Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-04-04
TENNIS CHAMPION.

heard of this fellow Smasher before? ''
mo, Gus, | have never seen him
play. l have seen his name in the
papers once or twice, but that is all
know Of him. l never thought of him
for a moment as likely to give us all
such a surprise as this"
well, | am jolly glad he has done
it. 1t does these chaps who have had
1t all their own way so 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 at Wimble-
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
player, after a long and exciting strug.
gle.
Full reports had, of course, appeared
In the papers, and the news had just
reached the remote country town of
MuggletOn, whose tennis players are
quite as much, if not more, excited the
day after the event than those thou
sands who witnessed the struggle on
the All-England championship court
at Wimbledon.
Arthur PuShington was the secretary
of the lawn tennis club at MuggletOn.
and Augustus HOwisthat was the Mug
gleton champion.
The club has it's enemies, of course.
like everything truly great, whether
nD Institution ~ IN Individual l.. N oyoiOs
such as the clubs of the neighboring
towns and villages round about, which
cannot produce a player who comes
within challenge distance of the Mug
gleton champion.
The members of these i~ll-natured
clubs may say that the reason for the
pre-eminence of the Mugglet0nianS in
tennis is owing to there being nothing
else for the inhabitants to do, and that
il it were not for the annual lawn
tennis tournament held there the Mug
gietonians would never be more than
half awake. But no n heeds male
VIOLENT ISLANDERS of this character.
For some time past Muggleton has
annually held a tennis tournament,
open to all amateur tennis players.
with special events for local players,
but up to the time of Our story the en-
tries for the open and district events
had been wonderfully similar.
1T is a remarkable fact that none of
the illustrious cracks has V thought
1t worth their while to compete with
Mr.. HowiSthat for the diamond cham
pionship badge, presented TO the Mug
gleton tennis club by Sir Henry POrtli-
man, NJ. P, the squire of Portlv hall.
"My dearest Bertha, have YOU heard
the news"
The Gu~s'i00cr =ts Ms A&f~T3
Jones, who had dashed, GREATNESS Il
excited, into her friend Miss MarShall's
drawing room some weeks after the
Wimbledon meeting.
THE news. my dear? What news?"
asked Miss Marshall.
about the new champion"
"Do you mean Smasher, the All-Eng-
land champion? Of course [ know he
won the match at Wimble7on.'
eyes, but do you know he has en-
tered for the tournament, l tourna-
ment, at Muggleton? They are holding
a committee meeting now. Get on
your things. my dear, and let us go. l
am longing to hear all about it."
Miss Marshall was not long in ar
ranging her outdoor costumes; and the
two young ladies hurried to the ground
Just in time to hear the secretary read
the champions letter for the twentieth
time. 1t ran:
Il have heard often of your open
tournament, and of the admirable way
in which it is managed. I shall be in
your neighborhood at the time for
which your meeting is advertised. and
should esteem it a favor if you would
enter me for all the open events and
find me partners for the doubles"
The question for consideration was
what was to be done under the circum-
stances? To allow the illustrious
Smasher to so to the "Dog and DUCK
M~uggleton'S one inn, was out of the
question.
"Somebody must put him up said
the secretary; land who is so likley to
do it as the president, Sir Henry Porti-
man? Is he not always eager to enter
JdlI any IlAuSCI 1OuS SIIdhSCl WIN NIS1IS
the neighborhood? l propose that a
deputation be appointed to call on Sir
Henry"
Sir Henry, who was NJ. P. for the
district, was only too delighted to &c
anything which promised a little eclat
and popularity, and an invitation was
accordingly sent and graciously &C
cepted by the great Smasher.
At last the day before the great tour.
nament arrived. The champion was
expected at noon. having signified his
wish to see something of the pictur
esque part of Mugglaton before set
thing down to the serious business OF
the hour.
Once more Miss Jones had the de
1ightful task of telling her bosom
friend the latest Jews,
Il have just seen him driving up t
the hall. He is entrancingly handsome
and looks so strong and active l could
have told he was a player, and a grea
player, if l had not known it was he.
"NVhat luck you have!.' exclaimed
her friend. is he at all like his pOr
trait in the illustrated papers?'
The portraits do him no justice a
all, my dear. He is perfectly delight
ful, and am to play with him in III
doubles. They are to be drawn thi
afternoon 7 only bnDa bo womb 1oo1