AN UNBEATEN CHAMPION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 673, 25 November 1909, Page 8

AN UNBEATEN CHAMPION.

; "WILLIAM BEACH. ':". ■ AN IMPItESSION AND AN INTERVIEW. William Bench,, tie famous sculler, who rowed and iron seven races for the championship of the world,'and retired unbeaten, was a-passenger f rom Sydney by the Uliraaroa yesterday.' He has come-over to .act\as umpire in the Manawatu Sculling Handicap which is to taite place, at Foifon next week".'., ... Though they may never have seen him row, most people in this/part of. the world will re-, member, a. lithographed portrait qf the sculler seated in his.Coat,' 'with, : a'nns .extended for the, "catch."- They will: readily/ recall the aggressive jaw that bespoke ' the ; doggedness of the man , , the clear challenging eye that looked out from under his thick,'overhanging brows, and tho short, stubbly; hair, so iimch in keeping with the champion's physical' outfit; One still comes upon this old portrait,, yellow with' age, perhaps; in'some'hotels, billiard saioons, rowing-sheds, and wtvy-back sKanties,,all bearing testimony to the' idol'that was set .'up in William Beach a' quarter of -.it "century ; ago or less. ■..vNovr,-';he;\js-;!S9, years .of age, and a ;.nian /of ..that age • 'cannot .'be : . expected; to ,: 100k ■•,. the '.part' :iie played, over twenty years' 'before..' ..■'"'■ His hair, is silver'white, and 'his' moustache : is -a , 'grizzled ' grey.' . His'prdininent'shoulders-still seem. capable of. bearing: reasonable responsibility, but the passage of . years has' softened that look of bold dominance so' .proper' in a world's ' champion.. He ■ speaks nuietlyi and.though not averse ■ to a chat' about jiis ' golden year?, he does' so without the least suspicion ■ of , boastfulriess.- .■ It is , characteristic- of (the man that he talked with; one',gentlejiian.'yesterday -morning! ' on. 'th,e; geography, of New; ..Zealand,'and ,: the,:lattei;. would still havejjbeen ignorant of the, identity, of- Hie ■Sydney-sicler had not a. bystander let the light in. '■" y.\'-, : -'^'i;!-- , --.;■'■'■; ■-•■-■ '■. —' ■. It is the firs,t time, William Beach' has visited NewZealarid. "He is to umpire.at , the Foxton Handicap,, and is-: leaving ■ ~ to-day for .'the river, though ibefore the race he v intends. to ..visit Wanganui. But it,.was -not of- to-day, the reporter wished him. to'talk, so he directed him on. the'road'to yesterday.. - ' • '' • .:■ "A\Bit of ;.. • •. ; 'Vv ; ' '"I was.2s,or. 2C.years , of. age,before I thought of .rowing .seriously. > I'- lived- down on Lake Illawarra, on:' the "South, Coast, ■' and used - to. .do - , a bit-bfi pulling ,in ; Ordinary boats at local regattas, at', which . I generally did well. A man named John , .' Brown thought I. was.a. bit superior/to that/sort, ofthing,, and advised me to:gp- to Sydney,; where I could practise-in .lighter-''boats.'-jifterl-a'. while'l- thought :it a .good idea, '.went : to -.Sydney, and won a.fewp skiff handicaps;'. Then/!'- took ...to. the wagerboat'. -Steyo Punch gave, the prize for; tho' first race I went in for, .and .1 had up agaiiis.t me Laycock, -.Trickett,. and ' Eush. Eiish 'won—l was second.':-My first match was against' Trickott,'oh' 'Jthe. /Parrairiatta, :.aud, ( :-ho,- heat r0e..,: But I;was getting better , all the tiine; and' we .had rahbther:'match■ for JGtSO. a-side and-the oha.mpibnship of .Australia; , This time' .1 was'in front"-' after",that;;' arid: always-.managed [ to.,,..win* Trickett 'is sjjill. '.'alive —in ■'the :'Customs,'. I believe.", .Edycock" hires' out .'.boats, ■ aiid takes■;':■ parties at" Quriflawatta ■ Bay, along the -Cruntilla Beach. ■ 'Mip.'''Eush,:who boat..:me in'-,'m'y;'first',rac^,'is..still./about. Syd-ney—liotel-brokjng'is his' line of. business.' .Of,' other' prominent' Sydney oarsmen of j-esterday • '—Neil NUtterson .is in. South-,Africa;. Peter Kemp, to'whom , ;I .Rave tKe'. cup,' andwho^was , beaten by has'a boat business on'theParramatta, not so far'from the. wager/boatbuilding'shed of George .Towns, : who bought' but' Chris:' Neilsori. 1 •■■ Charlie Towns, never rowed -after , Webb .-beat ;.is:-. dairyfanning on the Eichmond BiVor. ' .'■:•■'•.: :-.. .- .

