A nee dotes, of Former Days 239 



race, for as he struck out for the last time the blade of 

 his skate snapped right in half, which must have caused 

 him to lose if it had happened but a few yards earlier. 



A very keen angler, Mr. Simpson was one of the 

 earliest Englishmen to visit the now celebrated river 

 Namsen, in Norway, and famous sport he had there. The 

 heaviest fish he killed was 37 lb., though one of 30 lb. 

 gave the greatest play. Five others between those two 

 weights, and so large a number of smaller ones, that at 

 last there was no more room to make any more " nicks " 

 on the rod to record each fish, made up an extraordinary 

 " bag," even for Norway. 



It may be added that Mr. Simpson, for more than 

 twenty-five years, has kept his stables filled with hunters 

 and carriage-horses entirely of his own breeding, while 

 the prizes are innumerable that he has won with them 

 at the local shows. Twice, since he was eighty years of 

 age, has it happened to him to see his birthday in, when 

 at a ball in York, and certainly on one occasion he 

 was one of the first at the meet on the following 

 morning. Verily he may be termed the G.O.M. of York- 

 shire, for he has taken a foremost place among the 

 sportsmen who have made their county's name so famous. 



Another great Yorkshireman was lately taken from 

 us, Mr. Eichard Johnson, the famous north-country racing 

 judge, who died on Thursday, 7th April 1898, in his 

 eighty-fifth year. He was born in York in 1813, and 

 lived in that city all his life, beloved by everyone who had 

 the pleasure of his acquaintance. No keener-witted or 

 more straightforward man ever existed, and nothing ever 

 put him out ; whatever the company, and however great 

 the excitement the same measured, courteous language, 



