National Republican., 1876-08-24
The Scottish Games.

strength and skill look part, excited great IN
terest, not only among the Caledonians, but
among others present, to many of whom the
exhibition Of leaping, jumping and feats Of
strength were new. The club assembled at
Scotia hall, in Shea's building, Pennsylvania
avenue, in the morning, and marched to the
park, preceded by pipers; Justify sounding the
music of the Highlands. The scene on the
grounds during the whole day was interesting.
Big-limbed Scots, clad in full Highland cos
tume-tartan, kilt, brooch, feathers and all
FIRST caught the eye of the observer.
PipeTs, with their resonant, noisy
instruments, played gaily all day long. The
proud gait of the piper as he stepped quickly
away after starting tune, and the mountain
music Of the pipes, made many Scotchman
long for his native hills. What is attractive
about the Scotch games is that everything is
test either of strength, endurance or agility.
There are no contortions or painful exhibitions
of tumbling or trapeze performance. Among
those who contested in the games during the
day was
HUGH H'KENNoN,
Of Hamilton, Ontario. McKennon took part
only in feats requiring great strength, such as
putting the heavy hammer ami tossing the
Cater- He claims the championship in games
of this heavy sort, and the numerous medals
that cover his lr-wny breast show how well he
has earned the title. Recently, in Philadel-
phia, he carried of the international cham
pionship, and he distinguished himself at the
Scottish games at Ddrley Park, Baltimore, last
Monday. McKennon is n tall, broad. shoul-
dered Scotsman, with handsome, frank face.
Unlike most athletes he is a perfect gentle
man, and enters into the sport with sort of
national pride. He is desirOus of holding the
championship of this part of the world in
Canada, and claims that If he should come
across a competitor who would prove too
much for him that there is another man in
Canada who can excel him, who will immedi-
ately claim the championship. McKennon's
chief competitor was Alexander Mckay, of
New Haven, Conn, who also took part in the
lighter SPORTS.
The exercises of the day were opened at ~
O'Clock by an old-fashioued Scotch reel, in the
pavilion.
THE GAMES
were then organized. The judges for the diff
fereIt games were Messrs. SomerVille, Nc
KeTicher, Thompson, McGregor, Gen. o. E.
Batcock, Messrs. Reid and Smith, of Baiti-
more, Capt. Stewart and Messrs. Hannay and
BcCullom.
PUTTING THE STONES.
The first contest was putting the light stone,
an iron ball weighing 1G pounds. Hugh Nc
KenIon, Alexander Mckay, and John Mel
rose, Of Hartford, Conn, were the contest
ants. The game consists in propelling the ball
from the shoulder with one hand, the one
throwing or putting it the turthest being
the winner. Alex. Mckay won the first prize
$50 in three throws, making 50 f., IS f..
2 in. and 50 #. 9 in. McKennon won the
second prize, putting the stone 81 #. 10 in,
81 Fl. in. and 81 #. s in.
The heavy stone, weighing about q pounds,
was "put" in similar way. The stone was
raised to the shoulder, then leap forward
was taken, and the ball was sent from the
shoulder on a curve. The same men competed
in this contest as in the first. Mckay was the
winner, and carried of a gold redal. His
''puts" were 50 #. in, 50 #. 10 in and 80 f..
HcKsnDon was second, with % #. 10 IT,, 81 f..
q in. and 50 #. in. Melrose's "puts" were
"a #. Q in, 2S #. 6 in. and % #. in.
The running long jump was poorly con-
tested, none Of the competitors making very
good Jumps. The contestants were MeIrose,
Forbes, Alcock, of Richmond; Mckay and
Donn,l'y, of West Viz ilia. Mr.. Melrose took
the first prize, gold medal, making in three
jumps Is feet Q inches, Il feet inches and II
feet inches. Mr.. Alcock took the second,
making Is feet inches, Is feet inches and
IS fee; inches. Mckay made II feet L inches,
IA feet s inches and Is feet inches. Donnelly
jumped IL feet inches, IS feet inches and "a
:eet in5hes.
