ATHLETIC REMINISCENCES

Taranaki Daily News, 4 January 1929, Page 3

ATHLETIC REMINISCENCES

CHAMPIONS ONE AND ALL THE GOODS OF OEO. A HARDY PIONEER.

(By “Physical Culturist” —Special to News.) In the year - —but never mind the year!—it was a long time ago, and a long line as the crow flies from New Plymouth to Oeo, where Captain Good took up a big tract of land to make his future home. Wild sea coast country; the only road a rough track down the coast, for the most part along the beach; not another white settler in, the district; the only near neighbours those of the Maori race, none too keen to sec the first Pakeha settle in their -midst. But the captain was a stranger to fear, or he never would have ventured again with a young family into the heart of Maori country. Before deciding to make his home at Oeo, he had, with his family, resided at Urenui, where they were located at the date of the White Cliffs massacre, when the Rev. Whiteley and Lieut. Gasgoyne, his wife and family of little children and two men, fell victims to the Maori lust for blood. It was generally believed, the captain and his family, were intended .to be amongst the victims, but Providence ruled otherwise. The family had gone to Urenui from New Plymouth where the future athletes were born.

In our mind’s eye we may see this family of pioneers wending their -way along the beach track by slow stages from the Sugar Loaves to Oeo, which was the only road settlers could travel upon for many years to come. It may be taken for granted that it was not all smooth, sailing for the pioneers. That he was successful in obtaining the confidence of his warlike neighbours is proved by the fact that one of his sons is still farming the original selection. Some of New Zealand’s best athletes have been sons of the Maori race. Instinctively they are a combative nation. Nothing appeals to their imagination more than trials of strength," skill and speed. A good winner himself, “Hori” has a wholesome respect for one who can prove himself fairly and squarely his master. Whether at wrestling, boxing, running or field games, the Maori is a sport at heart. Having laid down the tomahawk, their surplus energy had to beTiave an outlet in some other form. The advent of the Good boys filled the gap. BUILDING BONE AND j&ISSUE. None realised better than the captain that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Nothing pleased him better than to see the trials of strength and skill betwee nhis sons and their opponents, more often than not the Good boys coming out on top. 1 So much for their early dayJfe The four sons were destined to play a big part in the athletic history of Taranaki. They could play football, run, jump, wrestle, box, or put the shot. , All who know them know they would rather be shot than talk, that, of course, about themselves. They played the game for the game’s sake, and when it was over, as far as they were concerned, it was “finis.”

However, as I met three of the four brothers in actual competition and had to take defeat at their hands more than once, I venture to write of them as I saw them. The eldest brother Harry, in his prime, stood 6ft OAin in height and weighed 14 stone. Speedy, active and strong, still well preserved, he is now aged 66, and has his home at Hamilton. Willie, the second son,-was in his glory when invited to put on the gloves with Charlie Richardson,, the champion boxer, who, many sports maintained, in science was second only to that great black boxer, “Gentleman Peter Jackson.” Willie Good, who in those days stood sft Bin, and weighed about 11 stone 71b, can look back over some 54 years, the latter of which he has spent farming away back at Te Wera. Alan, the third son and captain of the old Waimate Football Club, in his prime stood sft lOin, weighing approximately 11 stone. He must now be near 63', and is farming the old homo at Oeo. H. M., Hugh, the youngest, but not the least, when he was admittedly the greatest kick at football in the colony, stood 6ft, and weighed 13| stone. He is now in the vicinity of 58 years, and has his home in Stratford. At the time that Willie and Alan were in full possession of their speed and strength, and. the younger Hughie looking with envious eyes at the suecesses of his elder brothers, Jimmy and Harry Dunn, ex-champion Cumberland wrestlers of England, light and heavyweights, were doing the rounds of the sports meetings in New Zealand. The Pearce family of old settlers sons, in the neighbourhood of Hawera, were also good athletes. Gil Pearce lived at Manaia, being one of the best of Taranaki wrestlers. It is on record that a match between “Gil” and the famous Cumberland wrestler, “Billy” Hudson, lasted several hours. Pearce had size, weight, strength and youthful enthusiasm, while Hudson had age, skill and years of experience behind him, the result of many contests in various parts of the world. A HARD NUT TO CRACK.

