SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14360, 4 February 1911, Page 4 (Supplement)

SPORTS AND PASTIMES.

JJOXIiNG. .We hive boon wondering in JS'eu Zealand what caused Australia's own iiUi Lang to luui ''Sailor ' Curran in Lvutfou recently, iney met m a 2u rounds uoxmg contest, ami the ngnt only lasteit oJ tecuuus. In the hrst ruiiud Curran fell and Lang struck hiro when ho was Uowu. Tlio -Daily Tele4;rupu'' in its comments stutts —"Lang k> admittedly a worthy bidder for the ciunipioiiship of the Empire. His record iiuring U.t-- last twelve, months is highly creditable, lu the first minute Curran hgbtlj- touched Lang, who swiftly hunlcd him to the ropes, and then hit at him three times in succession. The first blow missed, the second caused Curran to slix> to his knees, and. he was leaning on the ropes when he received tbo foul blow." The managers of tho men announced that they were both willing to fight again. Lang's next opponent is Sam Langford, tho coloured "tight heavy," whom lie moots on February 22. Laiigford's latest exploit was the beating (for the third time, by the way> of Joe Jeannetto, the big negro who has been fighting for a long while in Paris. The cabled account of this conflict, wliich took place in New York a fortnight or so ago. says that Langford maintained a decisive lead throughout. He dropped Jeannette for eight seconds in the first round, and did as he liked with Itim thereafter. This bout with Langford will be a real "try-out" for Lang, and, if he can get away with the negro, hi* position will be assured. Sporting America has gone 'big 1 on. T( mmy Burns' new discovery, "Jack Lester," the young heavy-weight whomthe ex-champion has taken in hand in. the confident expectation of turning him into a world-beater. Lester's- real name, by the wav. is John Jubeek. and like the late Stanley Ketchell (Stanislaus Kiecal), he is of Polish parentage. Says the "Daily Times": "Tommy never had the natural strength that tin's young Jubeek, or Lester, has. In the first place, Lester is three inches taller than Tommy, and lie is built from the ground up. Lester is sft lOin tali, and weighs about 1901b. As he is only IP years old, he has not yet acquired his full growth. He promises to bo quite a broth of a boy fay the time he fills out.

The latest about the black champion, vritten by an American:—"Jack Johnson, in his famous grey racer, is one or the sights on the boulevards of Chicago almost any day. He turned the corner at the Annexe Hotel the other day, just as John L. Sullivan cud Jimmy Callahan were getting into a taxi-cab. His machine skidded, and almost knocked Sullivan over. The black champion waved his hand, 'but old John L. could not see the joke of the thing, and simply growled back, saying: "That fellow is crazy, and will kill someone some of these days.' After watching Jack, I have come to the conclusion, that Johnson does these stunts with his machine for the publicity it gives him. Almost daily he is mentioned in the papers, and -when not mentioned ka gets arrested or does some foolish thing that makes them arrest him. Then a column or two finds its way in tht papers the next morning. It's tlrs cheapest kind/of advertising that he can buy. And, what's more. Jack knows it himself. That fellow Johnson is a long vay from being a fool." Somebody said that'.Jim Griffin, who has put up many ■ a gocd stand inside New Zealand ring-ropos was very much eft colour. Now ihr> "Referee" says—' ■"•Jim Griffin is back in Sydney. He ridiculed the report that he could not pass the doctors, and is prepared to submit himself to any tost boxing promoters may require. Griff'n certainly looks as well as ever he did. Jim thinks his poor showing with Costa was due to the fact that he had done too much previously. On looking nn' his record, we find that in 190 S. Griffin had engaged in no less than 15 fights, including two with Bill Lang." Billy Elliott, not unknown in Maoriland through his trainer-manager Patsy Burke, put up a tenner as a deposit fir a side-bet of £-t0 in support of a. e:ia!!enee to Sid Sullivan, which stipulates that the house must be cut 75 and 25 per cent., and weight sst at ringside. But the proposal is-not to Sullivan's liking: ho wants the weighing at noon on the day of battle.

