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Home My WebLink AboutZurich Herald, 1951-06-14, Page 3Horse 'dont Famous Steeplechase Then Fell Deacljust Past The Post .A. hundred and fifteen years ago, a Liverpool innkeeper had a bright idea for pepping up trade. Ile could hardly have dreamed that he was about to fo uici,the greatest sport- . ilTg spectacle of modern Boles. As well as owning the Waterloo Hotel, William Lynn was lessee of the nearby course at Aintree, where meetings were held regularly on the flat. Ile had noticed how the St, Albans Steeplechase packed cus- tomers into the '1T`urf Hotel of that town, and he decided to do some- thing about it, advertising a 'chase to be run at Aintree on February 29th, 1836. Conditions were: A sweepstake of 10 sous. each with 80 sovs, added, for horses of all •denominations, 12st. •each, gentleman riders, seediest horse receives back his stake. Win- ner to be sold for 200 sovs. if de- manded. Rather different from 100-1 Gregalach's Grand National., in 1929. Theis the prize was £13,000 -- a record that still stands, as does that of the huge„ field of sixty-six starters. Brought Telescopes! - That first race was a great suc- cess, not only attracting a vast crowd to Liverpool, but also, it seems, adding a little tone to the racing there. For,. in the words of one reporter, "the assemblage was eoniposed principally of the middle classes." There must also hate been quite a naval atmosphere since, he adds, that a great many people load provided themselves with tele- scopes! The National has never looked back. The following year "the con- course of spectators was exceed- ingly large"—despite the fact that there were only foteir starters. The winner was a 'Mr. Potts on The . Duke who "came in winning by about thirty yards at a severe pace. This result, so totally unexpected, has mulcted 'the knowing ones' in heavy sums. The race occupied fif- teen minutes," The present record is tinder ten. Irish Take a Hand Even in those early days, Irish breeders took a hand in the Na- tional and have continued to do- minate it ever since. In 1838, Sir William was ridden to victory by its owner, Mr. Alan McDonough, of County Galway. Tales of his rac- ing exploits reached England while he was still in his teens, and he At was soon riding there with great success. So much, so that jealousy crept in' among certain English Jockeys. One. of them named' Ball deliberately rode on to a course one day where McDonough was competing and knocked him .end- ways. Justice was meted out, how- ever, by a certain Captain Latnb, who chased Ball and gave shim "the father and mother of a• thrashing." 'Next year, the 'Liverpool Stan- darti; ..publicized• -'the •race'"ivith a niece •of ''stirring prose, anticipating "such . a long list Of. nobs at this chase as has not Hitherto dazzled the optics of ourtownsmen. I .have heard that one hundred beds have already been booked at the Adelphi and Waterloo and that hotels are likely .to be as thronged as four in a bed." The writer was correct in his surmise. So great was the gallery that the race; Sdhettiuled' for one o'clock, was not started :until three! e It was Lottery's year. He romped home at 12-1, and in the words of one rider could trot faster than the rest of us could gallop." Carthorse ,Winner Lottery later developed into something of a legend among 'cha- sers. Bookies grew tired of con- tzually paying out on him and ''frequently managed to freeze 'him out, Conditions of a race would read: "Open to all horses except Lottery." He rounded off a'"glori- ous career between the shafts ,of a Bart at Neasden: ".A.nd so ended," writes Argus at that time, "the hest horse that ever looked through a ' bridle. We shall. never look upon - leas like again!" Also ran in Lottery's National was an animal named Conrad, who came a -cropper at "a nasty jump --- a strong paling, next a rough, high, jagged hedge, and lastly a brook about six feet wide," Conrad's gal- lant rider was a certain Captain Becher, whose fame has been eclii,- secl liy that of the brook at whixh he fall, since named after him. When Grimaldi Fell Becher is, eerlainly the belt -re- membered rider who never won a National. In his clay he was very much a leading light, immensely popular with a public tvito never hesitated to throw a few 'hings at any jockey who didn't meet with its approval. He also appears to have had a flair for histrionics, Af- ter Grimaldi carried hint to victory in the St. Albans Steeplechase of 1836, only to fall dead on passing the post, a commentator wrote that "the leading man of the Adelphi and Surrey (then the homes of nielo- drama) night have • imbibed. a use- ful