St. John's Church Carnival.

Southland Times, Issue 11568, 28 October 1890, Page 2

St. John's Church Carnival.

-•» The opening of the carnival in aid of the funds of St. John's Anglican Church took place at 2.30 p.m. yesterday when there was a comparatively large attendance considering the fact that at that time of day it must have been inconvenient for many to be present. The choir of the church, particularly strong numerically, assembled on the large platform at the northern end of the hall, and, under the able directorship of Mr C. Gray, sang aa an opening chorus Richards' "Let the Hills resound with Song." When this had been accomplished, and the vocalists' efforts suitably rewarded with applause, The Mayor (Mr J. W. Mitchell) addressed the assemblage. He said that anyone landing a stranger in these colonies must very soon be impressed with the fact that a love of amusement formed a very prominent characteristic of the manners and customs of the people. To give this impression full strength the stranger had only to be landed in Melbourne, where amusements, sports, games, and outdoor pastimes were continually going on by the hundred. Vast sums were paid there in pursuit of pleasure,- so much so that Melbourne was now called the Paris of Australasia. This influence of the great centre had permeated to the most distant hamlet and village in the colonies, and even Invercargill contributed its share of the lovers of amusement and recreation. But there was another characteristic of the people of Invercargill ; they possessed a big and generous heart, were ever desirous of assisting laudable and worthy objects, and of this characteristic those interested had not failed to take advantage whenever their needs required it. In fact the public said in effect " Give as suitable amusement and we will give you what you want." No doubt it would be far better in every way if the sacred and beneficent work of the church were wholly defrayed by the direct contributions of members and adherenta,and when he said the sacred work of the church he did not mean merely the holding of public services on Sundays, but also other important duties such as ministerial visits to the distressed and sick, and in many cases the giving of material assistance. But still although it would be far better for the church to be wholly so supported times of depression would come and occasions arise to necessitate and justify an appeal to the public. He thought that on that occasion when they saw the magnificent scene before them, the beautiful hall, and when they considered the great amount of planning and work which the male and female friends of the church had so willingly rendered, they would agree that the carnival deserved every encouragement. The ladies had worked ably and well for weeks and weeks, and they had been nobly assisted by their male friends, the result being that they had not only succeeded in providing capital amusement of a harmless character, but would also attain the object they had in view. There was another characteristic of the Invercargill people to which he would refer, and that was the admirable manner in which all denominational differences were sunk in a matter of this kind. All such denominational differences seemed to be forgotten and assistance generally and generously given towards the object for which it was to be sought. The people of the town were to be highly complimented on this distinction, and he hoped the day was very far distant, if it would erer come at all, when so commendable a feeling would cease to exist. He would only add that as the ladies had done so much to get up the magnificent display they saw before them, all that remained for the male folks to do was to soften their hearts, open wide their pockets, so that their efforts would be rewarded with undoubted success. He therefore declared the carnival formally open. A solo and chorus, " Give way now to Pleasure," was sung by Mrs Ross and the choir most effectively, and to the evident gratification of the audience. The Venerable Archdeacon Stocker said the few words he had to aay would be necessarily words of thanks. In the first place he thanked the Mayor for his presence and for opening the carnival, but who next to thank he scarcely knew. If he began with the choir he could merely say that they had only added another item to the long list of hearty and loyal services they had rendered for years past, services which, he assured them, were very highly appreciated. And in this connection he reminded his hearers, although it was perhaps scarcely necessary to do so, that whatever individual talent

