Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-11-17
Tournament at NIuggleton.

Well Washington, what do YOU
! think of the news? Have you ever
! seen or heard of this fellow Smashel
before?'
! NO, Gus. l have never seen hin
| play. l have seen his name in the
papers once or twice, but that is all
know of him. / never thought of him
for a moment as likely to give us al
, Such Il surprise as this
We'll, am jolly glad he has done it
: 1t does these chaps who have had il
all their own way for 50 long no end OF
good to have the conceit taken out OF
them at last
This conversation took place on the
day after that exciting day ut \Nimble
don, so memorable to all interested in
lawn tennis, when the mighty cham
piOn of six years standing had been
thoroughly and fairly beaten by a
youthful and comparatively unknown
pli yen, after Il long and exciting Strug.
gle. Full reports, of course. appeared
in the papers, and the news had just
Muggleton, whose inhabitants, or, at
any rate, whose tennis players are
quite as much, if not more, excited the
next day after the event than those
thousands who witnessed the struggle
or the all-England championship court
at Wimbledon.
Arthur Washington was the secretary
of the Lawn Tennis club ut Muggleton,
and Augustus Howisthat was the Mug
gleton champion. Everybody agrees
that it is entirely owing to the in
0omitable energy of Mr.. PuShington
is as successful as it is, and if there
is one thing MuggletOn prides itself ON
it is it's tennis club. The club has it's
enemies, course, like everything
truly great. whether an institution or
an individual; enemies such us the
clubs of the neighboring towns and
villages round about which cannot pro-
duce Il player who comes within chal-
longing distance of the Muggleton
champion
The members of these ill-natured
clubs may talk as they like and say
that the reason for the pre-cminence
Of the Muggletonians in tennis is oW-
ing to their being nothing else for the
inhabitants to do, and that if it We're
not for the annual lawn tennis tOurna-
ment held there the AIugglctonianS
would never be moro thnn half awake.
DIT cIon dor
of this character and each member of
the AIuSgletOn club and especially the
honorary secretary himself thinks he
is engaged i'll promoting the interests
of and raising the standard of play in
the great national game.
For some years past Muggleton has
annually held a grand tennis tourna-
ment, open to all amateur lawn ten
mis- players, with special events for 10
cal players; but UP to the time of our
story the entries for the open and dis
trict events had been wofully similar.
being sent yearly to all the known
players in the world, it is Il remark
able fact that none of the illustrious
cracks had ever thought it worth their
while to compete with Mr.. HoWisthat
for the diamond championship badge,
presented to the Muggleton Tennis club
by Sir Henry Portliman, NJ. f., the
Squire of Portly Hail.
My dearest Bertha, have you heard
the news?'
The 'qutstioner was Miss ANGELA
Jones. who had dashed, breathlcss and
excited into her friend Miss Marshall's
drawing-room some few weeks after
the Wimbledon meeting.
THE news, my dear? What news?''
asked Miss Marshall.
about the new CHAMPION
DO you mean Smasher, the all
England champion? Of course ]
know he won the match at Wimble
DON"
Yes; but do you know he has en-
tered for the tou1nament-our tourna
ment-at Muggleton? They are hold
ing committee meeting now. Get
on your things, my dear, and let us go
I am longing to hear about it,
Such a temptation was not to be re
sisted, and Miss Marshall was not Ions
in arranging her outdoor costume, an(
the two young ladies hurried to the
ground, just in time to hear the secre
tary read the champions letter fol
the twentieth time. 1t ran:
[ have heard often Of your opeI
tournament, and Of the admirable way
in which it is managed. PushingtoI
coughed slightly here.) I shall be il
your neighborhood at the time for
which your meeting is advertised ant
should esteem it a favor if you would
enter me for all ne open events an(
find me partners for the doubles
Would you mind letting me now abou
the hotels? Which is the best to pu
up at?
1t was unanimously agreed that thi
was the most delightful letter eve
written, and there are some who sa.
that when the letter was passed rount
for inspection Miss Jones furtivel.
raised it to her lips, but she was al
ways impulsive and passionate and il
the general excitement nothing wa
said about it.
The question for consideration wa
what was to be done under the cir
cumstanoes? To allow the illustriou
Smasher to go to the Dog and Duck
Muggleton's one inn, was out of tn
question
Somebody must put him up" sal
. the secretary, land who so likely to d