ARCHER'S VISIT TO THE COLONIES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1887, 13 January 1885, Page 2

ARCHER'S VISIT TO THE COLONIES.

• Archer left London on Saturday with his friend Captain Bowling and valet Soloman, They joined theCunard steamship Bothnia atQueenstown, and are at the present moment well on their way across the "herring pond" as the Yankees call the Atlantic, The present intentions of the party are to travel somewhat rapidly through the States, and take an early steamer from San Fransisco to Auckland Whether they will stay long in New Zealand I cannot say. Much will depend on the big racing fixtures in Australia, as Archer is naturally anxious to bo present at one of them; indeed, more unlikely things might happen than his having a mount in the Champion Stakes. At 'present the pqqr fellow is in wretched spirits—almost broken-hearted his frjqnds say.. He vows he won't ride at all next season; but either this resolution will' be broken, or he will never ride again, for after eighteen months idleness he couldn't

possibly get himself down to racing weights. Even aa it isj -he finds it very difficult, The Sporting Times, writing on this subject, says"lt may be that the ringing cheers which hailed the victory of Thebais at Liverpool last Thursday, at .the same time were the farewell greeting of the public-.tqithe.gr.eat.jockey who-rode her. The distressing event of the ter-, miu'ation of; : ,(he.;Mghtyoung' , iife of hi* •only yesterday newly-made wife has>left the "bereaved, husband prostrate and. almost broken-hearted.- In his great afflic : ■ tion he has received the earnest sympathy of all classes, but, like Rachel of- old, he refuses to ije comforted. Work-, is. the best antidote' for 'grief,/, and. Lite -.friends' will do well'to prevail upon him, if possible to forego his determination not to ride again untill. 1886. , It is not well-, for-one-who has led such an active and ' exciting li'fe'to be left alone to brood on a great sorrow... Should Archer live in retirementnext yearit may.be doubted- whether we shall see him in the saddle again, as with a year and a-half of rest he may not be .able to ride at-racing- weights-, It costs him a great effort now. Should it prove that his victory, on Thebais was at the same time his' fafewell, none can say but •that that farewell was well made, He has achieved this year a total of winning mounts, not only far exceeding that ever, made by any other jockey, but even eclipsing his own marvellous record; anil ■Thebais, metaphorically, was a great stage from which to made his final bow."