LAND AND WATER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3205, 18 August 1915, Page 60

LAND AND WATER.

ST. CLAIR CLUB. The ■ monthly medal competition was played on the St. Clair Links on Saturday afternoon. The best cards handed in were as follow:

SENIOR TEAMS LIMITED. A meeting of delegates to the Otago Cricket- Association was held in the office of Mr E. -S. Wilson on Saturday evening, and was presided over by Mr A. Martin. The definite purpose for which the meeting was called was to consider the best scheme for carrying on cricket during the season. All' the clubs were represented, and after delegates had expressed the views of their various clubs the following motion was -agreed to:—“That it be a recommendation to the annual meeting of the association that the number of senior teams next season be six, eliminating one Carisbrook team and the Colts’team.” LAWN TENNIS. BRISBANE, August 15. New South Wales defeated Queensland by id rubbers to 7. HOCKEY. OTAGO v. SOUTHLAND. Representatives of Southland and Otago hockey met in their annual match at Cayisbrook on Saturday afternoon. Proceeds of the game wore to be devoted to the Queen of Sports and Pastimes, but the attendance was small. The band of the Kaikorai School was on the ground, and played popu-

far patriotic airs. Last year the match was played at Invercargill, and ended in 6. draw, each side scoring four goals. Play from the commencement was of an uninteresting- character, the advantage bein'?' with Southland, who possessed a fast and busi-ness-like line of forwards. The Otago backs wore kept busy, and indulged freely in linehitting. The home forwards seemed unable to combine or to cope with the visitors’ defence. Towards the close of the first spell a Southland rush ended in Marcusson, tlio centre forward, putting a neat shot into the net. Otago had the sun behind them in the second spell, and opened by setting up a vigorous attack. The place of P. Clark, who had been playing a very conspicuous game at left full-back for the visitors, was taken in the second spell by Wingfield. Otago failed to press home their attack, and in a few minutes were themselves having the greatest difficulty in defending their own quarters. Fitt fell in front of M'Crorie, the Otago goalkeeper, at a critical moment, and in a flash Bogue had the ball in the net. Long exchanges between the backs tended to make play more open and interesting. Several times Otago got into a scoring position, and Leith made one excellent shot, but the aim was not true. For the last quarter of an hour play was fairly even, but fust on the call of time Bogue got in another shot. Play hardly reached to interprovincial standard, and Otago were particularly disappointing. The team as a whole lacked, both dash and combination, and all through the game the Southlanders seemed easily able to cope with any movements that were initiated against thorn. Messrs R. Sorynigeour and J. Martin acted as referees. The final score was; Southland 5 goals. Otago Nil At the conclusion of the Otago-Southland hockey match on Saturday the members of the O.H.A. entertained the Southland team at afternoon tea in the pavilion at Carisbrook. Messrs J. A. Park (president), J. L. Stewart Wright (vice-president), and ,Tas. Hogg (captain) welcomed the Southland team, and congratulated them on thoir win. Mr F. Smith replied in a neat little speech. BOXING. By Straight Left. The Northern Association, Auckland, arranged with Harold Hardwicke, the Australian heavy-weight, to meet A. Pooley, the Now Zealand champion, at an early date. The death took place recently while bushfelling of Charles Cate, who represented Poverty Bay at the boxing championships several times. He was a splendid fellow, and one of the best boxers ever in Gisborne. As a man 1 e was upright, honest, and clean living. In fact, he was a good example to all men. He always fought to win, and the money was not coined that could encourage him to run a ‘,‘schlinter.” He was killed outright by a limb of a tree falling on his head. He leaves a young wife and three young children to mourn their loss Times have been changing for some years (writes “ Solar Plexus,” in the Sydney Referee), and there is a renaissance in Australian boxing, thanks in a very material degree to the public confidence which those responsible for the control of the sport have been able to inspire, and to the inherent love for the game so firmly imbedded in all Australians of athletic bent, who must embrace 90 per cent, of the manhood of the country. Boxing in Australia in the earlier years owed more_ than can be imagined to the personal skill as boxer and to the encouragement as promoter of Larry Foley, who was a finished artist of the 'Mace school, and had. the inborn ability to impart his knowledge to the men around him. To-day Austraban boxing owes as much in a measure to another man, who has exerted his influence in a direction somewhat different from that of the great champion of the seventies and early eighties. He is no other than Mr R. L. Baker, who has so arranged matters that the one great uplifting element missing, or practically missing, from the game in the old days is brought to our "midst. This element is the international battle in the Australasian ring, not merely England v. America, or Australia v. England or America, but Australia v. the world for the world’s honours. All honour, I say, to “R.L.” for having brought all this about. A London cable, dated August 5, says: “The snorting newspapers give a prominent place to the story of the death of Harry Stone, the boxer. Ho was a passenger bv the steamer Armenian, which was sunk by a submarine. A shell cut off his leg. Stone rolled into the water and swam to a lifebelt, but died a few minutes after reaching it.” Stone was a prominent American light-weight. He visited Australia in 1914, and though practically unknown in the Commonwealth soon made good. He became a groat favourite with the public, and during his comparatively brief stay met and

