ARNST V, WEBB.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 540, 22 June 1909, Page 6

ARNST V, WEBB.

. TO-MTS WCB. ]I:>}'-U t » T*tk+WlTH WEBB'S BACKEH.;.';. ■;jv. r■'.;". ?-.;:' : ! ; (By N sWeeraplr--6peoi3l Reporter.) .":■;■::;.. : - r :':-::'?-::. - : >-v;;■•■'> ■-; ■• A^V;'•;;".' Wanganul,.Jpne2l. : ;. : '.'V:.. v ,-_, Wangaanri iis not .itearly eo entihusiastio ::■';.■,'■'! over' tihe race asit was oh December 14 last k?:Y-'.?\*-—the r eyemng- before the last ;.Arnst-'\Vebb [ yi\ : so numerous,. Tho M::i: ttopoopte of Wanganui. .That thoy then . V. ! ';; learned ■; a, lesson 'ie: apparent. f romythe more ■)''•.. : , sober "■■■ terms- in ':■■ which they ;. refer to, : the , ■■wto,'.t(vmoriow,■iβ■to'■ ■;^'■■:'.'fattempt;to v win back tie honours \:^ : ' -v>: : .' aiyely wrested ;from him by the.lTitoa'of' Tai ; ';Tapu ,,: teat'y«ar;'. Still, '.underlying "all -.the : :~ ; jsmall tatt'andstreot chatter, .one notes that ■:■ ;■: : .'-. bope'glows hotiamong the.ashes. r iWebb'.is ■>:,■• : .epoken of-as "a wonderfully improved: man,"; ■>; half a dozen men who should know told .'?,;'-jv'v: mo (before I was,an-'Hour, in the town) v that; "i; ; ;-•?- : • he,'is rowing better th&n.te ever has rowed in ;f ■V: 'Jris'life before;. .Ho has in«maKcd-to. correct %-: : ;::«'; several-lrtytlo faults—in particular the.crouch' '/S /" i. ot,tho catch—and ; is showing moro.cfch than ': ':':;■ • '■■''■ has in -the.past,been 7 noticeablo even to his '?'!■'■ i- : i:adrnirersVA-llis!:has heartened•'up his loyal ijf : i&- : k -'■ not'win.'hb.will.putiupa fine,race,'arid drag '£; ■• '-■:.'- out'the very best there is in the champion. , ,', '■': ' ■■• : ;''..• Arnst.is-fit,':arid well.down/in'his weight, V V s . ..'■:: end 'his .admirers are -strong in'the.: opinion ;>#>.'''■" ; that/ what; he; has ■he , | wfll'.hold. ; <'/ ' ; : •;■;..

