| Fact & Fantasy: A History of Tavistock & District | Tennis - Page 102 |
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TENNIS As early as 1902, tennis was a popular game for the young gentry of Tavistock. A photograph in the Lemp collection shows Mr. Lorne McTavish and Mr. John Lemp Jr enjoying a set on a court located on Oxford Street, east of the new home of Lorne McTavish, the local bank manager, We can remember courts on the lawns in front of the Maples, a good clay court on the Holley lawn opposite the station, another about 1925 at 66 Hope St East, and finally in the thirties and forties on the Neil Wettlaufer property at the end of Mogk Street, where th Mayne Kleins have their residence. Owing to his generosity, Mr. Wettlaufer used to rent us the property and take care of tapes and rolling for the sum of $55 per year. - a double court at that. He and Mrs. Wettlaufer had a love for young people, that included not only their own two, Eileen and Harold Wagner, but all in the Village. The Gazette of July 9, 1903 reports a tournament with the following participante: J.A. Scott, Walter L.Veit, Dr. Steele, A.R. McEachern, A. Steckle, F.H. Leslie, L.A. McTavish, G. King, C. Wilker, H. Zimmerman, F. Krug, Mr. Guyatt. The winners were: Scott and Veit. In later issues the visits of New Hamburg and Stratford Clubs are reported. Through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Wettlaufer, tennis activity reached its peak in the thirties. From an old record book in the files of Len Lemp, we find that in 1926 the Westminster Guild of Knox United Church had an active club, raising $138.81 by means of a garden party, out of total receipts of $365.26. Membership cost $2 per individual, $5 per family. There were nine family and forty-seven individual cards issued. From the files of The Gazette we learn: "The Tennis Club initiated by the Westminster Guild of Knox United Church and later identified as the Tavistock Tennis Club has completed its first year's operations and it is very gratifying to all members and supporters to know that the club met with an undreamed of success. It is non-denominational and every church and religion is represented in its members.....The success is due in no small way to the Westminster Guild and Rev. H.G. Crozier, who spared no effort to put over the project....... The Club had its ups and downs but in 1932-1936 it had entries in the Inter-county League with Ayr, New Hamburg, Baden and Stratford, the last one a replacement for Drumbo of 1934, and in the Western Ontario Central Dist. "B" Series with two Stratford teams, and St, Marys. The officers of 1935 were elected on April 25: Pres. - Ross Phillips The club won the Intercounty Trophy two years in a row, 1934, 1935 With the sale of the grounds and loss of interest, this splendid game has disappeared in our Village. Baden and New Hamburg clubs suffered the same fate but have been revived in 1967. We are given to understand that the club still has a bank account of nearly $100 in our local branch, with Mrs. Elmer (Ruthe) Haveling and Lorne Merklinger as co-signers. CRAZY OVER HORSES There was a day when all good Tavistonians followed the horses, as racing fans, or more closely as owners and drivers. The track in our Queen's Park was used as training ground, although actual races were never held on it. First and foremost runs the Eel, termed the Grey Ghost by the former editor of The Gazette, "Chick" Appel. Says Chick: "This famous pacing stallion bore the pedigreed name of Silver Joe on being foaled. This information was given me by my late mother's uncle, Mr. John Kuhl of Kitchener. Mr. Kuhl was part owner of the horse before it was sold to Mr. Frank W, Entricken, 15th Line East Zorra. Mr Kuhl visited our home on his way to the matched race with Minor Heir somewhere in the U.S.A. According to Mr. Art William's article of January 8, 1965, Mr. Entricken turned the colt over to Dan McEwen of London to train. As a four-year old he won $20,000, his best year. In 1907 it was found necessary to change his name to the Eel in order to get competition. His first race under this name was at the Ottawa Ice Derby. McEwen had unknown hands exercise him but took over himself for the actual race, which he won in a walk and picked up the nick-name The Grey Ghost because of his speed...... The Tavistock Gazette of December 15, 1910 carries a full page account of his race at Detroit on September 23, 1910. "Proud Record of the Grey Ghost" The famous racing stallion died at Columbus, Ohio. The despatch of Friday afternoon, stating that the Eel had died, came as a great surprise to the followers of the harness horse game in this portion of the province. The "Grey Ghost" was one of the gamest and most honest little "wigglers" that ever looked through a bridle and the breeding industry suffered a great loss by his death. "For the past five year, Enbtricken's grey stallion has bulked large in harness racing in North America. This year he showed more speed than ever before and it was hoped that he would retire with a record of two minutes, something unheard of in a hobbled pacer. "In early days, he was known as Silver Joe, bought for $180 in Michigan by Mr Entricken on advice of Dan McEwen, who developed him on the Queen's Park track in London. Four or five years ago the entries in the $1000 stallion race at Ottawa ice races were announced and among them was the Eel. No one knew the mount and ignored him, even the bookmakers, but his owner and one or two friends backed him the limit." |
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