THE CALEDONIAN SPORTS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIII, Issue 8, 10 January 1902, Page 2

THE CALEDONIAN SPORTS.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —In answer to the letter of " One Who Was There " in your issue of 3rester_ay, kindly allow me to mention the following facts: First, as regards throwing the hammer. No one except a thorough " new chum " would suppose it was thrown with one hand —that was clearly an error on the part of your paper, such as must sometimes occur. Next, as regards throwing the 56; the weight is still at the Domain, I am informed, and anyone is at liberty to weigh it. Speaking of Arthur Skinner, " One Who Was There" says, "Had he me. anything of any reputation at the game, then he could have honestly been proud of his performances." Now, I do not know whether or not Skinner is " proud of his performances," what I do know is this (and if " One Who Was There " or the spirit who inspires him is not the veriest new-chum imaginable at the game he must know it, too) that the performances speak for themselves. Let me ask the writer how many men in NewT Zealand can beat 102 feet with the 161b hammer standing style? How many can beat 41ft 7in putting the 161b shot? How many hold such a record as Skinner does with the caber, or how many can throw him in a wrestling match? Let. me ask " One Who Was There " how many men in the world can throw the 561b weight 40ft sin, or how many the 161b wirehandled hammer 167 ft llin? I need only ask your readers to compare Skinner's performances with the hammer and shot with those of the winner of the same events at the Australasian Amateur Championship recently held in our city.

So far as T know Skinner does Potpose as what is commonly termed a. " strong man," and it is evidently owing to the fact that a section of the public classes him as such on account of his performances, that much annoyance is caused to " One Who Was There." If, as the writer says, knack and practice is all that is required to win a Caledonian programme, I will gladly allow his so-called " strong men" three, six, or even twelve months to acquire these attributes. This, together with the phenomenal strength he claims for them, should indeed make them champions. Then, when they have acquired the " knack" they sneak of. T will be pleased to match Skinner against them for any sum up to £500.

To come back to actual weight-lift-ing. if " Que Who Was There" is really serious in his assertion that "Hill and Blair arp two nf the stron_--. est men in New Zealand." T will not g-o outside Auckland to find a youth who pan be matched against either or both of them for any reasonable sum.

To conclude, T do not want any further eorresponoVTipp on thp suhiect with any o-n* i m -» T; , "nnm rip •nlnme.*' find wiP ...01.-rip, Rnp-J, Tf "One Who W ns ThPTP" rnprrnV busings, nil I ask i> thnt "hp t^n pxdosp himself and come forward with his money to match hi?,- e-h_mrn.ni... ao-aiust men T will p.rk in "Anok^d n+. nnr branch of henvr wpfr/hf, nfh-letir-s; furfhor fh^T, that h« „,»„ teaohjKis proteges TTfl And Bliifr fo wrosfft. £g oHOx a Jittle *q_naeTc" _ s

rctniireuj and i will Uieii uack A-tiujg tikinner to Uirow eacn o_ mem (.any Known sty-iej ten unies in suc-___.. u in one night for *100 u-siue. _ may add treat x too was a competitor at the recent Caledonian games.—l am, J. SI.NG._-_i. ■ 6 Commercial Boarding-nouse, Hobson St., iJan. 10, 1902.

(To the Editor.) gi r _vs a competitor at the Caledonian "sports on New 1 ear's Day M would like to say a few words in an--; swer to "One Who Was there, re Arthur Skinner's performances. I am a stranger here, and leave for Hawera this evening. Before going any further 1 may state that i have competed with success at hammerthrowing, shot-putting, tossing the' caber, and throwing the 561b weight at various Caledonian meetings hi different parts of New Zealand, and ! although not in my best form on A'ewy Year's Day (having had no training) 1 am by no means the new chum at the game "One Who Was There" would lead the public to believe. Now,, re the strong men, Blair and Hill, being noAvhere, 1 would advise them in future to reserve their strength for the floor of a gymnasium, and leave sports alone, until they can show, more proficiency at the game. Skinner was the only scratch man at the sports, conceding more liberal starts than 1 have yet seen at Caledonian games, namely, 25 feet in hammer, 3ft Gift, in ball, sft in throwing the 561b, and yet he made no complaints, if men can't win with the above starts they ought to content themselves by looking on. In the maiden wrestling competition, in which Skinner was barred, Blair competed, and was very easily thrown by a slim-looking youth, who absolutely showed no science in the art of wrestling whatever. Surely there was an opportunity for Blair to show his great strength. As regards the 561b weight, I do not know the exact weight. All I know is that the strong man, Blair, did not throw it 20ft, not : half the distance Skinner threw it. In conclusion I may say I was thoroughly satisfied that the competitions'were ali conducted in a fair manner, and consider that Skinner highly deserved the success h_. achieved; and anyone calling himself a sportsman and witnessed Skinner's performances would consider as I do. —I am, etc., BERT ROWE.