,-v : ;>; ; ' s v i Racß/Arraiigements. ~ ■'.•■...'.,•". • i:-' : , The race is ; 'to.take place at 2;p.m;, when ■-■ :;; iihe'river, wifl^'Wnearly;slack:wator as-iS: ; '-o:"possible-ai/tihis v seasonVof•■■ the year. ... The ; - i: ■■•"'boats to takethe passengors.up stream.will '■-::' Btart' operations-at- 9,a.m;,-'and' s, p.m.;. :£i <:, '"On former.: occasions ,it .was;.impossible_; .to. ■' 't'i ' get a tripin 'a ■■'■'■■'*-. -but'on tlhii?'occasion'the:. rainagement-has-in-; >; \' timated- that the' rush -will not.-be;so; great,; '■■ ,' -'.and consequently; there-w-to. be. a-lOsif boat.; &•';■-••' It -W-'anticipated-'tfiat- the .result.of the,race w'S^wiU- 'at"2.30- P ;ni-,^providing.'there ■■ ■■■:" are no unlobk«l-fordelays.at.the;post. ■Mγ. '""V- CecaWray will act as umpire, and. Mr. Uum-. r .>.^ , ;-:-"-:ittins;:will. : : > bo judge, :as";;has';been-the'.case in; v-'Wft the;last. ; i.wo 'races.".- : :, \--.;K : ---p, ''-•/ ■[.-■ !:»■; lif|-.;,;;'::'; ■■: to; Row; Agjjin.^;-'-^';. '■■''.' "We fcew;that'we'had nbt:''"seen Billy at ''<'■'"■ .when' Arnsf beat .'him',!'- ,said-,Mr. X ! v : ViWilliam ; Tiick--Webb's: backer—to your' cor- :: ; 'i:H ! iespondeht; : "and 1 I /said ,atv'the time: that,-; ' ' : i%yf,ii. iio ; over wanted to havb anotb'or 'go/- ho T:.: : -could have it Nothing was said further "; : i : :uiitil the Whelch-Fogwell match was near, " V - when wo all thought that it would be a '■'good chance to seo if Webb could get, back i - v to his best again So down he went to paoa ; 'v'■■ 'iWhelch—the little man with a heart as big '~V bs a pumpkin, not a pea, sir! At ALaroa i?~/M he put m some hard work, and, ono day, ■.' ,i. J: got a letter from Billy, saying that he : J;:■;.;.was quite fit and well again, and feeling ; ■%s.!;'< ■Bβ if ho could raco for a million Nothing but I knew my man I went down ; :S : .'vto the 'Horald , office that night, put in ;'-; : i. V the challenge, and deposited £100 the noxt faii.-.'day I was besieged with peoplo who .wanted know what it meant I told thdm that promised Billy another 'go,"• and that .' J Bo was to have it They said that they ■Am., could not allow me to take i\ on by my- •';>.:-: self, and suggested a syndicato I said .;>;■'/;'All right, gentlemen I If vou'ro so dis■;;*.vV.posed, let it bo a syndicato How m-iny aro Vj'>:"?m t it ! " 'Oh, ,about twenty' ThatU how i':';.>? :"-tho match was fixed up Let mo toll you : ; ;■; 3.that you'ro gomg to see something different :V; ■:,'!: from last December It's not going to be >';;}■'W runawav thi3 time, I promise you!"' -.|"Ml;.!';;Among those who arrived bv the express ,;::., to-dar were v Dr Thickor, of Lvttolton, ind ;^' ; ' Mr Parker—two "of Arnst's backers—Mr -xff-i'ik W. Hogg, M P , and Mr Colvm, M P

