SPORTING NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXXXII, Issue 10512, 24 November 1894, Page 3

SPORTING NOTES.

AUSTRALIAN AND FOREIGN. ■ (Canterlury Time *.) The history of Throstle, the winner of the St Leger, seems (says the YorJcshira Post ) like a romance. She is by-Petrarch* whose three year old career was a sensor, eatioaal one, out of Thistle, the Sam ot that good horse. Common, and when she was foaled she had a film over her eyes which made her totally blind. She was bred by Lord Alington, and when his lordship was informed of her blindness h® gave instructions that she should be destroyed. When ho learnt that these instructions had not been carried out, he| said the filly was to be given away. She was actually offered as a gift in accordance with his directions, but the man to whom she was given never went for hnr, and so she remained to become a trained: racer, and to rob Lord Rosebery’s horse or, the “triple crown.” Throstle continued blind for three months, and then she got her sight, and in due coursawas put into training.

Our London correspondent wrote oft Sept. 29 as follows— The current: Pinh ’Un contains, as might ue expected, an interesting and sympathetic obituary notice of the redoubtable “ Shifter" from the pen of “ Master.” Ms. Coriett may well mourn his brilliant .and: erratic contributor. He and “ Peter Blobbs” (Reginald Shirley Brooks) did more to give the popular sporting weekly its unique character than anyone else. Both ate gone now, in fact of the original staff “Gubkins,’’ tbe “ Talepitcher,” and “Master” alone remain. After 'Willie Goldberg . took his B jL. at Oxford he entered the Foreign Office, (but says Mr Cqrlett) routine work was hateful to him, and he quickly resigned in order to lead that Bohemian life.whioh he loved. The manner in which he became a member of the staff of this paper was curious. We were walking, about fourteen years ago* with the late R. Shirley Brooks, near Leybourne, in Kent, and had lost our way. Presently wa met a gentleman reading the Pinfc ’TTn* who put ns on the right path. The following, week “ Peter Blobbs ** Inserted ft “notice to correspondents” to the effect that “if (he little man with the long nose, reading the Pink’Un, who guided two [gentlemen to Aylsfotd Station, will call at this office he will be well treated.” “ Shifter, ” as he afterwards became known, called, and eeemed to fit in bo well to the manners of tbe place that he at once became a member of the staff, and it is not too much to Bay that bis sobriquet became known all over tbe English-speaking world. He was a genius of the most erratic character, and his pluck knew no bounds. His account of ajoamey ina balloon was the finest and most graphic we ever read, and bis “Office Boy’s Diary” was unique. No matter how big a man might be he would tackle Mm, and wherever there was any danger he loved to be in it. He was one of the founders of the old Pelican Club, and was. a patron of tbe science of boxing i until it degenerated. Two or ~ three years ago ha went out one winter’s day in a lifeboat.' He was very thinly clad for each a journey, and through stress of circumstances the lifeboat, which had encountered heavy weather, was out for thirty-six bouts. This was too much for his nail physique, and he was landed, neatly dead.'. From the exposure ha experienced bn that occasion he never fairly recovered, and the lung disseise set in to which he has now succumbed. The pan fell from his hand as he was writing the last diary of the " Office Boy,” and bis last word was a farewell. Thore were in him the makings of a great man, as he was gifted to » degree, -was a brilliant scholar, and a most caustic and witty speaker, but without one atom of reverence. He could not endure; discipline of any sort, and waa indeed a rover, Wa never knew from one week to another from which capital he would next write ns. He was remarkable, as was hia bosom friend, the late Shirley Brooks, better known to this paper as “Peter Blobbs,” for his, knowledge and worship of Charles Dickens and his works. The characters drawn by the author they would fit in toy men and women of every-day life, and; Spiv them in a manner that waa as compli r , mtary to the genius of the author as it was to their own sense of perception, wit, and humour. On his death bed a friend read to him the “Bagman’s Story-” from “Pickwick.” The look on his face showed the gratification he experienced ; but to the last he waa jealous and critical, and in a whisper that the reader could only faintly hear, said* “Thanks, old man; but you have not quite caught the right emphasis P” His death lerivea Mr Frank Lockwood, Q. 0., without a. rival as an authority on Dickens, the s'ens of the great novelist, of course, exoeptrid. Tons he waa a warm Mend, and hr, loved his work on the paper. Sorrow/.UUy we bid hint farewell.