Athletic Items.

On September 15th Westing, the American amateur, lowered the 75yds record to 7 4-sth sees, and on the Bth of that month V. E. Schefferstein, of 'Frisco, won the Western Amateur Championship for 100 yds at St Louis, VS., in 9 4-Sth sec. David Ford of Christchurch is willing to wrestle James Dunn in a five-style match, and will probably have a chance at New Year as the Dunns will be in Christchurch about that time. Searle is the youngest man who ever held the title'of champion oarsman. Joe Scott did not leave Home in October in consequence of a challenge from Hibbard. He put down £100 for Hibbard to eorer, and also a challenge to the world. Nuttall, who has iron nineteen swimming championships, this year appropriated the ,/ 100 yds amateur swimming championship of England in lmin 6Jsec. beating the previous record by 2Jsees. Nuttall was born at Manchester August 31, 1870, stands Bffc s|in and weighs lOst lib. John S. Barne<i,a well-known professional sprinter, has fallen heir to a fortune of £20,000 in the three per cents, with a mansion and estate in the parish of Aughloo, „ County Tyrone. Scotch athletes hare this year been doing some fast work. John Allan reduced the 600 yds recordtolminl74-sthEec; thendoira to lmin 16 2-sthsec; three miles were run by D. 8. Duncan in 15min 32 4-sthsec,and one mile by, J. Blunde in 4min 30 l-sthseo and D. S. Duncan in 4min 28sec. The Wellington Evening Press understands that Rimini, a Wairarapa Maori, whoso forte is running, has agreed after a deal of persuasion to enter for some big sports at Melbourne! Dick Matthews is now showing on the West Coast, but his hands are so bad that he can only play light, and contents himself, as a local paper puts it, " by showing how easy it is to put a man out of a contest under the Marquis of Queensbery's rules without knocking him out or ' putting him to sleep,' as it is called in the phrase of the 1 fancy.' " At Westport the toughest of his opponents could only last three rounds. Slavin has been backed against the world for £500 a side. He Las lately met with » nasty accident, a penknife falling from his hand and entering his instep. Beach, after the race between Searle and Kemp, remarked to Kemp's backer .•— " He is a wonder; I never saw so fast a man in my life. We have been fairly beaten by a better man." Searle's backer said he would make a wager of £1000 that Searle would rovr the measured mile against the wind and break 6min. At the St. Andrew's Caledonian gathering at Christchurch last week, the high jump was won by B. Shule, who cleared 6ft 7in/ The vaulting with the pole contest was won by Cameron, who cleared 10ft Sin. More record lowering. At the Fall games of the London Athletic Club at Stamford Bridge on September 22, E. H. Polling did the 250 yards in' 24mins 4-sth sees, the previous record being Harry Hutchens' at Botany N.S.W., 25isees, on January 24 1887, and C. J. Wood (amateur) 25^secs. O'Connor who beat Teenier p4 November 29 on the Potomac for £2Ooa»ide, is a native of Toronto and has defeated both Lee and Gaudaur recently. He is,, greatly fancied by American!, and first made a name for himself 8 months ago by beating a crack Californian named Peterson. Lee says. O'Connor is the best oarsman in the world, h and Peterson Agrees vrith him. As both™ O'Connor and Teenier are likely to be in Australia next month, we may shortly expect to hear of a match with Searle, and an oxciting race for the Cnampionship. Accounts of the Seth-Murphy fight are to hand from Australia. Thongh conceding the Englishman Ist 3lhs Billy made a grand struggle for victory. From the start he went in to force the fighting, hitting hard, but Seth proved clever and tricky using Ms left effectively. At tho end of the second round the work had been so hard that the men fell against ono another, but they came up briskly for the tßird round. Murphy played for a knock-out blow and Seth put in some clever punishment, fighting the New Zeolander to a standstill. Both were very tired. Murphy pulled himself together for another effort, but his lack of weight told against him. The excitement at the close of the third round was intense, and the fourth opened vrith terrific slogging — give and take with both hands for a minute and a half — then Murphy tired bnt his opponent lacked the power to take udvantage thereof. In the fifth Murphy got home once heavily driving Seth on to the ropes in his corner, and in the sixth Seth got home with his right on Murphy's jaw finishing the contest, which was declared one of the best seen in Melbourne for a long time. Before the battle Murphy said "If I am beaten this time I will be beaten in better condition than I ever was in before." The final heats of the Prince of Waif i Birthday Handicap, on the* Carrington Grounds, Sydney, were remarkable for some excellent finishes, and a grand record by , Charlie Samuels. He was defeated by J?. Rudd (28 yards), by not more than nine inches, after one of the most exciting and desperate struggles ever seen on the grounds. His handicap was 19Jydj, and the time 12$secs. The Beach-Hanlan contest did not excite the interest that was felt of old In the races rowed by " The People's William." There •is very little fresh to be said about it, Hanlan had a lead of 2ft at 100 yds from tho start, but at Uhr*s point they, were equal, and from that out William took the lead. 36 to the minute was the speed at starting but crossing to Tennyson Beach was' roving 27 and Hanlan 29," the latter rolling considerably. Near Gladesville Beach exerted himsolf for the first time and increase his lead to six lengths, but after that he contented himself with keeping a comfortable lead, and rowed home an easy winner by two clear lengths in 21min 16see. Ned, at the settling up, acknowledged at hut that William was one too many for him, and . gave in, ' . }