"Hanlonl"

', r Hanlon"qame','out on 'spec,'..and:after seeing me-row■'Trickett,"Mr; Hunt,' one 'of his backers, talked Jof. '.ar.big. race' on. the- Ne'pean between HapJon and.me.; Hanlon, thencham-' pioa of the' wb'rldj was' to. get jglOOOi 'and ho. came and offered-me'. J50: ". . When Mr. 1 Hunt proposed this, T.said ;that I,would first have to' consult! my. backers.':' My: said, f No;"if he. wants!;a*race well row it on.'.the', Porramatta.' /They .then fixod with Laycock. for. a match on"the Nepean' for ..£soo' a-side/ Laycock. los,t; ' After that, .1 was matched .to :row-.Hanlon for '.£SOO a-side and .the championshipof: the world. ' AIM Sydney was excited, over the,,.racei, as the Australian champion was-'td' , be-te'sted, ,, and'.steamers' full of-' people used to : . come up' the, river, and watch 1 us ■ traiu'r ing. : ■•Then came here'.it U5,,..0n- this. ■g6ld".;'watch; t , whi(jh Messrs. Williamjon,- Garner, ' arid -, Musgjo've' gate'me.',' We got up?-to-. the start,- and iiist'before we] got into : position Hanlon,. said .'quietly y-^..' : • "'l'll bet you I beat ypu, : BUII' ~; ;'. ■: ' "'Haven't got i'lOii,'. I said. . ~-:,.-: ;' : C. ■-,'"Til-bet-: you Sso.' ; '-": '\ .; ■■ : '-- ■■;-, : .' ■ "'Can't.spare it,':l retorted. '' ; '' ■■■■■■ "•'Well, my..boat'■ against youre!'.insisted , the' Canadian.' , '.'■;,' -.'■'.■ ' . ,',,;',.. might want it .for..other, races.' ~':.;

