NOTES BY JACK.

Otago Witness, 14 December 1893, Page 33

NOTES BY JACK.

The Ponsonby Bowling Club opened their green on Saturday with a membership of 80. There were 300 guests present on the occasion.

Wellington Fairplay gives tho following biographical sketch of Mr John Bennie, a wellknown local player : -"The bowling green has a great many patrons, and the lovers of the game of bowls are legion, but perhaps there is not a more staunch supporter of the pastime than the subject of this sketch. Mr Bennie is a lover of all kinds of sport, and it was this gentleman with two others who first introduced football into Wanganui. To show the esteem in which he was held by the players, he was chosen as their captain for five years, and many was the tough match he played against the Constabulary stationed at Waihe. Our subject was made a life member of the Wanganui Rowing Club some 20 years ago for past services, and still renders help to the aquatic people. Mr Bennie is a fairly good shot with the gun, and has frequently given a good account of himself upon the field when cilled upon to make the glass balte fly ! The Wanganui Caledonian Sooiety has in our suVjecb one of its firmest friend J , he being its vicepresident-, a position he his held for seven years. But it is the bowling green which attracts the sympathy and support of Mr Bannie ; there it is where our friend can bs found when the balls are set ia motion, aud it's there any lover of the bowls will find a wcrthy opponent and a jolly good fellqw into the bargain. As a proof of hi 3 earnest endeavours for the advancr-ment of the youngsters at the game, the blackbjard oa the Wanganui bowling green notifies the fact that a silver set of bowls is open for competition amongst the juniors ; this prize is the gift of Mr Bennie. In all the games that Mr Bennie plays he uses the ' set' presented by the Wellington Bswliug Club for competition, which he succeeded in appropriating after a tough bub victorious struggle. Mr Bennie was one of the four from Wanganui who represented the New Zealand bowlers against the cracks of Victoria, and the gold medal attached to his watchchain is the emblem won on that occasion. Mr Bennie and Mr John Duthie (now of Wellington) were the gentlemen who started the first; working men's club in Wanganui. Mr Bennie has taken part in all the intercolonial bowling matches played in this colony, and judging from his collection of trophies he ha 3 been most successful in his play. Mr Bennie is a native of Scotland, having been born at Mary Hue (a suburb of Glasgow) in 1842. He arrived iv Wanganui in 1866, and i* now engaged in an extensive business as maltster, brewer, and grain merchant."

Tee Taieri Advocate of the 4-bh says: — "A match was played on the local green last Saturday between the Taieri and Port Chalmers Clubs. Three rinks were played, and after an enjoyable game victory rested with the Taieri players, who scored a majority at every rink. No. 1 rink, skipped by W. Melrose, defeated the rink skipped by A. Walker by 7 points, the scores being 26~1«)

In this game the Iccxl rink scored heavily at the fourth, seventh, ninth, and eleventh head?, scoring 17 points at these four heads. D. L. Christie skipped No. 2 rink, and he and his players secured a majority of 16 points over R. Bauchop's rink, the scores being 26 — 10. The Port rink scored 3 at the fourth and tenth heads, bub during the remainder of an interesting game the visitors only succeeded in adding four singles to their score. The third rink, skipped by W. Low, secured a majority of 5 points, the scores being 21 — 16. The Taieri rink started off well, scoring 11 points before the Port Chalmers got one in ; bub from the fifth head to the final the scores were about equal, Port wiping six off the lead secured by the Taieri. The names of players and the scores are as under :—: —

Port Chalmers.— W. Sutton, C. Inverarity, G. Elger, A. Walker (s), 19 ; J. It. Monson, J. M'Laughlan, J. Cameron, It Bauchop (s), 10 ; J. Watson, J. Burt, J. Cable, W. Gardiner (s), 16. Taieri.— J. O'Grady, J. C. Hodge 3, J H. Murdoch, W. Melrose (s), 26 ; W. Christie, 11. Cuddie, Jos. Allan, D. L. Christie (s), 26 ; Dr Allan, A. Prentice, W. Wedderspoon, W. Low (s). 21. Totals : Port Chalmers, 45 ; Taieri, 73. Majority for Taieri, 28.

The game between the Christchurch and Canterbury Clubs was played on Saturday on the green of the latter club. The green was in first-class order, but the high wind interfered very much with the play. As will be seen by the scores, the Canterbury Club won by 20 points :—: —

CiißiSTCiiuitcii.— Dr Anderson, W. Batham, H. Toomer, C. Jackson (&), 1!) ; O. Blakiston, J. Angus, Dr Thomas, H. N. Nalder (s), 14 ; A. F. Blakiston, Major Taylor, W. Barnett, 11. Thomson (s), 21; F. Hobbs, 11. D. Ihoruas, Dr Brittan, S. Manning (s), 14. Canterbury.— J. Eicott, D. Christie, E. C. Ashby, W. Thomson (s), 27 ; J. Tait, R. Allan, N. Carston, E. Toomer (s), 17 ; W. Prudhoe, C. Burton, J. Taylor, 11. Oakley (s), 17 ; J. Mercer, A. Kirk, T. Skelton, B. Hale (s), 27. Totals : Christchurch, 68 ; Canterbury, 88.