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

KENNETH M'RAE, OF BEAULY. I NVERNESS is famous as the birthplace of noted athletes -Charles M'Lean, Donald Ross, A. A. Cameron, and many others were born and brought up in that country ; but had no one else besides the stalwart Highlander, whose name heads this page, come from the shire, it would be famous for having produced him alone. "He that drives fat oxen, should himself be fat," and it seems that he who makes tall throws with the hammer must himself be tall, as all good hammer-throwers have been tall men, and "Kenny" M'Rae is among the tallest of them all. M'Rae stands 6 ft. 3 in. in his boots, and weighs about r S st. 7lb., while his chest measures 44 in. He was born at Wind– well, Beauly, in 1850, and, like the majority of "Men of Muscle," began to earn his living by working on a farm. From the age of twelve years until eighteen years he con– tinued at this employment, and then from tilling the soil and tending the lowing kine he ascended-or descended-to the manufacture of Scots whisky. For the next thirteen years he was engaged in producing the favourite tipple at different distilleries. As was shown in the career of the Taits, William of that family came to the front as an athlete when very young, and this was doubtless brought about by systematic training under his brother John, coupled with the fact that he did not have too much hard work at the time. When a man has engaged in an arduous employment all day he has little enthusiasm for athletics when the evening comes, unless in instances like that of M'Rae, where the love of manly feats 43