"Dave" Smith's chailenge to "Bilk" Fapse. to contest the middleweight championship of the world had evoked no reply from the American, and the Xew decosit of £IOO in earnest thereof was still uncovered when the- last mail left Sydney. Several _ American papers* stated that Jeffries was coming to Australia with Barney Oldfield, the famous automobile man, hot the cable received in Fvdnev * week or so hack in the effect that Oldfield had left America, for this country, was silent regarding Jeffries. I'rohahly Jeffries is travelling incognito.

BILLIARDS. GRAY AND HIS CRITICS. George Grey continues to make a big etir on the billiards stage, says the No matter where he is playing," and no matter the circumstances, he seems to roll out huge breaks at his own sweet will. Last week lie created a furore in Sheffieldj ju.>i as he did in London, "Leeds. Bradford. Halifax, Huddersfield, Hull, and Blackpool previously (savs the '•Sporting Life.';) This and that critic may go on saying that the young Australian wonder could not do this or that under a certain, set of circumstances, but the boy confounds them alt by making breaks that set the whole world wondering. After all, the lad has to make the breaks he does. His opponent does not help him in their compilation one iota. And just why he could not make a huge break or two against the very best of our players it is difficult to conceive. If the boy does cot know the meaning of "nerves"—.ind I, for one, .am convinced he does not—it will take a lot or argument to convince the unprejudiced person that George Gray could not do against th.9 best available talent what he is now doing against the smaller fry. True, he would not make so many tall breaks, because his opportunities would be fewer, but that a four-figcre run would bo impossible is, to put it mildly, mere nonsense. Mention of Gray reminds me that there is now no possibility of Inman and the young Australian clashing— at least, not util the present contract expires. In many ways this is unfortunate, and in some inspects regrettable. There has been a disposition in some quarters to biamo the Australian's supporters for the calling iff of the negotiations, but these who take on unbiased view of the situation are nut at all likely to fall into this error. Inman followed Gray's deposit after Messrs. Riley, for reasons which they disclosed to the world, had broken oif negotiations. Had he dons so prior to that stage the Londoner would have been declared ''on" without a moment's hesitation. It is no use for Inman or anybody else to say that the Gray party never wanted "the match. "The facts tell otherwise, and jjjalfl everyone would have been -J;

NEWS FROM AIL SOURCES

liehtod Lad Messrs Riley removed tho embargo, tho fact that they did nut «>o lit to do so. disposes of tho wholo matter. . , . To defeat England s 'second bes„ plaver" by moro than hair the game- :n SWA) up, as well as topping the worlds record twice m the same match with breaks of 1314 and 120U, sets the seal of fame on George Grays work. \\o all expected the bis breaks, but the rout of audi a grunt performer as Dig-le. bv 4177 in SUOO came as a surprise, for it was but a few weeks since that Stevenson only just scraped home from tho -Mancunian when conceding 2750 points in !XXX> up. 'l'll* boy led from the first day, when lie scored 1333 to Digglo's 793, and during the course of the same put up the groat breaks of 873, 1 J69, 1200, ami 1314. On Thursday lust Grey monopolised the table during tho whole of one session, with Diggle lookiug oil, nursing his cue. The "Bed Marvel" is now in a seemingly unassailable position, and should his whispered game with Stevenson take place in March next, the boy is almost • certain to bo a pronounced favourite. It was indeoi a fortunate circumstances that induced liim to visit England, where during the Coronation festivities ho will be playing on sharing terms with John Robert*. Such, a pair —the old and the young champion—are certain to be the billiard lions of the celebrations. SCULLIKG. THE PARRAMATTA HUNDRED. The dates for the holding of the Parramatto. Hundred havo now been deEnitely" fixed" i"jr March 18 and 25, (.says a Sydney daily). With the dates decided, it should be all plain sailing for tho management committee of the function. They knowexactly what time they have, and can make "their arrangements accordingly. As a matter of fact, the greater part of the detail work has been seen to already, hut the most important job, that of allotting tho handicaps must of necessity -wait till the entries hare closed down. So far as the entries are concerned, great things are expected by the. promoters. The last event of this kind was so successful in every detail, that even the hones of the promoters were exceeded, consequently with the experience of that event behind them, and the extra, money to put into this year's function, something out of the ordinary should he forthcoming.

