SOME ATHLETIC MEMORIES

Hawera Star, Volume XLIX, 16 November 1929, Page 13

SOME ATHLETIC MEMORIES

FRED FOHRMANN AS A MILER. OLD TIMERS REMEMBER MONNOCK. (By Physical Culturisf.) [All Rights Reserved.] It is not 'a great many who exceed the allotted span of three- score years and ten, athletes or otherwise. 1 had just left any old-time football captain, George Smart, still quick and active. Auckland memories of M'iek Monnock had stung him into, action, and he looked me up. “Did I know Mick,” said George; “I should think I did. When Mick was in Auckland he several times ran- a hundred in 9 4-ssec.” “Now, now, George; you were an Auckland boy. Nuff sod.” “No, no, P.C. I mean it. Hempton novel- made a match with him, did he?”

“Now, now, George; you ought to know better. You’ve lived s'o long under Egmont you ought not to barrack for Auckland no.w; forget it.” “Forget Mick Monn-ock! Never on your life. Why, man, we were boys together. ’ ’ “That Was a long time ago, George. How old are you?” “ Sixty-seven, the same as Mick. But, excuse me, I came to Hawera to see some one,” and off he skipped like -a schoolboy, leaving me to rcfietcion. In this mood I met another whose hair is tinged with white. Handing- me a clipping from -the Auckland “Herald,” he said: “I have kept this for you. There are not many of -these old' chaps* left now.” In part it read: “An Australian- aboriginal, E. Collins, well known in athletic circles 30 years ago, was found dead in bed -on Wednesday evening. Collins was 70 years old. For many years Collins was a. popular figure at agricultural -shows, where he used to give exhibitions of boomerang throwing. In his young days he was a professional athlete and was considered to be one of the finest hurdlers over .120 yards in Australia and Now Zealand. He was .also a good’ sprinter and an exceptionally good feather-weight boxer, being particularly quick in footwork. Collins was contemporary with such men as Bill Minhinu.ick, Harry Waite, the late Dr. Saunders, Gifford Marshall, William Williams, Dan Kitchen, Tom Copeland, Charlie Major, Harry Sheet, George Braithwaite and others who have seen more than seventy summers. ’ ’

To which I might add .the Delaney Bros., Fred Gentry, Rhoddy Mclvor, Teddy Webber and the late George Gibson. MORE MEMORIES. A young man of 10 said “I have what is left of Fred Fohrmiann’s scrap book. Would you like to see it?” “Yes, I certainly would.” Many of the old brigade have reminded me Fred Fohrmann was one -of the best distance men of his clay. Genial, .easy 'going Fred —but hard to shake off on the running .track. _ I had not forgotten the Halcombe crack, but I had no- authentic details of his performances. Now that I have the remains of his scrap book it does not help me much, .as’ a -lot is missing and dates obliterated, but some newspaper clippings pasted in, brown with age, assist to recall some sterling performances and remind me his times | were good and many of the men he beat were also looked on by their own support ers as good. From the first time he crossed my vision in Bulls in Novem- ' ber, 1891, until I saw the last of him in Wanganui on January 24, 1893, lie made' me do a lot of thinking, .to say nothing of how lie had Taranaki athletes guessing. If the reader doubts my word let him ask Arnold George. After winning the double, half and mile, at Wanganui in 1893, 1 lost track of Fohrman for some years. I heard he was living near Mt. Egm'ont, working in Taranaki sawmills. Then one day I read the report in a newspaper that, the well-known athlete had been the victim of a sawmill accident, being crushed beneath a falling stack of timber. I believe -he rests in To Ilenui Cemetery, but his deeds are remembered by many a ped.

