CALEDONIAN GATHERINGS.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 11646, 2 January 1902, Page 3

CALEDONIAN GATHERINGS.

THE. SPORTS A3L TIMARU. ': Officers for season 1901-1902:—Presi-dent—Mr. J.- Lijlico; vice-presidents—J. LI Gillies and D.. J. Caldwell; directors—J. R. Bruce, Tt J. Burns, W. A. Courtis, J. Craigie, J.. Gxerar,: R. H. Ferguson, •W. Gunn, J.. Hole,. J. P. Kalaugher, D. Mahoney, W. Priest, A. C. Pringle, T. Pringle,. P. Saclair, G. Tennant, T.; D. Young; hon. treasurer—J. L. Gillies Secretary—C. S.' Fraser; referee—W. Gunn; marshal—Bogle-Major Elgin; stewards A. H. Bonin, C. Hall; press steward E. Hall; clerks of the course—J. Crerar, P. Fester, J. Hole; judges—running and cyclings T. D. Young, W. A. Courtis, J. P. Kalaugher, W. Priest, and T. J. Burns;. general sports: J. R. Bruce, P. Sinclair, G. Tennant; .wrestling: A. C. and T. Pringle, R. H.. Ferguson; Irish dancing: J. Sullivan, J. O'Connell, P. McCarthy; Highland music and dancing :R. Macaulay, -D. McKay, R. Skinner; starter —D. J. Caldwell; marksmen—F- Cameron, P. Foster; timekeepers—W. S. Lindsay, D. Mahoney, W. Gunn; handicappers—cycling, E. Hassall; other events, X. McAuMe.

The twenty-seventh annual sports gathering, of the South Canterbury Caledonian Society was commenced yesterday under very favourable' conditions, as regards the Weather, and In consequence there was a very satisfactory attendance. The morning • trains, especially from the north, brought in good loads of passengers, the roads were lively with people driving l in, and Stafford street was an animated scene between 10 and 11 o'clock. The usual procession started from the Grosvenor Hotel about eleven, the Timaru Pipe Band of thirteen, with .Sergeant Robert Harper, of the Dunedin Highland Rifles, as drummajor, leading and playing off. The Battalion Band followed, and then came the president and directors of the society. The military band relieved the pipers "opposite the Lands Office,as far as the Commercial, 1 where the pipers resumed playing. The crowd was-very 7 dense in the street- from Beswick street to •Woollcombe street, and there'were some rather' close shaves of accidents from the vehicles plying for passengers and others moving through the crowd. One little boy was struck by the knee of a leader in a four-in-hand and thrown down, but fortunately was knocked clear aside, upon the footpath, or the result might have been serious. The horses were going a! little fast, being startled by the music.; The majority of the spectators did • not go out to the ground at once, but arrived 12.30 and 2 p.m. 'The total "number has been exat these gatherings but once or twice, and was over 5000. The amount taken at the gates was £230, which represents 4600 shillings, but the members of: the society have family tickets, children were admitted at sixpence, and these and numerous free admissions would probably make up at least a thousand more. The crowd presented a fine spectacle massed round the quarter-mile arena, most of the afternoon, and the artificial terrace round it proved narrow enough to accommodate those who wished to-walk about to meet their friends, as weftjSs those who stood to watch the sports. ™ A large proportion of the crowd was feminine, of all ages, and their Jight-hued summer costumes made the whole gathering look as bright and cheerful as a dull day would permit. Such a number of persons arrived on bicvcles that the bicycle stand was quite a little show in itself, and within and without the grounds there were between forty and fifty family vehicles unhorsed. The spectators were not very demonstrative. Only twice during the afternoon waayi W,od roar of excited applause heardo|| the finish of the final in the Wheel RSjp and at the finish of the mile run. TtMre was of course a good deal of applause from time to time, especially at the performances on the music and dancing stage, and some of the jumping. The arrangements for carrying out the sports were as usual complete. The asphalt cycling track had been dressed where most necessary, and was fairly smooth, though a complete top-dressing would improve it by making it smoother still. The grassed area was in first-rate condition, "pleasantly green, and with a good turf on the running tracks. The national flags floated fsom high poles, and the refreshment booths were also decorated with small flags. One thing which floated over the ground was neither ornamental nor otherwise pleasing; this was a pungent smoke from a rubbish heap burning on the beach. The secretary, Mr C. S. Fraser, and the managers of "each department, had everything in readiness, and their day's work went like clockwork. Mr Budd provided a good luncheon, and appeared to be well patronised, and Mr Bryan's two licensed booths were kept busy; but we are pleased to say that we observed no excess. The games were interesting of their several kinds, but we heard some complaints that as a whole the day's programme was ' rather slow " —lacking in excitement. This, of course, the management could not help, it was probably due chiefly to some at least of the bicycle races being ridden at something a good deal short of break-neck pace, except for the last lap or so. And it may have been, probably was, also due in part to the dnlcess of the sky. Sunshine is an exhilarating element, and the absence of it tells greatly upon the spirits of a crowd. The " strong men" were about the first to get to work, and some fine feats were done byW .Angland with the 221b stone and 22lb:hammer. This athlete is in fine form, and he will endeavour to-day to make a new record in the light hammer event. Mr Anfrlind has now been thirteen years a competitor in these events, and his peryesterday were exceptionally good, especially the hammer throw. The wrestlingiwas not so good as we have many times seen, and u\nfortunately one of the competitors, T. Hhornley, was put out by lailHHfiiMiiili

