Portland Guardian (Vic. : 1876 - 1953), Tuesday 29 December 1885, page 2


THE HOLIDAYS.~ I SCHRI3 'DY. Any stranger dcomingiito'Portla isd early on the morning of the day named h, above would scarcely think that it con- fa tained a good deal over 2,000 persons, -ougriefandpeaeful did the streets appear. But such was the case, andto- b words the time appointed for the usual° Christmas Day services at the different churches, a change came over the scene, y and groups of well-dressed and hppy- ii looking persons, old and young,;could Ii be seen wending' their' way towards their respective places of worship. Besides the church-goers, however, not many people promenaded the streets on Christmas morning. But in the afternoon the spectator's eye beheld a livelier scene. Paterfamilias then emerged, from his retreat,. dressed in' his best, and surrounded 1y his offspring, feeling just in that genial frame of mind which results from- the enjoy-I ment of a good Christmas dinner. A large number bent the ti>s , towards the pier, nloomgatdv a t ° sof e centre-hbed boats were lying, with fags floating in the fine breeze that was blowing, waiting to be filled with passengers. Nor did they wait long. :oon they were loaded and dancing over the smooth sea with sails spread to as nice a breeze as one would wish for sailing. Some t boat-owners took excursionists round five or six miles for' the sum of a is; others again charged nothing at Sal, and both were well patronised. It seemed rather a pity to see the Julia Percylying idle all day and all the following day, when she might have had d her decks crowded with passengers for a trip round the bay had the managee meat been so inclined. The beach was also lined with pedestrians, and on r taking a walk round either north or ! south of the pier one was sure to stumble i. across private picnic parties, all enjoying 8 themselves to their fall bent. The Cape Nelson lighthouse also bad its visitors, a and Bridgewater, Bats' Ridges, Blacknose. Point, and other holiday resorts i were well patronised. In the evening the Salvation Army barracks was crowded to such an extentthat a large numn Sbar of persons were unable to gain ad,r mittance. One particularly noticeable at feature observable doring the holidays Swas the number of strange fices to be us seen about our streets. lNearly 300 h passengers came by train on Christhe mas Eve and the following 'da, and t the Julia Percy could not have hd less ig than 50 passengers for Portland on her last trip. Our hotel and lodging. k. house keepers will reap.no small benedl fit from this notable influ to our poputo leioan. The pEnCipas.andi nfact the as only public means of amusement and recreation on eto BOXING DAY, STHEPBRESBYTERIA-NSIYNDAYSCHOOL a PIsIoC, was held In the Government padia dock. This school has met year after year in the same grounds, and ho a prettier trysting place cannot be found. -There are spacious lawns .for tennis, croquet, or nine-pins; d. gigantic trees with sturdy limbs to bear the swings, and leafy branches for to shade; and lovely dells where the nonj athletes may stroll and gather great ra bunchesof the maiden hair fern. Then Sthere is a charming walk to it from the ot town--over a bridge and among green. ery. The day was delightfol, and a large number of children and grown ,. friends accepted the.invitation to; be present. Everything went well under y, the management of the teachers, to officered by their indefatigable super. " inteodent, Mr. H. J. M. Campbell, and I- another pleasant reminiscence was added to the stock of kindly thoughts er the children most have of their school e. and teachers. La Others of our townspeople paid a i visit to Bridgewater to see the t- BRIDGEWATER RACES AND ATH. LETIC SPORTS.. e These competitions took place at Cape SBrtdgewater on Bazing Day. Two or three residents of Bridgewater, Meaier. p Kenny and T. and D. Keniedy, worked the affair up, the first of its kind that hs taken place at Bridgewater; rightly think. ing that as all the elementse reioquired for 1 h race nmeetin were procurable in the diiStrict; sch meians of amusement 'could not fail to be a sueess. And their aDticipa. 'o tins were realised; bet they wiould have had still more canoe for congraitulation had they advertised the rcs, and thereby eo-n. d sed a far larger attendance of peopie r, 'itside-their owndistrict; besidy. giving Sthi race meeting, which it is intended to make an-anna- l event,a mroitltan lIoeal Srepotation, Except this oversight the masagaiisiieat r aauds iiot th;u affair very i suroeosfulyand delerve grieat praise for ite .painstakig -manner in whioh' they worked to make esverything pass off atia' faEcterily. O conrse al: Bridgewater was d there, and beside there were numerous visitors from Portland, sHeywood, and other places adjacent, so that quite a large concouree of persons was assembled on the testing ground bythe time the first -re was rung ep. MIr. C. Coulson actej Sas starter, and discharged his dutties most impartially, while Mlr. Gor?s, a visitor to Bridgewater, who acted a?s judge, disScharged the dnties of that ofslie in a mannor astisfactory tj all concerned. Of course Stheo prizes being necrsarily emall it could not be expected that horses from any great distanco would be there to compete.

