EMPIRE CARNIVAL, MOSGIEL

New Zealand Tablet, 15 August 1912, Page 43

EMPIRE CARNIVAL, MOSGIEL

The Empire Carnival, which had. been organised for the purpose of assisting in liquidating the debt on the property of the Sisters of Mercy, was opened in • the Coronation Hall, Mosgiel on Wednesday evening of last week. As the name suggested, the stalls were representative of various parts of the Empire England, Scotland, Ireland, Canada, and New Zealand; each being decorated according to the nation represented, whilst, the stall-holders and assistants wore emblems appropriate to their different nationalities. The stalls were laden with attractive stocks of useful and- artistic goods, and, with the tasteful decorations, made a very pretty tout ensemble. The proceedings began by the Rev. Father Liston inviting the Mayor of Mosgiel (Mr, TI. H. Inglis) to open the carnival. The Mayor said it gave him very great' pleasure to be present in his capacity as Mayor to open the carnival. Referring to the first establishment of the school in "aid of which the carnival was being held, he said that many years ago Very Rev. Father O’Neill, who was then in charge of the parish, asked his Bishop’s permission to start the school, but this was refused • until a sufficient number of children were promised. This number was soon obtained, and he was sure that if Father O’Neill came back to Mosgiel he would learn with extreme pleasure that the school had grown to its present proportions. He trusted that the carnival would be largely patronised by the people of Mosgiel, and he congratulated the ladies on the successful way in which they had furnished their stalls. The following’ were the stall-holders and' their assistants: —• England Stall.—-Messrs. J. McGettigan and B. McCann, and Mesdames O’Brien and Mowatt, and Misses Gossage (2), and O’Brien, Messrs. O’Brien, Toner, S. Hopwood, John McGettigan, Jun., Sequin, and Marcella. Ireland Stall. —Mrs. Walls, assisted by Mesdames McCann and Pringle, and Misses O’Connell, Doherty (2), Dillon (2), Toner, A. Harty, Murray, McCann, Daly, Fox, and Eileen McGettigan, and Messrs. J. Curran, J. Colurab, O'Leary, Keys, Donnelly, Pringle, Gibb, and E. Walls. Scotland Stall. Mesdames Stevenson and McLachlan, and the Misses M. O’Brien, M. Ellis, K. Harty, L. Harty, D. Harper, Vera Stevenson, Winnie Cheyne, A. McLeod, J. Simon, and Messrs. T. Fitzpatrick, G. Restieaux, and John Harty. Canada Stall.-Mesdames Hawke (2), and E. O’Neill, and the Misses G. O’Neill, Agnes Fitzpatrick, E. Crowley, Hawke’(3), N. Harty, E. George, McLean (2), F. McLachlan, K. Curran, and Messrs Hawke (3), and E. O’Neill. New Zealand Stall.—Mrs Quelch and Miss Knott, and Mesdames Cunningham and Keppell, Misses Knott (4), K. Houlehan, O’Donnell, Lily McGettigan, M. O’Donnell, T. O’Brien, L. Quelch, and C. McLinden, and Messrs. D. O’Neill and R. Gilligan. The secretaries were Messrs J. P. Wall and A. F. Quelch, who left nothing undone to make the carnival a success. , A great attraction was the tug-of-war for which seven teams competed. On Thursday night the Mosgiel Bowling Club beat the Catholic Church Choir, the railway men defeated the quarry men, Dunedin Christian Brothers’ Football Club were victorious in their pull with the Invincibles, whilst Wingatui had a bye. On Friday evening the Bowling Club men went down before the railway men, and the Christian Brothers’ football team had to lower their colors to Wingatui after a very close contest. For the time allotted neither side could claim the victory, and an extension of five minutes being granted, the Wingatui team succeeded in beating their opponents by an inch. The final pull on Friday night between the Wingatui and railway teams resulted in a win for the latter. It was originally intended to bring the carnival to a close on Saturday, but owing to the large, quantity of goods on hand it was decided to continue it. on Monday evening, when there

was another large attendance, and excellent business was done. The result of the carnival has been highly satisfactory. The net proceeds are £6OO, to which has to be added a sum of £l7O, received at the opening of the school, making - in all close on £BOO. Rev. Father Liston, the stall-holders, and their assistants, and the secretaries are to be warmly congratulated on the success achieved, by which the parish convent and school are now free of debt. .