The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-07-14

Man, Jamie, it's nu rainin' the noo." ''No." replied Willie, but my umbrellas wat" Wyllie has traveled extensively, having made long tours in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, where he met all classes of players. Walking is his only physical exercise, and few miles dai- ly are sufficient to keep him In good health. He neither smokes nor drinks.
 Another grand old man of draughts Is Robert Martins-a Scotchman by adop-
 tlon, but English by birth. He is the
 junior of Wyllie by few years, and he is also an ex-champion of the world.
 In personal appearance he is the re-
 verse of the Herd Laddie," being tall,
 pale-faced, and long headed He is courteous in manner, and very cautious
 in expressing an opinion about knot ty point in game, always prefacing
 his remarks by 'I think" or I'm not sure" He and Wyllie have played no fewer than six championship matches,
 the net result of which is that Wyllie is
 three games ahead, while Martins I pocket is the gainer by twenty pounds. The last important match Martins en- gagged in took place in Glasgow nine wears ago. when c. F. Barker of Boston defeated him by three wins to one with l forty-five drawn games. For many l years Wyllie and Martins have acted
 as peripatetic instructors to the ampl- tious draughts players of England and Scotland. Their services are constantly l in request, and proud, indeed, IS the
 budding champion when he manages to
 draw @ game with either of the Vete-
 rans. Skill at draughts is not usually
 associated with the musical facuity, l but Martins and another celebrated l player. James Moir are notable eXcep-
 tions. The former is a skilful yiollnlst, | while the latter possesses rich, we'll
 trained tenor voice.
 /, The champion of the world (until | beaten by Jordan in Glasgow on June l 19) was James Ferrie, born at Greenock I of Irish parents in 1857. He has played draughts since boyhood, and when only eighteen years of age he carried off the championship of the Greenoek Yelling ton Draughts club. Next year he won
 the first prize in the Glasgow Central club handicap, and he has contested numerous matches and has never been defeated until this year in a set en- counter, his most important victories having been over Reed of America, Bryden of Glasgow, and Willie. He met the last-named gladiator in Glas- goW last year. The match attracted a l great deal of attention, and was per- haps the most important contest of the kind ever played. It was in truth a meeting of a man in his prime With one whose intellectual vigor, great as it had been, had now begun to show signs of decay From the very first the issue
 was never in doubt, and when the l eighty eighth game ended in q draw, 1t
 was mutually agreed to terminate the match the score then being-Ferrie l3 l wins, Wyllie 6 wins drawn 69. All the openings were tried, and many beauti- l full lines Of play disclosed. An inter- | esting fact in connection with the en-
 counter was that Wyllie only secured
 one game with the white pieces, while
 Ferries wins comprised seven with the
 black and six with the white men. l Ferrie who Is a joiner, is a singularly sunassuming person. In helping to re- fmoye the difficulties of a beginner he is
 always ready to oblige.- Chambers Journal.