though it is highly probable sthat thse com- Fl petition. would have attracted more starters than ,atma. to the post, .i', a previously entioned, they had been made public. The sports provided comprised horae-racing, on the flat and over hardles; K foot.radong,runnig jump. ,high jump',c. l i -in fact so long was the programme that oi the shade.s of evening had begun to tall to before the last item was disposed. But be even thb te day's pleasure did not con- cc clode. Afterthe race a d? e took plac be in the sebdoolroom, and a large uamber of a young pertona of both sexes tripped the p light fantatle Until nearly midnight. The as following ate the details of the day's oomMacnew PLATS, T three.qurters o a mile. , W. Kennedy'si Nt . ... E. Ada'Bolwarra - ... 2 W. Wadmors's Lese . .. 3 Six other horses stated, and the racing P was vary nood between the two leadera. Banozwaersa L arncnv. u one aile. T. Kennedy's Victor . .. 1 W. Wadmone s Bownie... ... 2 Ten started. and the finish was exeediogly close, Victor winning by not quite half a length. Havrcar Hcxnt4, c mile and a quarter. fWp.Wa.lmore'e Browrie... ... 3 Fivre. horses stsrted, and the sinner gained his victory moderately easy. Tay- * ele' horse fell, but fortunately neither the t animal nor hi-i rider was injured. Cosso5LATox STAKES D. Kennedy's grey nare ... 1 I W. Wadmore'sa BowSie ... 2 I Several others started, but the'winner bad practically a walk-over, winning without any troublr. Hn r Sccar.x. T. Kitteon's Flor ... ... 1 G. Kittson sMidnight ... .. 2 This race brought out the largest field for the day, about 20 horses facing the starter, I the reason being that the etrance was free. ATHLETIC SPORTS. MAID? PiZrE, 100 yards. W. McKinley 1.. . -Stranger .. . ... 2 r W.Kennedy ... . 3 SThe running was very good, and McKinley's was a hardeearned victory. H tanscCr FLAT RASc, u three events, 100, 150, sad 200 yards. W. Kennedy .--. ... .. 1 Wigley h 2t S unedy appeared to shae it all his own way, winning two events and running adead g heat for the third. H- HA?mca UCIIc.Ds, three events,100, 150, and 200 yards. St.Keuny - ... L. 1 I- J.Jrhbntoee thf ; °o e About fourteen started, but the half of them fell over the hurdles. The running a5 was, however, good. S hao,? Szep AS? Jrxr. S W. Kennedy, 37t.in.. ... I A.Kittaon ... . .. 2 - T. Jenes .. . . 3 d Rnswaeo Loso Jee. W . Kennedy, lift. in.... .. A. Kittson 2 tni Jones ... - . .., 3 S BtsIsxn Haic JCYP. S.enny, 51t. lin. .. .. W. Kennedy ... .. 2 1 A. Kitten .. ... 3 , D. r Whi o .. ." . 1 T. Wheeler . , , H. Keai : _ 3 In addition to these there were nui.lerons private. picnics,. and a good number visited the strawberry gardene d. of Messrs. Wolfe and Smith. Thus nr war quietly ended the lAst of the Christid mas holidays.