THE WORLD OF SPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 319, 18 January 1908, Page 4

THE WORLD OF SPORT.

KACIMi FIXTUUKS. lan." IS, 22, 2.3.—Wellington 1!.( J. Sum•lan. 22 and 2;J. — I'uxLuii Annual. Jan. 2,), 211, and Feb. I.—Takapuna J.C. Siminier. ■liin. 2!l and .'io.—l'aliiiitun H.C. Annual. •lan. .'!(» and 111. —Tapanui K.C. Annual. l'"eli. li and 7.---Maniototo J.C. Annual, fell. li and 7.—Gisliorne II.C. Summer. Feb. (i and S.--C..1.C. Summer. I'cli. 12 and 1;!. — Kgmont K.C. Snniiner. Feb. l:i and M.—Poverty Hay T.C. An-

nual. Feb. 1!) and ill.—Woodville J.C. AllUin Feb. 111, 20, and 22.—Dunedin J.C. A

til nan. March i and 7.—Wanganui .I.l'. Autuni March ;i and 7. —n cstport -I.C- Auluin March 17 and IS.—Xapier Park K. Autumn.

TIIK WELLINGTON St MMKII MKKTIXG. The Wellington llacing Club's Suniine Meeting opens at Trentbain to-ilay Splendid acceptances have been rei-eivei for the majority of event*, anil the elas; of horsos engaged is decidedly good I-i veil line weather for the gathering some splendid racing may be witnessed The handicapper has made winners vcr\ hard to pick. The Wellington Cup haidrawn a good liehl; the following horse? have paid up for the mile and a halt event:—Hon. .1. 0. Ormond's li.li. Zimmerman, hv Birkenhead—Solitaire, fyrs., •ist. 31b.; Mr. H. E. Good's blk.h. Maniapoto, by Soult—Lady Fisher, aged, 8.12 : .\lr. J. It. McDonald's cli.c. Colli Crent. by tiold Kcef—.Nymph, 3yrs., 8.0; .Mr. J'\ Preston's lir.g. Apa, by Addington— Muriwai, syrs., 7.11; Mr. Geo. Hunter's ch.h. Mystification, by Apremont—Mystic, (iyrs., 7.7; Mr. T. 11. LowryV eli.c. I Downfall, by San Francisco—-Cantatrice, •iyrs. 7.7 ; Mr. 0. P. Donnelly's blk.c. The Hand, by (iold Reef—l'earlsliot, ;iyrs„ 7.3; -Mr. H. Knight's b.g. Lapland, by Finland—Xeroli, 4yrs., 7.1; 3lr. D. Jinick's b.m. Tangimoana, by San Fran— Waingongoro, 4yrs., (i,l:! ; .Mr. ,1. Annstrong's lir.in. Chatterer, by St. Andrew —Whisper, aged, (J. 13; Air. G. Cork's b.g. Moloch, by Mauser—Listener. 3yrs., li.lil; Mr. A. Wilson's eh.m. Splendid Idea, by Capt. Webb—lJonnie Idee, .iyrs.. 1i.7; Sir Geo. Clifford'* b.U. Clanchattan. by Clanranald—Teredina, oyr.-., 1i.7; .Mr. li. Whitney's b.m. Saga, by Soult—Vain, 4yrs., ii.7. |

Zimmerman, the hero of the Auckland meeting, has proved his ability to carry weight and to stay, but the hard tracks are not to the Birkenhead's soil's liking, and at the time of writing rain has not fallen at Trentham for some days. .Mania poto, the unlucky horse of the Maiiav/atu meeting, is said to have regained 1 is old form, and it would only require a dash of -peed, such as he showed ill Australia, to keep his field 011 the move. Latest reports from Jlawera state that one of Maniapoto's legs is giving a, lot of trouble, and he may not see the post.

