ALL NATIONS' FAIR, DUNEDIN,

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 8, 9 December 1892, Page 15

ALL NATIONS' FAIR, DUNEDIN,

The fair at the Garrison Hall, Dunedio, closed at a late hour on Saturday night. The undertaking proved, as we had foreseen , a brilliant success, and all who were engaged in its promotion deserve ■mcere congratulations. The names of these were ltgion, and, lest we should omit any by accident, we think it better to refrain from an attempt to chronicle them. It will, however, be admitted by all who are acquainted with the matter, that to Miss Bosa Blaney and Miss Mary Drumm, joint secretaries, a very exceptional share of the credit is due. These yonng ladies had been indefatigable all along, and not the least attractive feature in the bazaar was Miss Blaney 's sweet singing almost every evening. To the Bey Father Hunt, too, pastor of tbe district in which the new church is being erected, a word of special acknowledgment is due. His exertions were long and unremitting, and many sacrifices were unostentatiously made by him Throughout the week the grand march and the dance of the children were a source of great entertainment. Master Pophatn continued to delight the onlookers by bis deft exercise of the fantastic toa-his sailors' hornpipe and his Irish jig being quite as much appreciated as his Highland sword dance. It was uoiveraally agreed that the little lad had well deserved the presentation made to him on one of the evenings. Miss Rebecca Drumm and Miss Kitty Blaney sang, Mr Jaeo also contributed one or two of his fine songs, and the music was completed by the performances of the Venetian band, the Garrison band, and tbe orchestra, under the leadership of Mr Bobertahaw A mysterious appearance was put in on two or three of the evenings by a band of Bedouin Araba-wheuca hailing or whither going nobody knew-or, indeed, knows yet. Some said they came from Wirth'a circus-others, that th 6 y came from some place else, but all that was certain was that there they were in thsir desert costume grimly and taciturnly conducing themselves, and led by a most lugubnous-looking, but civil, gentleman in black, their dragoman or courier p 3 rhaps. A portent too of a very overwhelming nature took place, m the coming to life of all the executed murderers exhibited in the "ax-works, who had the temerity to emerge from their departmerit and stalk in ghastly procession around the room. Fancy £?£" tTifl : hambßr ° f hh ° rrOrß mirchiQ S d0 ™ Fl^ or the Strand. The bazaar, however, was not all given up to pleagure • a very brisk business was done there as well. Tae ladies of the stalls were very active and persuasive, and their warea went off rapidly The people in attendance were sportingly inclined, and raffias were successfully carried out. Oa the closing evening among the more remarkable of these was that for a sod of turf, brought last year from an Irish bog by the Bay Brother Hughes, on his return from Barooe The good Brother himself was present, and his patriotism seemed contagious. At any rate his eloqaenca proved effective. What would he donkey-boys and girls of a villaga market-place at home, for example, who sell their respective loads for a few pance, say, could they hear that oae single sod fetched in New Zealand -Fifty Shillings f Thej must necessarily conclude, or be coofirmed in their belief, that oar streets were paved with gold. On Sunday evening, in St Joseph's Cathedral, the Bey Father Lynch spoke in reference to the fair. The Bishop, he said, had desired him to thank, in his name, all thssa who had joined in the movement for completing St Patrick's Church. He had therefore 5 , IhOBBl hOBB ladieß Wh ° firßt 9u e? estec l idea of holding the All Nations Fair, who organised the exhibition, and worked indefatigably for its aucceas. To them the great success was in the firat place due In the second place, the Bishop desired him to thank heartily those

ladies and gentlemen who took part in the fai-, who gave their services or contributions, and who in many ways helped on the work. And in the third place, to thank all kind patrons who had generously contributed to the erection of what would, when finished, be a beautiful church. The mucb-needed church would be built in what was called the Basilica style, with a nave, two aisles, and a fine sanctuary. When erected it would be almost &• large as the present portion of the Cathedral. The assistance received from toe successful fair just held would very probably enable the Bishop to go on uninterruptedly with a bailiiog which would decidedly be an improvement to Boath Danedin, as well as satisfy the requirements of the increasing Catholic congregation. Though the lofty walls were now nearly bnilt, not a penny of debt had been contacted so far. The Bishop desired that on the opening day in about 12 months or bo— he might be in a pos.tion to declare that a churoh free of encumbrance had been dedicated to God.