lesson from the attitude of agony which the Captain displayed when gazing on the dead favourite," Becher's title of Captain .was largely a courtesy one. He was, however, able to put up one medal —for_;being on duty with the Duke of Buckingham's Yeomanryat the coronation of George IV, Physic- ally .he was spare and trine with natty side -whiskers. Apart from his ability in the saddle he was some- thing of an entertainer, for "there was no sound of the farmyard that he could not produce with startling fidelity." He finished his career ra- ther on a note of anti-climax—as Ilispector of Sacks on the G.N. Rly! Becher's . great rival j iin Mason, who steered Lottery to victory on • so many occasions. combined bril- liant riding with a flair for foppish- ness. He never rode without wear- ing white kid gloves, and was so fussy about his boots that he in- sisted on having the tops and feet made by different craftsmen. Dandy or no. he spared neither self nor horse when going at fences. On one occasion, when Becher and another well-known rider of the day, Toni Oliver, 'had landed in a brook at Aylesbury the Captain was heard to shout: "Duck your head, Tom, for Jim's a -coming!" By 1850 the National was very much as we know it today. Then a- grey named Peter Simple—later to .become a dual winner in 1853 —was first past the post In a race that was not outstanding for thrills. Perhaps the chief feature was the honesty of the winning jockey who weighed -in with .the- story that "a certain gentleman rider, who had been lying second, screamed suc- cessive offers at him of one, two, three—and finally ' four thousand pounds—to "pull" the winner! 1852 saw the first mare to tri- umph — Miss Mowbray, described as "only a rat of a thing." Although 'rejected iiy` several•:experts as "no good for `chasing," she not only won the National biiVavas second the following year. 'Her swan -song sounded_tivo years later when she broke her neck at notorious Be- cher's. Sending Messages To Planet Mars Can we send a message to Mars? The • possibility has fascinated astronomers for half a century and now Russian scientists are suggest- ing that communication might be made by means of the flashes given off by atomic explosions. Seni.e years ago the Russians planted fir trees in Siberia in the form of a huge triangle with sides fifteen miles long, assuming that if intelligent beings did exist on Mars they knight have telescopes with which to spot this deliberate man- made marking on the earth's sur- face. But :so far no corresponding narking has appeared on Mars. 'The German mathematician, Karl Friedrich Gauss was the first man to suggest a practical means . of communicating with other planets. ocky-Bye-Johnny — Rocky Graziano stares at the prone Johnny Greco, champion Canadian welterweight, who 'had just taken one of Rocky's special sedatives in the form of a straight right tress to the jaw in the third round of their fight in Montreal Johnny slept quietly through the count of ten, Scull Session—Jack S. Guest, Jr., right, 18 -year-old holder of the Canadian and American sculling championships, is shown above with his father, Jack Sr., in England where he will compete on the Diamond Sculls next month. His father won the Diamond Sculls back in 1930 and hopes his son will follow in his footsteps this year. He decided that the nature of the message had to be such that t conveyed beyond doubt two points —that the message itself was de- liberate and not an accidental for- mation, and that abstract titonght was behind it. He suggested a geometrical fig- ure in the form of a t=ight -angled triangle with a square over each side. Such a figure could not be an accident of nature and its mean- ing should be clear to every living being. in the universe capable of reasoning in the same manner as Man. The Austrian astronomer, Litt - row, suggested that the Sahara Desert would he the perfect place from which to send a message. He proposed a set of trenches, one circular, one square, one hexagonal, and one triangular, which were to be filled tdith water. Enough paraffin to burn six hours was to be poured on the water, and one trench was to he illuminated one night, the other the following night, and so on. Finally all the trenches ' were to he illuminated at once. Littrow's plan was never carried out. Other scientists objected that since Mars at its nearest point to the earth was some 35,000,000 miles away, even a trench of fire 100 miles long would not be noticed by any intelligent beings who night exist on the mystery planet. 