Odd Fellows' Demonstration at Tararu.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2155, 30 November 1875, Page 2

Odd Fellows' Demonstration at Tararu.

Jupiter Pluvius, who has reigned supreme for, the, past several jtcionthg, vouchsafed to-day, on behalf of St. Andrew, to suspend his particular vocation, for a more glorious morning never r greeted the anxious? folk who were early to-day so painfully alert to the state of the weather,.; ;\At[,ihalf-pa3t nine fully 100 members of the mysterious order of Odd Fellows' were congregated abput,the precjppts .of their hall,in.&iclimond street, Shortland, and soon after' a! procession was foijmedV unUer the ■leadership of Mr Grant, P.G.M., who 'acted as Marshal. The order of the procession>was'>as follows i—Tirst camW the /Union Jack followed by the. band of the Thame3 Scottish Volunteer^) ?fh'en the Inner Guardians, and after them the banner of the order,, most ela.boMte j affair of "!silk* -' and '/-gold' < --face fearfully and wonderfully made ; after that two dispensations carried by V.G's. and Wardens. Then came in their order the Provincial G.M. and Past P.Gr.M., the Purple Officers by twos, two I^oble Grands, two Grand Masters, two Elective Secretaries, and Permanent and Past Secretaries, followed by the brethren of the? Order in two deep: On. arrival at the Masonic Hall in Grahamstown the procession was joined by about. 50 more brothers. belonging. to • the Charles Bruce;• Lodge, and the whole body then proceeded in line to Tararu. . On arrival there they were formed in a circle opposite tp the gardens by the Marshal. The Union Jack, the banner'and tho band in the centre, when Mr Bagnall the P.G.M., briefly addressed them. He said he hoped that as the day had begun so auspiciously it would close so, and he hopedf; nothing in or but- of the Gardens would' deteriorate from their pleasure. He further thanked them for. .their; attendance and then those asembled,after giving three cheers for her most gracious Majesty, dispersed to enjoy themselves according to their several inclinations.,

At half-past 2 o'clock the races were initiated :—

• Fibst Race — For the OddFellows Parse Handicap 0f,.: 110 3 sovb, dis«. tance 1£ miles, entrance £1. The entries were —Mr John's Potentate, 9sfc 71b; Mr Bobbett's Arrow, 9st, and Mr JRawdon's Whipper-in, 7 st 7 lbs.; Mr Bpbbett's v Arrow was . scratched, which; catised; "a sliglil hitchJ inllifeiprb- : ceedirigs, but-the'entrance 1 of MrOrin.pV Butcher Boy smoothed aU difficulties, arid Mr Robinson effected a very good start with the three—Whipper-in, Potentate and .Buiicheij-, Boy.> y^utcher, r ßpyi> went off, wittt*thT6"llead, which he^aib^ tamed to the Tararu wharf, when he was passod by the other two who raced neck and neck past the winning post the first round, w&nthe pace ' .hpsun fo tell on Whipper •..»; Vvwtia CigVadually, U lagged behind leaving Potentate to come in an I easy winner, six lengths ahead. A great j ddal of enthusiasm was manifested throughout the race which was well contested. A hack race, which from the j numerous entries promised to be a very good one, was about to take place when our reporter left. .