■ Many held out Hopes that Webb would be a competitor, bat now it seems there is little chance of him coming across. After he was defeated by Pearce, he said he would not row [ again, but since then he has been I medically examined, and pronounced I perfectly fit. In such circumstances, it I is possible that he will change his mind about sculling again, hut it is not prob~b!e th.">* he will staH bv comivting in the Parramatta Hundred. His objective the world's championship, and if he cannot get that, he will most likely not have nnvthi'.ig. It ; s certainly not very palatablo to a prond man. who has once been a world's champion' to come down to minor match towing. However, theso things can only he decided by the future, and so one must look in that direction before h* can know. "WELCOME TO PEARCE. Harry Pearce, the champion Soulier of Australia, on returning to Sydney after defeating Webb, was given an enthusiastic welcome home by his friends at Mosman. He was presented with a framed silk Australian ensign, bearing the names of the men he had beaten and the dates of the contests; also a'pair of field-glasses. Sirs. Pearce received a gold and greenstone brooch. . Besppnding, Pearce said his ambition now was to row Arnst, and ho promised the latter a race all the way. He spoke warmly of the manner in which he had been" treated by the New Zealand people, and by his own backers. Arnst, who was among the guests, responding to the toast of "Present-day Scullers," said if Pearce would challenge him he would be willing to make the match, and the race would be rowed-on the Parramatta If Pearce proved himself a better man he would cladly hand over the championship to him. Other toasts were honoured, giving an opportunity for such well-known scullers as William Beach, H. Pearce, senr., H. Messenger, and others to say a few words concerning the old days and the present.

MOTORIING. EIGHT THOUSAND CARS IN AUSTRALASIA. THEY ARE VALUED AT £3,200,000. It is estimated that there are 8000 cars in Australasia to-day. At an average selling price of £4OO each, the total cost of these cars would be £3,200,000. Practically this money has gone out of the country. Surely it is time that something was done towards building cars locally. In the post the motor car was not standardised sufficiently to warrant establishing local carbuilding, but this has now passed, and it is time that attention was directed towards making cars in Australasia. We have the capital, the energy and the market. The plant and the workmen could easily be obtained. St present over £30,000 worth of cars are being sold weekly in -Australasia. This money is going over the seas, and in a protection country like ours this should not be. "WIND RESISTANCE AND BODY BUILDING. Not many motorists realise what a marked d.Uerence a few extra feet of body or wind-catching surface makes in the_ speed of a motor car. Even the majority of car-manufacturers have not paid the attention to the important question of windage that it deserves, for the less windage the greater efficiency in the running of a car, resulting in less gear-changing and lcs3 petrol. Aa » case in point take the AustrianDoimler cars constructed for the last big German reliability motor contest for the Prince Henry Cup. The cars were fitted with special-shaped bodies, designed to offer the least possible wind resistance. On testing these cars irith identical chassis fitted with the ordinary bodies, the difference in speed .was found to be six miles an hour, which means a very considerable reduction in fuel consumption. The torpedo body, now much in vogue, is no doubt, a considerable improvement <>n the ordinary touring tonneau of a year or two back, but as against this the majority of screens and Cape-cart hoods now in use mean a tremendous amount of windage azid the absorption of a dealof power. Tt is in this direction no doubt that the next improvements will come. THE I.rGHT-7rKrnHT MOTOR CYCLE. As showing the ad ranee made in the construction of the uo-to-date motor c J"sJSi it £§ Has: iakrsstiDic t» -v4e that.