grips. It was supposed that a rib was broken, but Dr Thomas examined him, and assured him that that was not the case. As. ■ Thornley was one of the only two competitors for tossing the caber, this item had to be struck out. The judges of Highland music were early at work, and were kept busy all day./ There were but few pipers from a distance, but the members oi the Timaru Pipe Band furnished a fair number of competitors for the open contests, and a special' contest among themselves was provided in the programme. Very great praise was accorded the Band by experts lor the degree of excellence in playing they., have reached in the short time they have been practising. Anyone who is not an ex-_ pert can recognise that as a Band they, play very, smoothly _ together, and the individual playing of " the best of them—to leave out of account their chief and instructor, Mr W.. Meßride—was very good. The Pipe Band marched round the ground several times during the af ternoon,and the Batta-. lion Band filled up all gaps very acceptably. The uniform of the Pipe Band was greatly admired, _ and. it deserved the greater admiration, inasmuch as, whilst it is said to be really the. finest of such uniforms in this colony, it is colonial made, and of colonial material. The Highland dancing was not so well competed in as usual, but the public were greatly interested in two reels, in which girls (Misses Currie and Wade) were • the competitors. They danced first with two men, and then found two other girls to join them in a. second and extra item of the same kindi. The sailors' hornpipe brought out two small boys, B. Hall and P. Foster, both taught by W. Smith. Very great interest was taken in this dance, and the young performers were well applauded for their clAver efforts, the smaller boy, Foster, being evidently the favourite. The Irish jig was an 'uneven, contest, and the judges appeared to have a good deal of difficulty in allocating the prizes. The jumping and vaulting competitors were fairly even, and ' did neat work. The limits reached were not ? great, as sports ground records, but theywould obviously have been useful in real" emergency. The running events were exceptionally good, thanks to the class of men engaged, the capable handicapping, and the excellence of the starting. To pick out one or two finishes,, for example, it will be a long while before the thousands of spectators seea Better finish tb>ft that in the mile. Thfe ; pace was made sound by Seymour, and at the half distance Coffey carried theni on. Both he and Barclay spurted all out' fromi the top of the straight, and there was a '■ ' great finish by inches. In the 220, too; th'e> : ; finish was a most exciting one. The cyelingi was hardly so high class as in previous- '■ I years; Barker, for instance, being quite off. He was, on his Christchurch form, set nothing extraordinary to do; but he failed dismally, probably he had gone- off a bit. The "Caledonian Wheel Race provided the greatest startler of the meeting. He made a big effort to catch his field;, and having done so, took it quietly for a quarter.; then tried to steal a march. Thesteal did not quite come off, for 'Marriott, coming with a tremenedous spurt, got home •, handsomely. The other events call for little mention. Mr Every, of Temuka,- and Mr Wood, of Timaru, had their motor bicycles on the ground, and made-several appearances on the track, separately and together, very much interesting those had not seen these motors before. Btr Wood's" ■- machine did not go well, seemed slncnrish and inclined to jib. owing-, Mr Wood thought, "to some mistake in- using mixed oil. Mr Every's machine ran- wit&out trouble, . and much easier than-the. othw. The results of the running events were as follows : 100 YARDS NOVICE RACE; £2 and- £.l, W. Harris « 1 J. Rodgers 2 P. McAuliffe 3 Harris established a slight lead from quarter way and won by about a yard; the rest in a very close bunch. Time, 100 S YARDS HANDICAP RACE; £4, £2, and 10s. ■ First Heat. P. C. Warburton, scr 1 H. Smart, siyds 2 W. Bryan, Byds 3 Also started—J. Dean 3iy4s, J. T. Birch 6yds, P. McAuliffe 7yds, A. Gray 9yds, J. Rodgers 9yds. The winner ran a capital race from scratch, starting smartly, and,- coming to the' front, won on _ the tape; the others almost abreast. Time, Usee.

