Arizona republican., 1895-01-09
TENNIS CHAMPION.

"Well, Pushington, what do you
think of the news? Have you ever
heard of this fellow Smasher before?"
mo, Gus, l have never seen him
play. l have seen his name in the pa
pers once or twice, but that is all
know of him, l never thought of him
for moment as likely to give US all
such surprise as this"
''Well, l am Jolly glad he has done
it. 1t does these chaps who have had
it 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
youthful and comparatively unknown
player, after long and e1ci.inT 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 Secre-
tary of the lawn tennis club at Mug
gleton, and Augustus Howisthat was
the Muggleton champion.
The club has its enemies, of course,
like everything truly great, whether
an institution or an Individual;
enemies such as the clubs of the neigh
boring towns and villages round about,
which cannot produce player who
comes within challenge distance of the
Muggleton champion.
The members of these ill-natured
clubs may say that the reason for the
preeminence of the Muggletonians in
tennis is owing to there being nothing
else for the inhabitants to do and that
If it were not for the annual lawn
tennis tournament held there the Mug
gletonians would never be more than
half awake. But no one heeds malev-
client 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
entries for the open and district
events had been wonderfully similar.
1t is a remarkable fact that none of
q, the iflustrious cracks has ever thought
it worth their while to compete with
Mr. Howisthat for the diamond cham
pionship badge, presented to the Mug
gleton tie mis- club by Sir Henry Port
liman, NJ. P, the squire of Portly hall
MY dearest Bertha, have you heard
the news?"
The questioner was Miss Amelia
Jones, who had dashed, breathless and
excited, into her friend Miss Mar
shalIs draWing-room some weeks after
the Wimbledon meeting.
1.-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 Wimbledon
Eyes, but do you know he has en-
tered for the tournament, our tourna-
ment, at Muggleton? They are hold
ing a committee meeting now. Get on
your things, my dear, and let US CO. l
am longing to hear all about it,
Miss Marshall was not long in ar
ranging her outdoor costume; 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. l shall be in
your neighborhood at the time for
which your meeting is advertised, and
should esteem it a favor if you would
enter Inc for all the open events and
find Inc partners for the doubles"
The question for consideration was
what was to be done under the circum-
stances? To allow the illustrious
6masher to go to the Dog and Duck, "