ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume I, Issue 44, 28 May 1891, Page 1

ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.

Bright bracing weather put everyone into a mood befitting the enjoyment of the holiday .commemorating the birth of our good Queen. For once the rain which we are accustomed to expect on Queen’s Birthday held off, nor did the big guns cause the usual downpour. English folks, their French neighbours say, are wont to take their pleasure sadly, but the ironical aphorism hardly holds with New Zealanders in general and Aucklanders in particular. What with the sham-fight, excursions, Takapuna races, and football during the day, winding up with Jennie Lee, Amy Vaughan, Sunday-school entertainment at the Choral Hall or Zealandia Rink and the exciting Shefv field Handicaps promoted by Mr. Winch, distractions galore were provided to suit all tastes, and everybody, we feel sure, spent a happy day. ‘Noses must now return to the revolving grindstone of daily work for an unbroken spell until the 9th of November, the next public holiday, by which time we -trust to see business and trade improved, and a new era of prosperity ’ dawning upon Auckland and the colony. So mote it be I

How strangely difficult it is to slay the giant “ Popular Error.” We thought everybody knew by this time that the satirical letter alleged to have been written by W. G. Grace on leaving Australia at the conclusion of his first cricket tour was a mere skit perpetrated by some would-be wag and acknowledged as such shortly after its publication. We are surprised to learn that not a few still believe the great W.G. to have been foolish and spiteful enough to write and actually court publication of a gratuitous insult to the colonists who had hospitably entertained him and admired his unique powers as a cricketer. Indeed, even now one occasionally hears “ that Grace will assuredly not dare to face an Australian public after so disgraceful a revelation, and that Lord Sheffield’s team will have to dispense with his services I ” Whether or not Dr. W. G. Grace will be a member of the invading host time must prove. Should he not come, reasons very remote from so ridiculous a fiction will have deprived him and Australian cricket connoisseurs of a treat which both have anticipated with sincere pleasure, and will forego with feelings of regret and disappointment.

A Napier representative football team, it seems, is to pay us a visit this season. Fhey ape a strong combination, if their best men can get away, and Auckland will have to look to her laurels. “ Friday,” the redoubtable clubfooted aboriginal, is pretty sure to be among the selected fifteen. Besides the many other football virtues which are attributed to Friday, Napier, according to all accounts, has in him a wonderful place-kick. An eye-witness, who was present at a match recently played in t( Woolopolis,” thus describes one of Friday’s f ea t s; “ A try was obtained close to the corner flag. The ball being brought some thirty yards or so, the place was entrusted to Friday’s club-foot. The angle was a most difficult one, especially as a breeze was blowing straight from the goal aimed at to the opposite ' goal Friday’s splendidly-judged kick went

straight for the nearer goal-post, just shaving inside it, and being blown back by the wind again shaved inside the other post, scoring what seemed an impossible goal, as with the wind blowing there was scarcely more than the width of the ball between the posts at the angle attempted. Our men should not neglect practice at place-kicking.

Enthusiasts in the noble art of self-defence may thank us for reminding them that the glove fight to a finish between Sid. Barnes (otherwise known to patrons of the ring as Armstrong) and Tommy Williams, for £25 a side, comes off without fail at the Zealandia Rink, on Monday next, at 8 p.m. Barnes, it will be remembered, recently defeated Barney Donovan after a determined battle. Williams is no novice, and has once met Donovan, who defeated him, but he is a riper and much improved man now. Both have trained hard, and are reported to be in real good fettle. No slint, but a genuine contest is certain, as the pair are in earnest, and the better man will win. Taking a line through Donovan. Barnes is our choice, but there is plenty of room for doubt, since Donovan was a better man when he beat Williams than when Barnes beat him. And Williams, as we have said, is not the same but a much more formidable Williams than when he succumbed to Donovan. Some good preliminary bouts are being arranged, and a large attendance is expected to witness what will probably be one of the best fistic entertainments Aucklanders have had for some time.

