74 Saddle and Sirloin. 



Thompson, and always sweet on Beckford and Sun- 

 beam. 



Thomlinson, of Embleton, and Chapman had many 

 a hard bout, and it was a very near thing between 

 them. Jonathan was a strong and a desperate fellow, a 

 leary man in taking hold, but a still worse one to deal 

 with when he had taken it. His forte was left leg 

 striking, and clicking inside the heel ; and he never 

 could tell how he was "flung like a bairn at Peerith" 

 by Joe Abbot. The latter was brought up a farmer ; 

 but had as much as would keep him, and loved wrest- 

 ling better than mud studies. He was very clever 

 when he put out his full powers ; but " he required a 

 little clapping on the back " when a champion was 

 crossing the ring to meet him. Banks Bowe was a 

 big one and a tough one, and John Blair, of Solport 

 Mill, a strong, good man. He threw in the final fall for 

 the belt at Carlisle a great fell-side champion, Elliott 

 of Cumrew, who had the credit of bringing up the 

 hank chip. If he put in the buttock, and was stopped, 

 he then tried on this hank, and, as it were, twisted his 

 leg round his opponent's leg, and locked it. The old 

 school thought it " about nowt." In fact, a man is 

 generally beaten when he puts it in, and when it comes 

 to a hug, he loses four falls out of five through it. 



Few men are better remembered than Robert Gor- 

 don, who stood wide of his man, won twice, and was 

 five times second at Carlisle. He was about five feet 

 nine, and never more than twelve stone, and scarcely 

 a man in England could throw him, if they missed 

 him with their first chip. Those who wrestled with 

 him said that he was " nowt but a heap of bones" and 

 he held his- man so tight, that many of them lay down 

 to him rather than be " squeezed to bits in yon vice'' 

 He could hold Chapman, although " Dick " threw him 

 twice for the belt at Carlisle, and had the best of him on 

 the balance of falls. " Bob," as it were, " wrought his 

 man down!' when the chip had missed, and pulled 



