BEN LING, OF OTAKI.

NZ Truth, Issue 936, 3 November 1923, Page 9

BEN LING, OF OTAKI.

At the Levin Racing Club's meeting held at Trentham the other day there was Ben Ling, president of the nextdoor Otaki Club, as large as life, and doing the -welcome hand work ' among old friends of the two clubs, visitors, and. owners; Ben ilb one .of _' the cheeriest meri m the world and a great, racing/maa ta bppju .-, A n^<. 0 A k Jn * dependent means, and plantar mtoern, „ he Is the most eligible bachelor . m all , H9rowhenua, for although he has ; travelled much and afar he has. yet escaped matrimony. Ben's father an, d tho original Gear started the Gear Meat Co. between them and from tnat source the son has inherited many ducats, as well as from a farm at Te Horo.. He is an old Wellington College boy and though he has Probably passed the fiftieth milestone looks years younger. As all his earlier years were spent m the" vicinity of Qtaki, Ben still sticks to the place with an affectionate regard, and lives there now m a suite of rooms, his fine Tiome near the race course having been destroyed by. fire s about three and a half. ye*rs ago. He; plays bowls and did play golf, and. is a member of both clubs. He is a sketch artist of no mean abjllty and a Wide reader. Indeed, it waa ;.h«. who started the library m Otakl and did the secretarial work of the institution for a long time. Recently he wentvfor a trip, to America and it was. an indication of the regard In which, ho is hold In the town that he was glyen a big send-off when he left 'and an equally as big reception when /he rdturned, nbout eight or nine months ago. ' He has had many trips to England and the Continent also, and it was he who some years ago took a team of -lady tennis, players to Australia. . % „■'••-.