CONCERT AND ART-UNION DRAWING AT PETONE.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXII, Issue 3, 17 May 1895, Page 25

CONCERT AND ART-UNION DRAWING AT PETONE.

. (Petone Chronicle.') The art-union drawing in connection with St Mary's new Catholic church, Potone, took place during the concert on Friday, 26th April, publicly on the stage, by a committee of the following gentlemen, who were mostly non-Catholic :— Messrs A, Burns, Bailey, W. King, Cameron, Vance, Sullivan, Dunne, M'Gill, Coffey and J. Moore. The drawing was conducted on the usual art-unioa system, having all the numbers in one barrel, and all the prizes in another. Two boys oat of the audience were taken to draw, one numbers and the other the prizes, and after each drawing the barrels were turned round to shake np numbers, then the numbers were culled out twice, and the ticket

passed through three bands, to secure certainty, while another wrote down the number of the prize. The whole thing was carried out in a most open and straightforward manner, and the winners obtained their prizes by simply being lucky. We sro glad to learn that some of the best prizes remained in Petone. No. 5 prize, an artistic painted 3 pannelled fire-screen, in oils, on satin, valued £20, won by Mr A. Ward, Petone ; No 12 priz- 1 , a handsome painted mirror valued £10, won by Mr H. McQill, Hutf road; an oil painting valued £5, won by Mr Fenwick, Railway wuikshops ; an artistic fire screen, worked on velvet, valued at £5, won by Mr Q. Woods, Hutt road. The whole proceedings were most interesting, and the concert was as usual one of the best ever given in Petone. When the Rev B. Donnelly gives a concert, talent and variety can always be relied upon, and be deserves great credit and support for putting euch excellent talent before the Petone public, who always get at these concerts or social treats more than value for their money. The performers at the concert were Mrs Swift, an artistic sweet singer and one of Wellington's best Boprancs ; and the same may be said of Miss Gibbs, a contralto, who knows well how to use her voice : Misses Silva played two duets in their üßual good style; Mißses Cudby, McQuirk (2), Murphy, and Olive Moore, Messrs Dunn, Vance, James Moore, and Willie Moore were each excellent in their songs, and brought down the house with roars of applause. We hope to hear and see more of ihe talented Moore family in Petone, who seemed to gain the admiration of the audience. Before the drawing took place Mr Burns, editor of the Petone Chronicle, explained that the artunion would take place on the usual art-union system. He himself was not a Catholic and had no interest in the art-union. The money realised from it was not for the benefit of the Rev Father Donnelly : he had all the trouble and expense in getting it up, but the proceeds go towards building a Catholic church for the Catholic people of Petoae. It was to their interest and tha interest of Petone, where the money would be all spent, not Father Donnelly's personal interest, but that of th« Catholics of Peto^e.

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The drawing then took place, and the BeT Father Donnelly thanked them for their attendance and explained the causa of the delay and postponement, as sufficient tickets were not sold and the prises being so valuable, they could not be sacrificed. There are other prizes, not filled up yet, a mirror, mantle drape and jewel case, which will come off in about a month.