SPOTTING.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144668, 30 April 1915, Page 7

SPOTTING.

HAWKE'S BAY MEETING. <?ER TRESS ASSOCIATION. HASTINGS. April 30. r lho Hawke's Bay Cup meeting opened ! in glorious weather, and there was a good attendance. The track was perfect. Results; ' Longiands Hurdles. 1* miles.—Fagot 1. Golden Water 2, Ruffiana 3. Scratched; Hurakia, Rigo Park, and Maryland. Birkfui. Bracburn, Vascular, and St. Fire fell. Time, 3miu. 21sgc. Nursery Handicap, 5 furlongs.—Three 1, Rangiiero 2. Bonny -Dream 3. Scratched: Desert Gold, Asterias and Recorder. Won hr a length, the third horse being three-quarters of a length behind. Time. Imin. Usee, Maiden Hack, 6 furlongs.—Maltegarde 1. Mossman 2. St. Omar 3. Won by a neck ; a length between second and third. Scratched: Yprcs. Hinemokihi, True Gun. Blacking. Mangawai. Nocturnal, Depredation. Hyottussa, Velour, and Privation. Time. Irnin. KLcc.

TURF TOPICS. Nominations for the Auckland Racing Club’s winter meeting arc due tonight, at 9 o’clock.

hi the lien of Territorials who appealed at tho court on Thursday charged willi failure to attend drill it was stated that Harry West was lined os and 7s easts. This was incorrect, as tile ease was withdrawn. What is .probably an unique collection of photographs is possessed by Mr. V\ . F. Gordon, \yju> for ninny years lias made a hobby of obtaining photographs of militaiy and naval men who at one time or another have seen serif e in New Zealand. On Thursday afternoon. at Mr. Gordon's invitation, a representative of the 'Taranaki Herald had the pleasure of in. : q>c6tjng the collection, which is a- very large one, numbering several humli*eds. Among them an; photographs of many officers who have played a prominent part iu 1 the history of Xew Zealand and particularly of 'Taranaki. Colonel Wynyard, General Sir MansfieldgClarkc, General Csmeron. General Oku to, Colonel Warre. Captain Cracrofc and several other officers and men of H.M.S. Niger (including William Odgors, the seaman who was first over the palisades of tlie Maori pah at Wairoka), Von Tcmjisky, the Hunter brothers. Major Lloyd, Major Turner; those are hut a few of the men whose names are writ largo in our bistort* and vvho'-c photographs are to be found in the collection, and with whoso exploits and services Mr. Gordon is familiar. ft happened yesterday that two names occurred in our columns—those of Colonel Marvin, whoso death at Home was recorded, and Captain Ralston; who fifty years ago accompanied a detachment of his regiment, the 70th. to Pukearuhe. and photographs of hothsof them arc in the enlllection. Notable among the photographs is one bearing the name of Thomas Parr, aged 00 years, who joined the Royal Marinos in 1834. was orderly to Sir John Franklin when Governor of Tasmania, sailed with Captain Ross on ins Antarctic Expedition, and was severely wounded in the* first Maori war. T Others,- like that of Sir James Alexander, 'wearing the old tall shako, shaped like a nail-can. take us hack almost to the days of "Waterloo. In one large frame is certainly an unique collection, being that of all, or nearly all, ’the men who were awarded the Victoria Cross for deeds of valour in New Zealand. 'There is one absentee, that of a man named Ryan, who succumbed to his wounds before he actually received the Cross. The collection has not been got together without an immense amount of trouble, for some of the photographs have had to travel round the world almost for identification. Others were obtained under curious circumstances. ’ For instance, while on a visit lo England two- or three years ago Mr. Gordon accidentally got Into conversation with a man who, in reply to a remark by Mr. (.Jordon on the violence of a rain storm, said iio knew another place where it could rain hcaviiv: that place was New Plymouth, in New Zealand; and so it came to light that the man was a veteran of the Taranaki war,' and he presented Mr. Gordon with his photograph. Others were given him by old retired officers with whom he came iu contact during his tour or whilst he was collecting funds from various regiments for the MarsJa.nd Hill Memorial. The, collection is of considerable value and Mr. Gordon prizes-.it greatly, but it-should be secured for the Museum is possible.