The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-07-30 00:00:00

THE CAMP AT WIMBLEDON.

The Twenty-second Annual Rifle Meeting at
Wimbledon was brought to a close on Saturday
(23rd) with the presentation of prizes, when more
eclat than usual was lent to the proceedings by the
presence of the Princess of Wales, who distributed the
prizes.
There was a large attendance of members and
visitors to witness the distribution of prizes. A
covered platforns had been erected in the enclosure,
and the, principal prizes—silver cups, flagons, trophies,
and shields—made a handsome show on the tables.
The prize-winners were drawn up in open column, and
the St. George's Rifles furnished a guard of honour, the
Middlesex Yeomanry supplying an escort to the Royal
party.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, who were ac-
companied by their children, the Princesses Louise,
Victoria, and Maud, and attended by the Hon. Mrs.
Coke, Lord Colville of Culross, Sir Dighton Probyn,
and Colonel Teesdale, arrived about four o'clock.
The Princess of Wales wore a close-fitting silk dress
trimmed with white lace and of a dark blue, colour,
which, before a new name had to be found every
month for some new prodect of the dyer's art,
would have been called Royal blue (remarks
The Times). A large bunch of red flowers was worn
in the old fashion at the throat, hiding the fastening of
the wide-spreading lace collarette. The dark " Prin-
cess " bonnet was ornamented with roses of several
shades of colour. Their Royal Highnesses were
joined soon after the commencement of the ceremony
by the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Teck.
Lady Bnwnlow occupied a place on the dais.
The prize-winners, as their names were called by
Captain St. John Mildmay, the secretary of the
Association, filed acras the platform, and received
their prizes from tile hands of the Princess of
Wales.

Among those who were recognized and cheered were
Mr. Martin Smith, the winner of the St. Leger and
Ist Stage of the Albert; Lieutenant M'Kerrell, wear-
ing the London Scottish uniform, the winner of the
Henry rifle ; Lieutenant Baker, Sergeant-Instructoeof
Musketry Gilder, winner of the Halford ; Lieutenant
Whitehead, winner of the Kirkman piano; Corporal
Bates, Ist Warwick, Private Caldwell, let Renfrew,
and Sergeant Dods, let Berwick, who divided the first
prize in the Bertram and Roberts series, and each of
whom had won other prizes; Sergeant Pullman, 2nd
Middlesex, winner of the Glen Albyn ; Mr. F. Hyde,
United States of America, who won the Albert Jewel;
Private Lathbury, winner the Daily Telegraph Cup
and the Snider Association Cup; Lieutenant Edge,
winner of the Any Rifle Wimbledon Cup; and Mr.
Humphry, winner of the Dudley Prize.
Then came the teams who had won various chal-
lenge trophies ; two Charterhouse boys to take the
Volunteer Cadet Corps trophy for their school ;
Hayne, of Whitgift School, who took the Spencer Cup
in the Public School Match, and saluted as he received
his prize with all the aplomb of the smartest soldier
on parade; the members of the Oxford University
Corps, in scarlet uniforms and helmets, to bear off the
Chancellor's Challenge Plate and the Inter-Universi-
ties Cup; the Canadians, who took the quaintly.
fashioned flagons given by the late Rajah of Kolapore ;
Sergeant Heiton, 2nd Renfrew, to receive the St.
George's vase, gold jewel, and dragon cup, which
Colonel the Hon. C. H. Lindsay placed in the hands
of the Princess to present to the winner.
The Lord Chancellor headed the Lords' team, of
whom there were present Earl Brownlow, wearing
the gray uniform of the 2nd Herta Rifle Volunteers,
Lord Cloncurry, Earl Waldegrave, and Lord Wal-
gingham.
Lord Selborne bore off one of the great vases which
the Marharajah of Vizianagram presented to the
Association, and which is annually contested for by
teams representing the House of Lords and the
House of Commons.

The elaborate National Challenge Trophy was car-
ried away by the Scotch team, who were loudly
cheered, and the cheering was immediately renewed
when the English eight, headed by Sir Henry Hal.
ford, appeared to claim the Elcho Shield.
Sergeant Osborne, Ist Warwick, having received the
Duke of Cambridge's prize of £5O, and Sergeant
Murray, sth Lanark, the Prince of Wales's badge and
prive of £lOO, the winners of badges and prizes given
in the lit Stage of the Queen's were called up. First
came Corporal Ingram, in the scarlet full-dress uniform
of the let Lanark, instead of the dark-green undress in
which he had shot for the prize. Next came Major
Pearse, in the scarlet tunic of the 4th Devon. Both
were cheered, and so was Private Beck, who came up
to receive the badge and £ll2 which he had won in the
lit Stage. Such of the Sixty as were present having
all received their badges, Mr. Beck, who was in the
dark, serviceable gray uniform of the 3rd Devon. was
again called up to take the Queen's Prize of £250 and
the gold medal and gold badge of the National Rifle
Association. This brought the ceremony and the
business of the meeting of 1881 to a conclusion.

The Prince and Princess of Wales remained for
half an hour or more, and then, loudly cheered by the
assemblage as they left, drove back to town. The
rain, which had threatened to interfere with the com-
fort of the visitors earlier in the day, proved but a
shower, and all passed off well.

The Lord Mayor of London gave a banquet to
Volunteer Commanding Officers at the Mansion
House on Saturday.
Replying to the toast of evening, the Duke of Cam-
bridge denied that the military authorities nurtured
a spirit of jealousy towards the Volunteers. In
dwelling on the importance of the Volunteers as
an essential element in the defensive forces of the
country, his Royal Highness said it was daily becoming
more evident that the Army, Militia, Yeomanry, and
Volunteers should become one great body of national
soldiers for the defence of the interests of the Empire.
The Duke praised the discipline and quiet sub.,rdina-
tion which contributed to the success of the Windsor
Review, and expressed gratification at the present
condition of the force.

I,3rd Elcho, M.P., remarked that at least eight
hundred thoasand men had passed through the ranks
of the Volunteers, all of whom would join the ranks
should the necessity arise.