Clold Crest has yet to prove his ability to see out a fast run over twelve furlongs, but the representative of I'rosser's stable always command* a large following, and it must he remembered the I'orirua mentor withdrew Marguerite in favour of the Cold lteef colt. After his failure in the Auckland Cup, Apa has lost many of his followers, and mystification hat- not showed to any advantage of late. Downfall ran a slashing race 111 the Great Derby, but to-day •the last quarter ol a mile may lind the Sad Francisco colt out. It must be remembered that- Downfall has only to carry 7.7, and the lighter weight may give liini a chance to show up at the business end. The lUnd performed attractively a-t Palmerston, but Lapland, 7.1, should hold liiin safe. Of the others, Splendid Idea is whispered about as a good lioriic over the distance, but, up to the present, the daughter of Captain Webb has been considered only as a sprinter. Zimmerman, Cold Crest, and Lapland are said to be the best-condi-tioned ones in the race.

the Telegraph Handicap has drawn -Muujeet, i' till Kate, Dawn and King Hilly, all of whom have shown goo.l form this season. Of the others Jiutcleuch is said to have gone oil', and -Moriarty failed to slunv his lticcarton form at Auckland. .I'etrovua won a double at Dunedin, and is evidently in line fettle, though 1 should imagine that old age will tell against him when the younger ones come along under the whip! Cross Battery has turned rogue, and Uallarat is gutting rather old for the game. -Munjeet's form at Kiccarton is said to be the best he has shown for some time, and Dawn is another who is said to bear a well-traineu appearance.

Of the acceptors for the Anniversary Handicap, Fireiron has been unlucky of late. William ran well at the WairaRipa meeting, and easily accounted for fSau Julie at a difference of two pounds. This time there is four pounds between tlie pair. Sir Frisco ran a great race ill the Palmerston Stakes, but the battle with Elevation seemed to knock the steam out of him, and a shorter distance than the Anniversary mile might be more to his liking. Moata has run several good races in hack company this season, and with 7.2 may be depended upon to run well. Clanehattau is a very uncertain customer, but won a mile race on the fourtii day at Auckland, in pretty slick time, and he will keep William and I ireiron at their best ill to-day's race.

Armlet's name was left off the list of acceptors fbr the Nursery Handicap wired through at the beginning of the week, and many people look upou that sort of thing as a good omen. Mr. 0. G. Stead's filly is weighted at Dst. Gib.

Finery is very fast for four or five furlongs, as is Gawain.

The local horse Nukutihi is engaged ill the Kuapehu Hack l!ace with 7.8, and in the Trentham Welter with 8.4. He has been showing good form on the local course, and may be heard of at the meeting.

Penates and Kangipapa have shown a da = h of speed during the holidays.

Gold Thread and Martyriuni have been taken down for the Trentham Hack Welter.

The presence of Culmination lias frightened out most of those engaged in the Tongariro Hack liac .

TL'H I TOPICS. I. Liud lias taken F'jjlieiuiaid to Foxtou. L. Hewitt is said to have "arrived." Considering that the New Zealand horseman rode only I,"> winners out of lli'i riibs in the old Country last .-cason his arrival is rather Mated. I he Porirua team for TrenHiaiu comprises Playmate, Ataahua, Cul.l Crest, William. Swimming Melt, Taitoko, All lied, Kurawaka, Marguerite. Consuclo, and Diaholo.

A jockey. W. Sweeney, had an unpleasant experience recently while treating a horse to swimming exerci>e. Tho horse liked water, and immediately lit out for the South .Jole, and it took a rescue party in a boat cpiite a time to induce tlie prad to "take the turn for home.''

'The New Zealandcrs in the Newmarket Handicap include Dusky Atom Elevation, Pink Tn. Muujeet, Ncddon Captain Shannon, E<jiiiform, Eo, am Maranui.

Seddon, Delaware. Master Delava Apologue, Melodeon, anil I'lltty have liee entered for the Australian Cup.

The only New Zealand-bred horses i the Champion Stakes are Seddon. Api logue, and .Master Delaval.

Two (iood Keasons.—Senior Partner: "We had best have the bookkeeper's Iwoks examined. I saw him at the racetrack yesterday!" .Junior l'artner: Indeed!"' " Yes, and he was betting on the same horse as I was!"