Whon I first met Fred lie was a well set-up young fellow, from memory, I should sav about blit. 1 Din and 12 stone weight. Broad shouldered and strong, with -the -tenacity of a- bulldog. As I have written, it was at the Bulls’ sports, November, 1891; I happened to be scratch man in all flat events. Of **y programme I had 1 live firsts and a second to my credit, unc of my wins being the half-mile, in which, supported by the .elements, I was lucky in leading Eohrmann at the tape, where lie, finished second. To give an idea of his bulldog pluck and tenacity, I will endeavour to describe the duel between Folirmann and myself in this race. I already had a good sequence of wins and, as all veterans know, nothing assist one more than ‘to. feel he is in winning vein. As against this, Fred had reserved himself to start fresh in the half-mile, reckoning, as he told mo afterwards, I should have clone my dash in the other events. From memory lie had cither ben or fifteen yards start from me; I believe it was 'the latter figure. As all sporting men know, the straight on the Bulls racecourse is full (500 yards long, down which a fierce wind wa's blowing. Going down to the starting place Fohrinann said it would be hard going once ivo entered the Straight, with which I agreed. In sizing up the competitors 1 picked Fohrmainn as the most formidable iu the race and decided he was the one I would have .to beat. For the first 280 yards the wind was almost sideways on, so that no one had any advantage. Usually in a' half-mile t Used to. time my ranking, if possible, to make my fastest running in the second quarter, but this day the gale which was blowing caused me to change-

my plans. When the gun fired I set off as fast as my legs .would carry me, timing my run to overtake Fred on entering the straight. The latter to find me on ihis shoulder so' soon, faced the gale, plugging along after the othex - fellows. I had 1 done my dash catching him, hut, dropping in behind, he protected anc from the wind. Being two/ inches taller and quite as broad as myself lie made tin excellent wind shield. He grafted while I recovered nxy wind, and so well did he stick to it that we passed the bunch 300 yards from home. Run mg on his strength, lie made for the tape. He was rolling in his stride 50 yards from’home, when I made my dash for the tape, landing a winner by two .or three yards. Had there been no gale the race may have Ji;ad a. different ending. The following Boxing Day wo dodged each other. Further pastures looking greenest, I won’t to Feilding, while home, sweet home appealed to Folirmamn, who ran at his home town of Haleonrhe, where from scratch he won the half and in the mile finished second to A. George of New Plymouth, George off 10 yards l in turn r.uninng second to Folirmann in the ha.lf-mile. Taranaki athletes who know Arnold George will be able to class Fohrmann.

The latter, teaming with Hinton, ran second in the three-leg race on the same day. The same day at Feilding I won the 200 yards champion race, got third in the 220 yards hurdles and second in the 880 yards, anil .tied with A. H. holder, the surprise packet, for the points prize. In the spring of the next season I was. laid aside by illness. When convalescent in January, 1893, I was interested in C. E. Herman, a, fine half-mil er, and did seme of the spoils as towel handler for him, but good runner and track general .that Charlie was, at the Wanganui Caledonia Sports', from scratch in the 880 yards, lie failed to give Fokrman 5 yards and bea t hi an, Foli rmann win ning with Herman in second place, Dandy Jack Derings being the 'third man home from 25 yards. In Fohrmann’s scrap-book I note he was scratch man at Blenheim Hibernian Sports, the date and year obliterated, but it would be March 17 and the year probably 1893. Some .well-known mil'ers were Coleman on 15 yards (one-ai’med Coleman was a good miler). J. (Young) Laurie was on 18, F. Wyeth (Wairarapa), a good man, was on. 55. Perhaps the best known man to Taranaki folk was Arthur Francis on 00 yards, the limit being 100. In til© half Fohrmann, on scratch, was asked to give Arthur Francis' 15 yards with a limit ■of 50, so evidently southern handicappers thought a lot of him. I have no data of what .happened at those sports, Wanganui Caledonians being the last 'time I saw Fred, after which .lie came to Taranaki, ultimately meeting his untimely end. But he was one of the best half and miters of his. day. A year later at the sarnie sports another Taranaki boy, Young L. B. (Pat) Webster, who was destined to make athletic history, created a surprise by beating the crack Wanganui boy sprinter, Loftus. The third place in the race was filled by S.id A. Jarretit, youngest brother of R. O. of that ilk.