there was among those who sang, it probably would have been wasted but for the energy, skill, and goodfellowship of their conductor, Mr Gray. Next it was necessary to thank all who had worked so bard and welL It was impossible to particularise them, but he might say that those who had attended to the woods and forest department, to the bush department, had worked arduously and deserved to be heartily thanked. As to the Executive Committee, the gentlemen of which it was composed had been working day and night, and to them and particularly to Messrs Lamb, A. L. Wilson, J. E. Bead, and the active and energetic secretary a great measure of the credit for what had been accomplished was due. Mr A. L. Wilson, chairman of the Executive Committee, also addressed the audience, stating that he had been heart and soul with the carnival from its inception until the present time. They had a herculean task to get it up ; when it was remembered that only six weeks had elapsed since the thing was determined on it would, he thought, be admitted that they were entitled to some credit for getting the place in readiness. The committee had acted with one idea from the beginning, the idea that it would be better to be one day too soon than a day too late, and he was sure his hearers would agree with him that they had fairly carried out that principle. After the excellent speech given by his Worship the Mayor, and followed by the Archdeacon he had nothing left to say. He knew people had frequently asked each other and themselves why the church had to come to the public for money again ? Did they ever know a church that did not want money ? (A voice : No). His opinion was that when a church did attain that position the energy of its members died away. The churches at Home were liberally and lavishly endbwed, and had good high-salaried clergymen, yet they were not doing their full Christian work— so much being done for them that they did nothing for themselves. After referring to the fact that he had been a member of St. John's vestry for eleven years, and stating that he would endeavour to leave the finances in a better condition than he found them, he stated that it had been determined to reduce the overdraft and for that purpose the present appeal had been made to the public. _ They had never yet appealed to the public without receiving a liberal response, and he was certain the appeal now made would be similarly treated. He desired to express the special thanks of the committee to those belonging to other congregations, and to the people of the whole district, who had so liberally contributed goods, &c, for the carnival. The committee were obliged to those present for their kind assistance and attendance, and as the object of the carnival was to raise funds, they would be still further obliged to them for their money. A patriotic song, " The Empire Flag (Mackenzie) " concluded the opening ceremony, and the assembled ladies and gentlemen dispersed to admire the beauties of the hall, to inspect the wares offered for sale at j the various stalls, and in most cases to fall victims, but not altogether unwilling victims, to the allurements of the lair and charmingly attired attendants. These attendants were soon flitting about the hall or busily engaged in their special departments, their duties being performed in a manner that bespoke their enthusiastic zeal, and their picturesque and varied costumes adding brilliancy, colour, and animation to the general attractiveness of the scene. A rapid glance at the appointments of the hall may be permissible, a rapid glance only, however, as the public ought to be left to ascertain all the details for themselves and arrive at a proper appreciation of the beauties to be seen and the pleasures to be enjoyed at the carnival by ocular demonstration and personal experience. Entering the hall the visitor is confronted by the convex side of a large semi-circular green hedge, passages ; curving round on each side to the interior. Taking the right passage on entering, the first thing to engage the attention is a niche in the greenery, where disciples of Isaaz Walton may enjoy the privilege of hooking or endeavouring to hook what are presumably effigies of the sportive trout floating peacefully in buckets of water. Should his cast be successful the angler is rewarded with permission to dive into a lucky bag and extract therefrom some article which may or may not be of a useful or an ornamental nature. From this corner, as from others, emissaries are despatched on marauding expeditions, to charm the susceptible, enfold them in the gentle toils of persuasive flattery, and lead j them in triumph to the fairy grotto and the j piscatorial joys which its buckets alone can afford. When the visitor has succeeded m getting away from this enchanting spothe next strikes a telephone bureau from which he can communicate to another corner of the hall, a thing he will probably do whether he wants to or not. Then comes a fancy goods stall, full of pretty, attractive, and even useful articles, and then the visitor, if he is of the calibre of ordinary humanity, will probably make a stay of some little duration at | the refreshment room. Here he can con- j same viands of the most appetising nature, revel in the delights of tea, coffee, buns, and other things, and as the prices are, most wonderful to relate, low and reasonable, he may indulge himself to repletion and escape not absolutely a ruined man. The space set apart for these refreshments is large and its fittings are comfortable if not actually luvurious. Passing along, still on the right, j the attention is next attracted by an exhibi- , tion of knitting machines at work, the agent b-in" Mr J. A. Hanan, and the operators two young ladies who are apparently well up in their work. The machines, each of which can turn out about four pairs of ordinary men's socks per hour, attracted considerable attention and were inspected with great interest. The archery gallery is close at hand and in the very corner, and next it facing the door of the hall is the booth, erected upon the Home fair principles, in winch axidiences are to be delighted with Richard•*on'3 show, niffger entertainments, &c. b rom the centre of "the back wall, also of course, facing the front, is a large pla:torm upon which the opening ceremony took pace and which is to be devoted to Mr Gray s after- I noon and evening concerts. In the nortnv/estern corner is the art gallery, containing a collection of fine pictures, and quite a number of curios, and then, starting on his return journey towards the door on the western side, the other telephone bureau is passed, or entered, by our visitor before he comes to another and beautitully equipped fancy goods' stall. Then he is close to a handsome, lofty and imposing edifice known as the Cingalese Tea Kiosk, where fragrant Cevlon tea mav be procured from ladies arrayed in resplendent Cingalese habiliments. A doll stall now greets that almost surfeited visitor's eye, and there in front is a monster shoe, in which a pretty little live maiden is snugly ensconced, a novelty representative of the old woman who is reported to have had a residence of a similar nature. A nower stall and its many attractions and temptations is the last thing to be braved ere the western corner of the building is reached, where gipsy tents are reared for fortunetelling purposes. But in his circuit of the hall the aforesaid visitor will not have failed to notice the objects of interest in the centre of the building. He will see that an exaggerated chess-board ornaments the floor and will learn from his progiamme that periodically there will be played thereon games of chess with living pieces, a novelty which has proved very attractive in other centres. He will also notice that the S2mi-circular hedge which confronted him on his entrance encloses a fernery with a fountain playing m the centre, and that there is an elevated rookery lookingbuildingin which is tobe fixed a camera obscura. Passing through a door in the western wall that visitor will find a rifle "allery outside, and may then sit down in a tent erected for smoking purposes, and, over the soothing weed, ruminate upon the pleasant sights he has seen, the beauties Save fnthralled his enraptured gaze the delights he has enjoyed, and the exact period of rigid economy l»s visit will enforce. Such are the things to be seen in the Zealandia Hall, and such the amusement offered to the public, but, as already stated, to thoroughly realise what the committee have accomplished, and to appreciate tne excellent, the astonishing result of theii labours nothing but personal inspection and personal experience will suffice. Whatever were the attractions of the scene by daylight they were immensely enhanced when the hall was lit up for the evening. The appearance of the place then was extremely bright and interesting. On entering, the fountain attracted immediate attention.

