The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-08-11 00:00:00

THE GOOD TEMPLA.R FETE.

One of the most eurressful fetes that hot over been held
in Weymouth for all chose; came off on Monday.
under the auspicee of the Good Tempters The day had
been meat fortunately *elected on the Bank Ilnli.lay, and
thin, added to the ...pipit tit, Corp. with which the Godl
Templar; in general carry out their doings, and attire nil,
as they and the pleasure-seeking public in general were
favoured by indulgent Providence with • most beautiful
day, caused the effort to be crowned with most abundant
micro. The railway companies had given very great
facilities for holiday-keeping. and train, ran 'rem and to
almost every place at reduced far.; The reoilt was that ,
considerable numbers of people went out of Weymouth, :
hut the crowds that poured in by hundreds and theuionds,
one would think by tens of thousands, far more than 111.1fle
tap for the abeence of those who went to see their friends
abroad. The re-milt showed that Weymouth, when she ,
has fair play, can not only hold her own, but beat need
other towne in these parts in entertaining not only the
upper ten," who are often No fastidinue ; but the :treat
turnedn on whom the greatness of our nation, end the
aeccou; of any partieldir undertaking depend. The
etreams a people that poured in by every train were of '
themselyee a noble sight to nee, and though very few
ticketa were sold previone to the fete, yet afterwanls the ,
popular liking for anything good in the way of enjoy- ,
nient Nettled atrongly on the Templar feetival, and not
only removed all apprehensions ;if boo, lint t have
given a handsome profit to the good ramie. This is heartily !
ti be rejoiced at, for though the Order has now been
established nearly two years, and has been the means
under Divine blessing, of working real miracles in the
way of mating out devils, and restoring Nme who before
e ere neither fit for life or death, to their right mind, yet
the great masa of philanthmphic effort hot Namely yet
incion turned to it,, ambitance, and, as of nlfl, there are
not only thole who are Ignorant of and prejudiced against
ita operations lint l'hariseee and Sailducees who oppose
against light and knowledge. The expeneee of such an
organisation are considerable, and the devotion it expects
is an great that few people can give both money and L•lseir
to the extent it can turn to full account. So that money,
the vinewe of war, has been needed to place the Order in
the position of independence, which it boasts Fortunately
the eelf-effort by the Tetnplara of Way th hee aeluievel
that for their lodges, greatly by aid of the Monday'o fete,
noel that without the set Nenes which no often follow
those popular gatherings. But none the lea do the Imige.
require the Rini if every person who can, after canhil
enquiry, and unprejudiced consideration, see his or her ,
way to approve and join.
There are now between 010 and 700 memlwru in the 1'
four lodges and two juvenile temples of Weymouth, and i
the meeting. ;ire held on vitriol. nights, N as to make
them convenient to almcnit all. The memberx, if clam is
to lie coneniered include all claNee, both mexes, and all
awe except the very younge.t. But adults only meet in
their I.lges, the juvenile,m are in templee of their own.
An to proceedings in 1.41ge, they are nonducted with deco-
tion,reverence,and ;osier which would be fairly amtoniehing
to the uninitiated who coneider what • large infusion I
there is of reclaim.' ones. It Inay be yet that obi-
fashioned people are striving and often succeofully to gut
the lodge, closed earlier and still earlier: but the ordinary I
hour half-peat nine t he confessed to be an enormous
improvement on even the "hour of Bruce," or 11 0'r1...k,
of which drinkers were no impatient. The whole truth
shall he stated, and it most be confessed that occaxionally
an extra time is granted by lodge-vote : but 10 'inmate
I. an ordinary extension, and only rarely is it half-an-
hour, while any member can leave the lodge at any time
he or she may require. Once • week is the time for
lodge meetings ; but there inn large Nom for extra work in
bringing othere in. So li for Ternplarion in its
peculiar work ; AJI to its results, those of our readers who
choolie inlay have heard speecheo in abundance proving the
good wrought. But, as an out friend of Dorset toed to ,
quote,
"Set:lees irritant 'minium ;lemma per cures
Imam qur runt subjecUL mulls fidelities,"
and no them who saw ((inner drunkards "clothed ain't in
their right mincl."—while their Nona and daughters had
on good snits of elothes where formerly were nothing
lout signs of want and cam—had the strongestpfted of the
good done.
The prone/Won on Monday wee diatinguieheel by there
being no flags or banners, but the regalia worn sufficiently
varied the appearance and made it pleasing to the sight.
The different offices and degrees are denoted by gold,
purple, blue, scarlet, and fine linen, and they
made • brave chow. The white is for novico,
blue for faithful member,, purple for the obbeetablished
Templant, and 'Roulet indicates offieshearers while letlere
Ott the collar', name the officers, and it would be n diced
that sisters as well ant brother, are eligible to, and hold
office. lids admiesion of the fairer sex, is no doubt one
rause of the great popularity of Good Templarisni, while
It has a x... 1 effect in the ledge, for the influence ef ladies
like that of the arta and literature
" Envallt mores. 11, shill cane fens."