Second Heat. H. Payne, 1 A. Dunn, 4£yds 2 J. McAuliffe, Byds 3 Also started—W. Davis . Byds, A. Seymour 9yds. A very easy win, the placed men not requiring any effort to qualify. Final Heat. Warburton. 1 Payne 2 Smart ; • 3

Warburton had his men caught at the 75 yards, and won a good race by about a vard. Time, 10 l-ssec. "220 YARDS HANDICAP; £3, £l,

and 10s. First Heat. H. Smart, 10yds 1 J. Dean, 7yds 2 J. T. Birch, 11yds 3 A. Dunn Byds, A. Wilson 15yds, A. R. R. Gray 18yds, and M. Nolan 18yds, also started. Smart went to the front after an indifferent start and won comfortably, the second man making no effort to pass him. Time, 24 3-ssec. Second Heat. . J. Rodgers, 18yds 1 '. H. Payne, scr 2 W. Harris, 13yds .'. 3 Also started—W. Davis 16yds. Payne from scratch made a splendid effort for first place, giving the winner a very close run for it, and only losing by a foot. Time, 24 l-ssec. Final Heat.

Smart • 1 Rodgers 2 . Harris .....-- 3 Payne was the only other starter. The race was very close Smart winning on the tape, the others abreast. Time, 24sec. 120 YARDS HURDLE RACE; £3, £1 10s, and 10s. First Heat. '. H. Smart, 9yds behind ... 1 W. Fitzgerald, syds behind 2 J. McAuliffe, Iyd behind... 3 R. Bennison 7yds behind also started. Smart won without difficulty by two yards. Second Heat. A. Wilson, 6yds behind ... 1 W. Biissett, Iyd behind ... 2 - .Bryan syds behind also started, but fell when nearing the tape, and did not finish. A rather poor race. Final Heat.

Smart J ' Wilson McAuliffe McAuliffe got the best of the start, and led for more than half way, when he lost step, and was passed by Smart, who won»easily, with McAuliffe and Wilson a dead heat. Time, 19 l-ssec. 440 YARDS HANDICAP; £4, £2, and 10s. H. Payne, scr 1 R. Bennison, 25yds 2 J. Rodgers, 30yds 3 Also started—Warburton Byds, H. Smart 12yds, A. Dunn 13yds, J. T. Birch 15yds, W. Davis 15yds, R. J. Barclay 16yds, J. A. Dean 16yds, D. Macintosh 16yds, W. Fitzgerald 20yds, G. Gould 20yds, W. H. Bryan 25yds, A. Seymour 27yds; M. Nolan 30yds. A very large field and a splendid race. Payne ran in grand style, with a good stride, passing his men easily. Bennison also ran a good race, but did not respond very keenly at thn finish. Time, 54sec. ONE MILE HANDICAP; £4, £2, and £l. R. J. Barclay, ,10yds 1 J. Coffey, 10yds 2 J., McAuliffe, scr- 3 H. Payne scr and A. Seymour 55yds also ran. A fine race from start to finish. All but the placed men dropped out during the race: In the final lap a splendid struggle took place between Barclay and Coffey, the men going neck and neck to the tape, and Barclay winning by four inches, McAuliffe several yards away. Time, 4min 59sec. 100 YARDS BOYS' HANDICAP; trophies value 10s and ss. Rooney (Marist School) scr 1 Stechman, 6yds 2 Campbell (Main School,) scr 3 A capital race, won by a couple of vards. The cycling events resulted as follows: — HALF MILE BICYCLE RACE; £3, £1 10s, and 15s. First Heat. J. Orr, 85yds 1 W. Webb, 80yds 2 A. Huston, 20yds 3 Other starters—P. O'Connor 60yds, A. Gascoigne 75yds, and J. Cunnard 95yds. The latter cut out the pace to ;the turn, where the .first diyi-

and won. easily from Webb, -wslio. length- clear of Huston. Time, lmin-2sec.. Second Heat. J.. Giant,. 75yds - - 1 - J. E. Marriott, 70yds .... 2 A.. MfiNeilL 90yds 3 Other starters—R. Connell 10yds,, A. Purie. Sflyds, A. Rennie 80yds, J. Fairweather 100 yds, and G.. Winter-120yds. Winteraut out a strong pace to the line on the.first quarter, when Marriott, coming from the: southern, wrested the lead from him. At-the.tui-n for. home Grant shot away ; ,_and. rau..home. a comfortable winner b$ two lengths.;. McNeill a good third. Time,, lmin L l-ssec.. ' Final Heat. J. <W. L J. Grant 2. J. Masrintt 3. McNeil went, oft at a. great pace, followed* closely by Qrr. This order was kept for the. t quarter,, when Orr ran into the. lead,, and-won very easily;, a. good third. Time,, lmin. lsec i OSHE.MILE BICYCLE HANDICAP;;£3, £1 Ids and 15s. Eirst Heat. . R. Connell, 20yds 1 A. Huston, 45yds 2 Jas. Qrry 125 yds 3 - Other starters were—J?. O'Connor 35yds, P.. Grant 115 yds, and W. Webb 120 yds. F}?€BH< a capital; start Orr made play,, rjrith. Grant close up. At the half all were, together, Webk pacing. No change to the three-quarter; but in the final lap Cohnell shi»fe away, closely, followed by Huston, Giant and Orr; Connell winning by a labgth, awLQtx jiisfe Beating; Grant by, half a- wheel-; j for third place. Trine, 2min 18 4-asseet. j