Three men hoped, stepped and jumped,
off the first prize, skene dhue, "a Scottish
knife,) clearing 81 feet of ground. Mckay won
the second prize, silver thistle, covering "a
feet inches.
The standipg-jump contest was open only to
members. The entries were James Bullock,
VIM. HALEY, David Small, Donald S. Grant,
John Miller, John Mellis, Jos. TAFT and Thos.
Somerville. Bullock won the first prize, a
shoulder brooch, with jump of nine feet.
VIM. HALEY jumped eight feet seven inches,
ard won the second prize.
The short race Zone hundred and fifty yards)
was open 10 members only. Messrs. Bullock,
Miller, HALEY, Mellis and Grant started.
Bullock ran away with the first prize, a
tkeredkue, and Miller took the second, silver
thistle.
TOSSING THE CABER.
The most peculiar and interesting game was
that of tossing the caber. The caber is log
about sixteen feet long, nine inches in diam
efer at one end and tapering TO four inches at
the other, and weighing about one hundred
and fifty pounds. When q man is going to
toss it three or four assistants lug 1t up to him.
and then hoist it up on the small end. The
tosser then grasps tine small end with both
hands and lifts it perpendcularly in the air till
he brings his hands to level with his waist
then, balancing the caber, he takes a short run
forward and gives the toss by pitching the caber
tossed so that it will turn over in the air ,strk-
ing the ground with the large, or heavy end.
Then it must turn again, so as to fall with the
small end pointing away from the tosser; in
Other words, the cSber must turn q complete
sonersauit. although it requires man of
considerable strength to handle the eaber ia
miliarly, yet good deal OF experience is neect-
ed in giving the right pitch to it.
McKennon, Mckay and Melrose were the
1xJ ms n NHhn fn hn hnr
Yesterday. Melrose first took hold of the log,
and rose trembling under its weight, and
taking short run, pitched it out in the air.
The caber fell on its big end, according to rule,
but, instead of falling forward, it fell back
towards the tosser. Mckay handled the caber
easily, and giving toss, it fell according to
rule, and the distance from the scratch to the
small end of the caber was forty feet nine
inches. McKennon in running forward to the
scratch stopped suddenly so as to let the csber
fall at inclination Of about sixty degrees
before he gave the toss; he then heayed it
through the air, and it turned over all right,
measuring forty feet three inches. Mckay 8
caber fell back towards him on the second and
third trials. Melrose could not make it turn
over. So McKennon won the first prize, a
gold medal, his greatest toss being forty-two
feet nine inches.
THROWING HAMMERS.
The next game was throwing the light
hammer. The hammer is an iron ball weigh
ing about eight pounds, placed on handle
about four feet long. This is swung around the
head and thrown with great force. McKel-
non, Mckay and Melrose competed. Nc
KenDon threw the hammer los feet z inches
and won the gold medal. Mckay won the
second prize with throw of 10l feet inches.
Throwing the heavy hammer was a game Of
similar kind, only the hammer is just twice
SIS heavy. McKennon won another gold
medal in this, making a throw of 80 feet.
Mckay was second, throwing 81 feet 3 inches.
For the three-legged race there were three
entries, Messrs. Bullock and TAFT, Grant and
Mellis and Muirhead and Reid. Messrs. Grant
and Mellis won the first prize, and Messrs
Bullock and TAFT the second. The game
consists in strapping two men together, each
by one leg, and then letting them run.
The bagpipe playing for the gold medal
found four contestants, James A. G. Dickson
Of Philadelphia; George W. Morrison, of Michi
gan; Alexander Brown and Robert Ireland, Of
Washington. Morrison is a little boy, nine
years OF age, who appeared in full Scottish
costume, and called out great deal of ap
plsuse by his lively music. Dickson and Ire
land were formerly pipeTs in the British army
and Dickson used bagpipe presented TO hin
by the Duke of Edinburgh. The Judges wert
placed aWaY in q tent so that they could mo-