Last Week’s anecdote about a donkey reminds us of another on the same subject. The first “ Neddy” imported into the North Island was the property of Mr. E. Caffler of Whangarei. When the animal* was landed there, the Maoris, who had never beheld so strange-looking a creature, were greatly exercised in mind, and a long discussion grew into a protracted debate, which Maoris, next to eating and drinking, relish beyond all earthly delights. Most of the disputants held that the animal was some kind i of a horse, others maintained that it belonged to the cow tribe, while a third section defined it to be a poaka nui (a big pig)- After all these various opinions had been pronounced and discussed, a vote was taken, the horse faction having a large majority, and the pig faction ( being at the bottom of the poll. Then arose | a young chief, who had so far listened in silence I and refrained from recording his vote. He cut the Gordian knot in this fashion: “You are all fools; it is neither a horse, nor a cow, nor a pig. It must be a half-caste! ” This veritable judgment of Solomon was received with applause, and settled the question.

The bicycle road-race from Papakura to the Parnell Fire-bell was run on Saturday last. There were no less than sixteen starters, and the finish was close and exciting. Credit is due to the handicapper for bringing the men so well together. The distance was eighteen miles, and the roads, considering the weather and the season, were not bad on the whole, though in places where new gravel had been laid the going was anything but easy. Selby, with half a minute start, was the first to reach

the winning post, Rendal (2 min.) about threequarters of a minute behind. Harris, 74 min. start, came in third, about a minute after the second man. The others came in at various times, some having tailed off considerably. The distance was covered by the winner in 1 hr. 26 min., which even with the handicap must be regarded as an exceptionally good performance, when the state of the roads is taken into consideration. Selby’s victory is a most popular one, and reminds one of Bruce’s spider, for he has trained for and started in races innumerable, but has never succeeded in winning one.

On Saturday night the Zealandia Rink was fairly well patronised, as the first heats of Mr. Winch’s £25 Sheffield Handicap were to be contested. In the first round, with the exception of the heats won respectively by Quaid nnd Wells, who waltzed in, the finishes were close and exciting. Ted O’Hare deserves credit for his judicious handicapping, no less than three dead heats occurring. The second round brought about a succession of hard tussles, in times ranging from 11 7-10ths to 12 secs, for the 110 yards. Wells again won his heat comfortably. In the third round (run on Monday evening) Wells beat Quaid and S. Murphy rather easily in 11 6-lOths. Bailey and H. Simpson outran Macdermott, the former winning by about 8 inches in 11 6-10ths. On Monday evening the final heat was run in the presence of a good muster of interested spectators. The runners left in were Hector Simpson, 10yds., Quaid, 17yds., Bailey, 14£yds., and Wells, syds. start. Simpson won by aboiit 18 inches from Quaid, Bailey close up. Wells for once getting off badly, did not persevere, and finished last. Time, secs. The next event was then tackled, a £7 120 yards Hurdle Race, the sticks being reduced to a height of 3ft. owing to the race being run in an artificial light. All the competitors fenced well, and no mistakes were made. H. Simpson won the first heat after a good race, beating Collin (the darkie), who came very fast at the finish, and S. Murphy —time, 15 l-sth secs. Wells won the second heat, beating Bailey and Macdermott comfortably in 15 2-sths sec. The third heat was won easily by J. Simpson, Purdy second and Murphy third, in 15 3-sths sec. For the final. Wells, 4yds., J. Simpson, 10yds., and H. Simpson, 6|yds., ran a good race, but J. Simpson won cleverly by about a yard. The finish between Wells and J". Simpson was extremely close, the judge giving his verdict in favour of the former by 3 inches. The referee, we hear, gave it a dead heat, but whether it is to be run off or not has yet to be decided. Wells is extremely neat and clever over the sticks, taking the orthodox number of paces between the hurdles. We give full particulars of the heats. Other two handicaps are advertised by Mr. Winch for next Wednesday, June 3rd, when we trust his enterprise will be rewarded by a large number of acceptances and a goodly throng of spectators. The Bink is daily becoming more popular, and bids fair to become the recognised centre of all pedestrian and athletic contests.

George Laing will leave for Melbourne next week.