A FOOTBALL PHENOMENON.

Evening Post, Volume XLVII, Issue 88, 14 April 1894, Page 2 (Supplement)

A FOOTBALL PHENOMENON.

♦ "Sport and Play," published at Birmingham, England, contains the subjoined. Mr. Nock, who is referred to, is a brother of Mr. J. F.. Nock," .of Pal'merston North: — The following facts with regard to a celebrated football player at Burton will' be" read by a good deal of interest by leather-chafers, and will also serve to show how wonderful is the ingenuity of man in the nineteenth century. A lad named Ambrose had a shockingly bad accident when five years old, and through this both of his legs had to be amputated — one above and the other below the knee. Messrs Best and Nock were instructed to supply him with legs, and very successfully and ingeniously have they performed their task. Young Ambrose plays football regularly, and he is the wonder of the whole neighbourhood. His father is naturally delighted at the marvellous mechanism which enables his eon to take part in athletic games : and, as the lad is a keen footballer, readera will be interested to know his opinion. Here is the gist of a letter he baa written to the afore-mentioned gentlemen :—: — " I write you with reference to the stumps you have made for my Bon. They are perfectly satisfactory in every way, and I must congratulate you on the great skill shown by yourself and Mr. Nock in their manufacture. The boy is, and has been, a complete marvel to all who see him, for the really wonderful way in which he gets about. In fact, though both legs are taken off, he can use the knee joint of the one amputated below the knee joint so well that he plays football and other games with his companions, causing many to stand still and watch him in sheer surprise at his running and the way in which he can kick. Considering the great strain he puts on the stumps, it reflects great credit on your workmanship that they last as long as they do, and I must say that since I first came to you, directly after the unfortunate accident nine years ago, your kind and thorough study of the case, and the really clever way in which you have utilised everything to the best advantage, leaves me much to thank you for." From this it will be Been what a really clever piece of workmanship this must be, and as the boy actually does play football, and runs about almost as well as youths with proper legs, it may be guessed what a real comfort and joy his mechanism must be to him. Nor ia this all. He has to come pretty regularly to Messrs Nock a,nd Best's place at 19, Summer Lane, in order to be " built up," so to speak, as the years roll on, and the makers of his understandings take a considerable amount of pride in their "patient," because his legs have to be lengthened with his age, and the makers thereof are determined that he shall be symmetrically developed. Nor is this the only case they have in hand. Several other unfortunates are in their able guardianship, and the scrupulous care with which their clients are treated, and the pride they take in their fine workmanship, are bound to bring them the good name they so honestly deserve. Thus, it will be seen that football players need never lose hope even after they have lost th ir legs ; and young Ambrose is an illustration of what ingenuity, skill and courage can do.