POLO.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume XI, Issue 534, 14 March 1901, Page 8

POLO.

There was an excellent attendance at the Hokowhitu Ground, Palmerston North, on Wednesday in last week to witness the encounter between the Victorian team and the representatives of New Zealand. Victoria was represented by Manifold, Hood and Robertson (2), and New Zealand by O. Robertson and J. Strang (Oroua), N. Wilson and K. Dalrymple (Rangitikei). Taken all through the match was not on a par with the club game played against Oroua the previous week, the latter being infinitely more interesting, and affording altogether a more brilliant exposition of the game. As may be expected, since they were only picked on the Saturday night, the combination of the New Zealanders was conspicuous by its absence, and in addition, N. Wilson, though showing up occasionally, failed to justify his ’nclusion in the team. His hitting was not up to rep form and the “scooping ” he attempts at times is, in particular, a bad feature of his play. Dalrymple did not play up to form in the first two spells, but thereafter played a rattling game and frequently earned well deserved applause. He was responsible for more than one of the goals scored, one in particular being very creditable stroke. Robinson, as usual, was very safe, though he was handicapped to some extent by only having two ponies to play. He seldom missed a stroke and on more than one occasion saved an apparently inevitable score. J. Strang put in a lot of hard work, and thoroughly earned his place in the team. He has never showed to greater advantage previously, and had his efforts been backed up as they soould have been, the struggle between the two teams would have been intensified The result of the game bears out the contention that Baker should have had a place in the team. His dashing play, hard hitting and fast ponies would have been invaluable and would have gone a long way towards reversing the result. Victoria, from the commencement of the first spell, played a winning

game* and their defeat by Rangitikei last Saturday week is one of those things no follow can understand. Their ponies, with one or two exeep ions, prove a long way faster than those ridden by their opponents, and their combination throughout was of the best. A thorough knowledge of one another’s play was apparent, and added to good hitting and fast ponies, gave them an advantage they preserved from start to finish. Manifold, at back, played a sterling game, his safe and effective strokes earning him unstinted applause from discerning onlookers. Robertson eenr, was a very dashing number one, frequently carrying play from one end of the field to the other, tlis ponies were, with the exception of a grey ridden by Manifold, the fastest on the ground, and he did not fail to take full advantage of every opportunity afforded him of putting in fast work. C. Robertson and Hood were responsible for brilliant play at times, the latter in particular showing up well. The game was entirely free from mishaps, with the exception of blows received by Manifold and 0. Robertson from sticks, the former being incapacitated from play for several minutes. The play itself does not admit of much description, New Zealand being practically on the defence during the whole of the spells. Their best effort was in the forth spell when they put on two goals and getting within one of Victoria, the game at that ti e being Victoria 5, New Zealand 4. The fifth and sixth spells were disastrous, Victoria adding three more goals while their opponents’ register remained unaltered.

A friend of the late Mr Sam Lewis, the millionaire financier tells the following story :— “ A good many people have borrowed from Mr Samuel Lewis. How many can say they lent cash to that famous financier ? I was among the few so favoured. Not that I took bank-notes and sovereigns to Cork-street, which would have been carrying coals to Newcastle indeed. It was at Ostend, a year and a-half ago, that I had the privilege of ‘ accommodating ’ Mr Lewis. We met one evening at the Club Prive of the Kursaal. Roulette had been kinder to me than trente-et« quarante had’to him, and Sam Lewis craved a loan of me to try his luck again. 1 charged him no fee for ‘inquiries,’ nor did I go through the formality of accepting his 1.0. U •; but pulling out Belgian notes for 2,500 francs, I handed them over with my benediction. Then w® wandered round the rooms together, for I was curious to see what fortune my £lOO would bring to the man of money. A thousand francs went on the red at trenteet-quarante; then another thousand on the black. With the last 500 francs Sam Lewis turned to another table, and his colour won. ‘ Now,’ he said, ‘lam going to hit ’em.’ But, alas! there was no luck hanging to money I had lent him, and the next coup saw his borrowed capital swept away by the croupier, dam Lewis laughed, lighted a cigar, and went cheerily off to bed. He squared accounts with me next day before lunch, and paid me interest into the bargain; I had lent him Belgian notes, he paid me back in English notes, thus charging himself for the loan at the rate of nearly 150 percent-”