WHEN BEACH WAS CHAMPION

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 11, 29 August 1911, Page 6

WHEN BEACH WAS CHAMPION

It is pretty hard to scratch a yarn out of William Beach, who ranks today as one of the men that made a name for Australia, says the Sydney “Sun.” It was he who brought back the title of champion sculler to this part of the world by virtue of his noted victory over . tiro almost invincible Edward Haulan, and there was hardly a youth in Sydney, who, in those days, did not implore his bavbar to “cut my hair like Billy Beach.” “Our Bill-’ of to-day is »the same famous Bill of yore. The same unassuming sportsman—a man who has suffered but livtle from the iclolistic plaudits of taie crowds in years gone by. He is well on the road to three score years now, but the pursuit oi aquatic* sports in his, young days has left Bill a comparatively young man for his years.

When Beach defeated Hanlan it could hardly bo believed in Sydney, much less in other parts of the world. Many people still stick to the conviction that the steamer Tomki interfered with the famous Canadian’s chance of winning, but there are ten to one against them. Beach, most old and experienced judges think, was the better man, not only on that day, but on three other subsequent occasions,, as he proved by leading Hanlan home each time they met.

'i hose who saw Hanlan put his boat away in the shed after his first great race with Beach say he was a beaten man in body and mind. Tears rim down the Canadian’s handsome facie, and as lie meditated upon his defeat' he said to himself, “Hanlan, you are a beaten in an—the championship isntiJt i What will they say at home?”

As Hanlan eyed Beach before the race he, soliloquised: “Hanlan, you can beat that big blacksmith; lie doesn’t know how to row.” But after a hard trial against Beach Hanlan ..hfid been heard to mutter the same remark to himself time after time for two days before the race, and his stable knew well that he was sorely worried.

It was when the Canadian and Australian arrived at the post—the position, of the Ryde railway bridge today—that Beach slipped off his singlet and threw it overboard. Hanlan smiled, and said in a sarcastic way: “Beach, why take off your shirt; you may want it later on?” Beach’s retort was: “I’ll make you take your shirt off, Hanlan, before I’ve done with you to-day.” Twenty-one minutes later William Beach had won the world’s sculling championship for Australia for- the first tiino.

■Beach had one great virtue, and that was that ho could remain as cool as a cucumber l ight up to the moment of the race.’ Ho would go to sleep

at the old house at Uhr’s Point, and not until Tommy Kelly, his trainer, roused him and said, “Bill, here are the steamers coming up the river; you had better go up!” would the famous ex-champion rouse himself. Then a shower, rub down (all in a very few minutes), and Beach was ready to pull for a kingdom. Beach did not begin to row until he was twenty-nine years of age, and it was another ten years before ho found himself in the midst of many big matches . Ho was champion of Australia when be met Hanlan the first time. It was a rough day tlion, the weather being hard from the south-east, with the water rough. Bill will not hoar of the Tomki interfering with Hanlan. He thinks the result would have been just the same if the Tomki had boon moored at the Sydney wharf, as, he says, in the rough water, Hanlan being the better waterman, had the thick end of the stick on day. He says he had the race won from the start to the finish, and was never afraid that bo would not land the stakes even while Hanlan was ahead.

After the race Beach went to England and won the international sculling handicap, which put £I2OO stakemoney in his pocket, and subsequently defeated Wallace Ross for £SOO a side on the Thames. Jake Gaudaur then tackled the all-conquering Australian, and this race Beach describes as. “the race of his life.” The unbeaten world’s' ox-champion says that from sheer exhaustion ho stopped at two miles, as Gandaiir had rowed him to a standstill. When Gaudaur caught him Beach had had a few moments for a “breather,” but the Canadian was done, and Beach wont on again, only to stop again soon after. Gaudaur came up with him, but Beach, keeping Lis head, saw that his rival

was completely broken up, and let loose again. They passed through Barnes’s Bridge • together, but the Australian lasted voo long tor hi.s opponent, and finally won a tremendous race by three or four lengths. Just at this time Haulan unexpectedly turned up in England, and wauled to pull Beach again tor the title, but the lattci told the ex-champion ho must conic to Australia if he wanted a race. Haitian came, and the men met on the Nepean, Beach again winning, but by a very narrow margin. Banian got annoyed over Beach insisting upon an Australian course, and on a steamer following a big sculling handicap then in progress on the Thames, he taunted Beach until tiro latter, getting exasperated, grasped his old adversary and promised to duck him in the river. But the famous Nod Haulan is dead now, and Bill Beach does not want to repeat such little incidents, as lie calls them, of his^caroor. After Beach had disposed of all these who had essayed Iris defeat, he handed over the championship to Peter Kemp, who now lias a boatslred at Abbotsford. Peter, always lively, as he is to-day, chatted Beach with the fact that ho was frightened of Haitian, and with the Canadian worrying Beach for another race, the latter one day at dinner offered to pull either Kemp or Hainan, and bet Kemp a bottle of champagne that he could beat Haulan again. This is just how the last groat race between Beach and Haulan came about. Beach won, but it was the final race of his career. He rowed seven matches for the championship of the world ,and was never beaten in a race for the title. . He was umpire for tir recent Ar nst-Pearcc contest.