MARLBOROUGH.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 35, 29 August 1891, Page 322

MARLBOROUGH.

Dear Bee, August 13. The Hunt Club races, the first held by the club, was a very successful affair altogether, the weather being propitious, and all the trades-people agreeing to * shut up shop.’ There was quite a large gatbeiing on the course. Miss A. Williams’ horse won the Ladies’ Bracelet amidst great applause and excitement. There was rather more than the usual mild excitement over the shilling sweepstakes amongst the ladies up in the Grand Stand. A valuable horse belonging to Mr Roake unfortunately fell, and was so severely hurt that it is said he will never be able to race again. The trades-people had a very pleasant social gathering under the auspices of a popular committee. Some musical selections by Miss McCabe, and a song, • True to the Last,’ by Mr George Carter, varied the proceedings with dancing till 2 p.m. Surprise parties are becoming monotonous, but what are you to do in a small place like Marlborough ? Anyone who will start something new and original in the way of amusement for the young people will be looked upon as a public benefactor. One party visited Mrs Raynor’s hospitable homestead, and enjoyed themselves immensely. Mrs Raynor’s name is a household word amongst the young people, and her hospitality proverbial with the young men who have gone to Blenheim as strangers, and experienced great kindness at her hands. A hoax was perpetrated on the indefatigable band who go about with their suppers and take other people’s houses by storm. Some circulars headed ‘ Surprise Party ’ were sent to various members of the contingent, requesting them to meet at a certain corner at a certain time. Twenty young people, laden with provision baskets, appeared on the scene at the time appointed, but the organizer of the party was conspicuous by his absence, probably chuckling to himself at the success of his scheme on the other side of the hedge. The Marlborough Rugby Football Union got up a social to raise funds for the purpose of sending a team to try conclusions with foreign teams. The social was a fancy or plain dress—at the option of the guests affair, and appears to have been a success. Some of the Picton ladies were asked to go on the committee with the Blenheim ladies, but what with railway fares, tickets, and other unavoidable expenses mounting up, they were unable to avail themselves of the compliment paid to them. The fancy dressists were Miss Falconer (Picton), Dolly Varden ; Miss Mary Raynor, Fair Maid of Perth ; Miss Smith, French Peasant ; Miss Horton, Grecian Maid ; Miss Bnrton, Highland Lassie; Miss Gillespie, Julia ; Mrs Brown, Magpie ; W. Carey, Buffalo Bill ; J. W. Hodgson, Lawn-tennis ; S. Hodson, Page ; Mr Menelaus, Sandy McPherson ; Mr King, Yankie Grab ; Mr Oldershaw, Irishman ; Mr Ennis, Footballer; H. Purser, Bombardier; Mr Bothwell, Chinaman ; Mr T. Nicholas, The Good Young Man Who Died ; Mr Horton, Lawn Tennis ; L. Griffiths, Lawyer ; W. Seymour, Clown ; C. Simson, Rowing : E. Pasley, Persian ; A. Raynor, Volunteer Officer. I was unable to be present, so can only give a hearsay report, though I believe the management was excellent and the attendance very large. Mr Thomas Watson, of Blenheim, gave a lecture on * Robert Burns ’ to the Picton people for the benefit of the public lawn tennis court. As a rule, the public of Picton despise two things—lectures and glees—but on this occasion, whether it was that the continual frosts had sharpened their intellectual qualities, or that they could not resist so attractive a subject, this deponent knowetb not, but qnite a large number of the residents turned out of their comfortable homes into the frosty night air, and sat entranced for two whole hours listening to Mr Watson’s oratory. The glees, which were sung by some of the members of the late Musical and Dramatic Society, they took as ‘ bitters with the sweet.’ They prefer solos, so why not give them the medicine they prefer? Mr Waddy, in returning a vote of thanks to the lecturer, made one of the very best impromptu speeches ever delivered in Marlborough, and was heartily applauded. Mrs H. C. Seymour and Mrs Allen were asked to chaperone a party of young people out on the warpath to surprise Mr and Mrs Beauchamp, at Anikiwa, but at the last Mrs Seymour was unable to go, and the whole duty and responsibility devolved upon Mrs Allen. Captain Bannatyne, of the ship Nelson, kindly lent one of the ship’s boats, capacious enough to hold all the party, and we left Picton at four p.m., and arrived at Anikiwa, which is situated at the head of Queen Charlotte Sound, at six p.m., just in time for tea. Mr and Mrs Beauchamp received the party literally with open arms, and made the strangers, of whom there were several, feel at home at once, wnilst the young ladies, assisted by their guests, quickly prepared the tea. After tea the dining room was cleared of carpets and furniture, and a most enjoyable evening was spent. The Hight of time was forgotten, and the small hours of the morning found us still doing the light fantastic. At three a.m. we all retired for a few hours' rest, the gentlemen camping down in the dining room, and all were up at an early hour, and some of them out quail-shooting before breakfast. After breakfast it was resolved to extend the excursion to Cullensville rather than go fishing, as was intended, so we packed up some lunch, and took leave of the

