BOWLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 1957, 27 August 1891, Page 29

BOWLING.

ManarlM «w nfMttet to ftnr««pMrtlMUMiWM|Hartt

HISTORY OF THE N.Z. BOWLING ASSOCIATION.

{Continued.)

After Mr Butterworth had resigned tbe position of president of the association, aa mentioned in laat week's issue, a meeting of the committee wan held on the 14th Maroh 1888, at which Mr Mowat, the President for tbat year of the Dunedin Olub, was appointed to aot as chairman during tbe remainder of the ,iession, with tbe consent of the Hon. J. T. Peacock, the president-elect; and right worthily did be fill the office, so that even with ithe defection of such prominent members as ! Messrs Butterworth and Oallenderthe association still survived. It was announced at the 'same meeting that Mr Julius Hyman, as agent t for Mr Mark Moss, of Melbourne, one of the ! proprietors of tbe Dunedin Brewery Company, [had - promised a valuable prize to be competed for at the Easter tournament ; whioh it was intended to hold,' and matohei were fixed to be played on Good ,Friday, Saturday, and Easter Monday. It ,was also decided to hold a smoke concert on the Monday evening. At another meeting of the association held on the 21st Maroh it waa announced tbat 30 rinks had entered for the Easter tournament, and the various proceedings oonneoted therewith were advanced a ■tage. The tournament waß commenced on the morning of Friday, tbe 30th Maroh, by ft medal match on the Dunedin green between the Ohristohurob. and Lawrence Olubß, in wbioh the latter club were defeated, the scores being — Ohristohuroh, 86: Lawrence, 42. The Canterbury and Caledonian Clubs had another tussle together in an interolub match, when the latter won by 7 points, the scores being 49 to 42. At 2.30 p.m. a start was made with tbe rink matches, which were advanced a stage, and as a good few of tbe rinks entered had received byes, the players in them, and as many aa were otherwise disengaged, made a commencement with the single-handed matohes. The weather, however, wbioh had been gloomy and threatening all day, about 3 in the afternoon fairly broke, and play was continued in very great discomfort, but the programme was manfully Btuok too. On the following morning (Saturday)— *b it had rained, all night— the greens were not in a fit state to play on. Some adventurous spirit*, however, more daring than the others, played off- some of their ■ingle-handed ties, but the majority of them, aa well as the rink matches, were postponed till the Monday. Tbe Caledonian green in the early morning of tbe Saturday waß partly uuder water, but this did not deter two well-known members from commencing their single-handed mafcob upon it. Tradition says that they played two ends, and, as no boats were available, to convey them from end to end, they adjourned to Blaney's, where, by a comfortable fire and something wherewith to cheer the inner man, over a game of euchre, or oribbage, I am not certain which, they decided which should be the winner.

On Easter Monday the seoond round of tbe rink* and single-banded matches was completed, and on the Tuesday tbe rink matches were conoluded, three rounds more having been played. The final round was between the Taieri and Caledonian Olubs, when the former were successful, tha esoores being 19 to 13. Thus the youngest club affiliated to the association won tbe first prize. Owing to several of the players in the conoluding rink matches being engaged in the single-handed tournament it oould not be conoluded until the Wednesday, when ultimately Mr G. S. White, of Milton, waa declared the winner, he beating Mr D. Russell of the Dunedin Olub by aeven points, tbe scores being 19 to 12. And thus ended the third tournament under tbe auspices of tha Bowling Association.

The smoko concert on the evening of E&ater Monday was a great suocess, and a very pleasant evening was spent. Speeches, toastß, songs, and Bontimonts following 'each other in quick succession, aud everything; going as merry as a marriage bell. On the evening of tha last day's play (Wednesday) a very pleasant meeting was also held in Watson's, when Mr Mowat, the chairman, presented the prizes to the Taieri and Caledonian winning rinks. Ha explained that the third prize could not be presented, as it waa still to be played for by the Ohristchuroh and Canterbury Olubs, and they bad taken it with them, agreeing to play for it in Ohristohurob. I have thud traced the history of the association from its inception upwards until ia third tournament. Aa will have been seen, it

had a few difficulties and disagreements to contend with during that period, but by the exercise of a little taot and good feeling, by members looking to the interests of the association more than to their own particular idiosynoraoies — with, however, I cannot refrain from saying, one exception— every obataole has been surmounted, every difficulty has been smoothed over, and tbe association has not only attained to a vigorous manhood, held many other friendly " bon spoils," every one of whioh has been more successful than its predecessor ; but a sturdy Bon has Bprung from its loins, having bis habitat in the empire oity of the colony, who I have no doubt will have the hardihood at our next annual gathering to beard the lion in his den, and attempt to wrest his laurels from him. But we will all be glad to weboma tbe headstrong, wilful boy, and give him every encouragement, feeling assured that .by pursuing Buch a course tbe best interests of bowling will be conserved, and also that many young olubs will arise in tbe North Island under his fostering care tbe same as has been done in the South, and that as the knowledge of the game spreads amongst our fellowcolonists that glorious time —of which Burns wrote— will be advanced a very considerable stage nearer,

When man to man the world o'er Shall brithers be and a'fchat.