MAORI STRONG MAN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 44, 21 January 1936, Page 12

MAORI STRONG MAN.

ASTOUNDING FEATS. TEETH AS TIN OPENER. HAWERA, Jan. 20. Known for more than a quarter of, a century as the “strong man of Taranaki” and also as “Gate the Maori,” Keieti Ranganui Noena died after a year’s illness at Hawera last week. His strength was so phenomenal that he could double over a florin in his teeth or open.a jam tin by gnawing round, the edge. “As strong as Gate” was the proverbial expression. Despite his enthusiasm for wrestling and his willingness to wrestle anybody anyhow, liis friends cannot recall a single man strong or scientific enough to put “Gate” on his back. For many yea’rs lie was a prominent competitor at Caledonian sports where he wrestled Cumberland style. Many circus or side-show strong men found to their sorrow that occasionally there was a gentleman in tlie audience who could not be thrown within three rounds. “Gate’s” method was to sit his 17 stone of massive humanity in the middle of the rinq and let the showmen work out their own problem. “Gate” could beat most of the district’s lazy stick experts by holding the stick between his teeth and applying leverage with his mighty back muscles. In orthodox tug-of-war contests, the inclusion of “Gate” in a team usually meant that the result was a foregone conclusion. His good humour and enthusiasm for Rugby football were well known, his vociferous barracking being almost as much an entertainment as the game.

jn latter years he was willing to impart liis wide knowledge of the sports in which he excelled to juvenile admirers. He was born at Matapu in 1883 and lived most of his life in that district. More recently he lived at Ohawe Beach. He retained many of the customs of the older Maoris. He would not wear boots, hut to comply with convention wore slippers when he visited tho dead.