In the Open Air.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13811, 23 January 1909, Page 2 (Supplement)

In the Open Air.

SPORTS AND PASTIMES

The unsettled weather, and the numerous holidays have greatly upset outdoor sports and pastimes. It is hard to tell how much more " summer weather" we shall have. Some enthusiasiasts are already talking football, but. as the season- is still a good way off it;may be only the' cold'snap that'; is making them Vfeel they would like to kick something!

In connection with the FogwellWhelch match, to be rowed on Easter Monday at Akaroa, the Wanganui Herald says it is very probable that arrangements will be made for W. Webb to act as pacemaker and trainer for Whelch. The latter is very anxious to secure Webb's services, and there is every prospect of the ex-champion of the world assisting the Akaroa sculler. The latter's friends are determined to spare no expense to give their man every opportunity of being fit to do himself justice on the day, and it is safe to say that Webb, is just the ;man to bring out the best that is in who should benefit very considerably by having the Wanganui sculler's assistance in his preparation.

Great surprise was caused; in America and other parts of the world ._• where interest is taken in the doings of topnotcher boxers when, some . months ago, Stanley Ketchel was beaten rather badly by Papke, another American. They had two meetings, Ketch :1, winning on points in the first and being knocked out; in :the second. ; : On a re-; cent occasion Ketchel turne'd-the tables oh his;opporient, securing win in the 11th round. Ketchel was as much superior to Papke as the latter was to him when they formerly met. A fourth encounter had been arranged. It-was Ketchel who challenged ; Burns, but after- his defeat by ■' Papke, his stock went down. He might yet look tor Johnson's scalp, though he is as yet too light to have much chance against the champion..

Some of the Timaru tennis players | use the Svkes' ball; but other players, including a few! of the experienced do hot care for this ball. It will not stand wear and tear and 3s a ra-r is rather "too expensive a game," when the balls'are knocked to pieces in a hard set. The " Dunedin Stir 'in notes on the Nelson tournament, says — "-It is regettable that the Sykes balls were not satisfactory. Much dissatisfaction was at times expressed at their peculiar antics. They were right enough until they came under punishment through severe smashing, which in numerous cases, detached the rubber inside and converted the balls, into 'rattlers,' and rendered them useless when quite new. Some of the players took a few away-as. souvenirs and rattles for the babies. It is amazing how the. New Zealand Association adopted an unknown ball. On two or three occasions after the slightest showers they absolutely declined to bounce on grass which was little more than slightly dewy. Champion Wilding, when asked about them, simply stated that he had never heard of them before!"

Mr W. Pearse, of Waitohi, has been taking part in the Taranaki Tennis Tournament at New Plymouth, and gave, a very fine exhibition in a firstgrade., handicap singles match with Jennings (Hawera), the latter receiving 27 points start. The Taranaki Herald, in describing the match, says:— It -was a splendid- contest. From the outset Jennings maintained a lead by his handicap, ,but as play progressed Pearse began to climb uphill. When nearing the end the game became particularly exciting and interesting. After both men had passed 50, the gulf separating the scores began to narrow. Subsequently Pearse, by consistent play reduced the lead until the scorer called "59 —58." Jennings was 1.-ading Pearse made the score 59.a11, later it was 60 that advantage points should be played, and Jennings taking two points in succession won the match at "32—60. On Monday last, Mr Pearse, playing in the Taranaki championship divided honours in the combined handicap. With Mrs Jones as his partner, they, owing to rain, divided the prizes with Miss Brewster and Parker.

