"SNOWY" BAKER.

NZ Truth, Issue 84, 26 January 1907, Page 2

" SNOWY " BAKER.

A Splendid All-round Athlete. New South Wales is very happy m the possession of a representative at the forthcoming amateur boxing championships m England who is likely'to do, the "Mother State" high credit, if all goes well, with him. The name of this gentleman is Reginald L. Baker and he . is known m at least three States by the nickname of "Snowy" on account of his almost White flaxen hair and complexion to matoh. Mr Baker left for London on Saturday, December 29, , and may safely be depended upon to acquit himself with credit. His record as an all round athlete is an unique one and Australia has never produced his equal for extraordinary ability m such a wide range of athletic games. His record will be read with interest by every lover of gut-door games. He was born at Darlinghurst, Sydney, m 1884, and received bis education at St. John's (Darlinghurst) and Crown-street schools. He is now employed #s a draughtsman m the engineering profession at the Colonial Sugar Company's , Works, Pyrmont, Sydney. ' As a schoolboy, m the years 1897-

--98-99, competing for Crown-street School, he won the championships for the last two years ; also, m 189S-&, five eastern district schools' championships, four 100 yds, and one 200 yds all-schools (N.S.W-) championships, and 18 other minor events— suclj as diving, novelty water events, and as a member m team-racing. In 1889 he joined the : East .Sydney Swimming Club, and, as a member, won the New South Wales Hying sctuadron championships for the years 1901-2-3-4 ; won the polo (N.S.W.) championships for 1903-4-5-6, the last two being team events. Continuing, he swam second to the renowned Dick Cavill m the 19.0 1 880 yds New South Wales championship ; second to F. C. V. Lane m the 1902 East Sydney championship; and third to Dick Cavill and G. Read m the 1902 lOOOyds Commonwealth championship. He has secured, first place m 30 other swimming events, such as handicap, -diving," and novelty faces. His fastest time for 100 yds stands at 63 l-ssec. •• In military athletics, as a member of the . Sydney Squadron -of New South Wales Lancers,, he was second to C.P.O. Hendv (Naval Brigade) m the 1905 defence force championships for sword v. sword,, bayonet, v. bayonet, and sword v. bayonet. . Competing fox six years m the majority of military tournaments m that State* he has, -piled up 15 firts and five seconds m; sword v. lance,' bayonet v. sword,. s sword v. sword,- and wrestling on horseback, tent-pegging, and rescua races. 1 .*'•••- --[I In football, he joined the. Womerah r- Club, m IQOO, and -the -Pitzroy; . Club m 1903 ; played - first-grade -with ■ 1-he Eastern Suburbs Club m 1903,,' and m the same year represented New South Wales m four, match?^-. on tour m Queensland, and played, for New South Wales against ><§u.eensland m 1904 m three matches, and foir New. South Wales agap*s)i 'Great Britain m two matches ,rfg&M " for Austral ia against Gre«!| : Britaip— all m 1901. He has ai^ce^playejfc, grade matches for the Sydney ;S Distri6t Club. In rowing, as sa, member of the Mercantiles, he has been a winner m maiden fours, junior fours, maiden eights, and junior-senior fours. Cpminf to boxing, he has won the lightweight championship of New South Wales fot 1902, and" the.middleweight championship of New South Wales for 1904-5. In 1905 he won the middle-weight, championship of Australasia, fought m Brisbane (Q), and. fighting m Sydney, m 1906, ha still held the middle-weight championship of Australasia. For the 1806 middle-weight and heavy-weight .championships '.of New South Wales and Victoria, both fought on the one nighii m Melbourne, he captured both titles. Mr Baker also won. the heavy-weight championship of the New South Wales Lancers m 1903, and was selected to represent New South Wales m the Australasian middle-weight, class at the amateur, boxing championships of New Zealand m 1904, but was iinable to take the trip owing to football injuries. .. Absolutely , the most modest and-un-assurfiinjr champion who ever stripped, is immensely popular m all classes of- society. He is one. of the most graceful divers outside Denmark, and would, not disgrace himself ' even m that country* pf universal diving, by- -both ; afod for years he . was one '• of the brilliant ' "Seasulls , ' whess clever as well as grotesque divine; helped ' materially to attract big •crowds- to Sydney's. aauatic carnivals. Mr 'Baker, stands, about; sth ,ii>m. hifh.' Heffan still fight middle-weight (list 4fts) and will W f<> r th at an <* rthe heafy-weighit championships, m the English tournament. Gpod-luck. attend him. ■ , .