THE CLUBS A=SWING.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 186, 1 May 1908, Page 9

THE CLUBS A=SWING.

BURROWS ESSAYS A NEW RECORD. i /..■ _ !) ..- :■ ■ ";'i. '■: V■' ' j . A PHYSICAL ,WONDER. / -If(avfeiy,.years tigo it;;had.been, suggested. that .a man could (lo anything demanding'the continual play, of: a certain sot of muscles for .over .sixty hours, I ;the very notion would havo been scoffed to scorn. ' .Time, however; brings in its/revenges—and its' triumphs, and matters physical, as w'ell as which seoriied. impossible yesterday become tlio ordinary tiling of.t to-day./. This, ; however; cannot, apply to Mr. l Burrows's attempt to .lower; his; own endurance club-swinging record, which, commenced at the.- Theatro Royal punctually at .9 aim. yesterday.. His presont ;recbrd, achieved 'in Adelaide, is the almost, incredible time .of ''61 •' hours 46 minutes. . It uppals the ordinary, porson ■to think'of. even going without sleep for. that ■time, without'being,, called on . to. do anything ; as strenuous |as,: to.-, swing a. -pair- of, 31b. cliibs. Yet such a feat has been accomplished, and Burrows .himself- does not'; see 'why 'ho;;should -not. swing for even a; longer period; and' ho is; now . swinging his arms jikov'an';. acrobatic , pendulum through '.'.the ! hours, to . .the' goal of/a . new. record. ' ■1 Shortly, before; 9 a.m. yesterday - the .popu-. Tar.-."TomJ", a pink-skinned, perfectly formed ;Uian of. middle height stepped; on the dimlylit; stage' of the Theatre ' Royal, attired '-in white Ilannels, and .to tho strains of "Seo tho .Conquering, Hero Comes''.'sot out on-the tick, of the hour, to broak'his best;' All who were present Expressed- their;.:- keenest; admiration for, the graceful, rhythmical swing with which .Burrows led 1 ' off, 1 and■■ wore, not f a little' ■ surprised to' See that'he did' not'. adhere totlio; simplest of movements; j but rather' fancifully gsivo. :tho, onlookers '-'a'•.''•'fine :lesson- in, clubr; swinging: as an .art'by varying, the "swings''''. every. 1 minute or so. - There is.-iiothing/more pleasurablo/to the mero man . than ;to ; see . well-developed :musoles f iii' : playr-it is :the' most noble. .form of vanity. ' The. tedium of •; s'uclv- a strung-out: performance must be great, but it' will that riiost, blessed of all relaxations—music..;' To this end thorp will be rendered from time to 1 time—selections ;0U . t|io' piano,;.pianola; 'and tho phonograph; for music lightens labour,' rand.'--Burrows--is. fond of : it: Tho King of Clubs is. not averse to having a'talk—rather-likes it as .a matter; of fact, so that anyone, who would liko to say . that ho spoke to Burrows'' while ho was employed in/breaking his; record has-only .to ,'pop into,tho'Theatrq.Royal at.any timo df tho .day or night. 1 Tho first. half .of. the endurance test -is the ' worst. ■ according to Mr.' .Burrows^after r .wcll it is. merely mechanieal motion' in defiance of the natural law, that dictates* t|iat man should';, sleep , a third 'of his time on earth. -.. ■ • , AN INTERVIEW • There '. ho stood, his- litho, • active/ wellfleshed dapper, figure;. neat in' his: bine silk singlet; broad .blue cummerbund and: nidely'creased':white flannel trousers, his: arms,, ending in' red gilt .willow clubs, . going ■ in' and out, round arid round, over aud under, iii front, behind, at one sido' ( or tho 'other,', or at both, ";! over the'heaid, unceasing • iii action, like. a. piece of eccentric machinery .that went 'anyhow • and. ovcryhow with tho easiest -facility.' He stood on a red sheep-. ;skin ' mat, 1 surrounded by ; makeshift .walls' jof dingy/scenery that'had; doubtless lent its. . aid- to many: a .bright..."turn'' or:sanguiriarj'. tragedy;. Nqw, 1 iii its' doubtful/age, it was being, honoured; by shielding "Tom" Burrows /from,; the. draught;'/, (Note—All stages, are draughty.) ■, /■ .- -. '. . .Well, how goes it? I, ' ,'i> ! ://■ ;"• .1 "•'All .right," said' Tom," as lie executed 5 an; intricate.. movement' in /which tho clubs disappeared under ono-'armpit and came up all' sereno/under the other. -~/ /"-;' -tired?"/'. It/ was., a -ridiculous question' to ask/a man who had been jug-, gling' with :61b'. of, willow, wood for twelve hours;.! but. tho -atliloto - welcomed it as a .brilliant epigram.' , :< <;• "Tired, no, not yet!. Got a long way. to go before. 1/must own to'that"—this-as ho cut a ' fascinating'figure of/e.ight under 'the reporter's nose. Under such circumstances the'conversation was necessarily disjointed. ■ / ;Wcll, don't: let' me catch you yawning or I'll tell tho ■_committee / it's' cruel to lot you go'on swinging. Had anything to eat? \"Ycs." : ■ : '•' ■ •What?. :• , v-- v -;' "Oh, somo egg, a bit of bread and butter, and some cocoa—just-a mouthful at a time.' 1 But how on .earth do you.take your food with' those things whirling round your head .so' continuously?.. , ;!'Just, like • this"j-and• .he- twisted' bothclubs like Catherine wheels behind his head, and bent for ' a little-—"or" like this"—and lie twirled ..them low down 'and protruded his moustache like a schnapper taking the ■bait.,'.' ■■ !■■ So—have you had a smoke yet? and a box of "Egyptians'' word flaunted in front of the clnbbist: / /./. ■/...- ;; //-/ .1 "Haven't smoker] for two years—hot since I was in Egypt,Vruniiing a theatre in Cairo." : You've seen a good deal ; how old are you? "Thirty-nine—and still able to sit ■up" aiid ■■take.'nourishment." , : / ' ■ :', Well, I'll drop in about 3 a.m. and read •you a'slab of "Paradiso Lost." ■ "Never mind. ' Caruso's going to sing to me—per phonograph." ■ , •. .'■ ■ • .Well, good-night, sloop■ well—no, I mean, swing well. "Good night, come down again," said, "Tom," as ho swung a: cheery salutation. THE BOXING ASSOCIATION TAKES A HAND. '-/ " Tho Wellington' Boxing Association is bo coin-meed of Burrows's genuineness that St is londing its countenance to .tho.'. "big swing," and has appointed Sir. J.. Henning to keep an -eye on the record-breaker, for tho rest of his performance. A committee of four/divided into watches, takes turiis in'watching'Burrows night and day. Sir. Helming will bo an extra check. ])r. Napier M'Lean, who tested Burrows, savs ho'is as lit as a. fiddle, with a-heart beat like a lion's'. • ..