SWIMMING.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2104, 1 February 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

SWIMMING.

F. W. Springfield, Queensland, who is now recognised as Austraiia'schampion distance man. will represent ins state at the Australasian championship meeting in Perth during tins month. Afterwards he leaves for England to take part in the G orki s Olympian .Games. New South Wales is looked to to produce tile successor to B. it. aieran, but the results of the state eliampionsnip races go to show ihutthere is not an the state at present a man so useful over all distances as he was. The mile xiealv, the 880yds by-'J'. it. and the 440yds by O. Dmkuilu" these men will swim over Sbuyas aim - a mile to. decide who will- represent the state at the Australasian Cinunpionslnp meeting. C. jtieaiy umi go to contest the snorter distances. Dick Cavill, who is no-w in Sydney, was timed the other day by experienced men to swim 1000 yards, witnouc being paced, ill 13 min lo sec. This was a capital performance, indeed, and proves that the ex-champion is still a great swimmer. Tne late Barney ivieran’s record is 12.P2 i-o, and the next best figures (lo.ib; are to the credit of tho English top-noteii-er—Taylor. “Carter,” tlie great American magician, who commenced a tour of New Zealand at Dunedin on Mon- ■ day, is known among his friends as a practic.il joker, and 'recently, while n Philadelphia, had lots of "fun for himself and friends at an Italian" fruit vendor’s stand. Having purchased two oranges from the vendor, _ “Carter” turned to him while cutting an orange in half and innocently inquired if it was a nav-d orange or not, exposing at the same time to the astonished gaze cl the Italian a bright 20doi gold piece embedded in the centre of the luscious fruit. “Carter” nonchalantly removed the gold piece, uoekoted it and proceeded to cut ’onen the second.orange, this time engrossing Qm attention of the fruit merclnnu ‘without any trouble, and whose eyes once more beheld a second shining 20dol gold piece lying complacently' in one half of tho orange. "Carter” there, upon bought five more oranges ,uid after opening these and discovering in front of the merchant a v o d.d gold piece in each one, asked Uie Italian to sell him a dozen oi the oranges, whereupon the man from Sunny Italy rejoined that he “would sell no more.” “Carter” and his friends smilingly took their departure, and from tho. opposite side of thte street- watched the Italian slowly pick up and halve one orange after the other until a dozen or more had been cut in twain, hoping to find among Ins fruit the 20dol gold pieces that lie had heard America was filled with and which “grew on trees.’ but which lie had never seen so easily and wonderfully produced before. For many days thereafter the Italian was known to look upon anyone with much suspicion who bought oranges from him and who asked if they were naval or not.