MARTON NOTES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12652, 4 November 1910, Page 3

MARTON NOTES

(From Our Own Correspondent

For. part of the week at least our town is well catered for in the line of amusements, for the skating rink and Price's Pictures seem to be increasing in popularity. On Wednesday night the rink was well patronised, the usual Wednesday skaters being on the floor. During .the evening ';t'wo races were got off, and one, the -pbtato ; race, beat all previous records as: a laughter raiser] No less than eighteen nominated for this event, and in the six preliminary heats only a "skate-in" was experienced. Heats were won by F. Stanbury, W. Tennant. D. Thurston* H. Gillett, G. Bonnett, and F., McLean, the lastnamed winning in ; a run-off after a dead-heat. :

Tn the semi-finals McLean was again successful, and also Tennant, making the final a- good sporting race. After a race bristling with judicial skating F. McLean came in a winner by nearly a whole, potato. The. other 'event, the coat-and-hat race, was rather too quickly over to please the onlookers, the winner being F. McLean. A. Davis got in first, but with someone else's coat.

At the Town Hall the same evening quite a good house had gathered to see Price's Pictures, and a wonderful demonstration was given of the patience of the Marton citizens. Owing to the engine from which power is obtained for the pictures being out of order, a start with the programme could not be made till very late, but the audience quietly waited for tho commencement of the programme, noi< a voice being: raised in protest against the delay. This is rather an uncommon thing with New Zealand audiences, but perhaDs the crowd was in sympathy with Mi- Price for the trouble was not due in any way to his neglect. It seems_ that a local engine is used by the Picture Company for generating the necessary rower, and arrangements had been made to give it a thorough overhaul accordingly. The overhaul however, was not commenced till Wednesday, and the process evidently tool; longer than was anticipated. When 8 o'clock came no start could be made, but, fortunately. Crozier's Orchestra S-i? b- Ci? n ,en£ a? e<1 > and they filled the mil till the pictures could be seen. Needless to say. the breakdown brought out many budding engineers, who all offered advice or services to put the thins right in a minute. Finally the repair was completed, and the pictures were shown in full, despite the hour. Ilie nudiencs showed its sympathy with Air I nee b y waiting so ruiietly, and ho should feel gratified to knojr_ T +hat he has worked such a charm in our midst