NOTES BY AMATEUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2818, 18 March 1908, Page 78

NOTES BY AMATEUR.

The annual general meeting of the Civil Service Harrier and Amateur Athletio Club will be held this (Wednesday) evening-. There is nothing fresh to report other than that which appeared last week concerning the inter-varsity tournament to take place on Carisbrook at Easter. Those athletes mentioned last week are in steady training for the various events, and tha tournament promises to be eminently successful. It is not generally known that the British public of Sydney were admitted free of charge to the Sydney University Club's meeting the other day, at which the New Zealand champions competed. This is indeed encouraging amateur running with the populaoo. The name of Francis Drake, the ex-New Zealand champion sprinter, does not crop up very frequently just now, but- the exChristchurch runner still takes a keen interest in the' sport. I met Drake the other day and had a short chat about amateur athletics generally and the New Zealand champions in particular. By the way, I would like ito sea Drake turn out for one of the local clubs. He would be warmly welcomed and would prove a valuable acquisition to any club which was fortunate in securing his services. The annual sports meeting of the Congregational Harrier and Amateur Athletio Club will be held at Forbury Park on Saturday, April 11. In last week's issue of the Canterbury Times "Amateur" is under the lash concerning some comments in connection with the original team selected to represent New Zealand in the Australasian championships at Hobart, and the placing thereof so far as the premiership was concerned. It will be remembered that the second day of the meeting was held on a Monday and the results were not known here until Tuesday morning. Going to press that day I had little time to comment on the championships, and in the endeavour to have something to say on the position of the placed men and the team it was inadvertently stated that " New Zealand would have lost the proud distinction its representatives have achieved had the team as selected by the council been the aole representatives." After the rush I had an opportunity of going more carefully into the subjeot and in the is6ue of fho Otago Witness bearing the same date in which the comments appeared in the Canterbury Times the "mis-statement" was corrected. I trust the explanation will satisfy the Canterbury writer as to the question of " ignorance " and also' put him right as> to " another attempt to mislead the uninformed in an endeavour to have a further ' cut' at the council." In the fullness of his charity my Canterbury friend may be constrained to make the acknowledgment. From some responsible person comes to hand & copy of the fifth annual report and balance sheet of the Civil Service Harrier and Amateur Athletio Club, which sets forth, «mongst other things: —The club runs were fairly well attended, and proved to be very enjoyable outings. Six members receive club badges, not having missed a run. The various club races were well contested, good fields and close finishes being the order in most of the events. The club's cross country championship was held at Wingatui, and resulted in a win for the captain, Mr J. G. Stephens. The club was well represented in open events of other club meetings. A team was entered for the Edmond Cup Steeplechase, a-nd also for the Otago Inter-club Cross Country Championship, and succeeded in gaining second place in the latter, being 1 beaten only by a very narrow margin. Th» club is to be congratulated upon the most successful inauguration of the Ten-mile* Cross Country Handicap, which was run at Wingatui on August 10. Very la-rge entries were received, representatives being present from Canterbury, Southland, Milton, and Balclutha, who, together with the Dunedin men, made up a very strong field of crosscountry runners. The race was keenly contested by the 32 starters the finish being very close and exciting, Mr "V. M*Donald (Balclutha Harriers) winning on the tape from Mr J. G. Stephens (captain of the club). The fastest time was registered by Mr J. Frew, Caversham Harriers). The second annual sports meeting' was held at the "Caledonian Grounds on Saturday, January 25, and was in every respect an unqualified success. Excellent entries were received for all events, representatives beinjj present from all over the South kland. It is pleasing to record a profit ot £20 6s on the meeting. Owing to the Wellington Civil Service Club beinjr unable to procure a suitable ground, the Civil S*e*-<rlc-e Cliampioaabips were abandoned thlS season. It is hoped, however, thst the next championship meeting will be held m Dunedin early next season. The club has again been unfortunate in losing some of its mo«t active members, who have been transferred to different parts of the dominion. Amongst the number is our worthypresident (Mr A. Clothier) who has been transferred to Christchurch. The very active interest which Mr Clothier has taken in the club since its inception will make his departure severely felt. He will be greatly missed by all members. Others who have left during the yearare: Messrs J P Ridingw, R. H. Stables, W. H. Nicol, A. E. Mace, A. Walker, and T. O. Lambie." „ . , ■, Acknowledged with thanks from the hon. secretary of the Oamaru Amateur Athletio Club, an honorary member's ticket for the season 1907-1908. By the way, the first annual sports meeting of this club ia to take place on Thursday, March 26. Excellent entries have been received, and a good day^s sport is promised. I ant informed by the secretary that an effort is being made to arrange a match between Burk and Trembath, to take place on the 26th inst. The New Zealand amateur athletic team were passengers from Sydney by the Miowera, which 'sailed for Wellington at 7 o'clock on Monday evening. If New Zealand i 9 to be represented in the athletic section of the Olympic Games in London in July next the matter should be taken, in hand at once. A writer in the Dominion mentions that Dr Newman has raised the question in Wellington by expressing his desire that H. Kerr should be sent for the walking events. Presumably Colin Gilnty, the Rhodes scholar.

