The Athletes and Athletic Sports of Scotland

44 ATHLETIC SPORTSOF SCOTLAND. is something in this, or that in 1851 therewas a lighter stone. It needsa very powerful manto throwa 21 lb. stone. There is little doubtbut that both M'Hardy and Menzies' performances at putting, place them just within the standardfor second class putters, just over 33 ft.with 22 lb., andover 40 ft. with 16 lb. More recently the leading second-class putters have been James Paton, Murthly; Donald M'Donald, Lawers ;John Scott, St. Colmes ; J. Anderson, Crieff; William Stewart, the best light weight putter of his time ; and Alexander Neilson, allof Perthshire, andWilliam Glen, lateof 93rd. In Aberdeenshire, George Mearns, (35 ft. 1 in., and 41 ft. 9 in., wi 22 lbs. and 16 lbs. at Aboyne) ;William Bremner, John Moir, Archibald Robertson, In Banffshire, William Stewart and Jas. Stewart (afterwards of Glasgow), J. M'Hardy. In Inverness -shire, Th. Campbell,Beauly, D. M'Lennan, A. Michie, J. R. Aitken, Donald Frazer. Amongst amateurs, K, Whittonand D. Lundie, While mainly concerned with Scottish athletes in Scotland, the present work would be incomplete without aglance at the best performances of Scottish and other athletes abroad, who practise Scottish feats. D. C. Ross and G. M. Ross, in the United States,and C. M'Hardy, in Australia, natives of Scot­ land, and begun their athletic career before leaving Scotland, have made theirreputation and best performances out of Scot­ land. The threemay be said to be just on the balancebetween the first and second class. But undoubtedly the best perfor­ mances everdone out of Scotland, and it is question whether they are not the best performances in putting ever done anywhere, have been accomplished by C. J. Currieand JohnD. M'Pherson, both of Scottish parentage, but natives of Canada. The following are the weights anddistances, Scottish style, in a match between Currie and M'Pherson, in 1888 :—21 lb. 9 oz. ball, Currie, 38 ft. 7 in., equal to 38 ft. with 22 lbs; 20 lb. ball, slightly over weight, M'Pherson, 40 ft. 11^ in,, which is the record for a 20 lb. ball; 17 lb. 9oz., 43 ft.4 in.; 15 lb. 8 oz., 46 ft. rof in,, equal to about 46 ft, with 16 lb, Currie only a few inches behind each time with last three weights. Currie,