The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-01-31
WNNEPEG GETS /.
IF BIG B0NSP|EL
Curriers' Will Be There From
AL Ports of the Country
Interest Very Keen

over a week before the first rock will
be thrown which will inaugurate VIM
nipeg's twenty-fourth bonspiel. inter-
est in Americas biggest winter sport
ing event which opens February 8. is
becoming very keen. But the interest
this yea is greater tina min former
years from the fact hat the Scottish
visitors at the curling canival. which
is expected to attract hundreds OF
curriers' who otherwise would not take
the time to take in the spiel. That a
record number of Kinks will enter the
events this season is a foregone con-
clusion as Is already shown by the
large number of names which have
been received b ythe secretary. which
is away ahead of the number received
at the same time last year. Many are
Of the opinion that the list will be
around the 200 mark. but the veteran
secretary. J.. F. Robertson. Is over
optimistic over the prospects Inc he
believes that at least ESQ Kinks will
enter the first draw, and he Is hoping
that 1t will reach 25G. so that 1t will
mean an even draw.
All Points Represented.
The prospects are exceedingly good
for one Of tho most representative
b%onspiels aver held here. as 1t is ex-
pecteu lHdl IlilkS VIII iOe present from
every we'll known curling point In
Canada and the United. States. besides
the seven Scottish Kinks. which have
entered all the open events. There
will be curriers' from the Yukon. Brit
ish Columbia. Alberta. Saskatchewan,
not forgetting the many Kinks from
the Manitoba. towns and villages. The
cream Of the Ontario curriers' are ex-
pected this year. as several crack
SktnC Houa n1NooH1- oSntor~I rr1 IL a.
certain that Montreal vii lbe repre-
sented this winter. OF course the
Americans will he along in force with
Kinks from st. Paul. Minneapolis and
Duluth besides several towns in the
states of Minnesota and Dakota. With
such a. collection of curriers'. which
will congregate from the above places,
there is every reason to believe that
the Winnipeg bonspiel of 1912 will he
by far the greatest in its long and
glorious history.
Greatest in the World.
1t was twenty-four years ago when
Winnipeg held its first bonspiel and
for twenty-four years Mr.. Robertson
has been on the job as secretary, so
that he has seen the Manitoba Curling
association grow to he the greatest
curling organization in the world.
Starting in a small way in 1855. with
only a few clubs. curling has increas-
ed to such an extent in popularity in
the west that. every city, village and
hamlet has its curling Kinks, and the
association has now some $50 clubs
upon its 'roll. 1t growth has been
such from year to year that IL has be-
come of as much Importance to the
business community of Winnipeg in
winter as the industrial exhibition in
summer. This was brought about to
a l2YrN ,aYtanf Inv 1fh,,cioc,,, I,1, <ho
enthusiasm of Secretary Robertson,
who for three months has been pre-
pairing for tho event, and by the en-
thusiasm of the men round him. the
president n odcers of the Manitoba
Curling association. For weeks the
council has been meeting and plan
ming every de%tail--large and small
and when the last meeting takes place
preparatory to the bonspiel. those men
who have worked SO hard will have
reason to congratulate themselves. for
the success of the bonspiel is assur-
ed.
Many City Kinks.
The bonspiel this year will be by no
means local in character. though 1t is
expected that the city Kinks will fur
nish at least 100 Kinks. there being
should average about a dozen Kinks
each for the big gathering. Of curse
there will be many new skips in the
fray this season. and no doubt there
will be several new cracks unearthed
and it will take several days to pick
out dark horses. as there is seldom
u bonspiel passes without some new
skip gaining renown. But there will
be the old and tried skips. veterans
Of many a hard fought battle, who
have beer regular attendants, who
can always be depended upon to make
81 good showing. There will he men
who took up the sport only a COM
paratively few years ago, and others
who r coming to pick up some of
the fine points of the game from the
finest curriers' in the world. Young
and old will mix. for are they not