Second Heat. R. j. Cooks, 60yds * " A. McNeill. I3syds - ■* A. P&ie, 85yds 3" A. R. Barker scr, G. E. Marriott 95yds,. A'. Rennie I2oyds, G. Fairweather 150 yds,. and G. Winter 159 yds, also started*'. Mb.JTeilT teofr them along very fast io»r the: opening; half, with. Cooks well up, and packing at the? threeHjuarter. In the last lap iall were extended, and after a. great finish I the judges had great difficulty in placingthem, the decision being Cooke and McNeill' dead heo*,. Pirie half' a wheel away, the rest very close up. Time, 2min 13' sec. __ Final Heat. R. Connell .". 1~-■ A. Huston 2 R. J. Cooke 3

McNeill again led, the chief jeasure- of the* others' racing being the Cooke got into the leading division. At tbe-fialffmHe-all were togetehr, Connell having caught; the middle division in a quarter. On ridingfor the last lap all took it very eoolly, the order as they entered being McNtJiP, Cooke, Connell, Huston. At the southern bend Connell broke right away and'won by a length and a half, Cooke third. Time. 2min 15sec.

CALEDONIAN WHEEL RAGE, li mile; £lO, £5 and First Heat. A. Rennie, 155 yds ...,.,,... 1' A. Pirie, 110 yds i ..,.., v .„, 2 J. E. Marriott, 125yds x .„ 3 • Other starters—A. R. Barker s.cr, A. Huston 45yds, D. Grant 140 yds? T .,and G. Winter 210 yds. Winter and another raced in company for the quarter, a big. gap .showing .in front of the back division.:. " At the halfmile, all but Barker and Huston were racing together, the latter corning among them at the end of a mile. There were many, changes in pacing in that fifth lap,, and on the bell sounding Rennfe and Pirie were ,at the head of affairs. Ona.rader fell at the home turn, Huston having to ease- up. Rennie and Pirie fought out * fine-finish, Marriott just getting into the : other place.- Time,. 3min 42s«c.

Second: Beafer;' Connell, 10yds -' 1 ; W. Webb, 155 yds 2 B. J. Cooke* 65yds ...... <S Others were—P. O'Connor 110 yds. A., Gascoygne 135 yds;. and : Av McNeill d7syds. Gacsoyne led, bnfc was soon caught by Webb and McNeill, Cooke getting right up at the half-mile, Connor tailing away last. At the mile Connell was up with the leaders, and drawing out Si the last lap won easily by a wheel; a good third: Time, 3min olsec. Final Heat. J. E. Marriott - 1 A. Pirie • "2 B. J. Cooke 3 Rennie,. Connell and Webb also started. Bennie and Webb jumped away from the 155 yds mark, Marriott. from 125 yds hotly chasing- them. The trio made smart time over the half-mile, when Cooke (65yds) joined issue, and at the end of three-quar-ters Connell was right among the bunch. Air then had a took at the crowd, leisurely pedalling till after the mile had been covered. As they came to the northern turn to enter upon the last lap Connell bolted, and was quickly, 100 yds ahead: To try and spurt 600 yds was a fool's game, and Connell soon found this out, for after passing the back stretch Marriott shot out, and amid the greatest excitement and great; applause, came right on and won a great finish by a clear length from Pirie, who beat Cooke by half a length, Connell very close up fourth. Time, 4min 45 2-ssec. TWO MILES BICYCLE RACE; £4, £2

and SI. A. Huston, 70yds 1 W. Webb,'2ooyds 2 J. Orr, 200 yds 3 A. E. Barker and R. Connell scratch, R. J. Cook 90yds, A. Pirie 140 yds, P. O'Connor 140 yds, A. Gascoigne 175 yds, A. R«nnie 200 yds, J. Cunnard 230 yds, and J. Fairweather 250 yds, also rode. They soon split up into divisions, Marriott, O'Connor, Pirie and Cook being in the middle, and Barker and Connell whipping in. Gascoigne pulled out at the threequarter, and at the mile this was the only change. At the li Barker wheeled on to the grass, having had enough, and at the li Connell- and Marriott were also done with. As they passed the laptakers to do the last quarter Webb just had the call. Huston made his effort along the back, and getting into a grand position at the turn, won a great race by a length; Orr being on Webb's back wheel as the mark was crossed; others well up. Time, 4min 32sec. The Tesults of the general sports were as follows :

