THE CATOWA

The following article is taken from a publication written by Herbert Milnes and produced by the Oxford Museum in April, 1976.

FOREWORD

This year of 1976 will be long remembered in Canada for this is the year we are to be honoured by the holding of the Games of Olympiad XXI in our country.

Perhaps more important to Oxford County in general, and to the Zorras in particular, this is the year in which the great tug-of-war trophies were returned for safekeeping to the Oxford Museum, after many years in exile.

It is fitting therefore, that the yellowed news items be re-examined before they are fallen to dust. The story of thirteen years of strenuous competition by the brawn sons of Zorra, has been oft told in outline, but in using all the essential facts as gleaned from a multitude of old and not so old clippings, and consolidating them into a bulletin, with added photographs, will bring alive again, and recall many forgotten incidents in the deeds of Zorra's former MEN OF MIGHT.

The Zorra 1893 Champions

Alex Clark
William R. Munro

Robert McLeod
E. L. Sutherland
(Captain)

Ira Hummason
Robert McIntosh

Many theories have been advanced to account for the name "Zorra"; none of them proven. Outside its immediate environs, it is doubtful if more than a handful had ever heard the name, or having heard it, had the vaguest idea where the place might be situated.

But that was before the quiet and unassuming "Mighty Men of Zorra" had made the name a household word by beating the best tug-of-war teams in the world, and emerged as champions on July 4th, 1893 at Chicago World's Fair.

Lucknow Trophy

During the 1880's and 1890's, nearly every township in Oxford and other counties had its tug-of-war team; and a group of men who all lived within walking distance of Embro decided to form a team, more as a joke than anything. They called themselves the "Zorras" after their home township. One of their earliest victories was over the men of the neighboring township, Nissouri, followed by wins in four successive years over Dereham's best. Their local success led them to look for fresh fields to conquer outside the county, spurred on no doubt by their gleeful fellow farmers. The original joke turned a little more serious when they met and beat the "Lucknow Giants" of Bruce County, and also the best that Brant County could produce. Feats of strength such as tossing the caber, shot putting, throwing the hammer and tug-of-war had always been the forte of the Scottish Clans, and these descendents of the Clans were no exception.

Tug-of-War was not so much a sport as an exhibition of sheer power, and in those days was not the diluted form such as is often witnessed at today's picnics, where the contestants usually end up in hilarious piles on the ground. Its seriousness is proven by its being included in the Olympic Games from 1900 until 1920. During the years towards the close of the last century the "Zorras" were willing to meet any and all in contests of physical strength, endurance and dogged determination. Training for such events could not be specialized as such; and practices could not be undertaken other than in actual contest, for there were none in the district who could pretend to offer any competition.

Yet among their members was Billy Munro, whose whip-steel muscles made him eagerly sought at community barn-raisings; Ira Hummason who could carry two 115 lb. anvils at arms length; the anchorman, Bob McIntosh who could successfully resist the pull of two heavy draught horses once got set in position. Except for their height - all over six feet - they would not strike any observer as particularly powerful men - that is, until they were seen in action. As a matter of fact their average weight was usually twenty to twenty-five pounds lighter than their opponents.

A tug-of-War team consisted of five pulling members and a non-pulling captain, whose function it was to determine, during a pull, when his team should "hold" (thus taking something of a rest); and by watching the opposing team carefully for signs of weakness or error, when he should call "heave" at the opportune moment. In other words, he provided the strategy, whilst the rest of the team supplied the energy. The object of the contest was to pull the marker - a ribbon tied in the centre of the rope - towards your own side and over a line on the ground, two feet distant from a centre line.

About the time the "Zorras" had gone as far as they could in gaining victories in Canada, they fired the imagination and active co-operation of James Sutherland, himself a Zorra man and member of parliament for North Oxford (later to become a member of the Laurier Cabinet). He was "Royal Chief of the Order of Scottish Clans in North America", and so had wide connections with Highland groups both in the United States and Canada. He took the team under his wing personally, and having learned a series of matches to be held in the city of Buffalo, decided his team should have the opportunity of competing against the best in North America.

August 14th, 1888.

Buffalo Trophy

They did; and on the above date, swept all before them, including the team from Buffalo and Rochester, both of which were commonly regarded as top contenders for the crown of North America. In the contest with Rochester, which was to be the best two out of three pulls, the first pull was so rapid that the Rochester team called "Foul"! The phlegmatic Zorras did not even bother to argue; but quietly suggested another pull, and this time there was no room for argument - the Rochesters discovered that the first pull had not been a fluke, for they were pulled right off their feet. So the doughty Zorras returned with a fat purse and received the coveted trophy, on one side of which was engraved,

"Tug of War Trophy
Won at Buffalo
by Team From
Clan Sutherland C.G.S. No. 37
Aug. 4th, 1888

(The C.G.S. probably meant Caledonian Games Society), and on the other side,

"TEAM
Ira Hummason. Jno. Clark.
Robt. McLeod. Robt. McIntosh.
Chief Smith.
CAPTAIN
Jas. Sutherland Esq. M.P.

After this victory, nothing more is heard of them for two years, and it has been said, jokingly perhaps - or perhaps not - that it took that length of time to recover from the strain of competition, or probably from the wild celebrations in Embro on their return home. These carryings-on did not please Robert McLeod, the only non-drinker on the team, and he is said to have threatened to quit the team if the rest did not mend their ways. Not that they were drunkards, simply that whiskey was cheap and plentiful in those days, and was about the easiest thirst quencher on hand, particularly when a crowd of proud well-wishers wanted to show their appreciation.

-- to be continued --