" Sandy " on the Peninsula Match.

Otago Witness, Issue 1812, 13 August 1886, Page 29

" Sandy " on the Peninsula Match.

Maisteb Editor, — Draughts players on the whole are a gey consequential set o' boddies, an' dearly lo'e tae argue aboot their favourite game. Mony a time hae I heard them disputing as warmly an' earnestly as ever mortals could withoot coming tae blows, whether 22 17 wis a loss or a win at a certain stags o' a game, an' naething less than the authority o' Wyllie tho champion could ever satisfactorily settle the point.

Hooever, we sune found oot that there were gaun tae be ten players a-side, the toun players being captained by Mr J. P. Bell, and the Peninsula cracks by Mr James Dickson. Having sac muckle experience wi' matches the preliminaries were sune settled, an' the respective players were fairly set tae wark in less than nae time.

For a while I stood patiently in the centre o' the big room scanning a' the players, an' I wis pleased tae see sac mony o' the auld faces as keenly engaged owre the brod as ever. This is aboot the biggest compliment that can be paid the game, for unless there was something gey fascinating aboot it, the novelty o' playin' matches would sune rub off, an' folk wadna come repeatedly sic lang distances, an' at sac great personal inconvenience unless the ambition o' winning stiffly contested games had great charms for them.

Hooever, I saw a gude few strange faces, sac I thocht I wad see hoo they shaped in handling the " bits o' chips." The pair I first took particular notice o' were twa verra comely an' intelligent looking men jist aboot in the prime o' life, viz., Messrs L. Edwards o' the Peninsula, and Andrew Campbell o' the Dunedin team. Edwards looks the verra beau ideal o' a colonist' strong an' muscular, wi' bricht intelligent-look-ing eyes, an' a singularly mild and gentle manner.

Campbell, on the ither haun' has a nicely developed an' symmetrical head that gies ye the impression that he has got a quid share o' common sense, and frae the merry twinkle in his eyes when he is speakin', I'll be bound tae say he is nat'rally verra humorons, and could tell ye mony a quid Scotch story when in the vein. I watched them playin' wi' great interest for I could see they were genuine players, an' quite abune playin' for simple catches. They were evenly matched, for they each scored a game and the ither wis fltawn. I'm quite sure they baith enjoyed themsels', an' felt a wholesome dread o' the capabilities o' ane anitner. No far frae them wqce, ither twa strangers, viz., Messrs John Christie o' Portobello, an' J. Garrow o' Dunedin. As micht be expected the country representative wis a strong sturdy sort o' a chiel, the yerra picture o' a farmer in the prime o' life, wi' a quid deal o' determination expressed in his countenance. His opponent, Mr Garrow, is a tall, gentlemanly person, wi' fine dark eyes, an' a verra pleasant face — an' raither younger than Mr Christie. Baith o' them are evidently enthusiasts, for they were sac intent on their am games, that they hardly ever cast their een aboot the room a' the time they were playin.' sac eagerly did they pore owre their am board. The toun representative proved raither heavy metal for his opponent as he scored three wins tae his opponent's drawn game, proving clearly eneuch that he maun hae a lany hcid as weel as lang legs. Christie, naethin' daunted, hooever, arranged tae hae a few games wi' him when he came to the toun, an' he wad be mair than astonished if he didna gie a better account o' himsel,' thus showing that he has the richt smeddum tae mak' a quid draught player if he only steadily applies himsel' tae the &tudy o' the game. Tae cut a lang story short the Dunedin players won the match by four games, tho' tae the credit o' the Peninsula be it said they made the twa supposed " dons " cut a verra sorry figure when the scores were tallied up. Wi' their usual kindness I wis invited tae the supper afterwards, an' a verra enjoyable evening thus passed wi' the utmost harmony and good nature, an' wit he usual jokes at the expense o' the losers, which were a' ta'en in the kindly speerit in which they were given. I see frae the Witness that tho " quid auld game " is spreading rapidly throughout the colony, an' may it bo the means of social mirth an' intellectual amusement tae thousands yet unborn is the sincere wish of — Sandy. New Chum Flat, July 31.