The talc is toM of a local sport who limling hi* hair was leaving the to|» < hits lioiid, took his barber to task aboi it. "You sold me two hottb's of stu to make this hair prow.'' " It is vei strange it won't jjrow interrupt' the barber. I can't understand il ! " Well. look here/' said tlir man. "I I don't mind drinking another Wotllc. but this must he the la*l. 1 can't say that T like the taste of it at all!'' Then the barber fainted. Mr. James Hawkins, the owner of Multitid. was doing things ill style at a recent trotting meeting u|* Aucklam

way. According to the "Now Zealand Herald" the gonial ".limmy" throw a lu-avy chest in company with the lion. •I. Carroll aM ,| halt' a dozen Jl.iVs—no loss!

Tlio■.toc|dcclusiiig fiasco at l'leiniii" (on on \cvv \ Day. when only one horse finished, has sinco hoon the subject of considerable discussion in sporting circles (.says "The Keferec"). .1. trainer in Soutli Australia, whilst reminiscent of Ms early days as a steeplceliase rider ill tlur early eighties, recounts the detail of an ovuit which was to have taken place at Hrnkcu Hill, but was never linislied. The raeoeourso was nil tile common now occupied by the Afghans. Patterson won the Maiden I'late on Hliic Mantle, anil started the same horse in the Steeplechase. Rain fell in torrents throughout the day, and the course was in a frightful state. IVfore tile Steeplechase the stewards inspected tile first fence, and decided that the lake-oil' was too had for the horses, and that the jump was dangerous, so thai obstacle n,, struck out of the race, there were half a dozen starters, bill only a couple of them got over |] l( , -second lonco. Ulue Mantle was one, l«i| he bolted oil' the track. When Patterson got the gelding under control a»ain the Other candidate had a big lead,"but "lue Mantle was soon 011 terms, then Patterson's solitary opponent made a mistake, and by the lime Blue Mantle had reached the last fence he was the only horse being persevered with. There was a running stream near the pump md evidently this took the geldings at - tent 1011 from the fence, for he jumped into the logs and was killed, so that lot a solitary horse finished.

. Gaining Act is another step ganwt the liberty of the subject, an<l Ir. A. Farrell, in the Diinedin "Star" eta oil the following lines on it; '

"ÜBKKAL" UUEKTV AXjj LAWS. 'Liberty is more than nioralitv, than 'inpcrance, than everything. Because lere are weeds, would you blot out the mi What the Mm is to all life, liberty to all the virtues, llelter go back i» ie caveo and dens of savagery than se Liberty."

I hold in derision each class-devised Jaw Invading man'* function to think and to act, Hut listen to what in a vision 1 saw—--1 hough much ol it's fiction, vet mot>t of it's fact. Methought in our land a strange malady And .spread with a growth never ceasCoinulsing all men till their features turned blue. 'Twas the malady dreadful called sneezing. iiefonnern and quacks tried to stem it. in vain, This general, wide titillation; It spread like a lire across a- dry plain, _ It seized oil the whole population. Ihey sneezed every hour of the day as they would, ihey sneezed every hour of the night, too; They sneezed just a* oft and as loud as they could, Because they'd legitimate right to. till, hoc and uluck! it one day came to pass t-Sucli changes Time's slow march discloses). lhere arose in the halis of the people a class

-)t uien that claimed sole right to

So they said to the people " We'll sneeze to our fill; But for you, riince the habit's injurious,

We'll restrain you and tie up your bugles until Your behaviour's less free and less furious. \\ lien 'Wanting to sneeze we will tell you how long, And how much, and junt how you must do it; We will bind you by laws that are stringent and strong, And which, if v o u break, you shall rue it. Our noses shall be the sole sneezing machines. Legalised, to all others' exclusion; If any should snort by unauthorised means, We will give them a year in seclusion. " We'll licca ie t,nug sneezing tracks outside each town, W here, retired, you can play up your capers; I But we'll fix you with snaffles all noises to drown, Lest reports should get into the papers. "Our leader will show you how far ' one'' can go, To follow liini is a temptation; He 'plunges' himself. But beware till you know W hat is business' and ' shrewd speculation.' " In the pantomime of ' Life,' 'neath the masks that abound, There are shapes which, if scanned, move to laughter. "Heads, I win; tails, you lose'—it's selfinterest all round; The morals and religion come after. " We shall sneeze as we gamble in stocks, laud, or coals, We shall sneeze o'er a combine fo."