THROWING 221b HAMMER; £2 and £l. W. Angland,*B6ft Bin 1 T. Thornley, 77ft 3£in ... 2 J. Donn 76ft 9£in and P. McNeill 74ft, also threw. . The winner made his best throw in his first effort, and itfis believed to be unbeaten on the Timaru ground. PUTTING 221b STONE; £2 and £l. W. Angland, 31ft 1 P. McNeill, 30ft 3in ...... ( 2 Cart-wright also competed. RUNNING HIGH JUMP; £1 10s and

15s. E. Gould, sft 4in 1 D. Horgan, sft 3in 2 W. H. Bryan was the only other competitor. WRESTLING (Cumberland Style); £3, £1 10s and 10s. P. Brophy l . 1 A. McKay 2 McDonald 3 Thornley was also named as a competitor, but in a preliminary bout with Brophy sustained a wrench, and was unable to take part in the competition. Brophy and McKay had a nice set to, but the former was too powerful, this effectively setting off the latter's cleverness. RUNNING LONG JUMP; £1 10s • and 15s. T. O'Mara, 19ft 7in 1 W. Fitzgerald, 18ft 9in ... 2 D. Horgan, W. H. Bryan, and A. Finnie also competed. VAULTING; & 10s, £1 and 10s. J. Horgan and E. Gould, 9ft 4in, dead heat 1 W. Fitzgerald, 9ft 3in 3 The two first men divided, both being beaten at 9ft sin. The awards in music and dancing were , as follows : PIBROCHS; £3 and £1 10s. j W. Mcßride 1 J. J. Wade 2 The only competitors. MARCHES; £3, £1 10s and 10s. J. J. Wade 2 J. Priest 3v D. Cameron and F. Gardner played. CANTERBURY PIPE BAND "COMPETITION; Mr James Craigie's prizes, £2 2s, £1 Is. A. Campbell 1 J. Priest ■ ■ 2 J. Anderson 3 F. Davidson, G. Gunn and Lithgow also competed. HIGHLAND REEL, for Boys and Girls; 20s and 10s. Miss A. Currie 1 Miss O. Wade 2 The only competitors. In this case the competitors danced with two men. A second contest was arfSaged for them, in which they gob two; other join

