THE AMERICAN TOUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2690, 4 October 1905, Page 70

THE AMERICAN TOUR.

Mr A. Bryson, editor of the Draughts "World, has some very interesting^ and chatty notes on the American tour in the Aiigust number of the Draughts World. Here are a few paragraphs giving glimpses of some leading American player's- — Genial, gentlemanly Johnny Horr — "the mighty Horr" of Buffalo, — the hero of the American International team, and the player that held his own wilh the Scotch dons in the early part of the contest, on saying au revoir, handed his card and pressed vis to look him up as we passed through Buffalo. His tussle id the opening of the match with Stewait — the five-times champion of Scotland — was a sight for the gods. Every art and science was put forth by the Scotsman, but Horr, who was in splendid playing fettle, was noi: to be caught — he was there with the right move at the right time, and the tie ended four drawn games. At home, with his amiable mother, "Johnny" is &een at his best. "We were trotted lound the great city of Buffalo, second to New York in its district, and shown the sights. The city derived its name from the herds of buffalos that frequented its creeks in the early days. The first white man took up his dwelling here in 1791. and it now boasts of a population of about 400,000 inhabitants. Horr accompanied ua to Niagara city, pointing out some of the beauties of the falls, and saw us comfortably hotelled. "Johnny" has been characterised as "a man of leisure" — we found him a busy man. He is gentlemanly in his deportment, dresses well ,and made himself most agreeable. Horr plays with his left hand — unfortunately in his youth, he told us, he lost his right hand in a gun accident. Another forenoon's outing we had, from which %ye derived much interest and pleasure, J was a visit to Harvard University — the Oxford or Cambridge of America. It is in the vicinity ' of Boston, and we had Mr Melvin Brown, as | our cicerone, and it stirred his life's blood to be 'back to the old haunts of learning again. Mr Brown, we think, was a graduate the same year as Mr Fitzpatiick and President Roosevelt. University life in America seems to form associations and fiiendships that are never forgotten, and strenuous efforts aie made every other year to meet old classmates, although they should have to travel thousands of miles, and re-visit their alma mater.