DRAUGHTS ITEMS.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 410, 12 October 1889, Page 6

DRAUGHTS ITEMS.

Reed v. Freeaian.— The "Turf" contains the following from Mr J. P. Reed in answer to a challenge recently issued by Mr Freeman: — "The letter of Mr Freeman has received due consideration. It is too vague to receive a definite reply, and any attempt to show up its shortcomings might result in another controversy with the Rhode Island players, which I desire to avoid. I therefore must decline his offer and beg to make a few suggestions which he may deem acceptable : That the match take place at Chicago about sixty days after signing articles, time not to be sooner than October ; that purse or stake be not less than §1,000, though it will prove agreeable to me to raise it to $2,000, or even $3,000, one half to be contributed by each party ; the number of games to be thirty ; but 25 openings, same as last match, to be placed in the hat, and only fifteen drawn therefrom ; $50 expenses to be given Mr Freeman. All other ordinary points will be covered in the articles." The Chicago players (according to the " Turf ") are so confident of Reed's abilities that they say : "If the backer of Barker wish to enter him for a restricted match of 30 games for 1,000 to 5,000 dollars against Reed they can be accommodated." Mk Kear at Leeds. — There was a good number of friends at the club room on Monday and Tuesday to see the subscription match between Willie Gardner and J. A. Kear. Mr Kear made a good stare by winning the first game, a " Keho ;" Willie equalised matters by winning the last game played on Monday, a " Bristol. 1 ' On Tuesday the Yorkshire champion astonished his opponent by scoring three wins out of four games. This concluded the match. Result : Kear, 1 ; Gardner, 4 ; drawn, 3. On Wednesday the club gave a complimentary tea in honour of Mr Kear's visit. — " Glasgow Weekly Herald."

Captain Kund, who has returned from his West African travels in the Kameroons regions to lecruit his health, has given an interesting account of his last journey — when he was accompanied by Lieutenant Tappenbeck and Dr. Weissenborn — before the Berlin Geographical Society. He pointed oub that Europeans were received with songs and dancing on visiting a place a second time in West Africa. The coast people always spread calumnies about 3trangers before they journeyed into the interior so as to frighten the people ; but after these latter had talked with the white men, they found bhab it was nob true that their object was to steal their ivory and their women. The expedition returned after finding that in the country behind the Kameroons the people were of a taller and stronger build, and more suitable for the reception of "civilisation. In the foresba he and his companions met with a tribe called Mobele, devoted to hunting and living on the results of the chase. They have no social organisations and possess no villages. They live in huts built up temporarily for their shelter while they happen to be in a parbicular district. A German legend says :— " First the Lord made man, then he made woman, then he felt sorry for the man and made tobacco." " John, dear," she said, " if I were to die would you marry again ?" "I might, my love," he replied, " but I should go a trifle less recklessly than I did before," Clouds are a good deal like men ; they are i harmless when alone, btib they make trouble I when they get together.