uJ SAILOR'S HORNP.IPEi (Bays); 20s-am .. 10s. - P. Foster ~ 1 B.Hall 2 These lads danced very cleverly,, am were warmly applauded-. • BAGPIPE MUSIC (Boys under .20).,- ..£: : ~ and 10si. - i James Anderson v —,.„-..- 1 <■'] J. McMillan i~ 2. .. -\ F. Gardner also' played. HIGHLAND COSTUME. (Boys) ; £l. - R. McKnight 1 .. i J. and W. Petrie also competed. • 1 HIGHLAND. REEL; £2, £1 and 10s- . I R. Currie -.- - li .'•" i J. J. Wade _ £ !• W. Mcßride 3 ! HIGHLAND FLING, , R. Curiie «... 1". . '■ W. Mcßride I ,2 ; J. J. Wade 3; . 1 A special prize was given for girls', dane- ' feg,. and was won by Miss- Curacy Miss ! Wade second. GILLIE CALLUM. > R- Currie 1 J- J. Wade 2 The competitors. ; "■ IRISH JIG; £2, £1 and 10s-.. JT. Sullivan 1 J.: Lynch _ ,2 i GL Johnston .._ 3i. ' Mr W- Mcßride piped the musio: fee jiJHa-iig;-. THE. HANDICAPS FOR TO-DAY". | 150. YARDS—P, C. Warburton. and. HL. j Payne scr, J. McTeagne 4yds, H. Dean: < 4ydsy. H. Smart 6yds, A". J. Dunn, W. ? Harris and J. Lavery Byds, J. Rodgers | %d»,. W. H. Bryan, J..T. Birch and W. 1 Dairis 10yds, P. McAairifie.,-,;Wi Houston).'■W. Fitzgerald and J. McAuliffe 12yds, A. • P. K. ©ray and. A. SeyroMiryMyds;.-, i 300 YARDS.—P. C. Warburton and H. , acr,. H, Smasfes. and; Si,,, BentaaojOi : Byds, J, Dean and A. Wilson 10yds, A.. ! Dunn and J. Lavery 12yds, W. Davis and W. H. Bryan 15yds, E. McAuliffe: and W.. Houstaa 16yds, Wj Siymanr 20yds. I 800 YARDS.—H.. I&yne ; sar„ Ji..<EMfejr ! and E. J. Barclay Byds, E. Gould, W. Harris and D. Mcintosh 10yds, J. Mc- ! Auliffe, 18yds,. J. A> Dean 20yds, J: T. i Birclh -25 yds, A. Soymonr 35yds. ;' 440 YARDS HURDLES—H. Smart and . G.BKssett scr, A. Wilgojt%dsy,.Wj BiroaJs; i and R. Bennison 12yds, W." H. Biyan, W. Fitzgerald, W: Blissett, and Ji Mc- | Auliffe 14yds, W. Houston 18yds; THE" QQNCEK-l: The Society's fftst night concert attracted'' a very good hoasef to the: Theatre' Royal, I the dress circle- and stalls- being crowded : full, the pit being-less well patronised., The Pipe Band and Battalion Band played outside the Theatre alternately for half an' hour, and Mucked the- street with their crowd of- listeners.- Thev must have helped materiilly to fiD" the Theatre-. The concert was opened patribtieally by the concert compsiny singing, (the audience rising to their-feet) "God Save- the Kng." ■ The Black numbers sixMr and Mnr Black, son and three daughters—gave an illustration of their skill as an orchestra, hi the- i'nstri-Tjtental seTectipn " Scotia'"—t-jva violins,' vio'ia f bass viol, cornet and piano; Mr Black, sen., at times, exchanging his bass viol for a clarjonette, " with good" effect, and the . cornetist contrived to add the use of the., triangle.•This was- an' excellent- ifeai: 'Mr Farquhar Young gave.. the'.." Laird p' Cockpen;"" with a pawky humour that brought down the house, and for an encore he;sang." A Hundred Fathoms Deep," his fihe- and' powerful baritone voice doing, full jlistice; to this fine old song. Miss ,NelHe Black (eontralto) charmed all with her sympathetic rendering of "The Land ■o' the Leal," and was warmly encored for it. She responded with an item whose title we dM not ascertain. Wee Doris Black played an arrangement of Scottish airs for the violin, very cleverly for such a little girl, and she had to bow her acknowledgements, for a recall. Miss Amy Murphy then made her first appearance-, and created a most favourable impression by her singing of "Bonnie Jeanne o' theClyde."' In response to an emphatic encore the lady pleased the audience still more by her second selection, "Bird that Came in Spring," the fine trills : in vhich were given with telling effect, and • Miss Murphy retire"3-amid a storm of applause. (Miss Murphy was accompanied ia these, ana subsequent selections by Mrs Murphy, her mother.) The audience needed no winding up to appreciate the next item, the" Highland fling danced by. Misses Wade and Currie. This was done to quick time, piped by Mr Wade. The-.- danced in fine style, and were- recalled by a spontaneous burst of applause, to repeat the dance. Mr J. Black amused his audience with a couple of comic songs—his first encored, the latter made ludicrous- by sentimental treatment of his memories of his " Mither's Auld Pair o' Tawse." The duet, "In the Dusk of the Twilight," by Misses Murphy and Black, was excellently sung, and an encore was demanded? the call being a little slow in starting, but gathering vehemence until ifc was acceded to, a bow of thanks being refused acceptance. The ladies' voices, soprano and contralto respectively, blended beautifully, and made a most acceptable item. A mandolin trio, with piano accompaniment, by Mr and Misses Black, formed a most interesting close to the first part of the programme. The maridohnists are clever players, and filled the.Theatre with the sweet silvery notes. They played several selections of different qualities, grave and gay, and received a recall. On returning, they gave a prettier piece than before, that alone was worth going to the concert to hear. The second part was opened by the Black Family as an orchestra, in the arrangement of Scottish airs "Echoes of Rothesay," very' well played. Miss Murphy again pleased her audience in u Doon, the Burn Davie, which she sano- with more dramatic expression than is usually heard. An encore was responded to with a pretty negro lullaby which was a lullaby, not something to arouse even a tired person from sleep. Miss Nelbe Black next appeared to perform a violin solo, "Culloden." The young lady s instrumentation has the same qualities as her own voice, richness and sympathy, and combined with an admirable technique, the item was a charming one. An imitation of the bagpipes is introduced into the selection, and this was very cleverly and clearly done. This was one of the gems of the evening, and an encore was demanded. As. "Culloden" is a long composition, Miss Black ingeniously met the demand for more by repeating the bagpipe passages. Mr Young let himself go on "Were a' John Tamson's Balms," and was promptly asked j for another, when he gave them Willie Brewed a Peck o' Maut," and the audience "werena fou."; wanted more; ana Mr Young kindly gave them more—a humourous little sketch-"McGint-y -that raised one of the heartiest laughsjheard m the Theatre lately. Miss Nellie Black followed, and achieved but, moderate success with " Jock o' Hazeldean." Mr Black-, sen amused the company with a comic son" and recitation "No for Sam, and for°an encore added "Dear Me, is that Possible?" A decided change in the nature of the programme eame next, m a short and curious gipsy skirt and tambourine dance. It seemed to be a kind of dance imported from some Oriental land. Mr Young pleased everybody by a clever humourous recitation, "How McTougall. Topped the Score " in a back-blocks cricket match by teaching his dog to field the ball from one hit till enough runs were got. This was v splendidly told, and more was promptly demanded, and Mr Young did still better in another recitation "A ' Gran* Scotch Nicht." Mr and Miss Black wound up the concert with a quaint and pleasant little domestic sketch in song, in which some pretty music is made use of. This was concluded at 10.40 p.m., and the audience were hurrying out when the company reappeared and sang a verse of "Auld Lang Syne." Listening to the oomlhents exchanged by people leaving the Theatre, we heard nothing but- praise of the concert as a whole, and in its details. We can confidently recommend those who did not attend it, and think of going to this evening's concert, to act upon their thought. Those who were present last night need no such advice. The Black family are a household of musical talent; and Miss Murphy is a singer one could listen to for hours; so also, in a different way "of course, is Mr Farquhar Young. The Concert Committee of the Caledonian Society have acquitted themselves well of the task imposed upon them of providing ■ an enjoyable evening's entertainment. To-night's programme is drawn, up on similar lines, and after last night's experience the Theatre will doubtless be well

