BOWLING.

Otago Witness, Issue 2151, 16 May 1895, Page 34

BOWLING.

8«orolnrles arc reiueito«l to roriraid particulars of games played awl or forthcoming matches.

"OLD CROTCIIB i-TY " GETS OFF A GROWL. Mr Jack, I am called "Old Ci-otchotty," especially by bowler*. I know not whether it ib on account of continually wearing my big brown overcoat, or on account of tho long bushy hair on my eyebrows (what are called, in fact, •• beetling brows") ; or whether it is on aocount of my irou-grsy beard, with its stiff bristles, or on account of my farrowed forehead, furrowed with thoughtful wrinkle? ; or on account of tho Bapcrciliouß curve of my lip, which I in vain have tried to hide with my moustache. It is true tnat I have a stoub stick with a large knob, and I have a harsh, grating voice. At any rate, I have gained the reputation of being a thorough grumbler. It is, perbap«, my natnral disposition to grumble ; and, thwgb. I otrive to ove.-come this disposition, yet remarks that bavo fallen from rca at unguarded memeuts have caused men to give ma tho character of a giuoabler. Somehow or other, wherever my eye fall*, it sees faults. However much a team of bowlers raiy sing in harmony, with faces radhntwith the delight of their song aad lusty hurrahs, I continually lose my pleasure thivugh noticing harsh discords, untimely laujhs, cracked voices, or some other grating dissonance. It is to avoid tho inevitable fading of dissati: faction thnt I eeUlom read mwppper. J , for I always fiud something in tlnm to starb me grumbling ; and when my grumbling i ropensities are hefctid to a white boat, they muet come out. But, Mr Jfick, tlw f'xedlenfc fare that you provide for biwlcrs ia the Otago Witneas trmpted me lai-t week to peep info that paper. I regret the step; but, as io aUrlid me giumbliug in spite of my best enleavours to ward it off, and as my grumbling mast come out, I thought, Mr Jack, that I would relieve my feelings by writing thia epistle to you. You have never heard me growling before, and will therefore, pcrhftps, not be so tirad of me as my neare.-t friends, relations, and oompftnion bowlera are. Bat even when writing this epistle I am trying to keep my grumbling propensities und-r, and to speak* rat her words of praise thanbhme. To aid mypelf in this honest endeavour, I will tell you, Mr Jack, tbat I sometimes take a trip to the country. La?t Saturday wee>k I managed to get out to the Taiori ; bub I found it difficult to make out what tha Taiori bowlers were d'liDg. They were playing, I wai informed, the ksb match of tho season— Pies idenb v. Viccpretideat. But so eag- r we c they ou the game, that I could not discover wfcich side was the victor. They had got rather mixed up, lam afraid. But thoy seemed to quite enjoy themselves ; aod, after crowing and laughiog and bossing each other round with due vigour and delight, they sauntered off whh smiliog looks of honest pleisure and satisfaction. In the corner of the eyes of some, indeed, somewhat o? sadness lurked. They were no doubt grieving over being obliged to lie dormant for another wiuter, like saow-bouad baass; over being obliged to f nooze in the arm-chair before the firo, instead of breathing in fresh air, cf expanding thftir lungs with ehou's, find cf exercim'g their mueclei b/ throwing the ni'ichloved bawl along tbe green grass. No dump, no mud, no little hil's enst up by the Imdwoikiug carth vto - m, are s^ffio'cut to quench Ihe enthu*iann of pooic bowlers. Tho Takri bjwiers, it is well kuown, c»re for neither wet, nor rain, nor inclement skies, nor darkness. Were it not for tteir physical frtm s st last demauding rest *nd staep, they woul I ]>Uy on by the dim light cf the moon, or the struggling rays that gleam ih'ough (hi clouds from the distant stars. It is nob wiutec's damp that stops thf m, but the fact th&t the green wants rest and renovation for a future season. The Taieri bofflers h»ve had to struggle hard against decreasing membership, hard times, and aa expensive green, in order to maintain a s uad float ci.il footing. Yet I was aaazed to learn that a circular ba>l com° from the Kaituua Club— wh'ch, in tbe eyts of Tsieri bowler?, has always seemed to er>joy such prosperity — apk'ng contributions in aid of the Kaituna B»zaar. At tbis my grumbling propensities were somewbab initatrd; and, on peeping into the Witne-s, I found refereuca made to the same fact by some Invtrcargill writer, who still keeps in his tenaoiem memory the Invercargill G.O.M.'s now famous witticism, "Mauritius sugar and sweet soiiles." After that, Mr Jack, there was no hep for me bub to let out a gTumble. I giumble first agaiiisb your correfpandent'e application of Mr Mitchell's views to Kaituoa. Mr Mitchell is holdieig up a very high ideal. I admire him for it. But still such ideals do net always occur to the mind, especially in connection with financial hffiirs. The o diuary man, I am sure, will cci nothing bub wbat is praiseworthy in the Knituaa bowlers holding a carnival, although your correspondent may be inclined, owing to his lofty standpoint, to look down on it with fcorn. Thonwemust remember that the above ideU is for gcijt'emen. Bub the Kaituna Bowling Club works in common with a tent. is club, of which a large number are Uelies ; and whit could be more natural than for ladies to hold a b>zaar ? This is ahno&t the only way open to ladies of rendering fee vices to the financial stito of their club The Knituna, say I, are quite right to have a b»zat.r ; aud I wish them from my heart every succofs. And, Mr Jack, if merubers of other bowling club 3 are pleased to eon'ributa, we-ll and go.' S. But I certa ; nlv think that the Kni'uoa Club oveis'eppeJ th« mark when they sent ci: culm's round to other club 3. Such an act is what I oall presuming upon the eccial interests that we are tryiog to foster among tbe variom clubs. One of tho most wealthy clubs sppra's to other clubs, many of whom are unable to do more than b^rcly sjpport themselves Tbe fac'i that the Kaituna Clab is ruu in conjunction w'.tb teunis — a fact tbat is favourably referred to above — is in this ease another rearoa why they should have confined themfelves to their own efforts, and not have appealed to their r.eigh' bcurs. When the public are provirled with eiiteitaimncnt, or wi:h beautiful things made by tbe fair fingers of la«iieß, there is no reason why they should not m<ke a return for it to help the fuuds of the K'.ituna Club. But when a bowling ard tennis cub makes appeals to bowlers, I consider tbat it h-vs taken a license from which a little common-sense, th9ught, or consideration would have restrained any set of gentle-men. Weil, Mr Jack, this is a very long epistle th.t I ba^e written you; but when once I sti*rt tho:c h no knowing vhen I shill end. If it dees no other good, it his at leust given a better temper to Old CuorcnETTif.