Pearce was not the first to find Hud son a hard nut to crack. One day at Marton, Harry Laing, a good all-round athlete, •weU-km.wn wrestler and at that time champion heavy-weight boxer of New’ Zealand, “fell for little Billy Hudson.” The latter, an unknown quality to these parts, met Laing at the races. After the meeting they met again at an hotel over a glass of ale. The subject of wrestlers and wrestling cropped up, with the inevitable result that a match was made for a stake. The story goes they stepped outside on to the roadway. After manoeuvring for grips, the judge at length cried “Hold! Then the spectators were amazed to see the heavier man Laing doing the flying mare, then lying on his back. Such was Billy Hudson’s introduction to this coast. The man who succeeded Harry Dunn as heavy-weight champion wrestler of New Zealand, was the South Islander, Sam Thornley, a man well over 6ft and near 16 stone weight, and a great man with shot, hammer and caber. GREAT WRESTLERS. Another wrestler, a middle-weight, Jack Sutherland, later on champion weiriit lifter and middleweight wrestler of South Africa, was one who became known to a few on this coast. Jack was, I think, the best middle-weight catch-as-catch-can wrestler I ever saw

in that period. Engraved on my mem- I ory is the picture of a giant of a man, < Duncan C. Ross, in the wrestling ring ■ at Palmerston North, on March 17, 1891, heaving and tossing about the slippery Sutherland for quite a while before he secured « fall. Six foot two inches of solid bone and muscle, weighing 17 stone, against 11 stone of wire and < whipcord —this best describes these two ■ men. Ross was then acknowledged • America’s champion mixed style wrest- ' ler and weight lifter, and a past master 1 at military games such as Indian tent ' pegging, cutting a sheep in half with , one sweep of the sword; with a sword ' severing an apple resting on a man’s j neck; slicing a potato in halves while 1 suspended in a handkerchief without ’ marking the linen, and similar feats. 1 Jack Sutherland died years ago in 1 South Africa, and Harry Dunn died in ■ a mine on the west coast of the South 1 Island. Billy Hudson long since disappeared from our ken, and the remains of Gil Pearce, were recently laid to rest 1 in Wanganui. 1 Amongst the Maoris were several big 1 fellows who were much better wrestlers than the average.. In fact, the idea had got round that it would take a man of weight and skill to take their measure. A TILT AT THE MAORIS. Some of the elder members of " the Good family, realising that “fools sometimes walk where’angels fear to tread,” decided to send away for the lightweight wrestler, Jimmy Dunn, and keep him on the quiet with a view to securing a match with one of the Maori champions. Jimmy, like so many of the big little man, was not averse to showing his superior skill. He got a little bit tired of being kept out of the limelight while waiting for the chance to make a good match. One day, taking a few hours off from his job of gorse grubbing, he wandered down to the Oeo pub, where all chance of a big match ended in smoke. What happened was something like this: When Jimmy breasted the bar a couple of the big fellows were in the midst of a korero, both claiming to be the best wrestler in the district. This was right into Jimmy’s hands. The little mam- taunted them with “I don’t think either of you can wrestle for putty! I’ll wrestle either of you for a pound!" This seemed so ridiculous to the two Maoris that they abandoned their own argument, and glared with indignation at the little stranger. One said to the other: “Oh, he to porangi! (mad). Here, little poy, vou have te waipiro you porangi, I tink!” This nettled Jimmy, who retaliated with: “Don’t you worry; I’m not mad; I’ll wrestle you for a pound, anyhow!” This was too much, for the two champions, who each produced a pound note, both eager- to be the lucky one. To their surprise the little man flashed two single notes covering each man’s stake. Looking round, he inquired if there were any more. The more the merrier. One down, the other came on. As none of the others seemed anxious to exercise their strength on the stranger, the trio went outside, followed by the other Maoris, to see the “porangi” fellow get his fall from the champions. No time was lost in getting into holts. The heavy man straightway' brought strength to play, squeezing and pulling .with his knuckles in the hollow of the little man’s back. The latter, apparently not strong enough to stand the strain, suddenly relaxed. _ Quick as lightning he turned in his hip, and before the Maori could realise it he-was thrown by means of the buttock. Thinking this was a fluke, the other champion quickly and confidently took hold. Before he could get fairly set, Jimmy slipped his hold, agg.in turning his back to his opponent. Before the latter could grasp the situation, he was hurtling through the air. to fall with a thud on the broad of his back. Very soon not a Maori was to be seen. lAith murmurs of “he te porangi man,” alternated with “Py corry, he te Taipo!” they scurried off to the pa. Dunn had scored two pounds, but the other good thing never came off. In other years both Sam Thornley and Jack Sutherland filled in a winter at Oeo grubbing go~se, while Harry Dunn acted as wrestling partner in training with GiFPearce at Manaia. It was under such conditions that the Good boys lived and trained. From eldest to' youngest they could not resist the luie of football. A FAMOUS FOOTBALL MATCH. Harry and Alan both played in the first match Taranaki v. Stoddart s English team on the New Plymouth racecourse in 1888., The Englishmen had won all matches played in New Zealand until they met the Amber and Blacks, who won by a try to nil, the solitaiy try being scored «bv Harry E. Good. The Taranaki team of that historic day consisted of H. Kivell, A. Bayly (captain), A Good, D. Coghill, C. Bayly, R. Tate, H; Hine, H. Good, T. Joll, W. Snook, Cheyne, C. E. Major, J. B. Veale, A. Pearce and Whitehead. Harry Good was one of those men who could usefully adapt himself to any position on the football field. In local or club matches he generally used to play threequarter-back, and. take wing forward for representative matches. No matter which position he filled he was usually good for a try or two, having both weight and pace he was a haid man to stop. Forty years ago there was no spoon feeding for travelling football teams. Providing a selected member of a representative team had the will he usually got there. One year Taranaki went on tour to Wellington, where they played, two representative matches, losing the one against Wellington, but winning the other against Hawke’s Bay, which had travelled from Hawke’s Bay to meet the Amber and Blacks on neutral ground. A SCORING MAN. Harrv Good scored a try. The matches were played on thd Basin Reserve. n those days the scores were 3,2 and 1, and we never saw a .cricket score go up. Before leaving for this trip the,, collecting of the team in itself was a question of time, some representatives riding on , horseback many miles to the Hawera railway station, where they joined ’ others'from up the line, gathering reinforcements at Patea, where they left bj ■ boat for the Windy City. J he Good brothers share with all old representt Live footballers of their period the unique honour'of holding tickets wine i o-ive them the privilege o; attending any " football match in the Taranaki proving with free entrance at the gate. 1 <wn i think one of thorn has orer «ore »<1 the privilege. But they cherish the hou ° U On the running track Harry was contemporary with Bill Morven, Bill and Steve Minhinnick, C. 1'- , , ian, Mick Monnock, Clifford Marshal a d - Bob Greenwood, running from 100 yaids ' to 440 yards. Possibly 440 yards to b“ tGittanto. His best rsoo was : when with a short start he beat the . Wanganui champion fairly easy. On the day bad they started from an even

