PEDS I HAVE MET

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 193, 4 November 1927, Page 10

PEDS I HAVE MET

A DIP INTO ATHLETIC HISTORY

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO

SOME GREAT PERFORMERS

'V'OLLOWIXG on “Perseus's" article on old-time runner w. 1 (Ios" writes of some of the giants of the running tracks who followed the early champions of Xew Zealand, recalling athletes whose names are indelibly written on the athler history 0 t Maoriland in the early part of the present century.

The rambles of “Perseus” into the realms of the athletic past made interesting reading in last week’s SUN, and followers and adherents of the spiked shoe theory of the present day are indebted to him for the record of those giants of the cinder and grass tracks of the later period of the nineteenth century.

Although J. H. King, J. liempton, and Arthur Holden had retired from active participation in the fine sport when the writer made his appearance on the track, he will heartily agree with the opinions expressed by "Perseus” regarding their prowess on the field. Wonderful runners each in their special departments. EARLY IN THE CENTURY

But the dawn of the twentieth century saw some great athletes measuring strides both in the professional and amateur arenas, and some of those with whom the writer was associated during the seasons of 1902-3- 1 are worthy of being ranked with the very best produced before that period or since.

It Is doubtful if, at any time in the athletic history of the Dominion, there was such a contingent of top-notchers and useful handicap men "doing the meetings,” and certainly there never was a period before or since when good handicaps were so hard to win. The invasion of some of the highest grade sprinters and distance runners from Australia during the earliest years of the present century added lustre to New Zealand pedestrianism.

At the time of which I write, the Dominion boasted two great runners in Charlie Morris and the late “Lockie” McLauglilan, who upheld worthily the sprinting prestige of this country against the attacks of Jack Todd, the speedy Victorian,. Terry brothers, and other useful handicap men who came across the water. Over the longer journeys Dave Smith, the Queensland wonder, put the best of the Dominionites sorely to the test, but in Alex. Campbell, the big Waipawa miler, Dave found a foeman worthy of his spikes. Billy Huckstep was still on the job at this time, and, while getting into the yellow leaf, was always a host to be reckoned with, while the Aucklander’s understudy, Spencer Baines, was not far removed from this lot. Charlie Morris was without doubt one of the greatest 100yds men New Zealand or even Australia ever saw. A brilliant beginner, he could always beat M'cLaughlan over this course. At 110yds it was an even break, while over 120yds Lockie would be inches in front. After that the Napier man always held the upper hand. Lockie was a marvel on the track, and could run any distance from 75 to 1,000 yards, and had equally attractive performances over all journeys up to and including the fourfigure route. He was an all-rounder of the highest calibre, and a fitting associate for the Australian kangaroo, Billy McManus. Jack Todd, prior to coming to New Zealand, won the Maryboro £IOO sprint, but in this country he soon demonstrated he could run a clinking furlong. Before returning to the Commonwealth, Jack de-

veloped into a good quarter-niiler, and also took a turn over the hurdles. Mention of sprinters things back to mind one man whom I was associated with in Wanganui, who was without exception the fastest man out of the holes ever seen in this country. This was Charlie Williams, who in 1902 and 1903 was living in Wanganui. He was a Queensland black, and prior to coming to the Dominion had beaten some of the best rnen in Australia, including A. B. Postle. who was later destined to be a world-beater. Williams was a freak over 40 or 50 yards, and could with monotonous regularity lead Morris, McLaughlan, and Todd out of the slips over the short range. When it came to the 100yds peg. it was a different tale, but the kanaka's

wonderful dash at the get-*w lv further proof of the theory ad by “Perseus” of the alacrity

which thp aborigine sped over shr journeys.

Dave Smith, the Queensland distant* runner, was a wonder man. Small c: stature, slim and sleek, it wa3 a ra! puzzle where he got his speed arc stamina from, but that he possess?; both Dave demonstrated over and ovr again during his visit to God’s Ovr Country. Had Huckstep oeen a fe» years younger when Smith invade Xew Zealand there would have bee* some remarkable mile contests u chronicle, but Huckie was past h zenith at this time. Spencer Bane put up some fine fights with tis; Queenslander, but the latter rarrie: too many guns. The visitor’s mo? - strenuous opponent was Alex. Cain; bell, and after two encounters, n which Campbell showed that he wai not properly trained, Smith confided i. the writer that if he had Alex unde his care for a term he would guanatee the Hawke’s Bay ped. would be. anything in the world at a mile. Be Campbell could not be persuaded a put his heart and soul in the samand a probable world’s champion was lost to the Dominion.

BETTING PLAYED BIG PART At the period of which I writ* Auckland held a strong hand athletic ally, and for two running seasons b:* teams of pro. peds. from the Sort

attacked the liberal stake money offering in Taranaki, Wanganui, Manawiti and Hawke’s Bay. The Auckland cot tingent was augmented by other runners, who were on the job at th»: time, and a big band was always it evidence at the numerous fixtures. Sf strong was the cash brigade, the rin* was always chary about laying odd* and so soundly were the silver better? trounced at times by the pecs., bot-

professional and amateur, to say nothing of the axeman fraternity, tni’ they eventually found it advisable If shut up business. Strange to say, a* the betting element waned, the propedestrianism marked time, and the amateur sport began to flourish. Space will not permit of a. dip the doings of the prominent P e< **: * the early twentieth century period but many of them. 1 believe, are resident in the Auckland district. y mention a few outside of those a. ready alluded to* such peds. as r* Webster, Billy Pollock, Billy B.oye* Geo. Smith, and G. F. Simpson, amateur arena, come to mind. Tit writer will always maintain that, *- an amateur sprinter, Pat Webster, t~* Xew Plymouth ped., was one oi tn best Xew Zealand has produced. PROMINENT PRO.’S. In the cash contingent, there such men as Lew' Furrie, I. I. Freddy Somers, Ted Brandon, Ac-

Wilton, all top-notoliers in the D . . of their fame; while in the next . sion could be counted Jack Me Pike, Teddy and Barney Abbott brothers, Billy Patterson, Gladding, Jack Stanaway fa hurdler). Geo. Monk, and to* writer, who at that time had • hailed from the Coast. becaW- g r quainted on and off the track those mentioned, and found ; gr * jolly fine lot of sportsmen. ' . jJjjt I they now? It is hard to srbelieve a good number of the .» scattered about this district, this should meet the eye or those giants of the period * the writer would be pleased to old acquaintances. Aoayd°*