Cricket 1909

J u l y 15, 1909. CRICKET: A WEEKLY RECORD OF THE GAME. 259 The construction of the Demon Drivers is fully described in The Evolution of a Cricket Bat , which may be obtained free upon applica­ tion. im m i CRICKET IMF ROVED M AKE-KEEP THEIR S HAPE-LAS ■' LO N C E R f C A T A L O G U E U P O N A P P L IC A T IO N . C A T A L O G U E U P O N A P P L IC A T IO N . FOOTBALLS IMPROVEDMAKE-KEEP THEIR SHAPE-LASTLONGER C A T A L O G U E U P O N A P P L IC A T IO N . 8 f_DEMON DR IV ER S R a r e OUT AND OUT THE B ES T. J O other grades 4 'n -4 '3 rS -3 f'^ -2 /- C A T A L O G U E U P O N A P P L IC A T IO N T O GEO. G. BUSSEY & Co.. L td . 36 & 38, Queen Victoria St., LONDON. Manufactory — Timber Mills — PECKHAM, S.E. ELMSWELL, SUFFOLK, Agents all over the world. SOME REMINISCENCES OF “ THE SURREY POET.” When I recently penned the verses “ To Yorick,” I had no idea that his condition was still serious, and the notice of his death on Thursday came as a severe shock. Although I never knew him in private life, I had met him so many times as one of the spectators he was so proud of captaining that it is no figure of speech to say that I feel I have lost a personal friend. Public cricket has lost more, for Craig filled a perfectly unique position and in a quite inimitable manner. One shudders at the thought of any new upstart trying to fill his shoes. I used to preserve his leaflets and booklets more out of respect to him than them, although their spirit was always admirable. livelihood ? And even the stock tags which he was bound to use, with the recurrence of similar circumstances, were all of his own invention. And little less astonishing than this originality, in a man who made no pro­ fession of culture, was the delicacy and courtliness with which he could imply a rebuke or convey a compliment. I was once with a lady at Lord’s and, wishing her to meet this “ character,” I beckoned to Craig as he was hurrying past. He clambered up over several seats and shaking hands with me said, “ I would come a mile to you , sir! ”—a charming tribute to the lady present. On another occasion I am sure several lady friends were gratified by his saying confidentially , “ I did not expect so much beauty, as well as rank, down here ! ” And who among the stern sex was not pleased when Craig accosted them with “ Hullo, sir, Photo by] “ THE SURREY I*OET. [“ Cricket. But what he lacked in literary polish it was remarka.ble that be more than made up for by a wonderful command of spoken speech. How often I have heard him suddenly rap out a phrase that could not have been improvedon in sense or wording by careful choice. His talent was more than art: he was a pure genius and one of his kind. Always with that merry eye (despite the tell-tale of his temples) and quaint assumption of humility, hhs humorous manner matched and fitted the exquisite good things he tickled the crowd with; and although they naturally disappoint by repetition, if you cannot con­ jure up the original speaker and conditions, no combination of W. E. Gilbert and Dan Leno in one man could ever have improved on him in their first production and delivery. Everything about Craig was original. Did ever a man select so remarkable a means of what a lot of you old internationals there are about ” ? or “ What, you here, sir ? Why I just met the Mayor of somewhere else ” ? Even the bald flattery of his address to us in general gave pleasure : “ Is there any gentle­ man I’ve overlooked before I go amongst the public?” “ The intelligent portion of the crowd ” (which was wherever he happened to be). “ You gentlemen who ought to be playing for your counties ” (when we were a bit critical of the game); and “ You gentle­ men who are the backbone of the game ” (when there were only a few of us present). You never felt positively certain that he was chaffing. I was several times present when he exercised his captaincy of the crowd, and how unobtrusively he did it! I remember one occasion (the Kent match at the Oval in 1893, I think it was) when, mingled in a