An English schoolboy was recently killed by falling and hitting his head on the asphalted floor of a play ;ro mil while playing football. : Commenting on, this, and some other similar .accidents, the Lancet condemns the use of asphalted grounds for athletic games. It says:—"We havo ho desire to .see boys 'molly-coddled,' but so very sad an occurrence as the' death described calls attention again to the fact that a fall on such a playground can hardly ever be painless, as a fall, on a grass playground is in nine cases out of ten, and that, it is by no means unlikely to have serious -results.-.- Football can be played in a mild manner by small boys without many falls; no doubt, but, nevertheless, it is essentially a game demanding whole-hearted ■■■., vigor and energy;: and played ' mildly ' is ■"■ scarcely football. ThetgameWhich caused the accident commented upon earlier in the present year consisted in. boys running ' races, each with another boy on his .back, which again could hardly bo enjoyed unless it wero done energetically, with a corresponding risk of a.heavy fall. In the circumstances the broken leg of the one boy»nd the fractured skull and death of tho other were accidents for which neither, their school-masters nor ' their, school-fellows could'be blamed, but they emphasise the drawbacks which attend ordinary 1 games'- in asphalted playgrounds and lend support to our suggestion that other forms of exercise might be substituted for them."

RO WING ■ NOTES. (By, Sliding Seat. The local shed is showing vfar more life about it this last-week than there has been since about a week before Christmas. The crews for the President's Fours have been picked and every one has started training. -My advice to all the strokes is to see that their men turn up regularly •to train and that they leave the shed at the time they placi; on the sheet. - •On paper all the crews seem very even, and I would not like to pick the winning creAV at present. _ 'Maben's crew seems to be very*and will need a lot of training. Long rows is'my suggestion to him. In fact all crews should go in for long solid work for a fortnight, and then they can quicken up and practice start-

ing. The regatta cre\r (Fraser and Nnfrie) have been sticking to their work like Britons going out' every morning at six.. The only drawback this crew has had to contend with is that it has had to plug along oh . its own, not being able to get a coach. I must congratulate the .committee on the staind theytook in regard to mi'-' financial members. A notice was posted in the shed stating that members whose'Knl.iw-iptioiis are in-paid by

the 14th inst. would not be allowed to row. They stuck to.this right up to the letter and" several members' names had to be crossed' cut. All members who have not paid their subscriptions should endeavour to let the treasurer have them at once as it is not fair to the men'who have paid theirs. The secretary informs me that he requires air the -money .he can possibly-collect between this : and the end of the month to meet, current accounts, also the cost of the new boat which will be arriving i from Melbourne any time now. -. ; This : boat when she arrives will complete the purchase of-all boats for-the present. i A better fleet of boats does not exist 'in very many sheds, throughout .the Dominion. The captain informs me 'that it is the committee's intention to purchase two stump: . outriggers for i sculls and pair oar racing. .' They have not made any definite arrangements.

THE ANTICS OF AUNDRA.

The following sketch,- is taken from an Australian contemporary. It is not in the kirk session that Aundra is seen at his ■ best. To discover the whole man—hand and head and spirit—displaying himself at full pressure, you must see him, on ; the :bowlirig green with' four a-side. Aundra gets the opportunity to display ? not only his abounding keenness in the game, with Teady skill of eye and hand, but also the good temper and generosity which are his,unfailing characteristics. His excessive keenness, •■ it must be allowed, often takes a grotesque form. To a stranger looking' on at the game and seeing Aundra playing for. the first time, the antics of the little man are matter for joyous mirth. Having played his bowl, he follows it up at the "run, shouting words of direction, encouragement ! and-;- expostulation. At the crisis, .when his bowl is near the kitty* ; the • anxious .bowler- will throw up his hands j: twist his body, and perform a kind of demoniac Highland -Fling, standing on one leg, while twirling the other leg in the,air. If the bowl, unheeding of the verbal expostulation, seems about to stop short, Aundra will-fling himself on the turf, to blow and blow, with his mouth puckered to a. whistle, his face like a crimson bellows, iou will not see a funnier thing in a day's journey than the antics of Aundra McPhail in bringing his bowl to the kitty.