j defeated several prominent boxers, the list : including Matt Wells, Johnny Summers (twice), Pal Brown. Hock Keys, and Alf. Morey. He lost to Russell and M'Coy. He loft Australia for England, whore he met and lost to Delaney, on points, at the National Sporting Club. tor many years (writes Mr Eugene Corri, the well-known English referee), in his Reminiscences, I have refereed the intervarsity championship, and the army and navy championship. I should say John Hopley, of Cambridge, son of Judge Hopley, of Johannesburg, was the greatest amateur heavy-weight I over knew. He had the amazing record of always knocking out his man before the fight had gone beyond three rounds. To the best of my recollection, no man ever stood up against him into the fourth round. I doubt very much if there ever was a fighting man of whom that could be said. John Hopley could hit as hard as a horse can kick. Once ho hit so hard that his victim was nearly put to his last sleep. So great was the difficulty in restoring him to consciousness, tint Hopley walked about the place like a demented man, and vowed that he should never again enter the ring. He kept his word, and from that day to this no more has been heard of Hopley’s sledge-hammer blows. Hill boat Ellis for the featherweight boxing championship of Australia, ATHLETICS. By Amateur. Although Otago athletes have responded splendidly to the call to arms, and many of the best and most prominent athletes are helping to fight the nation’s battles, I there is no stay to those who would march to the music of the cannon thunder. De parting with the Eighth Reinforcements on the 22nd inst. are F. M. Reid, the well-known Otago broad and high jumper,, and R. Anderson, of the Otago Centre of the N.Z.A.A.A., who has been one of the most energetic workers in the cause of amateur athletics in Otago of recent years. There is no occasion to recite the virtues of men so well known in the world of local , athletics as Messrs Reid' and Anderson, j who have the good wishes of all in joining the grand army. Captain Fleming, who returned from the front the other day with j wounds and other honours thick upon him. speaking at the send-off to Messrs Reid and I Anderson, paid a high tribute to the value i of athletics as part of the training for a soldier, who, he said, must learn to run ■ straight and to shoot straight. | The outstanding feature of the Queensland championships, decided at Brisbane the other day, was the equalling of Gerald P. Keddell’s Australasian 120 yards hurdles record of 15 3-10scc, by R, Gray, of the East ! Brisbane Harriers. The other championship performances wore also good; for example, the 100 yards was won 10 TSsec, the three miles in 15min 20 4-s=ec (a Queens- ‘ land record), and broad Jump 21ft lln. i Writing of 120 yards hurdle record, Simpson, the American, who recently twice .ran the 120 yards hurdles in 15sec, is said by experts to be capable of improving upon ' this time. His rivals to-day are Kelly, of California, and Loomis, of Chicago. Simpson is 21 years, and stands 6ft 2in. The most remarkable athletic performance of the American season has been accomplished by Norman S. Tabor, who ran a mile at the Harvard Stadium in 4min 15 l-ssec, within four-fifths of the world’s amateur mark of 4min 14 2-ssec, held by John Paul Jones. The performance of the former Brown University and Oxford Rhodes scholar was the more remarkable on account of the track being sodden through early morning rains. A slow first quarter which Taber spent in threading his | way through the other competitors pre- ! vented him from sotting a new world's mark. ! The last three-quarters were run in 3min I 15 2-ssec. Taber’s only dangerous competij tor was Abel R. Kiviat. Ho pressed Taber j closely at times, but at the . finish Taber won comfortably by nearly 20 yards.

Gold Medal. Gross. Hep. Net R. A. Westbrook 91 14- — 77 R. Wilson ... . 86 7 - 79 P. Kahlenberg 97 16 — 81 A. Sime 842 - 82 W , D. M'Carthv . 96. 7 ■ — 83 B. R. Stock ... . Silver 95 Medal. 9 • - 86 C. Amtman ... . 94 17 - 77 A. A. Douglass 103 24- - 79 F. Leonard 98 18 - — £0 F. Turner ... . 101 20 - - 81