..; the recent English Olympla. flhoff Of !i;:hi.-ttv:gliti iniitnr cyclo was .exhibited li.'jit- .11:.v weighed i.jlb. complete. Tho c a i-jii: v. as lifted with a. powerful, ~• :l bi:i!6 littlo tivo-otrofcc engine, and i,l: tho uccesary fittings, including a magneto. The machine, 'which is now being placed on tho English market, is guaranteed not to weigh, over frJib. ready for; the road. THE MONOCAR. A SUGGESTION' FOR NEW TYPE 01'' SINGLE-SEATED LIGHT CAR. An English journal ("Motor Cycling") is convinced of the great future which lies ,beforo what is practically a ono-soated car, built on motor cyclo lines, and, in its latest issue to hand, ia described in detail a design for a fom-whce!ed motor cycle which is to be known as tho Monocar. It is contended that tho cheapest typo of car, to bo successful, must follow motor cycle practice, instead of ! imitating the design of tho more power- , fill types of car. By simplifying dosign, it is deemed possible to'market a car for ono at a cost in England not exceeding £OO, despite the fart that the spcciScation includes a 4* h.p. engine, clutch, two-speed gear, chain drive, differential, four wheels, and v. heel steering. Tlio lines of the machine are very pleasing, suggesting speed, with comfort, while stability has been obtained without placing the occupant too close to the ground. There are several interesting points, one or which is the steering. The front wheels are rigidly monn'.rd on an axle, which is carried by a horizontal nivot, it hich allows the " axle to rock "under the influence of road shocks. This pivot forms a stub, carried by a sleev.?, which is a spring supported above and below, mounted on a siightly-raked spindle, connected at either end to tho front frame. The axle is controlled by wires I connected at their rear end by a' length of chain which passes over a sp-ock:t on the bottom of the sl-ecring column. There are jockey pulleys to guide the wires, while the column is mounted on a cross-bearing, and a strong spring maintains all connections at constant tension, thus preventing any sla-k—?o fatal in such a system. On' so light.a vehicle this system is qirte prrc f ical, it is said, and every precaution has been taken to ensure safety. The vrires have not to bo taken iivrouirh any guides, and pass over deeply flanged pullers and the chain sprocket has a rise beneath it which makes is qtiito ir»u)'"--sible for anvthing to crme adrift. Tliere arc also some excellent points about tho frame, which strikes one as both simple, strong, and not liable t-'i defects experienced in the oast with tubular constructions imperfectly desifraed. The wheel base is 7ft' fii" the track 3ft. 6in., and wheels 2<Vn in diameter, and the weight is rorkin-rl to ho about Hcn-t. '.ts a solution of t>9 "ohean car," tho Monocar is distinctlv luterestmg.

DO PATENTS PAY? It would almost be idle to quote the enormous profits derived from patents. Tlio following .are a few examples of protfiahlo patents. The Westinghouso air brake mad? millions: Mr J. L. Ensley's conical glass lemon squeezer sold enormously, and his royalties were extremely heavy. An inventor obtained a patent for printer's ink, and he refused £50.000. ad finally sold it for £60,000. A slight improvement in straw cutters realised •forty thousand dollars. Howe, the inventor of the sewing machine, derived £IOO,OOO per annum from it. The' men who thought of putting met.n' plates on the soles of boots, and conprr tips to children's shoos, ennh ga.incd for himself a competency. The nit?nter? of the stylographic nen rejoiced ; n nn # ineome of £40.000." In,..:ed thr field is so vast, and the number of profitable patents so grenf.. that it would, perhaps be n_ fnr easier task t-. undertake a recapitulation of what kinds of patents do not pay. If von wish to obtain a patent write *o Henry Hughrs, IS3 Hereford St.. Chr : stohureh. Timnru agent, Mr J. E. S. Jackson, Stafford Street... You can't establish, postal savings banks as the cobbler, of Western Amherst repaired clocks. A visitor to the cobbler's shop noticed one day a barrel half full of tiny bra?s cog-wheels. "Why," ho said, "what are all those for?" "Goodness knows." answered the cobbler, with a careless laugh. "I get about a cupful out of every clock I mend." _ Dolly Castles, who appears as "principal boy" in this year's Drurv Lane panto, is the second Australian"girl to fill that not very thankful billet (records the "Bulletin.") Dolly is said to look rather small for tho Dart, whereas Nellie Stewart, the other Australian, yvas just the right height and figure for it.. Nellie was engaged as panto "boy" at the Lane for two or three voars' in succession, and on her first appearance was accepted by the London nnpers as a newly-discovered variety artist from the provinces. The D.T." snoke of her as "an attractive young la'dv with a good voice and considerable "stage exconsidering that, she had previously played the heroine in fifty cuniio operas in Australia, was not exactly an exaggerated statement of .the case.