SCOTLANDS GREAT ATHLETE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2913, 12 January 1910, Page 67

SCOTLANDS GREAT ATHLETE.

DONALD DINNIE'S CAREER. It will be generally admitted (says the Aberdeen Weekly Journal) that Don 11:3 Dinnie is the most remarkable all-round athlete Scotland, or any ether country, has produced. He has in his day held a foremost place at wrestling, tossing the caber, putting the stone, and throwing the hammer, besides making a good appearance in running, vaulting, and jumping. During the fifty odd years he has" figured in the athletic world he has won over 11,000 prizes, including iO challenge cups and £25,000 in cash. Dinnie, who is now 72, and resides at 62 Buccleugh street, Garnet Hill, Glasgow, has competed successfully not only in Scotland and England, but in America, Australia., New Zealand, and South Africa. Although mostly now engaged as a judge at sports, so recently as last year "he was competing Kit Sl/imford Bridge, London, at the games there held under the auspices of the Duke of Argyll and Sir Thomas Lipton. • The name of Donald Dinnie, it may safely be said, is known the world over. In the prime of life so notable were his feats of strength and agility that to advertise his "name for a Highland gathering was sure to induce crowds to travel miles on foot to see him; and it is told one old woman tramped up Deeside to Braemar in order to get a glimpse of the famous athlete. On arriving at the games she jostled herself to the front of the crowd around the ropes, and exclaimed, " Whaur's Donal' Dinnie? Eh! that's him isn't? Swell, he's a braw chield, an' nae mistak' ! I'll jist awa' hame again. I'll die happy noo I've seen Donal' Dinnie," and the old woman retraced her steps homeward feeling well recompensed for her long 10-mile walk.

It may be remarked that the subject of this sketch, although he has passed the allotted span, is yet "a braw ohield," and is open to compete at heavy athletic feats against any veteran 10 years younge..' than himself. When only 16 years of age he won the wrestling championship at Fordoim, ;>nd he never once lest :t after that. Wrestling wa*s a favourite pastime with the young lads in the north, and, even while "at school Dinnie could easily surpass all those near to himself in age. Dinnie states that the hardest wrestling match ever he had was with Tom Cannon, whom he describes as knowing one style as well as another. The match took place in Melbourne, and lasted for four hours, the last style being collar and elbow. During the contest, wrestling took place in seven different styles, and the match ended in a draw, notwithstanding that Cannon was nearly 20 years younger than Dinnie. Cannon was at the time from 30 to 33 years of age, and just at his best; while, on the other hand, Dinnie was over 50 years old, and a good bit past his best Dinnie states that for wrestling a man should be at his best at about 30 years of age, because one has more agility at that age. ~ He, however, adds that he was nearly as good at heavy work when he was 48 as at any other period of his life. When in South Africa, Dinnie was over 60 years of age, yet, despite this, he won the weight-throwing nearly all over. For 30 or 40 years at least—perhaps 50—Dinnie kept to within half a stone of. the same weight, and up to within 10 years ago the muscles of his arms were very much the same. In his young days it was all the old Scottish backhold "which was practised in wrestling, and it was not until he went to America that he became acquainted with the various other styles, and where he met and defeated Clarence Whistler, the champion. As an evidence of the *worth and popularity of Dinnie, it may be mentioned that in one day in San Francisco he made £320: while in Boston he cleared £220, and that in America he always got from £25 to £IOO to appear. Apart from sports, Dinnie has in his time also excelled in heavy weight-lifting. Taken all in all this modern Hercules may well be compared to a Wallace or a Bruce. He has stood the field longer than any athlete dead or alive, and is a credit to the land that gave him birth. His name will doubtless long be remembered by posterity when the names of all those in the same line have been forgotten. In the athletic world his performances have been such that it will be long ere Scotland "looks upon his like again."