prices; Ihe pious may sneeze o'er a juggle for souls, But we're 'down' oil the working man's vices. We shall sneeze as we gamble in wood

or in grain, All commerce a gamble of course is, in life's very needs, breeding want, criniG and pain; But it's sin to start gambling on horses. "The sole way to stop you from going down hill

Is to recast your morals anew, sirs; And the moral distinction betwixt good and ill Is the distinction betwixt 'us' and ' you,' sirs!

" If there's weeds in your garden we'll harness the sun; If sin, we'll direct the temptation; But of will power for good or for bad you'll have none; There'll be only police regulations, " The length of your whiskers by statute we'll fix, Your walk, anil your bodily carriage. The right kind of tea in hot water to mi.\, Anil how you're adapted for marriage. "An ascetic iiiilleiiium will start without llaw, Yawns, winks, glint, queer looks, and

voices tVill all be proscribed and corrected by

law, With naught left to Nature or

choices.'' 1-was vain that the people indignant did shout: "if freedom to sneeze lie ail evil, Abrogate it at once, and wipe it clean out; If not, with your laws to the 1) ! "Ut virtue you've have had alarmine

attack, for your place* a keener ailed ion; Hut, beware, lest our sneeze of contenipl

pays you back, A\ ln'ii \ou i-onie for our votes nex 1 election!"

THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN " —o Hie Itijflits of Women, wliiil are tlicy? 1 lie IJifjlili, (o labour, love aml pray: 1 lie. Kij>lit to weep with those that weep Hie Hight to wake when others sleep, Ilie l!i};ht to dry llie falling tealIho lligbt to ijiiell the rising fear, Hie Hij;lit to smooth the brow of ear< Ami whisjK'i- comfort in despair. Hie liight to -watch the parting lirentl To soothe ami cheer the lied of death; The Jiight, when earthly hopes all fai I'o point to the within the Veil. The Kight the wanderer to reclaim, And will the lost from paths of slianic Hie llight to comfort and to Mess The widow and the fatherless. I I he Higlit the little ones to guide, In simple faith, to Him who died; With earnest love and gentle praise I'o hie* and cheer their youthful ilui The Kight the intellect to train, And guide the soul to noble aim; I'eaeh il to rise above earth's to'vs And wing its Hight- to heavenly 'joys.

'IV Right to live for those w« love, J In* Ki«;ht to die, that- low to prove ~f The I'ijjlit to briglitcu cai-tlily homei Hit With pleasant smiles anil pontic lon " ir j Are Illy l!i<jl,(s? Tlkmi us,. ill ■' y I wcii.

I h<» lioly iniliH'Hi'c notir can trll, It tlicsr ;iri; thine, why ask for more I hou to answor for! Arc thy Tlion muni

That woinanV mission is ihy lot; Improve tlx* taU'liis (»<»! has jjiven; Life's duiies <lone— thy rest in Jieavon —l'rom the of Li lJurothy Ncvill,

WHAT A SONG CAN DO. SOME EXI'KUI KXCKS, CIiAVK AXI) <IAV, OF MADAM K Iit.AXCI IK MARCHES I. THE WUKI.U-I'AM-OUS SINdEH. What can a song do'.' Should not Ihi cpU'stioii. i';itlitii' bo, What cannot a soil;do? For a son<; can sot a nation in arm* think of "Wo don't want to lmt hv it' wo do, or what "The \\ twin' o' tin- lian meant. in lrelnnl. A ha> saved a human life--" An 1 shall Trohuvnv Die?" Ami, to turn from (ho particular to tho general, a song can com fori I ho sorrowful, can l norv tcoward, can calm the angry. recoil cilo 1 lie cslranged, and mako hold the fainl-hearted lover; a sung tho tenderest emotions. and it can aroiirv tho fiercest passions of mankind. In short, there is nothing that a song cannot do with tho human heart.