..„
Not that the Templar ladies ore tilue-atockinge (for needle.
work often oceopies their fair ringers even during the odd
bilsincs+ time): but a hit of Latin may catch
the attention of some one who might do the tinter -11
good. A 00000 ng the iieemmtions for juveniles is that of
music, and, by the exertions mainly of Mr. Carey Read,
pmtmaster, a young Isind b. in counm of training from the
juveniles of " hower of the West," and these youngsters
played now and then in turn with the fine bands of the
Portland Volunteer Artillery corps.
The TetiiplarA fornted in procession in the National
School yard. Schonbstreet, in about the followingorder:-
- rboscr of the West' th-unt end Fife Band
"flower r 4 the Wed" Charter.
Iletuhcrs and I Mlicers of lice" Flower of the West."
Juvenile.Tempte,
. _

Members and °Meer. of the "Cry'stal " Jorenile Temple.
Visiting Juveniles from Portland.
Juvenile Eechshites from Dorchester
Band of the Portland Volunteer Artillery, under
Bandmaster O. W. P. Jones.
I loiter .4 the •• 11..ser of The West' Lodge
Members and °Meer, of the " Flower of the " West"
Ist, .el, and 3nl degree,
Charter .4 the Hercules Aka" Lodze
Members and °Maas of the " Hercules Agoat " Lake, let,
Ind. and 3rd degrees.
(looter .4 the ..Caston " Lodge,
Members sod oilloers of the "Caxton" Lodge, Ist, 2nd, and 3rd
degrees.
Charter of the •• !lope of Weymouth' Lodge, Ist, !txj,

'
Monhens and °Mere of the Meant Weymouth.
Band .4 the Weymouth Volunteer Rare, under made ge'
.1 W. Mord. master
Visiting Sisters and Bnahera
(blind Lodge Members.
About 121 members of the Weymouth lodge.
present, but the visiting brethren were so numerousso wri.:
number between 010 and NIA and the procession ae„
a.mile long. It was followed and almost surrounded
very numerous and interested crowd. The visitors
chided Sisters and Ilrothens from PorfJond, Bondi
Wylie Regis, rhickerel, Broadwey, Preston, Yeovil;
Poole, Rath, Bristol, and many other places, fnim whieh
cheap trains were run by the several Railway l'ompaniee.
The procession wended its way down St. Thomiu-xtreet,
over the Bridge, along nigh-street hack by the North
tilay. Recrossing the Bridge, the/ went along St.
hilusund's-street. up St. Mary-street, down the Esplanade,
round the New iardens,_back up the Front. down King.
street. Parkodrect, and West Parade, and over the Bark-
water Bridge to the cricketdield adjoining the Cemetery.
Here Weyntouthians and excursionists commenced to
pour in after the procession, and soon ensiteed in the
usual games. There was seemly enough shelter at first;
but even this scarcely checked the influx, and as the sun
sank, the crow.ls no-reseed. Swings had been put up for the
children, and thew .
were soon in full swing," some went
to the Cricket Rouse, where Mr. and Mrs. Gundry and
others dispensed ginger leer, lemonade, fruit, and cake as
fast as they could. Some of the meditatively inclined
enjoyed a doze over croquet, and Mother Goose, tilt. or
whatever it is called, employed the unco guid. Some foot
races drew • small proportion every now awl then, and
the performances were very creditable to the Good
Templam, who showed they were neither deficient in
"trenetn nor skill. Military brothers were of course, to
the front, in athletic games. The hand played alternately,
and there was some dancing, to edified spectators ; the
Rifle corps band was particularly hard-working in their
efforts and particularly succesdul in keeping con-
stant succession of stirring Rounds. The piven to hand
ale, played their hest, arcording to their opportunities.
Hot the great feature of the day was above all, the
kissing. Says the old proverb
It is not well
Ti kiss and tell ;"
But the kissing in the Templar field was prodigious. A
dozen or two would form a little ring all to themielve'l
and in a few minutes, it grew to contain hundreds, ano
so energetic were the couples that handkerchiefs were
soon torn to shreds "for the greatest haePinn" of the
'lN"ak't "'libel," Demure young ladies who made rings.
" with no lsiys in them." as they said, were soon invaded,
and kissed abundantly, of course very sorely against their
will. Officers of the lodges of course were favourites, and
warders from the Prison, line soldient and artillery were
greatly exerciseiL When a lady combined the attractions
of • red collar and a pretty face, of course she had to run
many times and oft; but it was not an Improvement over
the rings of our boyhood, for the girls now had to run
after the 110VIL In old times, alt me !hut it was different,
11011, we have changed all that, and the ladies are, some
of them, going ahead fast. Templariern may have a little
to answer for in this way ; but then, what • vast improve-
ment its Mee are over the old fairs. Here everytiuni
went on with good order in general, and two mama who

