The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-01-24

| chdnNee are increasing Tor CURIOUS Incl-
\ dents connected vfth the game 10 hap
| pen, says Dr. ]. c.. Mcpherson. author OF
! Golf. Past and Present" We hear OF
| one golfer killing swallow with "A tre-
| mendous drive. aud getting the bird
] stuffed and seated on the deadly missile.
! We hear OF another feeling a sheep on the
| course. and disputing the value OF the
| carcase and we hear OF "A third driving
a ball into a gentleman's pocket and be-
| ing unable 90 play IL as II lay. Yet mar
velously few accidents occur, 20 wide
awake are all when the game is being
| played.
The days were when astounding feats
| were regularly chronicled, real tours dc
force; but these did not necessarily es-
tablish the players position a. first class.
a century ago, FOR instance, Mr. Brown,
or Edinburgh. won bet OF a gallon OF
whisky by successfully meeting Z histor-
! zeal challenge Hugo Arnot, In critical
note on the Letters 1f Topham. about
1775, remarked that the author has been
pleased 30 make the summit of Arthur.
Seat, and of the other hills in the neigh
borhood Of Edinburgh. fields Tor the
game OF golf. Were person 20 play ball
from the top OF Arthur's Seat, NJ would
probably have 20 walk half mile be-
foro he could touch IL again And we will
venture 20 say that the whole art of
man could not play the ball back again"
Little did the writer count on a golfers
prowess and perseverance,, For Mr.
Brown succeeded in driving a ball from
the golf house, Bruntsfield links, over Ar
thurs Seat. IN one less than the challenge
number OF forty-iive strokes.
IN ilas bets were taken IN the Burgess
Golhns society that M two members
could be found capable ~ driving a ball
over the spire OF ST. Giles Cathedral
Edinburgh. Messrs. Scales and Smalle
were selected 10 perform this formidable
al Ia ~ afw hal lla
each. The balls passed considerably
higher than the weathcT-cock. and were
found nearly opposite the Advocates
Close The bet was decided early IN the
morning for fear OF accident. The reGuir-
cd elevation was obtained by barrel
sthve, suitably rixed. and the height of
the s,eepie was l61 feet Shortly after
ward. for a bet, ball was driven by Mr..
Mclean over Melville's monument in
the new town Of Edinburgh.
II is recorded OF deSterous player
that. being accustomed 20 play much
alone, he would strike on three balls
from one hole 20 another (the distance
between them being about 500 yards).
with a certain number OF strokes. 50 pre-
cisely. that. on the putting green Of the
second hole, the balls would be lying
within reach OF his club from each other.
II IL also recorded Of that mighty swi.
per." Rev. Or. Carlyle of Inversk. near
Edinburgh Gupitcr Cariyle), that he sur
pTised Garrick the famous actor, when
HIS guest az Hampton, by driving bail
through the archway OF the garden into
the Thames once out OF three strokes.
When Lord Justice Clerk Monorloff was
playing a foursome with Lord Ruther-
ford Clark Mr.. Crawford, n. N.and Mr.
Blair, W. S.. Mr.. Crawfords ball iay
about eighty yards from the hole: the
stick with the flag happened not 10 be
quite ia the hole, as IL ought 10 have
been. but about a foot away. Mr. Craw-
ford PLAYED with his cleek. struck the
stick, and hole the hall LORD Moncrieff
played next: he wac yard or two nearer
the hole. He also played with his cleek,
struck the stick. and went ~ thus halv
ing the hole. According 90 the doctrine
of chances, how unlikely that this should
happen
One day when Mr.. James Balfour. faith
er OF the eX-sInateur champion, Mr.. Les
lie Bslfour Melville was playing against
Sir Hope Grant. curious incident oc-
CURED. They were going 10 the high hole
coming home. on ST Andrews links. AL
Ian Robertson. the world champion, hap
rened to be at the hole. and held up the
Nag Sir Hope strutK OF ffEt. IUd went
into the hole In one, on which Allan flung
the Rag into the air. hr. Baifour cried;
Come, / have this for the half. and
played He went about a foot from the
hole, and easily hofed two. Never was
that hole lost In two before or since.
We have a similar case al Musselbursh
In big match. not much remembered
was between Willie Park, sr., and Bob
Dow, for a good sum OF money, over
VI holes. In the whole match Dow 0who
was playing an exceptionally brilliant
game against the four times holder OF
the champion bclO was one up and one
To play Ths last is comparatively
short hole. The putting green IN on
tableland beyond a nasty bunker Dow
confident In being dormy, played mag
nhcent shot with HE cleek-lo yards-to
the home hole. and lay a foot and half
from the hole A thousand - one was
then given on the match IN favor OF Dow.
The immense crowd vas go certain OF
Dow's success that not even the most en-
thusiasiic supporter Of Park dare say
word IN his favor. Willie, however, play
ed also with HIS cleek, exactly IN the
same line, lighted on the same place, and
10 the astonishment and bewilderment ct
all and the delight of hts supporters.
amid general cheers. holed In one. thus
making all square. Park won the tie ana
tho match There has never been any
thing equal 90 it in the xolhng world. Yet
IL shows that even IN extremes one
should never give in. When man has
the innat, power OF play which may he
fully produced Just for the very stroke
reuuired he does not give tn, and in the
end ne succeeds This shot was no mere
1uke. Dow's was equally good; but the
turn on the light favored Park a little;
and this element of chance along with
skin Is In the interesting element In golf
which makes the game more fascinating
In the long run than the mechanical GER
tainty OF chess or even the almost GER
tain skill In billiards. That stroke OF
Parks at golf had In ~ more decided
charm 20 all onlookers than determined
success Of Steinitr in chess, or marvel |
Gus break OF Roberts Ia billiards. IL ~
paralyzlns when IL comes IN Just AZ the
right time
Among tho variety of incidents that
have accompanied the play for the medal |
Of St Andrews was one which occurred
In 1850. when an extraordinary tempest |
RACED Tho wind from the north was
bowling and the rain lashing Just es the |
nhnliI atarI WIS L