The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-10-11 00:00:00

THE A COMPANY, DORSET RIFLE
VOLUNTEERS.

The annual eh ti comics:mon for the hollin4 of
the silver cap, pre.ented by the Leathers-11ms C an-
pony. London, anl fo- the or.tivauy animal pr ze
money, WM hot lit the fioe open r oige at 1tr.113,1111 on
Monday. About all the etc.' gth ed the *mosey
compet-d, an I the scores were 0.0 the whole remark-
ably good. The weather was big ly desirable for the
match throurhmt the dsy. The he mtiful embossed
cup, presented several rare sgu. was the first year
won by Quatterm.ster. rgert D Ro'vrta, and dace
then Sergeent T. Patten was the h .ller for three
viva, but the fact .d the rule reruMting the fin d
ownership n..t hey ng been in force during the firot
year of Sergeaut Patten', posoesaion he lost the owner-
ship through Icing beaten lint year by Privet* G.
Hoare. The commander has tole year won the cup,
is will be seen ft .rn the prize lint lower down.
The diottibuti a of prizes by the Mayor was
reserved till the f owing evening I Tuesday), when
the men assembled in II drew at the Drill-h all.
,one excellent drill was toms though. When the
Mayor arrived the b .nti stall mod in the hall played •
lively air.
Captain WHITH•n, addressing the MNyor and
comp .ny, thanked th, me who had assioted the cm.
pany so that it had been able Pi atten i the Roy d
rt,„view at Windsor at a cat ..f only r 4 out of ite
fund.. They hod had alt. gether an eventful year.
He had to thank he Mar in a stoat maitre for
this. At A Ideronot the young revolts did nA do
so mach as they mi2ht have .I.,ne hot the weather ben
more favourable. As to their numbers he w a ploaeed
to ear that they had now 160 4fitionts, against 143 of
last year. There 'tilts ha I been brought ..n well by
Sergeant-Major Watts, who had be n most inde-
fatigable in hi, work, for the efficiency of the whole
company w sin • greet measure owing to the weeper
in +arch Sergeant-NI .jor Watts had worked. He
must thank tieut Ho tneell for hio great assistance
when he (Captain Whetbane) watt II and had to leave
the camp for a time. He mu-t also. thank the non-
c itnntiosioned tithe ra f.r co,docting the Friday
drills, and oil wit .ha I a.si t-d him throng.' 'he year.
In the lots Mr. G. S. Miller. of Braipole. the cumin-
patty haul hint a good frien I, wh so kindly allowed
the range on hin land and to shoot over its groun I.
Had not Mr. Millet'. de .th °centred when the com-
pany was at Aldershot he should certainly have reeked
the men to pay • mark of respoct at the interment.
The lI4YOR then addressed the C ompany. He
uprooted the great tile .sire it was t . him to be there,
to find thet their funds h ol increased, and tu beer from
Sergt-blajor We're th it they had not degenerated in
their shooting. Although not hims-lf a irtilimry man,
he telt, a. all did rn..re or loco, an interwt in the ove-
moats of oar Seat and soldiers The Volunteer m .vu-
went was one of the gre it at national movements
the country, and he. with mrwt of them, would
remember the great interest Bridp .rt took in the
movement from the fir .t. 'The C =many had had good
captain. in the l.to Maj ur Tempbr, Mr. Edward., and
Mr. flood; they had ell taken a deep interest in the
Company, but no one had worked harder than Captain
Whetbam, who had now won the cup, which he trusted
he would win for the next three years. He was of
opinion that the military cinder' were keepirg pace with
the time., and thee men who were the best snot. would
be winners in the bottle. He was one of those who
believed that nor troop. were as brave as they ever
were, Hs would conclude by wi.hing them progress
during the coming year. He had now • pleasant duty
to perform, vis., to proud the following prizes :