The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-02-27
Teams From the Surrounding Country
Participate in the Fun.
Men Whose Locks Are White Get
Busy With the Broom.
An Enthusiast Urges the Organization
of a Club in Mankato.
From Fridays Daily.


Vernon Center by the curriers' of Blue
Earth and Faribault counties. Eleven
teams were present from Mapleton, Ster-
ling, Vernon Center, Amboy, Winnebago
City and Bass Lake. Vernon Center is
indeed fortunate in having among her
citizens so many wideawake painstak-
ing, enterprising citizens, who are alive
to the pleasure ami interest of her
citizens. They have curling rink $50
feet in length by 80 feet in width, which
is enclosed on all sides and overhead,
and it was largely attended by the
brightest men, from this region, young
and old, business and professional men
and farmers, all vieing with each other
in a contest of skill, and enjoying this
pure, attractive, strength giving sport,
brought to US from the birthplace of the
Scottish citizens, who have always de-
lighted in plain, pure, enjoyable, unosten-
tatious sports, which give strength both
to the body and mind. This is a sport
that develops the muscles of the body
and trains the eye and mind to keen
judgment and generalship.
On this occasion were men gathered
together from twenty to eighty years
of age, all alive and keen to the business
before them, and taking an active in
terest in the sport, which is a boon to all
who have had the opportunity to follow
it and send the forty pound polished
granite stones spinning across the
smooth ice from one end of the rink to
the other, under the guidance and direc-
ton of the skip" under whom he play
ed, who is generally not only an expert
curler, but an expert in the use of the
vernacular peculiar to this game, and
who can use it to perfection and to the
redounding glory of his team when vic
tory is wrested from his opponents,
thoroughly sportsman-hke adversaries.
''Now my lad, draw it right here, (indi-
eating the place with his brooml, with
right turn. Now she comes pretty. That's
a pretty one! Don't touch it! Don't
look at it! Let it come! That's fine
play!" Or, if the whirling stone lacks
sufficient speed to carry it to the desired
spot: Bring it in my lads! Bring it
in my lads! Bring it all the way int"
And the lads to whom the skip is call
ing sweep the ice slick and clean in
front of the slowly moving stone with
such swift and rapid strokes with the
broom as to lend it new life and speed,
and the seemingly almost spent stone
follows the swift strokes of the sweepers
almost to the desired spot.
These round granite stones, polished to
a high degree, except strip around the
center, where they strike one against
another, with finely-made handles Sc
curely fastened through the center, ure-
sent a handsome appearance, and the
greater portion of them are beautifed
with bright ribbons fastened on by the
wife, daughter or sweetheart, lending
confidence and steadiness to the proud
possessor, as he starts it off for fine
play, to be complimented by his Skip"
You must not forget that here these
bright, intelligent men were wearing
tams, with red top knots at the crown,
and badges, upon which was the emblem
of the Scotch thistle, and on the close
ly contested ''end," when victory was
snatched from their opponents, or when
by meritorious playing the score was
won, the rink was filled with Highland.
yells of true sportsmenlike and victori-
GUS pride, to be heard for blocks around
and filling the onlookers with the en-
thusiasm of the players.
This is probably the last bonspiel
to be held this season in this district,
and what an enjoyable time was had,
the curling lasted to about midnight.
So deeply interested were the players
in the sport; and as is their won't the
hospitality and good fellowship of the
Vernon Center curriers' was shown by
entertaining all visiting curriers' and their
friends at a banquet Wednesday evening
at the hotel, a neat and newly renovated
hostlery, presided over by Mr.. Meagher,
and all testified to the fine treatment re-
ceived at the hands of the Vernon ladies.
At the bonspiel at Winnebago City,
which Mankato's proud Scotchman, C.
II. Nerbovig, was a member, carried off
the trophy, beautiful prize cup, which
was strongly contested for by all the
teams at the bonspiel.
It would be fitting that Mankato citi-
zens who enjoy fine outdoor sports
should follow in the steps of the pleasure
loving citizens south of here, and take
hand in the finest sport that the winter
season has to offer, and form a curling
club. The curriers', who have attended
this bonspiel have signifed their willing
ness and pleasure to meet Mankato curl |
ers in bonspiel tournament the COM
ing season, and they would meet fine
lot of fellows, who would grace Mankato
with their presence on such an occasion.
And should club be organized in Man
kato, as In all probability one will be,
Mankato win extend royal welcome to |
the teams in attendance at the bonspiel. |