Athletic Mems.

(By "Hutoh.")

Kemp and Searle row for the championship of the world next Saturday. According to the Melbourne Sportsman, of October 10th, Slavin has receivod a letter from Wanganui, dated September 16th. After saying " your very welcome letter" came to hand, etc., and using other gushing language, Slavin's Wanganui friend continues:— "They tell mo Laing is likely to,pay you a visit about Now Year's time. He left hero tho other day for Christchurch and Dunodm to fight Ellis and Richardson to rjlis«* onough money to toko him over to. Melbourne or Sydney. If you should happen to ineot him thero be sure to flatten him ofifc." ' 'If I spot the writer of this epistle' eorrectly, 'it is needless to say anything further than that ho is quite hypocrite onough to write to Laing in the same strain, about Slavin ; in fact, would stick at nothing in that lino if, by co doing, he could get through tho gates on the cheap. Larry Foley recently gave a boxing entertainment in his hall, the proceds to go towards assisting tho miners on strike. Bravo, Larry ! A couple of months ago I had a line or two about tho " masher crew " of American baseball players, who wero going to Australia, and who wore to be all thorough, gentlemen, provided with dross suits, and all the accessories that would fit them out in a style that would warrant them in visiting Government House tind all the aristocracy of Australia. The following are tho names of tho teams :— Tho Chicago team will bo composed of Burns, Pfcffer, Duffy, Sullivan, Williamson, Baldwin, Ryan, Daly and Tenor. Tho "All America team" will consist of Hanlon, Ward, Kelly, Fogarty, Tiernan, Wood, Carroll, and two others not yet decided upon. The team will leave San Francisco in November. A Queensland paper recently published the following canard :— " Stoddart has returned to the Old Country. Ho hurt his spino very badly in a football miteh while in Australia, and will not be able to take part in any cricket matches in England this season. Billy Murphy, stung by the strictures passed on him in the Melbourne Sportsman for " burlesquing " with .Tack Hall, ha 3 published a challenge in that medium, and deposited a tenner to showhia earnestness, backing himself against any man his own weight in Australia for from £25 aside upwards to fight to a finish. Ho says he wants to got to business at onco, as he will shortly leave for America (tho same old song), and ho wants to go as feather-weight champion of Australia. Ho is willing to concede a stono if no ono will meet him at his own weight. Some timo back I published a fow details of Green, tho wrestler, who seemed almost nnknown in tho colonies previous to his match with Connor. The following further particulars from the Sporting Life will be interesting: — "These two well-known wrestlers (Connor and Green) met at Wigan, to wrestle for £100 aside and the championship, before about 4000 spectators. Green ■nas trained by Iko Smith, Aspull; and Connor, who hails from Australia, by Walsh, of Wigan. The men have met on a previous occasion in 1882, when tho rosult was a draw.* Green got first fall, and Connor left the arena and drove away. After waiting nearly an hour for Connor, tho referee, Mr Ashurst, of Wigan, awarded the match and bets to Green. The latter gained first fall in 23min 50sec. Betting, 6t04 on Green." Poor John L. Sullivan seoms to be anywhoro but in luck's way since his fight with Chariio Mitchell. His circus venture turned out a complete failure, on August 22nd he was shot in the finger whilst holdiig"n "com to be fired at, and a cable in the San Francisco Daily Examiner, dated Boston, September 20, says :— " At 2 o'olock to-day John L. Sullivan's physician said he was worse. It is said ho is dangerously ill. Yesterday afternoon ho had a little chill, and it vrus even thought he wns dying. Later — Sullivan's physician to-night reports no bettor chnngo in the condition of the champ on. Ho however thinks that by carcbil nursing tho recovery of the patient is rossible." Sullivan's complaint is inflammation. The full record of Harry Dunn's wrestling career is unavoidably held over. Pods avo reminded that nominations for the Waverley Athletic Meeting (9th November) m nst be in the hands of Mr W. F. Kemp, the hon secretary and treasurer, not latter than 7.30 pm. on Monday noxt, 23rd inst., accompanied by fees, or they will otherwiso not be accepted. Competitors must, in all cases, send in their past performances. The Sydney Sporting Life says :— " Oaric prophesies. — Kemp will beat Hanlan, Mattcrson will overcome Neilsen, Searle will thrash Hanlan (if thoy are matched), and Searle will eventually be champion. Havclin and Murphy.tho feather-weights who recontly fought an "international draw," hove been rc-matohed, this time for £400 aside. Murphy has expressed his willingness to meot "Spider" Weir, who, it will be rememborod, made himself very objectionable to the Murphy party at the conclusion of the recent battlo. Ho is prepared to mcot tho " Spidor " in a Cft ring, and fight to a finish with skin gloves under Lbndon Prizo Ring Rules, within ten weeks frbm tlid date of signing of articlos. Murphy's backers are so pleased with him that thoy are willing to back him to the amount of 2000dol.

IL is likely that Donaten Lebeau will shortly leavo Australia for England. Norris, a well-known English pedestrian, ran 20 miles against an Arabian blood horse, for a prizo of 300 rubles, at Christowski Gardens, near St. Petersburg, Russia, on July tho 15th. It was stipulated that tho horso should trot tho whole of the distanco, boing allowed to break twenty-one times, but to bo pulled up the moment it broke, or if it galloped ovor twenty strides it was to ho disqualified. Tho track was 360 yards in circumference. Norris got off tho quickest, ond at the end of the first Inp ho was two yards ahoad. The horse continued to gain, and on tho twonty-aecond circuit lapped Norris. Tho latter recovered the load on tho sovonty-fifth circuit, and on the ninety-second ho lapped the torse, which was very tired. Norris gained rapidly in tho lust threo laps.finally winning by more than that distance, finishing at a sprint pace, in lhr Sinin lGsoc. Immediately af'or tho 'return to Melbourno of the Slavin-Hall Combination, Jnck Hall was matched against Peter Boland, and the date fixed for the contest, but the result h«3 remained a blank. The match fell through, as the interested paitios could not agree as to the convincing ground.