A XSreat-'Race.'/--,---'.' -■■ : - ; -■.-,. - : ' -.-■■-:'- .-/.:•..- "Then' awajv'.we , went—he shot out' in grand style, and' was'-50 iyards .ahead at ;the 'milb.- : There' haoj been -a- .bit-lot- rough.' vvater.'arid ie, wasvalways;a v fetter -waterman than , I-was.. Then .came-; a-palm'stretch, "and I clapped- it on, arid began , to, .overhaul' Mini' ■ At last' I caught ..sight of .'the stern uf.his be-.' foio the'Eecbnd'm'ile'.was overwe were .on level. terms; : 'Then he/boredime'.over.'and .there, wasi a foul:: .'■■Hanlon-put up' his hand .'to' claim it, arid while he was'doing 'it'l pulled ahead, I'got a: lead ' of; 'fqur ; 'or -five ;lengths,by this; arid' -was never caught."vHarilbn ; appealed Mr.' P.- .J. Clark, but:ho,'..gave it to"me-rhe couldn't do anythirig:-e!!c, and.Haulon kriew.it. His explanation ■ was that he "was forced, over by 'the wash of 'a.steamer,. didn't" wash, though! '.-i'..'-'-'." V'-' : ' ,;: r ' J ■•■■',■■ ■'.; ;;, : .' .; ... .•-.' ;TKe. Lamb'Turns'-'Lion/'i':-'...: ;';.'■■•,'.>.,..,,;';''■.;:■ ,'"Six: months./later,we had '.'another/tb, ;.and, I had'been-improving all the time;.'- When-we' got'on to , tlie scratch'l , said:—. ~. , ■ ■ , "Til -bejt" beat you, IJed!'., •■ V ■/■"'No,', said Hanlon.— '■"■'■. ""' ' . . ]■■ bet' you;,-.£so.'' : . :- : "-'-'-.-: •.:■'/■ .■:'-/"No'l'.v?.';,'-'-.... '.'-....•: r'/ / ■'-.'Vγ .>..'.'. v,. " 'Well, my boat 'against •' yours \'. -■" ■ .... -':''"No.l'-- : -.'.. 7 ■■■.:.-'■.■'.'.■/..■■ ;_■';-., •,;..' - : ".' Thea : TIL give: you the', worst hiding you ever. had./, in ; your.! life,' said ■ .1... This time--. I' ,was;,;-the,'-lion,, -and / no -was. the jlamb-T-I- beat;', him .easy. .'All the.same. I believe', if Binion 'had-have trained and looked after 'himself, !he would have beaten me in .the. first race. .'.He.was. a better' waterman .tha'n.j:L - He was an ideal sculler---knew every:.trick •of the game. when' he came, I: didn't,^but,'l- •■ ■■; ■ iTrJumphant on; the Thames. ■ .-■ ■ '■: ."About' threej'yeare later I .we.nt to Lorii' don,- -having- , seen, an ''announcement 'in ."the" i' Sportsman': that Hanlon had deposited .£IOO. 'We went and-sa'w the editor and found that :he. know nothing about. it. Then the international sculling; sweepstalces"came along, with : a first, prize. ;of''.£l2oo.. 1 won. it.by,beating Leo (the American),- Bubear-. (then champion of. England) and J. , Teemer, an American scul-. ier and one of, the fastest men. over a, distance ;that ever: sat a boat. A week after I rowed, .Gaudaur and- beat' him,-for .£SOO aside and :the: championsMp .of ■ the; world,'- and a'-' week after that rowed - and .beat .'. Wallace:Ross for the. same'money;' Then Hanlon turned "up. in London and wanted a match. I told him that', ihe had fooled , me, and if he wanted to'-row , be could come to Sydney. He then .'offered- to' tow: for 5000 dollars aside, 'but my backers ■said Sydney or. Rio race. Well, he did come to Sydney;' andr'we Towed on the Nepean for XSOO aside. ■■ I -.still, have the little home' , it bbught' me', on the: shores of Lake'. Hlawarra, thoughi I am .located,"at\the National., Park as overseer.".; '■■■'■'■'\ ,.;' ""'.".' ',■."'■' Scullers of To-day. : ■ '/' ■ / ;-■ Speakingvof'sculling"and , scullers of to-day, Mr. Beach ■ said he always had a high opinion of Arnst, and,'fit and well, -believed .ho would beat, Webb ■ every time. It was the case of 'a big good■'inan\-.beating!,'a:,go6d man not,so: .big. ■;;:: '-..■ :■':/■-.': - ■ . '■ •-■. . ~ ■ "What about-the time they put rip?" , •;.■■ "I don't take much, notice of-times in tidal river,s—a tide."might .'easily, mean. a" minute in the mile. When 'they talk about these, men -.being.better than.we were, I can only say-.that, ! if they can cut out the 3} miles' on the Nepean —dead still water—in 'less than, 19. minutes 54 seconds—my time'in the last race with Hanlon— they can have all the honour.' The boats aie lighter and firmer-built now, tk>o." The best of ithe young oarsmen were Geo. Day and Pearce.; The former, ho thought, was the better man in. calm water.. Neither was row■ing'at Poiton; "As far as he knew thoro were no.scullers in Australia who'could beat Arnst in form., Sovc'ral of the men to row at Foxtori vyere vory good oarsmeii, but as he had not seen thom ; all at worfc to venture persont.l opinions'would not be'discreet ■ /' ;■