Unfortunately want of knowledge of th force of the city water supply had permittei the designers to make the receptacle for thi falling sprays too small, and when it wa turned on full the surroundings became de cidedly damp. However, at halfpressur even, and with Mr Jas. Stewart's limeligh turned on it the fountain was a pretty and to the young people, novel object. The pro jectors of the great show, have perhaps erre< on the side of liberality, that is, they hav< endeavoured to give too great a variety an< multiplicity of entertainment to thei patrons. A concert had been arranged fo: yesterday evening and that on an elaborate scale, both as to programme and number engaged ; but, by some mistake, just su people had settled down to enjoy it, th< low-browed door of the hall of Thespii opened and vomited forth a selection o: imps of darkness, armed with a collection o: musical (!) instruments that would have de lighted the heart of the King of Ashantee but in this case simply routed Mr Gray'i fair forces in dismay. Mendelssohn, har mony, and time were " trampled down ai common things" before the vigorous on slaught of the Ethiopians. But there was i day of reckoning at hand. No sooner hac the Minstrels gathered in the shekels am closed the door upon their victims than tht Orchestral Society commenced a very en joyable performance in the centre of the hall Occasionally scraps of a nigger chorus floatec across from the show devoted to Richardson, but the orchestra had all 'the best of the contest. So much that is attracting and distracting is not conducive to business : obdurate, hard-hearted men were given toe many opportunities for assuming that they could not hear the pleadings of the dainty fairies who sought their patronage for this or that pretty thing. But then — was it not a carnival ?— a boisterous, noisy, goodhumoured time of confusion. And no doubt those immediately interested were noting the defects of the opening and will devise better arrangements for the remaining nights. The attendance was very large, but not so large as it will be when the numerous attractions and elaborate scale on which the affair is got up are noised abroad. The hall will be open this afternoon when the special attraction will be a concert ; in the evening the chess match with living pieces and the formula of a challenge will be played ; the Garrison Band will play four pieces ; the Georgia Lilies and that harrowing drama " The Bandit's Love" will occupy the stage of Richardson's Temple alternately. Some other means of spending money that had scarcely got into working order yesterday will be in full running today.