Fight for £4,500.-A Lively Encounter.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 422, 23 November 1889, Page 6

Fight for £4,500.-A Lively Encounter.

South African exchanges bring full par ticulars of the tight which took place on Friday, the 28th ult., at Johannesburg, between Woolf Bendoff, of London, and J. R. Couper, of Johannesburg, for the championship of South Africa and £4,500. The tight originated in this way. Woolf Bendoff, on arriving at the colony four months ago, advertised as follows :: — * Woolf Bendoff, who has just arrived from England, hearing of the boxing abilities of Professor J. R. Couper, champion of South Africa, would like to box him in any style he likes for £1,000 up to £5,000 a side. Bendoff hopes he will come to the point like a solid man and defend his title.' Couper replied in .the following terms: — 'J. R. Couper, although having advertised for some time his retiremeni; from the pugilisticprofession, would say, in answer to Mr BendofFs pressing challenge, that he would be glad to meet him in a light boxing match with small gloves to a tinish for any stake for £2,000, on condition that he (Mr Couper), whose weight is 1441b, gives no more than 81b away.' Bendoff replied that he was astonished thab Couper, who gave so much weight in his battle with the * Ladies' Pet,' should let a few pounds of flesh stand in the way when called upon to defend the title he then won. It was impossible for Bendoff to come down to Couper's demands, and he claimed thab Couper should either meet him or resign the championship to him. Couper ultimately accepted the challenge, and found friends to back him for £2,000 against .t'2,500 planked down by the supporters of Bendoff. From all accounts it was what is termed a * merry mill.' There were more early breakfasts in camp that morning than had ever been partaken of in Johannesburg before. The battle lasted for about forty minutes, twenty-six rounds in all being fought. Couper never hesitated to go down before a blow ; but it was only to come up again smiling, and to plant a severe blow with his left hand, which did nob fail to leave its mark behind. Bendoff concentrated every nerve upon the endeavour to knock his man out of time, but Couper could have taken punishment even if he had gob it, which was not the case except in a very trifling degree. BendofFs backers had been confident that the superior weight of their man was so great that it would be a murderous business, perhaps nob more than a couple of rounds. If, howeve.r, Couper should live through the first ten minutes, they granted that he might have a chance. Live ; why, he dar-ced about like a kitten ; his temper visibly improved as the fight proceeded, while his rival's spirits, after the twelfth encounter, became proportionately depressed. It is said that an accident happened in the lasbround which broke, or nearly broke, Woolf Bendoff's arm ; buft according to the reports to hand it was patent to all observers that something else had broken too. The man may have the frame, but he has not the 'heart' — ao distinguished from the courage — which would enable him to last out ' a well-stricken field.' Couper is not only a stubborn fighter, 1 bub he is just as hard as nails, and his condition may be judged from the fact that after Bendoff threw up the sponge he was just beginning to dance a hornpipe when the crowd broke in upon the ring and bore the champion away.

How Womek Idealise. — A second volume of Guetave Flaubert's correspondence, jusfa published, contains the following; characteristic bit : — " What I reproach in women, above all, is their need a poetisation, of forcing poetry into things. A man may be in love with his laundress, but will know that she is stupid, though ho m&y not enjoy her company the less. But it a, woman loves her inferior, he is straightway an unrecognised genjus, a superior soul, or the like. And to such a degree, does this innate disposition to see crooked prevail, that women can perceive neither truth when they encounter it, nor beauty where it really exists. This fault is the true cause of the deceptions of which they so often complain. To require oranges of apple trees is a common malady with them, t

should be cut down, and the road made sixteen feet wide, so fcbat cart traffic can pass along more easily than at prest'ii*. Some pipes would also bo required at the bottom of the hill for drainage purposes. No. 4, Church Street : I would recommend that two sets of pipes, twelve feet each in length, be laid in this street, next the footpath in Kenrick Street, and that an open safe drain be made between the sets, the water tables behind FanToll's and Hotchin's, etc, should be cleaned out, and then all the water taken to the creek behind Itobson's ; this will prevent the present scour in the drain opposite the Hall, and also prevent the overflow and scour opposite Farrell's in Whitaker Street. No. 5, Footpath JRepnirs : Some sand will be required during the winter for repairing the footpaths, but the greater good will be done by keeping the water tables clear, and I think if a sum to pay for say twenty- five yards of sand, and for for a surface man for say four week's work it would be sufficient for at any rate to the end of winter. I remain, etc, F. Pavitt,

£ s. d. £ s. d. $o. I—Forming1 — Forming 14 chains ... 7 0 0 Forming si chains 210 0 Footpaths & pipes 7 6 0 16 16 0 So. 2 — Forming and Draining 5 chains 4 0 0 4 0 0 Sfo. B— Cutting and Pipes ... 16 040 4 0 16 0 0 5?o. 4 — Pipes?, and Clearing Drains S 0 0 3 0 0 So. 5— 25 yds. Sand 2 10 0 surface Man 4 weeks 8 8 0 10 18 0 So. 6— Forming f ootpatli, Bridge to Burgess Streets 10 0 0 10 0 0 Total • V £60 14 0

Engineer Te AiohaTown Board. I Estimated Cost. I