Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1897-11-18
The "Mixed Lonesome

The season was drawing to a close
at the Copalm Golf club and the Greens
committee was holding it's weekly
meeting at the clubhouse. Charles
RaWley, the chairman OF the commit
tee, was the spokesman. Rawley's
friends were in the habit of saying that
if he devoted more time to his duties
as chairman and less to contemplation
of his gaudy golf stockings the club
would be no loser. But on the present
occasion there certainly seemed to be
no lack of earnestness in his manner
of speaking, and the most casual OBJ
server could have seen that a matter
Of vital Importance to the welfare OF
the club was under discussion.
''I'll tell you what it is, boys" Raw
ley was saying. 1--WE have got to
lave something new for the next
tournament or no one will enter but
ourselves. We had only six entries
this afternoon-or five, if we leave out
Cissy Prescott, who only entered be-
cause of Bryce
Fright you are, Charley" said Billy
Blake, the champion of the club. Blake
was a sutton for the hand of Cissy
Prescott as we'll as Jimmie Bryce; but
he did not resent Rawley's insinuation
of her preference for his rival. He at
tributed it to jealousy. Besides, he
lad Just defeated Rawley four up and
three to play, and he could afford to
be generous. Il agree with Charley,
Blake reiterated eff we can't think
of something new we might as we'll
give up our weekly tournaments alto
gether. But what we can get for
novelty is beyond me-" he continued
thoughtfully. " We have had mixed
fcursomes' and 'bogie Matches put
ting, approaching and driving con-
tests, team matches, One-club matches,
handicap matches and championship
matches All [ can think of now is
Lucifer matches and burn up the whole
thing"
"Why don't we have a Mixed Lone
some?' inquired Jimmie Bryce, stroll
ling in at that moment, the third mem
her of the committee, the popular man
and general joker of the club. I'VE
haven't had Lonesome yet and [
believe it would be great success"
For a moment there was a dead
silence in the committee room. Meth
err Blake nor Rawley had ever heard
of a Mixed Lonesome" yet neither
young man was going to commit him
self to the statement that he had never
heard of such a thing until he was
dead sure that no such thing existed.
Under the preteXt of lighting his pipe
Blake managed to take a cursory
glance at the index of Badminton.
Then he settled himself down in his
chair again and groWled:
what a fellow you are, Jimmie! L
tell you this is no matter for joking4
We have got to get some new thing
for next Saturday of the club will be
wrecked
THAT is the reason | proposed a
Mixed Lonesome responded Blake
gravely-
There's nc such thing as a Mixed
Lonesome - cried Blake angrily. 81
defy you to find it III any book on
golf" Blake had the correct pronun-
citation and prided himself upon it.
'Of course there is such a thing as a
Mixed Lonesome replied Blake
quietly. Ii 50u'l let me manage it
We will have one next Saturday, and
l will guarantee it to be exactly the
sort of novelty the club needs"
In spite of the most persistent ques-
tioning Bryce refused to explain the
nature of the proposed contest. He
told the committee if he did not under
stand golf he was not going to teach
them at this stage of the game. He
told them they ought to go and read
up the subject-not the miserable
foreign literature, but the progressive
American publications. At the same
time he promised that if they would
the entire affair in the hands of
would assume the whole responsible
| ity. To such depths had the despera-
ton Of the Greens committee descend
! ed that they finally decided to leave
thte entire affair in the hands of
! Bryce, Notwithstanding the grumbling
and misgivings of Blake. According
| ly the following postal card was des-
! patched to every member:
"Copalm Golf Club.-On Saturday,
Sept. %, 1897, at 3 o'clock p. m, a
| MIXED Lonesome" will oe held at the
links. Members are requested to in
struct themselves upon the rules of
the contest, and all are expected to
play. A prize will be awarded the
winner. Tea at D. M
AS may be imagined, in a commun-
ity of golfers this postal card created
something more than a breeze of eX-
element. No one had ever heard of
a MIXED lonesome" ana golf litera-
ture was ransacked to learn what the
nature of this mysterious competition
might be. Many members Of the club
took occasion to write to golfiing
friends in nefghboTing communities
and one enthusiastic individual even
went so far as to telegraph to certain
golfiing celebrity in Edinboro, but
without avail. The affair became
widely advertised, public curiosity
was aroused, and on Saturday the 2Sth
the whole club turned out at the links
Guests from neighbOring clubs in
| search of novelties were present in
large numbers. In fact, such a crowd
had never been known to assemble at
the Copalm links, and the Ladies
committee, whose duty it was to pro-