didn't know when they were well off, and quarrelled
shout husbands were soon escorted to the gate by a great
crowd and the police. This was the only contretemps, sn.l
trrent-ajor Searle end the rest of the county police
an easy time as to keeping order, though police regu-
lations made forbidden fruit of any joining in the fun.
As to the races they required close attention to make them
out, so great was the crowd. Now and then the appear-
ance of • couple of soldiers in racing costume drew
a mir.ute's attention: but this was "caviare to the
general. Still, if 'tis any satisfaction, here is a report of
the sports :
Four Farce, of one hundred yanls each, for the juveniles,
for which the youngrters contested nobly. The prizes
were lit, Is. 11.1. : 2nd, Is. ; 3nl, 6,1.; in each. 100 yards
flat race, (wren to all comers ; prizes—let, 5a ; 211 d. 3a,;
3rd, Is. If. Collins, I ; F. 1 AIMS, :toth, 2; IdcKeig, 3.
There were BiX entries; the contest was a close one
between .1 lines and McKeig, but Collins won his first place
very easily.
Ilalf-mile flat race, open to all comers ; lit prize, 104,
2nd, Esi. ; 3rd, 2s. lid. lquekrose, 102n4, I ; flowering, 2
Wills, 102nd, 3 ; Burkett. O. Inuckrose is a most accom-
plished pedestrian. Ile le.l the whole of the way and came
In first bY quite 50 yards. Dowering was but about throe
yards ahead of the third man. Burkett gave up the race
after the first round.

.....
100 yards flat race for Good Tempters only ;Ist prize,
2n4, 3a. ; •Ird. Is. Mimes lo2nl. 1 ; laitty, 2; Ilillicar, 3;
Fluckrose, bend. 0. Jetty ran well, and but from an
unfortunate slip would doubtless have secured first place.
Pluekrose, who ran so well for the half-mile, was nowhere
In the shorter distance.
Three-legged
O 'Connor. A., 1; Ifiliear and Mendenhall. 2: McKeig
and Burkett ;3. This rare csusol great fun. but the other
competitors had no chance against the Artillerymen, who
got to the winning-post first by some most wonderful
strides.
Sack race, open, Us, 3s, Ic. Fallis, ILA., 1; Pluck:ow,
102nd, 2 ; ()Conner, ILA., 3; lluncs, 102nd, 0.
There was also some jumping, in which two mill.
tary men <Nintendo& We MU, each of them several
tillleX stand and jump over a handkerchief held at
the height of a tall man's shoulder, and so good WM
the jumping, that we shall, with Irish charity, .11Y
that etch was the best. People sometimes fancy that
teetotalism has to do with tea-drinking, and there were
enormous demands for tea. Sometime after half-past
four this appeared like the mysterious fire at the linty
Sepulclin-, an the Cricket House ; and it was as quickly
caniol off, and made an end of. The crowds were en great
that they soon drank up all the tea, and although there
wm a second making, lots of thirsty souls contented
themselves with lemonade and ginger-beer. But all
manage,' to get something, and above all, plenty of fun,
and the early closing hour of nine arrived far too soon.
The (Om! Tempters have, however, a character to keep,
and the field was soon cleared, and the great fete of tall
in the most perfect good order, and with most
I- ippy success.