HARRIERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22366, 13 September 1934, Page 16

HARRIERS

LEITH Although a . seemingly strong, wellbalanced combination, the Leith entry in last week's Senior Teams Race, did not perform to expectations, and its sixth placing represented a drop of one from last year’s placing. First man home was E. Reid, who, with a placing of twenty-second, has at last turned the tables on S. Anderson, For the past two or three seasons Reid has invariably, been second to Anderson, in interclub events. S, Anderson, thirty-seventh, ran really disappointingly. After a convincing display in the club trial, he appeared to have regained his old form. Irregular training was the trouble. G.Markham filled forty-first placing, but is capable of a better performance. Close behind Markham was R. Watson, fortythird, who does not at any time relish heavy going, and J. Ferguson, fortyfourth, whose natural ability, if assisted by a little . training, would enable him to be first club man home on most occasions. In the junior event a good performance was expected of S. Avent, but he failed to attain the peak of his form, and finished twenty-seventh. Next man home was R. Ferguson, who filled fortyfifth placing, but is capable of an improvement on this form. W. Keen, fortyseventh, finished dose behind Ferguson, and for a first-year runner who is unable to attend training, ran a really good race. A course of regular training and the acquisition of more experience will make Keen a valuable club member. R. Dalton failed to reproduce the form he displayed in the trial and wag (fourth member home with a placing of fifty-first. Although retarded throughout with a foot injury, C. Thomeou ran a determined race to finish fifty-sixth and complete the team. The following Leith members have been selected to represent the club in the annual combined sports meeting with Northern and Roslyn:—One Mile: S. A. Anderson, E. J. Reid. 880 Yards: E. J. Reid, E. Pridham. 440 Yards: E. Pri(dham, S. Avent. 220 Yards: E. Ashby, H. G. Markhaim 100 Yards: B. A. Timms, R. Ferguson. High Jump: H. G. Markham, R. Ferguson. Hop, Step, and,Jump: B. A. Timms, S. A. Anderson. Broad Jump: E. Ashby, I. Harding. Relay Race; S. A. Anderson, E. Ashby, B A. Timms, G. H. Markham. NORTHERN CLUB The success of the Northern Club in attaining the Sealed Handicap in last Saturday’s race, although due to the personal efforts of the team itself, must be attributed to the untiring efforts of the trainers, Messrs J. Jackson and J. Yates. R. G. MTTinlay was the club’s first man home, and was closely followed by D. Fincham. It will be remembered by the older members of the present-day clubs that this versatile runner is the ex-captain of the late Abbotsford Club. Archie Jackson was the next man in, and this race was one of the best he has run up to date. R. M'Kenzie was next, and he has certainly proved himself a good team man. He is only a first-year runner, and should be justly proud of his effort. N. R. Jefferson followed, and, although he is more fitted to a shorter distance, proved that he has plenty of grit and can be always relied upon to give of his best. The club’s .only junior representative was B. Haugli, who performed quite creditably considering that conditions were not exactly suited to him. ST. KILDA Considering the heavy state of the ground at Wingatui, the St. Kilda Club’s sole representative (C. A. Pope), who,get twenty-eighth placing, was a very creditable performance, as be is better suited by a drier course. Owing to members recovering from the influenza, it was wisely decided not to enter a team. The sports meeting between St. Kilda, Cargill Road, and Mornington Chibs, to be held on September 21. i s being eagerly awaited by members, for it is meetings such as these that give clubmen the opportunity of testing their respective strengths, and also increasing the good fellowship which already exists.

" „ .; CIVIL SERVICE; As was anticipated, the defection of J. G. Barnes from the Civil Service Club crosscountry team considerably weakened it, but, despite this, the members registered quite a creditable performance .in taking second place in the Teams’ Race. The club is again fortunate in having two men in the Otago team, and in J. G. Barnes and A. R. Geddea it has two representatives who should bring all credit to the club. ... Barnes’s record is a most impressive one, this being the seventh time he has represented his province.. Barnes won the Championship in 1932, and, provided he is perfectly fit, he should be a, strong contender for national honours. A. R, Geddes is representing his province for the third occasion this year, and as he is in his best .form at present he should improve on his placings.in previous years. E. C. Brown was unfortunate in .losing his place in the Otago team, as he has represented the province for the past seven years. He ran below his best form on Saturday, arid ,is to be considered very unlucky. As was expected, R. M'Lachlan was first club man home in the Junior . Cross-country Championship, and, by the easy manner in which he ran, might ha\’e improved on his placing. K. S. Anderson followed up his win in the club cross-country with a sound race on Saturday to take fourteenth place. N. Coutts, whowas close behind Anderson, also ran a fine race. D. Mason made the mistake of forcing the pace at the start, arid as a consequence he faded badly over the latter stages: Taken on the whole, both club teams performed very well, and as the majority of the members are still young the club can look forward to the future with confidence. CARGILL ROAD The Cargill Road Club’s team in the junior race performed very creditably, and, although only taking fifth place in the Teams’ Race, did much better than last year’s team. R. Lumb was first man home, with the Clark brothers not far behind him. However, most of the team will be young enough to compete next year and will improve on account of the experience gained in this year’s race. Owing to the fixture at Wingatui next week this club will prijd no run. On Saturday week this club will compete against Mornington and St. Kilda for the annual sports.

The world’s biggest jig-saw puzzle awaits archaeologists as a result of the surprise find of thousands of broken bowls, vases and dishes, some of them inscribed in black ink, in) the famous “ step ” pyramid of Sakkara, Egypt. Mr J. E. Quibell and Mr J. P. Laner, who made the. discovery while working for the Department of Antiquities, are credited with the view that several hundreds of the articles can be successfully reconstructed. The majority of the vessels are made of alabaster, but there arc also specimens of quartz, diorite and porphyry. Nearly all are in fragments owing to the collapse of the roof of the galleries during the wopk of excavation. The total, weight of broken vessels is calculated to be between GO and 100 tons, and doubtless formed part of the funeral furniture of members of Pharaoh Zoser’s family. This Pharaoh, the first of the third dynasty, resigned about 3000 n.c., and built the, “ step ” pyramid. The find is the result of excavating work undertaken to determine the character of .the. tomb over, which; the pyramid is built. Four passages, found cut in the rock, were entered by shafts which started apparently on the ground stage of the “ step ” pyramid. In one of these galleries were found two alabaster sarcophagi, in which were the remains 'of two women, probably members of the royal family. A coffin in one sarcophagus is constructed of six-ply cedar wood, a beautiful example of carpenter’s work in those early times.