mark I think it would have been an exciting finish with either man tlujwinner. A RARE JUMPER. Bob Greenwood was one of the few in Wanganui to land a champion race at Feilding. Afterwards he was reinstated an amateur, and as such won the 100, 220 and 440 yards championships of South Australia, from which it will be seen that the Oeo man could speed up to a quarter. Like his brothers he could beat more than could beat him in the jumping line, being good for 19ft in the long jump. Five -foot six inches was his best at the running high jump, but in the standing jump he specialised, always being good for 4ft loin. Several times he jumped. 4ft Ilin, and once he cTtjared. the bar at 4ft. 11 Jin. In his day he''was probably the best in Australasia at the standing high jump. Some thirty odd years ago a sports meeting wan promoted in Australia to unearth the. champion all-round professional athlete. One of the events ineluded was the standing high jump. The winner of the championship belonged to • Roma, Queensland. From memory, I think his name was Greddan. One of his specialities was the standing highjump, which he won. Again, writing from memory, I believe the height was 4ft 9in or 4ft Win. Compared with this the Oeo man was quite in championship clciss. • Stan Lay tells me that when compet--. ing at -the Tailteann Games in Ireland he saw the American Osborn clear sft Sin at the standing high jump. Osborn is holder of the world’s" record running high jump of 6ft Bin. If these performances are compared, it will be admitted that Harry’s 4ft HJin over 40 years ago was a sterling performance. It alon® made him a champion. (To be Continued.) “ • _