'tVithout meatning to be snooty, or anything of the sort, we would say that the chances are your know- ledge of Australian National Foot- ball rates about zero. But don't let it worry you. If zero is your rating, it puts you on a level with ourself. Or even slightly higher, if you must have the truth. x� e Still, as one who has been' for years deploring the way some of our own most popular sports seem to have slowed down—largely through the efforts of coaches who put their own reputations ahead of the cus- tomers' interest—we couldn't help being rather intrigued, if that is the word, by the account of an after- noon of football as played down under. Evidently, down there, they believe in action and see to it that they get sante. The following para- graphs, taken from the account of something called the "Jubilee Cen- tenary Lightning Premiership" will give you a rough idea of what we mean. Alt 12 teams in the Victorian Football League took part and 11 games were played from 11.30 a.m. till 5 p.m. The games were of 20 minutes duration -10 minutes each way—and spectators were af- fordedthe opportunity of seeing all State champions in action. This was quite an event, for the season was only three games advanced. De- spite a boisterous, wet day, a big crowd attended the Melbourne Cricket Ground—where all the stellar sports attractions are pre- sented—and each vital point scored was wildly cheered •x :N , A "foreigner" witnessing the lightning" games for the first time would probably consider the series was well named. Speed was the predominant characteristic, as play- ers were anxious to "play on" and keep the ball in motion. No fewer than 220 players were seen in action during the afternoon, and the two' teams to reach the final each play- ed three matches. The final was the best match of the day, and from the first um- pire's bounce in the 10 -foot ring to the last kick of the day it was "anybody's game." Melbourne's goal was the only score of this hard battle until 20 seconds before the final siren from a scrimmage (not a rugby scrimmage) a Cot- lingwood boot pushed the ball over the goal line to equalize amidst wildest excitement. The hall came hack to the centre and in the last seconds the Demons battled the ball to their goal base—but the siren screamed! It was a tie, and under the rules, the ball had to be brought back to the centre and bounced by the umpire—the next score would win the game. 1' a Melbourne had first chance as they grabbed the ball from the bounce and a hurried kick trav- elled goalwards, The Collingwood backs, however, got possession 'and worked powerfully to clear. The ball slowly travelled around the wings as each team handled it, until .finally Ron Richards, the Magpies' plucky rover, dashed through the pack and started an attack which sent the ball into the goal • mouth, where rookie Jack Hickey "flew" and marked the ball on his chest only a few yards from the goal. One point would do and he had 21 yards width to score it! He needed the minimum as his punt kick split the centre for a goal (six points) and Collingwood won the jubilee Lightning Premiership. :x t The recent series amply demon- strated the terrific speed at which National Football is played and how remarkably free of injuries. There is plenty of body -contact, speedy dashes through packs of players, daring hand pick-ups from the very toes of opposing players, high leaps from which players do not always land on their feet—yet only one player was forced to retire through injury; and he because he slithered over the wet turf into the iron fence ... and the fence is 10 feet away from the playing area. Well, of course. it all happened several thousand miles away, and possibly the old one about distance lending enchantment may he appli- cable, But from where we... sit, it sounds like an afternoon of sport in Which there would be few dull moments or opportunities for get- ting bored. In fact, the way oup Canadian football is becoming Am- ericanised—and decelerated—maybe it mightn't be a,bad nation to bring a few of those Aussie teams over to show us some real speed. What,., do you say? .......:.U. •�. �. •fid.:•,.. 