NOTES BY TOUCHER.

Otago Witness, Issue 2660, 8 March 1905, Page 36

NOTES BY TOUCHER.

I notice that the trouble that arose at the committee- meeting of the ICaituna Bowlipg Club re Dall's rink, which intended visiting Invercargill, being disqualified if they included Mr Dall, ot St. Clair, has been overcome by Dall and his men joining the ranks of th& St. Kilda Club, and thus playing as a St. Kilda team. Good luck to them, and I hope they will be in at the finish.

Murchison, of the Caledonian, is likely to be on the carpet with his team that intend visiting Oamaru. As he has in his team M'Gregor, of St. Clair, look out, Dan ! You will certainly go unde-r. In my opinion taking members from other clubs is a mistake, and the practice should be put down. Of course, I don't mean for a moment to say that when a team is at its destination ready to play, but is a man short, that -they should not take a stranger in. •— The * Kaituna bowlers have now been deprived of seeing who were the best- team — Payne's, Sneddon's, or Dall's. Bon voyage to Mr Wilson, of Roslyn, and I hope while at Home he • will be on the "alert for any new ideas that may be interesting to Dunedin bowlers. At the Roslyn smoke concert to Mr Wilson on the eve of his departure to the Mother Land, Mr Crawford said that young bowlers wished to play third or skip, as the case might be. This is quite true, as I know of several who have not the slightest idea of directing, but who imagine that they can play skip or third. Young bowlers, please- take a lesson from the remarks of Mr Crawford. . According to the remarks that fell from Mr Fortescue at the opening of the Caversham green, our genial secretary (Mr R. T. Wheeler) intends taking- a trip to the Mother Land very shortly. 'It is to 'be hoped that Mr Wheeler will endeavour to get a team together to accompany him. Mr T. K. Sidey, the member for Caversham, bras three. bowling greens in his electorate. Still he -has not taken to the gam© •of bowls so far. Apparently the fascination has not got hold of him yet; but I shall live m hope. ■ The North-East- Valley intend opening their green on Saturday, 18th inst. Three "new- greens opening in one- season is something; for Dunedin to be proud of. • From information received I believe the Roslyn Club' intend to open this month.' -They are anxious that the pavilion should be erected ' before the opening. , - -Next week I shall ■ endeavour to give the names and number of rinks entered for the ilnveicargill championship. J. Collins and rD Smith, of the Caledonian Club, played \ very good game last week for the championship.- when Collins, by good play, was .successful in stalling- off the- driving power of the ex-Taieri skip, D. Smith. "A- merry party" would describe the old coloaists of Ballarat' who «'£5 lcd at Spencer street station on a recent Wednesday morniasr; They were met by a brave ! old ba-id of pioneers, representing the Victorian Old Colonists' Association, and off they went to the steamer Osp«-ey for on excursion down the bay. Sorre of the (veterans of the Gojd City, who have spent half their live-s digging gold "from the •bowels of the,har.nless earth," are enthuisi*stio bowlers. The idea- of giving thema "sniff of the briny" and a luncheon on the ocean wave was very thoughtful, but notwithstanding all this lavish hospitality and a further welcome by the Mayor of South Melbourne over th& "glass that cleers," the visitors scored, and scored •heavily. No sooner we/c they pitied against the s enemy on the grassy sward at Albert ;Perk than the onlookers at once perceived that the fight was to be hotly contested. Among the city men there was a strong sprinkling >of Scottish players; there were •the Ballantynes, the Rennies, the Thomsons, the Blyths, and the M'Gregors, and so on. Ballavat had come to do or die. They dashed off with a. strong lead, and at-. or-ce showed their friends around the rinks j that they meant business. ' They had the city players under the whip from the outlet. Ths veteran Kemp, of Cariton, plaintively called) on Ballantyne over and over : again, in Scottish accents. ,to "draw tae I the kitty;" The burly D. R." M'Gregor-; "shouted to Rennie, 1 "Tak' this oot, Charlie," i and out the' shot went, but while the metro- 1 iolitans were making' a fairly good- fight on j three ria'ks, their fourth, under the com- i mtnd- of W. J. Mountain, was being anni- ! hilated by the veteran J. Wright, of Ballarat, who eventually scored 27 to- 7. On ■ "the totals Ballarat won by 35 points, and a most enjoyable day was concluded by ■ giving tliree cheers for both sides. ] 1 3. Glasson has won the single-handed , championship of Ballarat, and his successwas due to good play alone. He- has an unbeaten record) in pennant matches for rink play — a very good record indeed. , The championship of the South Melbourn© Ohib was won by the one-time champion cricketer, W. H. Cooper. Cooper will be remembered as the man who beat IC. P. Moody when tbe> Adelaide bowler ! went io Melbourne

| The ohampionship of Adelaide was won I by E. C. Olucas, who played consistently j and well throughout the tourjiament. This tourney was arranged in sections, and after x the weeding out the following • remained Kin the final stage : — OLuoas, Walker, Moody, Reimer, Lodlge, and Gurr. Reimer was the only player to defeat ducas, and as Walker only lost one game, the two were level for top place. The following will give ai idea of the .glorious uncertainty of bowls: — Reim&r beat Clucas by 7 points, Walker beat Reimer by 16 points: then Clucas beat Walker by 12 points, and again by 9 points.

An exciting game of bowls was played recently between the Albert .Park |La4ie.3 and Albart Park Rovers on the former's green, when the ladies won the match by 5 points. The ladies' rinks were skipped' bf Mr E. D. Heather and Mrs H. B. James. Davis and Clareborougn were the defeated skips.

Mr H. Upton, president of the Melbourne Club, won the championship of 1905. This 13 the second year that the president has won this even.£

M. Dowling has won the championship o' the Hawthorn Club, Melbourne.

MAORI HILL BOTTLING CLUB

Residents or Maori Hill arc! the sun-oniiJ-ing district will be pleased to hear that the acquisition ot a site for the Maoii xiil Bow ling and Lawn Tennis Club's green is -iow assured, an sere and a-quarter of land on the Balruacewen Estate having jn.st been purchased for Ihat pm-rose. The land in question lies immediately behind the propossd new school site, is only a few yards iiom the electric train lernumis, and is close to the Balmacewen Golf Links.