SPORTING.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 28, 24 September 1920, Page 7

SPORTING.

(Contributed.)

MR DAVID MORTON.

Death this week has removed one oi the leading sportsmen and business men in Southland in the person of Mr David Morton at the early age of 40. A southland boy, educated and commercially train. ed in Invercargill, he made good while still in his twenties, and during the past twelve or fifteen years has been the manafger, life and soul of J. H. Kirk and Co., who deal in all kinds of produce. He received his early commercial training in the Bank of New Zealand and the National Mortgage and Agency Co.'s offices in Invercargill and Gore, and very quickly was measnred up by his elders as a naturally smart man who by his energy, loyalty, and conscientiousness had a bright futuro befoi'e him in the business world. He joined J. H. Kirk and Co. nearly twenty years ago, and when that firm was re-con. structed sorne years afterwards by the retirement of Mr Kirk from active management the late Mr Morton took charge, and under his able guidance has now grown into one of the leading houses devoted to its particular business in ihe South Island. During his youth he found time to play Rugby for the Invercargill team, and row in the Invercargill Club's colours. It was ;is an oarsman that he became prominent in Sporting circles outside his own province, and in that particular branch of sport he had few if any superiors in the Dominion. Ten. or twelve years ago he turned his attention to racing, and at once he hecame known as an ovvner whose high sense of morals in business was if possible still higher on the racecourse. His first horse was the jumper True Blue with whom ho won steeplechases on the Riverton; Gore, Winton and Wingatui courses, and established a time record for a mile and a half over hurales on the later track which stood for several years until this last season. Then he pur. chasod The Gunner, and won the big steeplechase on the Invercargill course with him. About five or six years ago he forsook the jumping game and purc'iased Ayecliff, , Kauwhero and Muzzle, all of whom won races for him, the two former quite a number, Kauwhero accounting tor the Winton Cup amongst other good races. Last season his horses ran badiy, and he either solcl or turned the lot out, and purchased Killowen with whom he won at Timaru last May, ard the Winter Cup at Riccarton last ■ montli. As an owner he was one of those good frank men who delighted in seeing his horses win for the sports' sake, and his friends share his successes on the macliine. If his horses had a chance he would go to a lot of trouble to make sure his friends had a chance of being in on the .good thing, and everyone knew whether ultimate friends or absolute strangei's that the hlue and black colours were ab.vays unfurled wit-h the intention of winning if they could. It was not only for his generosity to them that train ers and jockeys liked serving him, they knew they were dealing with a man whose word was always accepted as his bond, but whose whole desire in sport wag to keep it a clean a health.^ recreation, not a business. At the time of his death he was a member of the Committee of the Southland Racing Club, and his wide business knowledge was highly valued by the mem. ■bers. The loss to the business community of Southland by his death is great, but not nearly so great as it is to sport generally. Men with high ideals like deceased possessed do much to elevate sport, and they are, unfortunately, s° few Ilurn" bers that we can ill afford to lose one. His widow and four young children have the sympathy of a very lai'ge number of people throughout Southland who feel, too, as if his death has robbed them of some one very dear to them. And for all time he will be remembered as a dear, generons big-hearted sportsman and a man whom to know was a privilege and to be considered a fr:end of an honour. Young Ellis must be getting heavy for | he could not do lighter than 7st 4Ibs (51b overweight) on Nautical when he won the Amberley Cup. George Young was unlucky with, his mounts at the Amberley meeting, finisiiing second in four consecutive races. Heavy rain, something like half a foot of it in twenty-four hours caused the Ashburton meeting to he ^'stponed. Ivan Tilson hacl to make his appearance before the "Stipe" this week, and it being a Stipendiary Magistrate instead of steward it cost him a couple of quid ior dodg. ing drills. A bit of drill and the dricipline that goes with it w-On't hurt you Ivan. It is cheaper than some other pastimes, too ! Dick McDonald was down at Mr Dave Mort-on's funeral, on Tuesday. He says Killowen is very well. Royal Star is reported to be ligEteoiiig

up on the New Zealand Cup preparation but Nightraider is pleasing the track matchers at Riccarton in the work he is getting through. The Gore meeting will he held on October 20 and 24. Nominations close on Monday, October 4. Dick Russell' s mare Eagle Eyes has arrived safely in New South Wales, where she has gone on a visit to the imported Buckwheat.