The sporting public is so intrigued by the prospect of a DEMPSEY-CARPENTIER
match that other impending championship events are in danger of being
forgotten.
The present position in the challenge for the World's Halma Championship is
this. Mr. George P. Henrun is patriotically endeavouring to secure the
contest for Britain, and to that end has put up a purse of half-a-guinea.
The Société Halma de Bordeaux has cut in with a firm offer of twenty-two
francs, and the matter now remains in abeyance while financial advisers
calculate the rate of exchange in order to ascertain which proposal is the
more advantageous. The challenger, of course, is Tommy Jupes, aged twelve,
of Ashby-de-la-Zouche. His opponent, the champion, has an advantage of
three years in age and two inches in reach, but the strategy of Master
Jupes is said to be irresistible. Only last week he overwhelmed his mother,
herself a scratch player, when conceding her four men and the liberty to
cheat twice.
The public will be thrilled to hear that a match has now been arranged
between the two lady aspirants for the World's Patience Championship,
_viz._, Miss Tabitha Templeman, of Bath, and Miss Priscilla J. Jarndyce, of
Washington. To meet the territorial prejudices of both ladies the contest
will take place in mid-Atlantic, on a liner. There will be no seconds, but
Miss Templeman will be accompanied by the pet Persian, which she always
holds in her lap while playing, and Miss Jarndyce will bring with her the
celebrated foot-warmer which is associated with her greatest triumphs. The
vexed question of the allocation of cinema royalties has been settled
through the tact of Mr. Manketlow Spefforth, author of _Patience for the
Impatient_. One lady wanted the royalties to be devoted to a Home for Stray
Cats, and the other expressed a desire to benefit the Society for the
Preservation of Wild Bird Life. Mr. Spefforth's happy compromise is that
the money shall be assigned to the Fund in aid of Distressed Spinsters.
Bert Hawkins, of Whitechapel, has expressed his willingness, on suitable
terms, to meet T'gumbu, the powerful Matabele, in a twenty-ball contest for
the World's Cokernut-Shying Championship. There is however a deadlock over
details. T'gumbu's manager is adamant that the match shall take place in
his nominee's native village of Mpm, but Mr. Hawkins objects, seeing little
chance of escaping alive after the victory of which he is so confident. He
says he would "feel more safer like on 'Ampstead 'Eaf." Another difficulty
is that Mr. Hawkins insists on wearing his _fiancée's_ headgear while
competing, and this is regarded by T'gumbu as savouring of witchcraft. Mr.
Hawkins generously offers his opponent permission to wear any article of
his wives' clothing; but the coloured candidate quite reasonably retorts
that this concession is practically valueless. On one point fortunately
there is unaniminity: both parties are firm that all bad nuts must be
replaced.
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