WAUPACA REPUBLICAN

January 26, 1894

 

The Curlers

 

            The three rinks selected to go to the bonspiel at St. Paul left here on the morning train January 15, arriving at St. Paul late in the afternoon.  Many rinks from Winnipeg, Portage, Cambria and Milwaukee were already on the ground and were anathematizing the weather, which was so warm that it precluded the possibility of beginning the play Tuesday morning as was intended.  Tuesday afternoon a cold wave was predicted, but failed to materialize, and Wednesday morning the thermometer was higher than at any time for three days.  Wednesday noon, there being no indications of an immediate change in the weather, Williams’ and Whipple’s rinks with the exception of J.L. Sturtevant returned home. Wednesday night the long promised cold wave set in and the sport began Thursday morning, but the ice was so tough that the games were not trials of skill but of strength.  Chandler’s rink returned Saturday night, although the tournament was not finished.  They encountered remarkably strong rinks and did well considering the condition of the ice.  They defeated Cruikshank’s crack Winnipeg rink in the international match by a score of 15 to 11; they lost to McConachie’s Cambria rink - the holder of the Johnson trophy - by the close score of 13 to 14.

            The worse feature of the Waupaca part of the bonspiel was that J.L. Sturtevant got three St. Paul men to play with him, called them a Waupaca rink, and got a “severe drubbing”.  What authority Mr. Sturtevant had for getting a rink composed principally of St. Paul men a “Waupaca rink”, we do not know, but certain it is his action merits rebuke at the hands of Waupaca curlers.  He ought to have known that the game was in the hands of the three men and it was not likely they would play to defeat their own townsmen.

            There is to be a tournament at Portage February 13, which will probably be attended by one or more rinks from this city, where we trust the boys will have better success.

                                                                                                            “T HIGH STANE.”