THE CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE THRUM.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 449, 30 January 1909, Page 3

THE CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE THRUM.

Two celestials sought each other’s gore on Thursday afternoon, in the quiet gardens near the cemetery, up the avenue. Filthy lucre was the cause of the trouble. One swore a celestial oath that his co-worker owed him the raunuificent sum of three pence. They argued for some time, and fially stood off and butted each other like a pair of angry Merino rams. Kicking, scratching, and biting were resorted to, until one was placed hors de combat. Ihe boss and other slaves watched the combat with mixed feelings, compared with which the Burns-Johusou affair was a mere circumstance. Had the world known what was going to happen, what a gate might have been obtained. Anyhow, there lay the prostrate figure of the vanquished, amidst the cabbigee and callotee. A kindhearted squatter, whom, it doth not appear, witnessed the struggle for the championship of tha thrum, was requisitioned to convey the injured one to a local medico, to be examined, as is the custom of every prize-fighter, while two of the seconds were to accompany the cart and wait on the referee, who happened to be in charge of the police station instead of within the fighting zone, as is laid down by the Marquis of Queeusbury rules. The second hero was assisted into the cart, and as his head hung over the splash board he looked for all the world like something the cat dragged on to the mat. The mournful procession wended its way to the medico, where the patient was examined, and a verdict of “no bones broken ” was returned. The referee gave his decision of ‘‘no fight ” because he had failed to witness the contest, but said a charge could be laid against the champion if the seconds desired to claim on a foul. On our representative interviewing the President of the defunct Anti-Asiatic League, he stated that he had no official intimation of the contest, but he would look into the matter and take steps to have the championship re-fought, as the contestants had not primarily received his sanction to stouch.