Sporting notions of present days and past

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166 SPORTING NOTIONS
tion are not acquainted with the very pleasant
gossipy writings for which "The Old Buffer"
(Mr Frederick Gale) was responsible. Fred.
Gale, of Mitcham, Surrey—or, as "F. G."
would put it, " of Surrey in the County of
Mitcham "— was a very ardent sportsman in
many ways, who had been playing games, helping
others in that direction, and gathering anecdotes
on all manner of sports, men, and cities from his
youth, even before he went to Winchester, I
should say, till he reached his fourscore. Afraid
is a word used advisedly in my opening sentence,
for those who missed the articles and paragraphs
issued from " The Old Buffer's " armchair lost
much amusement and edification from a raconteur
and lecturer, keen himself, especially on cricket,
and ever preaching keenness, cleanliness in sport
or pastime, and manliness. When arrived at what
most people consider old age, Mr Gale was warm
as a boy in enthusiasm for his favourite game-
--cricket—and so strong in pluck that he started
to leave England intending to settle down in
Canada for the rest of his time. Later he
returned to the Old Country and took cricket
mostly at Kennington Oval and Lord's under his
wing again.
Of him and the late Dr Jones, great cronies,
members of the Surrey County Cricket Club
Committee, any number of amusing stories might
be told. I can hear poor Fred. Gale telling some
of them now, sitting in the Surrey Pavilion or at
Canterbury, on the St Lawrence Ground, as he
sucks at his old briar pipe and aggravates the
Doctor almost into bad temper. One little
incident, I think, neither the one nor the other
would forget to his last day. Dr Jones, an
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