The Sporting Editor at Large.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1904, 11 June 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

The Sporting Editor at Large.

"Mr. Scorecard," eaid the managing editor to the head of the dramatic and sporting department, "do you think you could 'do' MulEns-Mulchaey v/eddin«? The social editor is laid up with a bad attack of inflaenzo that he acquired doing a write-up of old Mrs. Mullenbacu's funeral. We can't afford to miss the event, and there is no one else on the staff tbat I feel I can entrust it to."

" I will try," meekly replied the sporting editor.

" Then you can do it, I'm sure," said the managing editor, graciously. " Maka it a column and have it in by ten forty-five and it will boallrigl.t." Then the sporting editor went homo, got into hia best clothes, and with a note-book concealed about his person, he made his way to the scene of festivities. Oa his way to the church he began to wonder how to write up a wedding. Descriptunisof boxing matches, prize fights, horse racing suul football matches came to him easy enough, but his ideas of bow to "do" a wedding were rather vague. However, ha wasn't going to let that bother him. lie had been detailed many a time to write up a prize fight, when, there was danger every minute of the police stepping in and arresting the whole crowd ; 90 he wasn't going to let a swell wedding rattle him. He had been in a church once before, where he bad been sent to report what he head-lined " a quiet but effective christening ;" bo he at least knew the lay of tbe land.

That night, at ten forty-five exactly, the foreman of the night fores had the following copy hauded him by the sporting editor :

The long talked of match between Misa Birdie Muffins and Mr. Mikeie Mulcbaey came off last night, to the general satisfaction of all parties concerned. The management of St. Patrick's Caurcb ficemed to have made all arrangements necessary for the important event. Euly in tho evening the place was lighted up and it was not long before the crowds began to gather, filling the auditorium to its full seating capacity. Had there been a '• standing room only"Bign about the place it would have surely been called into use.

Such, a large house is rarely seen at any place of Mnusemeut, in this city, and the management can congratulate themselves on securing such a largo gate for a first night's performance.

The audienoe, large as it was, was very quiet. It seemed to be about equally divided as to friends of each contesting party. If any betting was done on the result it was carried on very quietly, for oa-r reporter had great difficulty in finding how odds ran. However, both sides seemed to be very confident as to the result.

As previously announced, time was called at exactly eight o'clock. As the hauda neared the hour, tho music struck up a lively wedding march, and the gentlemanly ushcis roped in the aisles so as to keep outsidera from interfering with the bridal party.

On time to the dot, the bride appeared at the outer door of the church. Here she was rubbed down and her veil arranged in flying style. Preceded bj the judges, time-kcopcis, aud referees, the bride marched slowly up tho aisle towards tbe starting point. She was accompanied by her second, tbe charming Miss Management, and closely followed by her trainers and backers, Co), and Mrs. Muffins.

Tue appearance of the bridal party called forth a sdund of subdued applause that was 3iot altogether drowned by the bass notes of the organ. Everyone commented on tha ekgancc of the ladies' attire and the beauty of their features. The bride, of course, wr.= the cynosure of all eyes. She was a3 lovely as a brand new priao medal, and as grae.'hu fl3 a yearling cult. Ever} oae remarked, ag sho passed, what aa air of confidence she possessed, and bets on her side, went up many notches.

Aa she neared the scratch there seemed to be a general stamped? cf opinion in hrn favor.

Simultaneous with the approach of tho bride and ber clique, the groom was seen emerging from his quarters at the side of tne ring, accompanied by only his second, Col. Collins. Mr. Mulchaey looked rather sheepish, and it was easy to see that be was badly rattled to start with. His wholt appearance did not increase the confidence of the audience in him in the least and bets on him at enormous odds could find m> takers. It looked for a while as though iz waa going to be a one-sided contest, and the backers of the groom were greatly disgusted. However, a3 he approached the ring a look of dogged determination came over his face, and it became evident that be would not receive his punishment with impunity. His fiienda brightened up a little at this, t&ey all declared tbat Muichaey was no chump, and would die hard.

The bride was first to toe the scratch. She came up smiling and threw her castor into tbe ring with a sang-froid that made her a general favorite at once. The groom came to the tape a moment later, and the two shook hands to show that there waa no ill-feeling between them. Then they, together followed by the officials, approached the referee at tbe back of the ring. They received their inptructions coldly, acquiesced in a low tone of voice to the rules aa read by the Rev. Father Flannigan, acting aa referee. Everyone stood on tip-toe of ezpectation when the preacher asked if there wa3 anyone who knew of any reason, why the match should not take place, if so to apeak up ; because it was thought that soxre question would be made as to the bride's amateur status, it having been said by thoi-e posted that she had on several occasions entered in races for money.

However, she was allowed to go unchallenged, and the ceremony proceeded after the rules laid down by tho established church. For some reason or other the struggle was not as long aa some of the. audience had expected ; but neverthelcso a general feeling of relief was c-xperiencod when the referee announced the match r. tie. Tne contestants again shook hauois. and the groom kissed the bride in a mannei that showed he held no grudges against her.

Then the music struck up again, and the interested parties paired^ofl and Hied slo^'i; out. They repaired to the house oi. the bride, where they received the congratulations of all their friends till a late hour. Owing to tbe tie, all bets were oE coujs^ declared off, although it is understood privately that considerable money changed hands.

It ia understood tbat tho two contest&r.!: will new team it for a few seasons at an; rate, and all of their mnny friends Mis' them as much success on tho road a3 tb: . made at their initial peiToriup.uce last rJi.y at St. Patrick's Church,

This writer of many pleasant bools. &*!'-■ | with lively descriptions of society, wliic:: • |j studied on the outside with a quick eve i ;,' iorm and color, and with a certain amo.-:-. £ of sentiment, not very deep but real, thoir' -j somewhat frothed over by his world iy i:.. fj periences. d Speak aa you think, be what you are, ;> ., jj your debts of all kinds. Oao should pu'-f-'. E to be known as sound and solvent, and ir,: | word as good as bis boiul, and to be wh&i p cannot be skipped or dissipated or under- j> crimed, to all tbe eclat ia the universe. X As God is in the nni verse, and the uni vers' 'f in God, it ia clear that the divinity in us ' }■ the universal mover of man's mind. |! Best in your tent a little while, wbicb. L v indeed the hollow the Father's La^. [; tamed over yo- 'I 1 ■■ ■ " ri Taking the estimated population of auc « sruiia at the end of 1890 at three million •' bis hundred and ninty tbree thousand tn*r nandred and fotty one, there were cix perEor.to every five square miles of territory. Tt- -. the* whole world the average of dßii«i'y '•• - swenty seven peraon3 to a square asib, find . Europa it is eighty &ix per3OHB to atq k5k 5 - I mile. ',