I to differ :a little those issued last night, and. to include .an "Indian club [ solo"" by-Mr G. Bush, of the Christchurch gj-mnasium. THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES AT. .OAMARU. Per Press Association. . OAMARU, January 1.. The Oamaru Caledonian Society had at record day for thee first day of their, games, the takings being £146 inore than lor the first day oi- last year. The chamrpionship events produced little competition in the running, McLauchlan and Smith intimidating tha: other pedestrians,, and in the wrestling_ Dunn arid Scott had the field to themselves* unless in the events where they were barred. The Southland Pipe Band added greatly to the ness of the gathering.'. Thfci.cycling was good, with fair fields. The following are the results of the-principal events::— .BAGPIPE MUSlG:—Pibrochs (chan* pion)—K. Cameron,. Inv-ercargjll,. 1 ;. J.. McKechnie, Dunsdin, 2i;: J. Cameron, Mataura, 3.

' TOSSING THE CABER (champion).— F. Ford (15ft l£in), 1: The caber was ; then decreased in length by- two feet, and ': J. Dalton threw it 17It't Sim and- <SK Mirnre* ;16ft 7in. - - | 400 YARDS C. -McLauchlan 1. Smith-;( Queensland) and ' So-mers (Wellington) also started, but drew out before the race was finished. RUNNING CHAMPIONSHIP.—J. McTigue, Ashburtori (20ft) 1; F. Forde, InvercargHtf '(lßft'- 2ih)- -2V S£. Hanley, Gore (16ft llin) 3.

HALF-MILE CHAMPIONSHIP.— L.. C. McLauchlan 1, B. Smith 2; W; Huckstep 3. The only starters. Smith assumed the ;lead, and McLauchlan lay last til 50yds from hdme? when- he smothered the other two with a rapid* run.. Tim*,, lmin 69 2-ssec.

WRESTLING. —, Caten-as-Catch-Can Championship—Scott V,- Thornley, 2, H. Dunn 3.

HIGHLAND FLING CHAMPIONSHIP.—H. Gfflfes I- J". McKechnin 2, C. Bell 3. RUNNING HB3H JUMP CHAMPIONSHIP.—J. D. Dalttm--.(sfTr'4ih) 1„ Frank Ford (sft 3in) 2, M: Haeley (sft'2in) 3. ONEiMDLE CHAMPIONSHIP. D. Smith 1\ J. HueKstep- 22 The only starters. Smith lay second' all th> way, But moved rapidly to the front near the- finish, and won with something to spare. Time, 4min 36 3-ssec.

