Men of Muscle, and the Highland Games of Scotland, etc.

... DONALD DINNIE OF ABOYNE. Dinnie was a power in the land before he went to reside in Australia. But "while the cat is away the mice will play," and jealousy, like the mice, had been busy in his absence, and reports, persistently circulated, had led many people to believe that Dinnie's throws and victories were myths, and as fabulous as many other old stories of feats of strength. The public have short memories, and '' The (!Vil that men do lives after them The good is oft interred with their bones." Thus Dinnie's few defeats were loudly announced, but little was said regarding his victories. It reads so bad that Dinnie defeated So-and-so or such a one 2 5ft. or 3oft. throwing the hammer, or was 6ft. or more over all other competitors in putting, or that after Donal' had tossed the caber a couple of feet had to be sawn off ere the other entrants could get it over. It makes the others look so small. Commenting on the games at Speyside in 1878, the Aberdeen Herald said, "the most popular athletes of the day were present, topped by the redoubtable Donald Dinnie, with whom all competitors at feats of strength appeared as pigmies." There's the rub-they "appeared as pigmies" when pitted against Dinnie, and, of course, they and their many friends would wish that forgotten. But Donal's day is past, he cannot excel all other athletes any more, and now people come and vex the old man by telling him his state– ments are lies, and that he has no records. But although, according to modern rules, which are beyond all dispute the proper rules for putting and hammer-throwing, Dinnie has no records, for the reason that h·e never threw under these rules, he has records at the Aboyne games, which were carried on from 1867 until 1890 under exactly similar con– ditions each year. The same hammers, the same stones, carefully preserved, and the same ground. At these games