«onld be available if required, while, if the services of Guy Haskins (now in America) could be enlisted, ■ the Dominion would be represented in the middle distances by_ a really brilliant performer. Something about Guy Haskins, the New Zealander in America, as viewed by the 'Frisco correspondent of Sydney Referee, also an item concerning our old friend Alfred Shrubb, now turned professional: — "There was quXe a shindy at the annual indoor track meet of the First Regiment of the Pennsylvania National Guard at Philadelphia, January 2*. It was the outcome of an attack made by Melvin Sheppard > of toe Irish American Athletic Club of New York, on Guy Haskins, the New Zealander, who competed in the colours of the University of Pennsylvania. Haekins outran Sheppard, who had long been looked upon as invincible, in a middle-distance «vent not' very long ago, and on the occasion of the regimental games they were sent together in a special event, the distance being 1000 yds. They had completed six laps when Haskins tried to pass Sheppard, who had taken the lead early in the race Sheppard, I suppose, felt that he was beaten. Anyhow, the men jostled on one of the turns, and then, as Haskins started to go by, the New Yorker seized tne- Maoralander and threw him to the floor w j ?• " fl 3 rin # mare," or some other hip and thigh movement peculiar to wrestlers A large-sized riot ensued. Friends of HasIcins fell upon Sheppard and hammered and kicked him. Friends of the other runner took a hand, and for a while there was a tree fight. The police were summoned to quell the disturbance, and it took a dozen of the Gnest to subdue the enraged adherents of the two famous runners. George Orton, who was referee, promptly disqualified Sheppard and awarded the race to Haskins. Sheppard acknowledged he -"had done wrong. He said his act was that of a tired and irritated man," and that he regretted hw conduct exceedingly. As far me we can learn, the little fracas was the cause of Sheppard's non-appearance at the carnival of the Pastime Athletio Club at Madison Square, New York, on the night ©f January 27. A whisper came over the wires that the Amateur Athletic Union is to descipline Sheppard. Anyhow, Haskins oidnot have the satisfaction of measuring strides with hia greatest rival at the Pastame meet. HaekJns won the 1000 Yards Kace, however, the man who ran second fe3 Br .L. T \J£ White ' of the Nw Y °* Athletic Club. Time, 2min 23 l-s«ec. In the Pastime competition moat of the events were handicap affairs. The race won by Hainans was a scratch event." "Shrobb, the English runner, has returned to his native country after outrunmng everything in the land of the free. He says he is coming baok again, and I can't find it in my heart to bl*mo him, considering the way he lord* it over all the fellows in his line on this side of the world. Here is a despatch which tells of Shirubb s very last appearance before taking steamer home again : — Thiladelphia, January. 2*.— Alfred Shrubb, the champion distance runner of the world, defeated four men in a six-mile race here last night, •nd although he ran only in tennis shoes eoyered the six miles in 30min oseo. The men who ran against him were "Spotty Clifford, J C. Curran, A. Nash, *nd Tall leather, the latter two being well-known Indian runners. In spite of the fact that ttw last two men ran only a mile eaoh, tthrubb beat the quartet by five laps, or nearly half a male. He ran the first mile in 4.32, two miles in 9.52, three miles in M.66,- four miles in 20.06, five miles in 25.10, and the six miles in 30.06.' About a week before, January 18 to be precise, Hnrabb defeated Jack Williams and Samuel Meyw at Lowell, Mass., in a five-mile race. The affair was witnessed by about 7000 persons, and the State armory was the ocene of the competition. A report 'cays : — .ShTubb and Williams started the race, and £l.?¥ mites Shrubb gained three laps on Williams. Myers proved a little faster than waijams, as in hie Bhare of the running STu?. B* ine<l ool V ?ne and a-half laps. KhruWu announced time was: — One mile, 4.38; two miles, 9.18; three miles, 14.15; four miles, 19.14 ; five miles, 24.22.' "