750 NIL 3 HRS FLYING TIME KtJlhtA1T Ready For Trouble — Newsmap above shows air distances to troubled Iran f r o rn Cyprus, r where Britain's only paratroop brigade, now en route to the Middle East by ship, will prob- ably be stationed. The brigade will be on hand to rescue any British nationals threatened with violence in dispute over nation- alization of Anglo -Iranian 011 Co. holdings. Classified Adverti, fi BABY COMBS ' DELIVERY out Kish 44110111Y 1. ;,nndian .Approved ,'.hicks from PM - haute J'rce Stook in en peewee Lemma., Non s,'.',1. pullets, cockcrele. Akio Tur- key ''cults. Older Pullets. Free (.'ata- • logae Tap Not' h Chick Sales, Guelph. Ont. I30'T4I 1'n(iOS A11) POULTRY ME:A.'l'arta good prices now, and we predict titan higher prices this ran and Winter. Don't miss um. This is one year you are practlea sly sure that you will mance big money mit of both eggs and poultry meat. Providing of course, that you start with Coed ei,hks sneh as Tweddi,: R.O.P. Sued. we bave speelal breeds for layers, others for brollees, and roasters. Ah:o Turkey Poulta. older Pullets. Pro;nnt delivery. Free catalogue -- Tweddle 'thick Ilat- .heries Limited, Fergus, Ont, rsitctN2 5s5 oeI'OIixGavi'r►%s:. StOS'r modern fully equipped 5 -table pool room and tobacco business. Nine year Iease. Price $13,000, Old established 9 - table pool room. crunchcounter, tobacco. Price $21.000, terms. Elgte'n Real Estate, Chatham, Ont. REAL ESTATE IF IT IS REAL ESTATE' BUSINESS of any kind in which you are interested either as buyer or seller — houses or faring — write to Philip Young, Realtor. 67 )'rederlck Street. Kitchener, Ontario. TURN SPARE TIME into dollars selling Fsclusive Lighting Needs direct to Us- ers. Man or women, full or part -lime, ,'ompiete training kit supplied, Repeat Business. no investment. Department 15W, P.O, Box 294, Hamilton, Ont. DIEING AND CLEANING HAVE you anything needs dyeing or clean- ing? Write 10 us for information. We are glad to answer your questions, De- partment El. Parker's Dye Wnrka Limited. 791 Yenge St. Toronto. FOR SALE HARDWARE BUSINESS FOR SALE Established 1898; also adiacent plumbing and tinamlthing shop—with tools, With or without banding. Apply Bna 195, Hawkes- bury, Ont. GENERAL Store, $40,000. Down payment $20,000, balance terms, $18,000 stock on hand. Carrying complete lines of ladles', men's and children's Ready -to -Wear as well as groceries, hardware, etc. Heart of tourist district. Phone Minden 42 or write LVm. Penrose, Minden, BEAUTIFUL. 3 -storey log lodge, 25 rooms and contents. Hardwood floors. all city conveniences and 12 housekeeping cabins; $50,000, $20,000 down, mortgage or terns on, balance. 011 health reason for, sale. William Penrose, Minden, Ont POMERANIAN Pups, pedigreed, male and .female. Apply Kingston Pomeranian Is-ennels, 82 Sixth St., Kingston, Oat. SOI -IN DEERE BAILER WITH MOTOR, automatic wire tie, pick-up. All. in new condition. Sox number 76, 123 -18th St.. New Toronto, Ont. GIANT WHITE PEKIN day-old Duck- lings. Available weekly year around, tx-Spring Farms Limited, Uxbridge, Ont. ICE CREAM CABINETS Buy direct front manufacturer while sup- ply lasts. Cash or terms. Every cabinet guaranteed. Write for free catalogue. Modern Devine Mfg. Co., 1226 St. Ur- bain St, Montreal 18. TWO PINTO MARES, one part Arabian, one Western; also other saddle horses and ponies. 419 King St. W., Oshawa, Ont. GARAGE, on. Beaverton - Fenlon Fails Road, including stock, equipment and dwelling,' good tourist. trade. Selling be- cause of i11 -health. Apply William Mc- Innis, Glenarm, Ont. FARM IMPLEMENT AND PARTS Buet- ness; Excellent' Dealership in Machid.- ery, Plumbing and Electrical Supplies. Appliances and Builders' Supplies; main street in progressive farming community; Store and Warehouse $27,000. Stock ap- proximately 815,000 extra- Liberal terms owing to illness. Borgo ;Kernel, Broker. 25 William Street. Orillia, Ont. Sometimes It "Rains" Strange Things Tropical tree -frog which fell from the skies during a rainstorm on to the deck of 'a liner at Buenos Aires has been sent to the London Zoo. It Lis a white -lipped hyla, a rare species. But how did it get into the clouds in the first place? Said an expert: "Frogs are some- times drawn upwards by a rising air current and have been known to be carried many miles before counting to • earth with rain," Still stronger currents occasionally raise multitudes of snlalI fish, caterpillars and worms into the air's upper reaches, from which they descend as soon as the force of gravity overcomes the vertical wind. Shepherds a n d cottagers in North-west Ireland saw masses of herring fry, which had been sucked up from the sea, dropping on Crucl:more mountainside in 1945. A sudden shower of what at first seethed to he pearls astonished the people of a Spanish village some years ago. But the "pearls" proved to' be the eggs of reptiles. Japan actually experienced a real pearl shower. The pearls had been car- • rie;l inland by a strong wind from an oyster bed, where the shells con- taining the pearls had been opened an hour earlier. One of the strangest living things ever to drop from the sky in a hail- storm was an ice -encased turtle, eight inches long and six incites wide. It plunged from the clouds at Bovine, Mississippi. Weather, scientists decided that the turtle must have been