: But the curious part of the business, is that, the shot having been played, Aundra. returns to the mat with sober stop, and in absolute possession of his. coolness and wariness as a player. His excitement is all on the surface; he never forgets what has to be done, nor fumbles irresolutely in the doing of it. For that reason, if for no other, he makes an incomparable skip. ...It is when he sits on his heels behind "the kitty, his faculties at a stretch, like the twanging bow-string, his broad hands outspread, his heartening voice uolifted—it is then that the great soul of Aundra is in full. view. To be the

greatest skip iu.'Dunbryde Bowling Club is to be —the Dunbryde folk will tell you—the greatest skip in Scotland; and Aundra McPhail is that man. When the game is at a crisis it is an education in generalship to hear him, a master in battles, give directions to his third player. "Noo, Willie," he will shout, in his cheeriest tones, " let's see ye mak' an alteration here. Tin's bool lying up against the kitty, is against ye, and this yin in front gi'es them two shots. But that's neither here nor there, no' ower heavy, but just heavy eneuch, and ye' 11 dac the trick. Cairry the kitty back wi' ye—they are a' oor ain bools at the back—for the feck o' inches, arid the game is oors; we'll lie a barrowload. Noo, Willie, ye ken whit tae dae; gie us yin o' yer auld prize shots, ma lad." Here is instruction, clear and detailed, conjoined with a handsome appeal to human nature, and he would be a poor player —a much poorer player than Willie would fail to obtain inspiration from such an appeal. "But Aundra is not done. When the bowl is on the green, travelling to decide the issue, Aaunda gives it his vociferous encouragement... "I like ye!" he cries, in dancing glee—"l like ye! That's jist the richt green. Come on wi' ye, then—come oii the heather. Through the poor*,

ma lass, through the poort! Noo ye've done it!: That's it! Awa' wi' the

kitty! Back wi' it, then, back wi' it! Noo we lie—noo we lie a barrowful! Graun'! A graun' shot, Willie. Man, but yo're a bonnic booler!" . .; The chances of war, however, will have it that.the " barrowful " is scattered and the kitty driven back to the edge of the ditch. But Aundra is not

a whit discouraged.. His instructions j are as helpful as ever, and his tone as hopeful. ' ' "Come awa', then, come awa , ma shot," he cries. "Here's a bomue thing for ye. Gome to the face o this bool, and gie it a bit gentle whumls ower—no' too hard, mind ye—and we 11 lie twa. Tak' the back haun this time, and gie her plenty o' grass, bee that ye're no' doon the toon, ma lad, for he maun get oannily roon' this bool oot here. The twa in front there are against ye, but ye'll no' let that disturb ye, Willie; come to the face o I oor ain bool here, and gie it a, turn ower—rno' ower thin, min'.ye, and no', ower muckle wecht. So noo, Willie, ma lad, it's a bonnie shot, and ye're the man tae dae it." With concentrated eagerness, Aundra now watches the result, and as the bowl travels down the green lie shout a hope, tempered wi' a fear: "Come awa', thenPcome awa', ma lass; keep up yer heid, and ye'll dae it; but I doot, ye're a wee bit thin, jist a wee bit! Get a rub aff that bool, the, got a rub, and . it'll be a' richt! Ah! ye've missed it! But come .'awa', come awa', keep up yer rinnin', ma lass —keep it up, then, keep it up! Gosh, but it's a near thing! Half-a-poun' mair wecht, Willie, and;the shot was oors. Man, it wns a fine try 1" Arid''it is here, after all j in. 'the moment of defeat, that Aundra reaches the top notch of his greatness. When he achieves victory—as he often does;— the fine qualities of the man are displayed; he is ever ready with.the general acknowledgments of the good play of his opponents, and never does .he exhibit the crowing truculence of the small-minded victor.

But it is in the moment of defeat that Aundra slimes his brightest. He is neither sulky nor irritated, no resentment to ruffle his serene - acceptance of the result. "We a' did oor best, lad," he will say, in his cheeriest voice, " and the best team won." ( Yes, Aundra is right. What .is there better than the game itself? The masters ;of the game of life —the men whoseT'nanies blazon the pages of history—have always, like Aundra McPhsul, been greatest in the hour of defeat;*, And, like him, they have clearly recognised how small a : thing is either defeat, or victory. To play our best is ever the way to have a good game on the.' bowling green of life—and . what better can a man want?