NELSON.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume VIII, Issue 49, 5 December 1891, Page 658

NELSON.

Dear Bee, November 20. The third of the Harmonic Society’s conceits for this year came off in the Provincial Hall. The work chosen was ‘ Samson,’ and for a small town like Nelson having a society capable of undertaking such a piece says a great deal for the musical portion of the community, and reflects great credit on Herr Von Zimmerman, the conductor. The chief thing that at once struck one on entering the hall was the great number of ladies in the chorus and the comparatively small number of gentlemen, but the small number made up in vigour for what they lacked in numbers. But twenty gentlemen can’t do the work of fifty, and I don’t suppose there were more than twenty at the outside in the chorus of the last concert, and there must have been between forty and fifty ladies, so, Bee, you will at once say, like all the ladies in Nelson, ‘ Where are the gentlemen ?’ The soloists were Mrs Percy Adams, in white cashmere with yellow silk trimmings ; Mrs Houlker (who, I believe, has been asked to take part in the ‘ Messiah ’ at Wellington), in white silk, brocade panel ; Mrs Patterson, flowered delaine, green ribbons; Mrs Harkness, in white ; and Messrs Chatterton, Kempthorne, Grace and Fell. Among the chorus I recognised Miss B. Atkinson, blaek lace ; Miss F. Sealy, white, with lace collar; Mrs R. Kingdon, white delaine, old gold plush opera cloak ; Miss L. Fell, white, with pink ribbons ; Miss Pitt, terracotta silk and net ; Miss Mackay, black, with pretty heliotrope plush opera cloak. In the audience were Miss Pritt, pink nun’s veiling ; Miss Richmond, black lace, white silk opera cloak ; Miss C. Richmond, heliotrope, white silk opera cloak ; Mrs Preshaw, green brocaded silk trimmed with flowered lace ; Miss Preshaw, pale green walking dress; Mrs Thornton, green velvet; Miss Hunter-Brown, pretty pale green Liberty silk, with fashionable frill round the neck ; Mrs Fell, grey dress, Indian evening wrap ; Miss Watson, green ; Miss Gribben, flowered delaine; Miss Catley, white ; Miss Curtis, fawn walking dress; and Mesdaines Richmond, Wood, Ledger, Mackay, Chatterton, H. Edwards, Kempthorne, and Pitt, also Misses Ledger (2), Heaps, Wood, Jones (2), and Boor. Mr Tennyson Smith, the temperance advocate, has been delivering a series of temperance lectures here to crowded audiences. The lectures were brought to a close by a literary and musical entertainment, in which several well-known local amateurs took part, as well as Mr R. B. Williams, of Wellington. Mr Williams, who possesses a soft, sweet voice, gave three songs, each one of them being encored. There were a great many ladies in the audience. Amongst them I noticed Mrs Bowen, Mrs Pitt, Mrs Lightfoot, Mrs Sealy, Mrs J. Oldham, Mrs Isitt, Mrs Gillow, Miss Pitt, Miss L. Fell, Miss Cock, Miss F. Sealy, Miss Worsley, Miss Bell, and Miss Morgan. There was a special general meeting of the Lawn Tennis Club to decide whether we ladies should pay a subscription or not. You will, no doubt, think us behind the times, Bee, in allowing ladies to belong to the club free of subscription. Anyhow, this rule has now been altered, and nobody is allowed on the ground but those who are subscribers to the club.

Nelson is going to make a regular carnival during the first week in February next in celebration of the jubilee of the settlement. A special feature of the week will be the number and variety of the amusements provided for the children. On the Ist February, anniversary day, a salute will be fired by the artillery, and there is to be a procession which is expected to include three thousand children, who are to be entertained afterwards at an al fresco feast. On Tuesday there will be the Regatta; on Wednesday races at Richmond Park, and a children’s fete in town ; on Thursday, more races, and a children's concert at night; on Friday there will be a fire brigade demonstration and grand display of fireworks for the children. There is also to be a plain and fancy dress ball and a dinner to the old settlers who came ont in 1842. It seems that when the Duke of Edinburgh was here he left £3O in the hands of Mr Curtis, who was then superintendent, to provide at some future time a treat for the Nelson children. This money has been lying at interest in the bank, and now there is quite a respectable sum, which will be expended in some special form or other upon this occasion for the entertainment of the children.

Nelson gave to the colony many of her most distinguished public men, including Sir E. W. Stafford, Sir D. Monro, Sir W. Fox, Sir F. Dillon Bell, Sir F. A. Weld, Mr Jollie, and others, and has in other ways occupied in the past an important place in the history of the colony. So it was decided to have a history of the settlement prepared from its foundation in 1842 to the present time, but the difficulty was to find anyone to write it. The time was so short, and there was such a mass of material to be sifted, that it was felt justice could hardly be done to the work. Then there was a further difficulty in finding a printer willing to undertake the risk of publication. However, both difficulties have been overcome. Mr C. T. Fell undertook to collect information, and after a good deal of persuasion Judge Broad agreed to write the book, and the proprietors of the Colonist accepted the risk of printing and publishing it. So we are looking for an interesting account of the struggles of the early settlers, and we are promised a true account of the Wairau massacre, in which Captain Wakefield and many other brave men were massacred.

I hear that already most of the hotel accommodation has been bespoke, but the Committee are determined to do all they can to provide for the accommodation of visitors. Our

quiet little town will hardly know itself during this very gay week.

Phyllis.