- .'r.-.'i'Judging'',the - two men • solely- on ■whttA t l' '( 'vhav'e !seen.T'.'says i ",yictor''/ in. this ev.ening's. 'V"Herald,'"l,feel certain Webb can do;anyhvthing that-Arnst'has "yet; dono; : Jnst'. here ■.■:i;..-'l;ffpnld;-like: , tp.-.state\',that!-ArnßV , haß':.never ,--\:.yet' met a;, man who., could hold him .over a. .'A'mile/.onditjs. difficult to judge, what he "may ■.'vV.be capable 'of when thoroughly .tested. -While i), .this . wjtrne,'i' 'certain that the ;.."f|.^^race.;rowed, m<,December was; ■'- absolutely, no '=>; criferion' as ;~t6'the".'m'erits of the' .men. ;'• The 't'Wob.b "whom.-ArnstwilKmeeti.to-morrow. will ■^'T'l»va'tital.ly;-^erentVman, : ' i ,-;Hft;has;:regaiifed; ;:■ all;. the" brilliancy-..he ever possessed, and, -if ■•:'<;■':he ■ reproduces his,'very 'best. . form.;.;in. '■■ ;to;,..;;'iwiTO^s';opntoti;^hW,Anisii''will;.rcquife;to l : ;';! be tho marvel which ; some claim, that .../to keep his hold "on .tho'.title. -If '.he. succeeds ; ; :i4. boating^W,ebb. : ;for':tho.,second time,; after' \'- : , ': a ithorbugh^test/then;he will be well ohtitlei S; -those, wlionithink;.most Cof ■',■;'ithe;local;man' as;a ;: gculler.''Will , not fail. to' ; '■.?.'; acclaimVßichardV irnst ;as . '&■> •; champion .of i;.;.champions.,/Summed up,;l may;say Jthafc'l• ;/i'j : .anticipate,a;most''exciting: tllisperate ';.•'. etruggle,'' irivthe' course of .whicli tho ..sup-' : ; V;.porters 6f,both.-men many, anxious ;.;.-;momehts. what' Webb is, capable' ..;'■■ of,"^ -I : .fed;sure'.that .he will;astonish',those :')..,wi'o. regard'.;thevraceV as'a .''good' thing for ,;,;■: !A.rnsti ,r > TJbe; latter will 'find; that-he is up' ;;. ; :, ,: against _a man" probably quite, as brilliant, and ; _;■; every_ bit;as good; a '.stayer as himself.';' ..Tinder': ; ,i;;> the. circumstances,- the. raco ; shdukLbe a mag--I'iE^cont;'event,'.and;:, whoever ■wins, will '■'only; ?.,, do so .after.j.a; splendid , eihibitibn- of' :-skill, ■ ■'■■! ; pace, and. ' I intend to 'again.- pin ,'>;my,faiti to.Webbjvthougfll recbgniso that, :■■>•••.iii "'Ainst,'":he'.is 'ineetiiig /a..'wonderfully ifine frV;';BCuUor! ■'■,-It-should :be.'one of ~tbe greatest ■' iraocs.in'.the history.'of the snort. 'Ono thing r :cprtainjto my:muid|;and that, is that: Webb ;,;;;;JTOl,;.to^morrow—if'he does:;him'self justice--' :;.;■;,; put :.up .■a:pei : formance'.tha't will ''"• for''-' ever .-.)..'; silence :thoso'who'.sp-far have peraisfed'in .',•■. .maintaining that /hejia not a.trnly ;'.great :..:, sculler; .'rSowever/Shere aro'limitations'ki his '■//ability.and'.itmaylDe'that, in Arnst/ho will , : ; ;-mefet his master.-. If, so,-then tho 'pride of .i.'.'Tai TapnVi? easily ; the; finest sculler seen out /...for many •years./'and;if.will : be:a :: case l ''of :v;>; "Hats, off to Diok; ! Arnst;' ; ''--'■';■'';: -!••■■-■''•■'■' ~' [ ; /Si.' ;^\^^;™egraplil-rPrMB ; Asaociatibu.) :'■.,::;; ■;-V^•^•j;'•'-. >y\-;' : f : r~t WanganuiyiJune , '2l. - ; ' y.'-"- r^Tnoro,is. little .new tplreport in connection '..inth.'tho race , for';the:sculliug chanipionsihip, ~'.•. ::wh.ich:take3 place' to-morrow. Last evening ;. Mwas', fine,.and,frosty, ; and -tho weather ''.pro-' -;..; miies to T». beantinilly ..fino to-morrow.. A ; -;•?•;' largo; number of visitors arrived on Satiix-' ■■■:•■:•:,'day,' , .'and,though.; interest is not' so great' ; as, ■;;'-..in;.:former'.races,- still'therei. will be a big'. ;.-; J. crowd ;to-witness what is- likely.'to bo a■igroat '>•;:.-,; Btrugglo._'; Both ..champion; and challenger ■'■,: : : ihave finished 'heavy, work, and will - content .:,; : >.tuo.mielvcs-till. the. contest ivi,tE'.a few huni;-; :dred yards' row. ~;. ./ . ! ..:•■". •.;'; ...,;; ■;.-;;:>.',:.The champion.was Visited yesterday, and . ';.; told ■ his' interviewer. that he was /satisfied :.; v -with his condition, though he did.not'have p> quite the- samo feeling as prior .to his kat. I raceV when he felt fit to pull the sides out of ■;■;; his boat: '.: Ho; also said he\was not: rowing :;■■:; .with _tho;.same,freedom,.but nevertheless he" ■; .:i;;.w'as:in;Tery good/fettlo, and was'confident' r* ; ;.;;'that;:ho:coulf;win; :Floyd and Fogwell'. .:'. the champion's opinion in-regard to his -/^condition,/'but;'express no doubt:as to his r'V; • ability- to win. ■, : .', . '.' v ,'.'.;

,Wcbb appears to bo in the pink of condi- , tion, nnd saya ho feole quite as woll aa over , he, has done, and is sculling as fast, if not ■ faster, than overr .- - , Arnst scalos 13at. 31b., and tho ex-cham-pion two stono lighter. > ' A WANCANUI OPINtON. ' ' ■ V.'anganul, June 21. '• Many people camo into town to-day,. and tho streets to-night aro thronged with tho largest crowd scon for some time. Though, of coirrso, Industries Week is to Bomc .extent an attraction, tho great majority of tho visitors are hero to witness tho race. »»Thoro , ere indications of rain, though tho weather ■ for tho last two or three daye has been beautiful. Opinions aro divided ae to result of tho race. Both parties are very confidentj but, taking everything into con- •■' eidoration, it seoms safe to anticipate that ' Webb will win. ' < A full acconnt of the race, with records, 1 illustrations, etc., will be a foature of.to- ' - jnorrowVissne of The Dominion.