Volunteer News.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume II, Issue 88, 31 March 1892, Page 8

Volunteer News.

[Contributions to this column are invited. All communications should be addressed to “ Torpedo,” and reach this office not later than Tuesday in each week. Notes from country corps will be specially acceptable.] DISTRICT ORDERS. Government Inspection Parade for April. Garrison Corps. Auckland Naval Artillery—Friday Sth. at 7.30 p.m. Ponsonby Naval Artillery — Monday l£th, at 7.30 p.m. “ A ” Battery Artillery—Thursday, 7th. at 7.30 p.m. Auckland Engineers—Wednesday 13th and 27th, at 7.30 p.m. Victoria Rifles ) Auckland City Guards > Tuesday 12th and 26th, at 7.30 p.m. Newton Rifles ) Garrison Band—Bth and 12th, at 7.30 p.m. Country Corps. Thames Naval Artillery—Monday, 11th and 25th, at 7.30 p.m. Wairoa Rifles—Saturday, 2nd and 16th, at 2.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m respectively. Hamilton Light Infantry—Thursday, 14th and 28th, at 7.30 p.m. Sergt. Harry 'Doughty, the Champion Rifle Shot of the Colony, received a most enthusiastic reception at the hands of the public on his return to Auckland on Wednesday last. On the arrival of the Mahinapua, which had all her bunting flying, the champion was welcomed by Captain Geddes, of the “A” Battery, and Albert Doughty, his brother, who is Sergt.-Major of the same corps, and driven to town, where it had been arranged to give the crack shot a suitable reception at 5 p.m. Several thousand people assembled at the Railway Station gates, where the volunteers had also been ordered to muster, but, owing to the inconvenience of the hour, there was a very poor turn out, the Navals, under CaptainCommandant Le Roy, being most prominent. The “ A ” Battery had a gun detachment with one of their nine-pounders, to which was bitched four magnificent greys, Gunners E. Wiles, and Dunningham being mounted as drivers; the detachment consisted amongst others of the famous shots—Parslow, Webster, Taylor, Head, Buchanan, Hazard and Henderson. On arrival, Sergt. Doughty was warmly welcomed by Messrs. J. M. Shera and T. Thompson M.H.R.’s, and many other prominent citizens. The Mayor of Auckland (Mr. Crowther) ascended the carriage and in an excellent practical speech warmly welcomed Doughty, and spoke highly of McCallum’s phenomenal score of 17 bullseyes in succession at 500 and 600 yards. A number of Doughty’s comrades of the “ A ” Battery then carried him shoulder high from the carriage and placed him on the limber box, the limber being limbered up to the gun, from which was flying the red flag bearing the words “ Our Champion,” in white letters. This is not the first time the “ A” Battery have had the distinguished honour of unfurling this banner, for to my knowledge Bell and Parslow twice are ex-champions. The procession was then formed, headed by the Artillery Band under Bandmaster Andrew R Hunter, which had a muster that did them credit, and to the strains of marching music which that band only can play, “Forward at a walk—March,” was the order. Following the gun was a carriage containing His Worship the Mayor (Mr. Crowther), and the Town Clerk (Mr. Phillips) in the seat of honour, while propped up in the seat in front of them were Major Morrow and the senior member of the City, Mr. J. M. Shera, which was doubtless strictly in accordance with Burke, but caused no end of amusement to the hundreds of pedestrians who followed

the procession up Queen Street to the Drill Shed. A’/z route numbers of handkerchiefs from fairy like hands, and impromptu flags tied on the end of broomsticks or anything available, were waved from upstair windows by bashful maidens on the blushing Doughty, and in more than one instance the scene strongly reminded me of the balcony scene in Romeo and Juliet; in which the champion played Romeo in a manner that would not disgrace Walter Bentley. No win in Auckland could have been more popular than Doughty’s, and he is to be accorded a promenade concert to-morrow evening, which will undoubtedly be a great and brilliant success, judging by the enthusiasm, displayed in its preparation and the manner in which the tickets are going off. It is stated that the Duke of Cambridge has written to Captain Osborne (who wanted to resign his commission owing to the reflections cast upon him by his wife’s crime in the Spink Pearl Case) to the effect that. Her Majesty “ could not afford to part with the finest representative of chivalry of the century.”— Post. The District Belt, presented by Mr. J. McCosh Clark many years ago, to be fired for annually, and won twice in succession or three times at intervals before becoming the absolute property of anyone, would appear to bear a charmed life, for no one appears to be able to appropriate the coveted trophy and thus enable Mrs. Clark to fulfil her promise to present another Belt in its place, although Vol. Theo. Fairs has on several occasions gone close to it. The Belt was again comoeted for on Saturday last, and by a most peculiar coincidence the three top scores are the same as last year. On this occasion Col. Sergt L. Skinner of the Victoria Rifles proved successful. Torpedo.