Moro, perhaps, than iuo*t singers ha v o I experienced wliat a song can do. I'or thcro is an indefinable something in my voice which often lias an extraordinary elfCct upon my hearers. 1 do md say this in vanity, hui simply as a fact, testified to by scores and scores of people. This indefinable something—the Scottish word " uncanniness '' perhaps best expresses it—in my voice has often affected my hearer* to tho verge of faulting, especially when I have hecn singing I strongly dramatic songs. Indeed, 1 know of one occasion when J a gentleman was so overcome by this* eerieness of my voice that he fainted clean away; whilst, on another occasion, a lady at n dinner party, hearing my voice through a gramophone, was so deeply stirred and moved that she was obliged to retire. I am not, I repeat, saying this in order to -boant—l take no personal credit for this peculiar gift; it is there, Uodgiven, not made by me—l mention it solely a» an example of what a voice can do. Hut to come to more concrete s instances, 1 am proud of tho fact thai a song recital of mine bought a picture a for the National Gallery. One day Mr. Frank Gutter, the well- r known art critic, came to mo and said that lie was very anxious to secure an s example of Boudin's, the great French impressionist painter's, work for the na- li tion. We had no example of this famous painter's work, and there happened to o be a chance in a thousand of securing )uo. u •'Very well," f said, ''l will give an impressionist song recital/' and 1 did. s< introducing for the Jirst time impres: donist songs--that is, songs in which I }) seek to convey an effect, quite independent of tlie words. And to have a \ V 'air test of my powers as a " songwinter" 1 Siing in Norwegian, a lan- \ ){ suage, f need hardly say, totally unfauiliar to my audience. is Nevertheless, they understood what T vas singing about as clearly as if 1 lad sung in English. For afterward.* nanv came to mo and said, "Ah, ma- f f lame, that first song you sang was ibout the snow, was it not? Yes, we w bought so, we could sec the snow fallng": or, again, "That third song, ma- | M

dame, is about a summer's day—wo could feel how warm it was, we could hear the bees liuniininir, we knew it was summer." Ami so with the proceeds of the concert the Doudin was bought for the Xotioual (iallery. Perhaps, however, the proudest, if in many way* the saddest, recollection 1 have of the |iower of song relates to Queen Victoria. At a time when all'airs of State were causing the Queen great anxiety, I was summoned to Balmoral to sing before her. Next morning, when the Queen rose, she said to one of her ladies-in-waiting—so I was told afterwards — that, thanks to my singing, she had for the first time in many days enjoyed a good night's rest, and that mv singing had greatly cheered and comforted her. adding that, if possible, she would like me to give another concert (hat day. A messenger was sent over to the hotel at Ballater, where 1 was stopping, and, fortunately, 1 had not yet gone South. But tny acompanist, Mr. llird, had already returned to fondon. I sell I word explaining the predicament, and back came a message that f was not to mind, the Queen's daughter—Princess llenrv of liatti'iiberg—would accompany me, and 1 was to come to tea to try over my songs. So I went to tea, anil in the evening, aeompanied by Princess Henry, whose musical gifts are wellknown, I gave another concert. And the proudest thought of my life is tliat my voice brought Home comfort to the great Queen in an hour when her mind was sore troubled. To turn from grave to gay, recently I had certainly one of the funniest experiences I have, ever heard of in connection with tho power of song. I wis singing at Ediitlmrgh, where I have very good friends in the headmaster of a big public school and his wife, and it was arranged that I should have supper with tlieni after the concert.

One of my songs was Mr. I.audon Ronald's ''Peace and Pest," the idea ol which is two lovers not separated by death, but lying together in the same tomb.

When I came to supper with my friends my host said to me, "Ah, Madame Mareliesi, that song you sang, 'Peace and Jtest/ lias had a great effect upon me. I novel' thought before of m; wife and I lieing separated by death" —I

did not wonder at this, for he is a most happy man, full of the joy of life—"but since I heard tou sing that song I have lieeu thinking hard, and to-morrow I am going to buy—a family vault!" 1 scarcely knew whether to laugh or to cry, but in the end we all laughed. And surely this would be hard to beat for an example of " whst n song can do,"