Beauchamp family with cheersand good wishes, and a warm invitation from our host and hostess to repeat the surprise. We got into our nautical coach and pioceeded to the Grove, about a mile across the bay, where we landed, and from thence walked to Cullensville, a distance of live miles. We paid a visit to Mr Greensill’s store, and asked permission from Mr Frank Conoly to camp there. He kindly made some tea for us, and we forthwith proceeded to make ourselves at home. We might have been on short commons fora week, so hungry were we, and it was quite apparent that there was not nearly sufficient lunch to satisfy so many ravenous people, so a council of war was held. W e had not intended to go to Cullensville, and were unprovided with money, but pockets were turned out, nevertheless. Mrs Allen found ninepence, and Miss Western one and sixpence, and the two went off in triumph to a baker’s shop, where they invested their whole fortune in a loaf, a piece of cheese, and some biscuits. We fared sumptuously on that, and felt at peace with ali the world. We then visited several of the claims, King Solomon’s Mine first of all, where some of our young men being ‘ new chums,’ were baptized according to rule by having the water turned on from the sluice whilst they were descending the shaft. Mr Wearne, the mine manager, was exceedingly kind, and wished us to stay and see them * washing out,’ but that would have delayed us too long. He had some very handsome nuggets amongst the week’s * takings.’ The Wairarapa claim was the next visited, and there I went down the shaft in an ordinary bucket, impelled thereto by a desire to distinguish myself, and also to have something to relate to you. The shaft was 45 feet deep, and the sensation of going down not unpleasant till I began to twirl round like a tee totum near the bottom. When there I sat down in a puddle, regardless of my dress, but still had sense enough to disentangle myself from the bucket, and let it be drawn upwards again. Mr Matheison came down the perpendicular ladder and lit a candle, by the light of which we explored the tunnel to where the men were at work—2so feet from the shaft. No one can imagine without seeing for themselves the wonderful work done by men in their search for gold, and that tunnel looked a dreadful place for men to be at work in—reeking of blue mud and dynamite, standing in water, and water trickling down upon them, out of the sunshine and out of the fresh air, they dearly earn the gold they get. Mr Matheison pointed places in the tunnel where they had found some splendid nuggets. The owners of this claim are called the * Lucky diggers,’ and have been very successful, as indeed they deserve to be. I went up once more in the bucket, and began to feel quite at home in it. Mr Matheison then washed out some dirt to show us the process, and we became the proud possessors of some small nuggets. Next we went to the Hibernian claim, where some of the others wanted to distinguish themselves by going down the shaft, but wanted me, as a veteran, to lead the way. My dress already bore the marks of another shaft and tunnel, and I bad no desire to go back to Picton inside a whole casing of blue clay, so I declined the honour of leading them in this case, and we went to the office instead, and saw the bag of gold—the week’s takings—and bad the manner of assaying the gold explained to us, and many other interesting matters, which would make this letter far too long were I to tell them. A comtortable-looking brake stood ready in Alien-street, but we were penniless adventurers, and could not afford the luxury of a carriage and pair. Shank’s ponies would have to carry us, we thought, to the Giove, but we hadn’t gone far on our way before the brake overtook ns, and the driver, known as Tim McClancy, insisted upon our chaperon and those of the party with her getting into the trap, and in spite of protestations—feeble ones, I admit—he drove us down to the Grove Wharf. Thanks, and the heartir st cheers that over-tired people could give, were all we had to give, but the memory of his good-natured action will live in our hearts for all time. On the wharf we found the Misses Beauchamp with a kettle of hot tea and some more eatables, which they, thinking we would be starved, had brought over from Anikiwa in a boat. We had to wait an hour for the ‘ middies ’ and the rest of the party who were walking, and then we took to the oars, or rather the middies did, and arrived at the Picton Wharf at 8 p.m., and all agreed that it was one of the very best excursions ever planned and carried out.

Jean.