The Caledonian" Handicap' of 200 yds was won by F. Br Somers; Wellington, with McPhee and Mcintosh: second: and third. The One MHe-Bicycle-.race was won by Bryson, as was also the !£' mile. K. first for Bagpipe Music (jigs and hornpipes), with J. Cameron-se-cond and J. McKechnie third. McLaren -was- disqualified for the day for pushing Somers over in. the Caledonian Handicap. THK.msmS'-AT BUNEDIN. DUNEDIN, January I. The weafhfer was-fine to-day, with slightly overcast sky and' coldness in the wind when sua was- not shining. , Large numbers left town to-day- by rail and steamer, bsfc' tie Caledonian Society's sports were as largely attended as usual. The chief results were as- follows: WRESTLINe.—Border style—H. Brophy 1; H. Robinson 2, R." Powley 3; Catcb-as-Catch-Can—R. Pcsrley 1, H.. Robinson- 2j PV-Dynes. 3. CALEDONIAN HANDICAP; 100 yd—s Bannatyne 1, J. SBtvas 2, J. Wilkins i ONE' MIEE BICYCLE HANDICAP.— J. Connell 1, N. Ralston 2. J. Bain 3. HOP, STEK.AND JUMP—L. McKay U with the big "jump of 43ft 10* in. I TOSSING THE CABER—John Ford 1: HANDICAP WALKING—H. Kerr 1. PUTTING BALL—M. Hanlev 1. I FIFE MILE BICYCLE HANDICAP—>JV Bain 1,- J.- L. Roxburgh 2, A. Watson P ________ ; THE GAMES AT INVERCARGJLL. INVERGARGILL, January 1, The Caledonian Society of Southland's sports to-day,-again-secured a record attendance, the gate money being £2BB lis ,6d, or £22 more than last year. The day was fine, clouds and a south-west wind tempering the heat. The only mishap was in one,of the bicycle races, three riders coming down in the last lap. The most- serious damage was to machines. The following arte the results of the principal events:— , RUNNING.—IOOyds—D. McLean (3vds) 1, L. W? Morton (4yds). 2r D. C. Whytock (6yds) 3. Time; 10 l-ssec.

150yds.—T. Kane (10yds) 1, H. J. Crawford (9yds) 2 r L. W. Morton (7yds)' 3. Time, lfisec. 220yds.—J. Taylor (scr) 1; L. W. Morton (Byds) 2, D. C. Whytock (16yds) 3. Time, 23 2-ssec. 440 yds.—D. McLean, (loyds) 1. J.. Taylor (scr) 2, G. Simmons (18yds) 3. Time, 54sec.

Half-mile.—H, Mitchell 15yds) I.* C. Evans (scr) 2, A. M. Silvester (39yds) 3'. Time, 2min 4-ssec.

Mile Handicap.—W. Ma ton (20yds). 1, T. Carroll (scr) 2, G. Larrie (40yds) a. Time, 4min 44 3-ssec. Three Miles.—H. .Mitchell: (50yds) 1, W. Mason (30y4?) 2/ A. Small ;90yds) 3. 120 yds Hurdles.—J. T. May (syds) 1, Taylor .(scr) 2, D. McLean (3yds) 3'. Time, 17sec.

CYCLING.—I mile.—A. Corrie (90yds) 1, Dowling (100 yds) 2, J. Stewart (145 yds) 3. Time, 2min 39secTwo miles.-rrJames Stewart (160 yds) 1." A. Hancock (200 yds) 2, J: Dowling (160 yds) 3. Time, smin 7sec. Five-mile.—J. Dowling (335 yds) 1, M. Dowling (235 yds) 2; J. Stewart (210 yds) 3. Time. 13min 17 l-ssec. WRESTLING.—Border—T. Johnston 1, J. Hoffmann 2, H. Payne 3. Collar-and-Elbow—T. Johnston 1, J. Valli 2, N. Payne 3. 161b Ball;—J. Hoffman (2ft) 38ft 1. Murray (3ft) 36ft lOin 2, A. Gibson (3ft 6in) 36ft Oiin 3. Stone. (Irish).—C. Purdue (scr) 48ft 2in 1, J. Hudson (3ft 2in) 42ft lliin 2, M. A. Gibson (3ft) 42ft isin ; 3. Hammer, 161b. W. McFadyen (7ft) 103 ft lih 1, E. Tobin (lft.6in) 103 ft Bin 2, W. Hudson (Bft) 94ft 9in 3. Caber.—W. McFadyen 19ft 9in 1, J. Tobin 18ft 9in, A. Gibson 17ft 94in. Running High Leonard (6in) sft 2in 1, H. J. Crawford (6in) sft lin and J. Murray (sin) Sft lin. Vaulting with Pole.—J. Hoskin (lOin) 9ft 4£ih, S. Fraser (14in) 9ft 2in, A. Gibson (lOin). Bft Win 3. Running Long Jump.—J. Murray (Bin) 1, C. Whittaker (6in) 2, A. Gibson (scr)'s. Sawing.—Thomson Bros. (7sec) 1, Fisher and v Thomson (scr) 2. Hogan Bros. (3sec) 3. Chopping;—H. Church (25sec) 1. J. Moore (scr) 2, M. Cash (scr) 3. Time, smin 47sec.

The awards for Highland dancing went to D. McKechnie, K. Popham, A. Blund, and J. M. Peart. A. S. Duncan was the best player of pibrochs.