horns aloft by a tornado, Showers of golden, red and black rain have been recorded. The golden rain was pollee from pines and fir trees: ;lie red rain was reel sand sucked up by a whielwin 1 passing over a dessert. The black rain ex- perienced in London in 1913) ;vas found to contain pieces of Carlton an eighth of an inch long': it stained all it tonehed with soot, SMART GIRL She was going to her first dance. and before leaving, her mother told her that she should not just dance silently: talking to iter partner was also a part of the social" picture. During the evening her ntotiter noticed that each time the music. started the same boy tore across the floor, bowed to her daughter and • swept her away. Later the mother ;t•,lcr,l wily^the. same boy those her for C':ct•y dt,.cc "Oh," she explained, "1' was telling him a itlttr,ler serial," ICOR SALE M'Orort CRUISF31 •-- 32' LWL x 9' 6", 3 cabins. e:leops 0, completely equipped, outboard motor, dinghy, etc. $6,000. De- livery arranged. Pictures, full informa- tion. Write sirouard. 25 Ln.ureutide Ave., Quebec. P.Q. FOR SALE, — fully equipped dairy farm. lot 20 con. 7 ops. Vietorte, hydra modern house, water en tap, 2 miles from Lindsay, App1Y Hugh Murdoch, R.R. 8. Llndtsay, Ont. FOR SA.LE OR RENT — general store, in Dunnville dieti'let: good tnrnevet. For information write tc IS. C. Pinneo, R.R. No, 1, Dunnville, Ont, 1949 COCKSIIUTT 30 TRACTOR CR27EP- ER, gear, live power take -off, Reason- able. Will e,elionge for livestock. B. et. Lichty, R,R, 2. waterloo, Ont. MEDiC'AL DON'T WAIT — Every sufferer of Rheu- matic Pains or Neuritis should try Dixon's Remedy. Munro's Drug Store, 335 Elgin, Ottawa. $1.25 Express Pre- paid.. CRESS INGROIVN TOE -NAIL SALTIE. Your Druggist cells none better. SUFFERERS from Rheumatic or Arthritic pains: 11 you cannot get relief, write: Sox 122. Winnipeg, Manitoba. POST'S ECZEMA SALVE SANISii the torment 01 dry eczema rashes and weeping satin troubles. Post's Eczema Salve will not disappoint you. Itching. sealing, burning eczema. acne, ringworm• pimples and athlete's tans, wit) respond readily to the eta.inless. odorless ointment. regardless of bow stubborn or bovelese they seem. PRICE $2.00 PER JAR POST'S REMEDIES Sent Post Free on Receipt of Price 889 Queen St, E.. Corner of Logan. Toronto OPPORTUNITIES FOR 0%130N AND WOMEN BE A HAIRDRESSER 40IN CANADA'S LEADING SCHOOL Great Opportunity Learn Hairdressing Pleasant dignified profession, good wane* Thousands of successful marvel graduate* America's Greatest System Illustrated Catalogue Free Write or Call iLARVEL HAIRDRESSING SCHOOLS 868 Bloor St. W., Toronto Branches: 44 King St., Hamilton 72 Rideau St., Ottawa MAKE MONEY THIS SUMMER selling sheer Nylons with amazing guarantee. Also Lingerie, Men's hosiery and emu - aeries. Liberal commissions and bonus plan, Free Sales Kit, Duro-Test W2, Hamilton, Ont. PATENTS AN OFFER to every inventor—List of in- ventions and full information sent free. The Ramsay Co., Registered Patent Atter ae3's, 273 Bank Street, Ottawa. FETHERSTONHAUGI3 St Company, Pa- tent Solicitors. Established 1890, 850 Bay Street, Tornntn, Booklet o1 Informa- tion nn request. PERSONAL QUIT CIGARETTES — The easy way. Use Tobacco Eliminator, a scientific treatment, quickly eliminates the craving for tobacco, rids the system of nicotine, King Drug Pharmaceutical Chemists, Vegreville, AIta. Write P. 0. Box 673, London, Ont. SrA:7IPS THE STAMP HUNTER PAYS $1,000.00 and up for Canada 12 Penny stamp (not 12c), good condition. $60.00 for 1910 $8.00 green war saving stamp. Good collections also purchased, The Stamp Hunter, Station B, Winnipeg, Canada. TEACHERS %TANTE]) TEACHERS, WANTED — }Sale Princi- pals in School Area, No. 1, Yarmouth, Elgin County, duties to commence Sept. 4, 1951. Salary schedule Minimum 92000. Maximum $3600. Degrees Recognized. Sherman Smith, Sec.-Treae., R,R. No, 6. St. Thomas, Ont. 'WANTED—NURSES PUBLIC HEALTH NURSES QUALIFIED STAFF NURSES required for Peel County Health Unit. Salary range 92200-92800. Allawnnce for ex- perience. Write 31.0.1., Court house, Brampton. MATRON and 3 graduate nurses required Immediately for 16 -bed hospital; salaries $200 and $160 respectively plus full main- tenance; 1 month"s holiday end I-way fare from Toronto refunded after year's satis- factory service completed, with 0000r. tunities for increases. Apply 51r. L, Fet- ter, Secretary, Eastend Union Hospital. Eastend, Saskatchewan, REGISTERED NURSES General Duty Nurses needed for -Lady Uinta Hospital, Chapleau, Ontario, Salary $140.00 for 7.3 end $160,00 for 8-11 and 11-7 per month will full maintenance. Apply Superintendent of Nurses, Chit. pleau, Ontario. 0 ISSUE 24 — 1951