CHOPPING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 306, 22 December 1908, Page 4

CHOPPING.

ABOUT Ml LEY. By Telegraph,—Press Association. Tniliajiu, Monday, lliley, the world's mid Australian cliajjipioiL axeman, who is training here for the Eltham carnival, yavii ail exhibition. tie scales M'/aSt. During his career he has met all the best axemen except Pretty, whom he meets on Hewing .Day. lie should put up u record at the coming meeting. I THE WOULD'b CHAMPIONSHIP. HISTORY 01'' THE TITLE.

In view of the contest for the. axemen's championship of the world, to be decided it Eltham on Boxing Day, a little of the past history of the contest will jio doubt be of interest to our readers. Tile title was first established by the Australasian Axemen's Association ill tlie year 1891, when they decided tlint an event should be placed on the programme of the carnival to be held at Latrobc, Tasmania, to be decided in standing blocks (it't -tin in girth, and I lia I the winner should be styled champion axeman of the world. One ol the conditions of the contest was that it should be competed for annually i.i open competition at such place as might lie decided upon by the Australasian Axemen's Association, and that the winner might be challenged by -any person. in the meantime, by the challenger depositing (he sum of (illy pounds; the ' holder of (lie title to liave six months ' in wbiili to accept, the challenge, or ill ; default to forfeit the tille to the. cliai- , lenger. The lirst contest for the title i was won by a Tasnianiau axeman named t Thomas lieeves. The time recorded for I- this event was limin i'i'/jsee. 11l the ' following year Ueeves was beaten by ' J. 11. Marshall, an axeman regarded l>y i many Tttsinaniiin critics as the greatest i axeman who ever entered the arena. s The time for this contest was limin 3V4 - sec. The following year Reeves again ii had to strike liis colors to Marshall, ■- who won ill the fast time of 4iura 45sec, t gaining for himself the sobriquet of a "the lightning-axeman." Owing to illn ness Marshall w:is unable to defend his il title the following year, when it was r competed for at. t'lverston and won by n a Victorian, Abe llryan. who lost the 0 title the following year, and unsuceess- '• fully tried to regain it each year for ten years afterwards. In 1805 tile eon-

test was witnessed by over four thousand people, .the Governor of Tasmania (Lord Gormanston), the Premier ('Sir Etlwavd Braddon), and a large number of members of Parliament 'being present. This year the totalisator was introduced in connection with the meeting. Thomas Reeves regained the title, winning in 4min oOsec, .and paying a dividend of seven shillings (half-crown tickets). In the following year (1890;, owing to a split in the management of the Association, the event was not contested. In 1807 the contest was held in Melbourne, and was won by <l. Buckingham, of Tasmania, Reeves being Uijrd

in the contest. In 1898 the title' was again decided at Lilverston, Walter Chcllis (who competed at Eltham two years ago) winning 'tho event in 4min oOsec. The following year Chellis again won, in the fast time of 4min S'/jSee. Iu I!) 00 the title was won by Tom 'Pettit, in tain 48sec. The next year M. J. McCarthy proved the winner. In 1902 l'ettit again won, the time on this occasion being 4min lilsec. On this occasion tins Blanc chopped .second to Pettit, but in the following year the positions were reversed, lilanc winning in Smin f>Bsec, which constitutes a record for the eontest; and until Dave Pretty chopped a 2ft standing block in the New Zealand championship at Eltham two years ago in limin 34sec, it stood as a world's record. In 11104 Blanc again won, the time recorded being fimin 4(lscc. In 1005 Blanc did not compete. Tom Pettit re-entered the arena anil won the contest, and then retired. Tn 1000 the title w.vs won by All. Clark, v ;l Tasmanian axeman wiio had chopped prominently for several years. Last year, owing to straitened finances of the Australian Axemen's Association, the titlo was not competed for. Last August an application was made to the A.A.A. by the New Zealand Axemen's 1 Association to have the title competed for at the Eltham carnival. The application was favorably considered by the executive of the Australian governing body, consequently the event will be contested on Boxing Day. There will be twelve aspirants for the honor on this occasion. The principal representatives of this Dominion will be the Pretty Bros. Australia will he represented bv Charlie Milev, who defeated fins lilanc and a dozen other lirst-class axemen for the. title of champion of Australia eighteen months ago. Since winning the Australian championship Milcv has proved himself to be the greatest handicap winner who has ever chopped in Australia, winning numerous events from scratch when lie appeared to he giving away impossible handicaps. With two such great axemen as Milev and Dave Pretty competing, tlu-re is no doubt n record gathering may be anticipated this year. The axemen's carnival is without' doubt the most popularsports meeting in New Zealand, and there is no doubt that as long as the excellent management, for which the carnival has been so noted in the past, continues, the popularity of the gathering will be maintained.