TRICKETT AND HANLAN

Auckland Star, Volume XI, Issue 3219, 13 November 1880, Page 3

TRICKETT AND HANLAN

The great race between Trickett and Hanlan for the championship of the world comes off on Monday, The following letter describing Hanlan's exploits appeared in the London "lieferee " :—" Sir, —Now that Trickett has arrived in your midst to awakea you from the apathy which aquatic affairs seem to have fallen into in old linglaud, a few words regarding our little man (Hanl.ni) may be ef interest to your readers. First, I would like to say a few words regarding Hanlan's defeat at Providence. I have read all your remarks regarding it, and I am sure you wrote it all in good faith, believing your authority to bo reliable. Yet, when I give you what I know to be tha real cause of hii breakdown you will, I am sure, be willing to do our plucky representative justice. Hanlan, in the latter end of August, 1879, put himself into strict training to meet C. E. Courtney, and row him five miles on Chautauqua Lake. Yon know the result of that; but Hanlan, lest Courtney should propose to row him somewhere south, kept himself in training (that winter being exceptionally mild) until pretty well on in January, when he rested to about the Ist March, and then went into strict training again. When he left here for Washington he was within 21b of his rowing weight, but, owing to the change from oar bracing northern climate to the excessively warm weather which seemed to have struck Washington about that time, he lost in flesh considerably, and rowed both races (with Courtney and Kiley) 31b below his rowing weight. I might here mention that while walking round Washington one evening he slipped off the ed<*e of the kirbstone and gave bis side a severe wrench. He got a plaster put on it, which he wore until a short time previous to the race at Providence. Ido not blame this for what occurred in the race at Providence. When I arrived at the course that morning and saw Hanlan, I said to his most intimate friend, " I never saw Edward look worse in my life." He B?id, "Neither did I; bnt I think he can win." He had that shrivelled, drid-up appearance, tho result of overtraining. To that fclone, and nothing else, do I attribute his defeat. I have seen him every day for the past month at his hotel on the island—a splendid building— and I can tell you he is pi'iug on the flesh perceptibly every day. He looks the picture of health, and talk 3 confidently (but he never brags) of his match with 1 rickett; aud, 1 can assure you, not only the confidence ot Canada aud America, but their money also, will be with him on the day of the great race.—Yours, &c., W. T. Finlay, Torouto." "Pendragon," of thj London " Referee," has greatiy exposed his ignorance of aqnatio matters, but has already been compelled to hide his diminished head. From the first he predicted an easy defeat for Laycock, and has described the talK of Trickett's chances against Hanlan as a grim joke. It is not at all unlikely that he will have to seek some lame excuse for this prediction, as he already has had to do in the case of Laycock.