THE AXEMEN’S CARNIVAL.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 144857, 8 December 1915, Page 4

THE AXEMEN’S CARNIVAL.

ELTHAH’S BIG DAY, - The fifteenth annual grand championship carnival of the New Zealand I Axemen’s Association will by ■ held at i Taumata Park, Klthani, on Monday, 27th inst. The programme includes | chopping and sawing events, cycling j contests and three competitions of a j novel description for ..Maori competitors. Tho total value of the prize money exceeds £l6O. The principal chopping event is the Now Zealand Axemen's Cup Handicap, of £4O, 18 m. stauding block. Tho World’s Champion Chop carries a first prize of £lO, and j a cu-guiiiL-ii cup to bo won twice in ■ succession. „ r lne present holder, TV. I Pech, is a certain starter and Indies to ' win again in this contest and thus bc- : come holder of the trophy, the Singiei handed Sawing Championship of the I World is worth £B, the competitor havI ing to saw through a 2ft. log. Three i cycling events, ail handicap races, ug- ! greguto £23 ill prize money. ' luo ■ distances are one, two and throe miles, and should attract a i tent ion from cyclists. Riders are reminded thin nominations close on Saturday, 18th inst. Tho Maori competitions number tbreo, two for women and one for men. Tho latter is a dance competition (probably a haka), the prize money being £l6. .The dusky ladies have opportunities of winning £1 10s in a peeling puiato competition. In this event the competitor has to make a tiax dish and scrape six potatoes. 'Jhe remaining event, grand poi dance, is for tennis ot eight, and the prize money £7 10s. .To. those who have not witnessed this class of sport it must bo said that they are missing competitions that are very, exciting to the spectator. To successfully compete in chopping events an axeman requires to constantly train and to be used to strenuous toil. An untrained man soon retires from tho corned. In tho early days of these contests -tho axemen invariably came to tho “scene of operations'’ n week or so before tho carnival and found plenty of material to keep up condition. Now the absence of bush around Eltliam makes it necessary to delay leaving bush lands, till the last possible moment. .Serno of the axemen Ai)d sawyers who have figured prominently in previous carnivals have nominated. These include \V. Pech (at present the best axeman in the Dominion) and Dwyer (who proved himself a champion with tho saw and won place money in tho axo events last ycnri. With nominations up to expectations tho gathering of 1915 should prove quite equal to those already hold.