FROM THE WATCH TOWER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 926, 20 March 1930, Page 8

FROM THE WATCH TOWER

By

“THE LOOK-OUT MAN.”

THE COMPLETE ANGLE Addressed without malice to Mr. Robert White, of Mercury Bay, who speaks enthusiastically of the willingspirit of four swordfish caught after a great struggle last week-end. From the testimony proffered it is plain That the gentleman is clement and humane. He admires a fish that’s willing To prolong the angler’s killing— For it doesn’t cost the angler any pain. And there’s nothing that arouses such delight As a panic-stricken creature showing fight, With its leaping arid its lunging, And its frantic, frightened plunging, As it bids for life and freedom, Mr. White. Though one realises fishing is a game Which without a certain thrill is rather Unalloyed enthusiasm For the quarry’s dying spasm Does not quite befit the sportsman, all the same HOSPITALITY A lady from Sydney was set upon in the Domain yesterday, knocked down, and her bag stolen. There is nothing like making these Sydney visitors feel at home! PERCIVAL THE PLANET The difficulty about effectively christening that new planet is that 400 million miles is a terribly long way to throw a bottle. HARD WORDS From a morning contemporary’s report of the Wellington races: PACIFIC HANDICAP Of £600; 6 fur. 2- PAM, W. R. Kemball’s br f, S.lO (A. E. Ellis) 1 13— JASON, C. T. Keeble’s, 7.0 (A. Eastwood) 2 3 HARD WORDS, F. Earl’s, 96yds behind (R. S. Bagby) 3 No wonder there were hard words! THE KING OF TRAMPS Northern settlements have lately been gazing with interest and possibly a degree of awe on Mr. Maurice Vancam, who is reported by a correspondent to be walking round the world for a wager of £7,000. It is not altogether clear why Mr. Vancam, who calls himself “the King of Tramps,” should include the North Auckland Peninsula in his itinerary, as this is one of the last parts of the country which one would have imagined to he on the direct route of a globe trotter. Our own idea about walking round the world is that the shortest way round is the quickest way to the wager. Instead of wasting time in aimless rambling round the North Auckland Peninsula, one would be much better advised to leave the Paciflce mail steamer at Auckland, walk straight across to Onehunga, and there -wait hopefully for a steamer to Australia, with the New Zealand part of the jaunt accomplished under the most felicitous circumstances. COAST TO CO AS 7' Pex-ipatetic punters following this route would be comforted to reflect that there is probably no other country in the world in which the coast to coast crossing could be done with so little effort, as the walk across New Zealand from Auckland to Onehunga. It is possible, however, that Mr. Vancam has some important motive in going up North. For one thing, as noted by a juvenile correspondent from Hikurangi, who has evidently studied the King of Tramps fairly closely, he has souvenir postcards to sell. The market for those articles along Manukau Road might be limited, but in the Winterless North they j would perhaps be in fair demand. Mr. i Vancam is reported to have worn out j 146 pairs of boots since he started i from Vancouver. This again strikes !us as mysterious. If Mr. Vancam j came by orthodox routes from Vancouver he should still have his original pair intact. The inference is that the King of Tramps is in no great hurry to collect his £7,000. PAPER SUIT On second thoughts, though, the fact that he set out from Vancouver as long ago as 1925 explains the little matter of the boots. The King has been going a long time. Evidently he is thorough, not one of these globetrotters who scamps his job. Another interesting fact noted by the Watch Tower’s Hikurangi contributor, is that he started out from Vancouver in a paper suit, a style not quite in accordance with the robust sartorial traditions of round-the-world walkers. Fortunately he has now ~rown out of the eccentricity. This seems to be the open season for round-the-world wanderers. Only yesterday a travelstained motor-cycle and sidecar outfit in Queen Street attracted attention, and at the same time the “Flying Arab,” who hails from Victoria, is “doing the globe” on his trusty pushbike. The Flying Arab’s family name is Wadsworth. His steed is a steel velocipede. He is a -white man. He comes from Victoria. That is why he is called the Flying Arab. Get it'.’