. Stevenson. Putting 161 b ball (champion)—l, F. Forde, 39ft lOin ; 2, A. Carlson, 39ft 6in; 3, C. Purdue, 37ft 7in. Vaulting —1, A. P. Crowe, scr., 9ft 2, J. Hosking, 6in, 9ft liin. Half-mile race —1, Chas. Evans, ecr.; 2, J. C. Carroll, 20yds ; 3, W. Manson, 20yds. Time, 2min. 14 l-sth secs. Highland Fling, youths—l, A. Sutherland ; 2, A. Stewart; 3, M. McDonald. Wrestling, Cornish and Devonshire (champion)—i, J. McFadgen ; 2, T. Johnston ; 3, D. T. Manson. Caledonian Wheel Race, two miles, Final heat—l, Q. Dempster, 240yds ; 2, G. Cushnie, I3oyds ;3, A. Cowie, 75yds. Time, 5 min. 22 2-slh secs.

100 Tares Race (champion)—l, A. Fowler; 2, J. H. Keddell and J. W. Green. Time, 10 3-sth sees. Sailors’ Hornpipe —1, J. McKechnie ; 2, H. Geddes ; 3, D. Reidie. 220 Yards Race —1, J. W. Green, 4yds ; 2, A. Fowler, 3yds; 3, W. A. Thompson, syds. Time, 24 l-sth secs. Chopping —1, J. Moore, lOsecs; 2, M. Cash, scr. ;3, J. Cowan, SOsecs. Time, 6min. 54secs. Reel o’ Tulloch (champion) —1, McKenzie Forbes ; 2, J. McKechnie ; 3, R. Smith. Hop, Step and Jump (champion)—l, F. Forde, 43ft 3£in ; 2, M. Hanley, 43ft lin. 440 Yards (champion)—l, C. Robinson ; 2, G. H. Harris ;3, B. Bain. Time, 59secs. Five Mile Bicycle Race- —1, G. Cushnie, 200yds; 2, G. Dempster, 360yds; 3, W. Cowie, 2lsyds. Time, 13min. 56 l-sth secs. One Mile Race (champion) —1, A. Couling ; 2, W. J. Lopdell; 3, J. C. Carroll. Time, 4min. 49 2 sth secs. ."■ieantreus (champion) —1, J. McKechnie; 2, McKenzie Forbes ; 3, R. Smith. 440 Hurdle Race—l, J. T. May, 20yds; 2, G. H. Harris, scr ; 3, Chas. Evans, scr. Time, 1 min. 8 3 sth secs. Chopping (champion) —1, M. Cash; 2, J. Moore. Bagpipe playing (marches) —1, J. McKechnie ; 2, D. Cameron ; 3, R. Wilson.