ATHLETICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 52, 2 March 1901, Page 4 (Supplement)

ATHLETICS.

Very fair entries have been received for the Auckland A.A. and C.C.'s autumn carnival, to be held next Saturday. The 100 yds Handicap brought out 17 entrants, which is a larger number than has been usual of late; and several new names appear among the entries in the sprint events. The 120 yds hurdles has attracted five competitors, including Campbell, C. C. Laurie, and three new men. It seems quite strange to see a local hurdle race without the name of Geo. Smith among the entries, but the champion has stuck to his resolution to give the racing track a rest, and his name does not appear in any of the events. For the high jump, there are but four entries, and for the mile walk a like number. I am sorry the number of field events is so curtailed, but the meagre response Willi which they have met in the past has hardly been encouraging to the committee. The cycling events have elicited satisfactory entries, and with judicious handicapping should provide good sport. I notice several, of the League amateurs have again entered for the cycle races. Acceptances in all events are due this even-

mg. M. M. Roseingrave- writes irom. Golden Cross in reference to a match wdth George Smith over the 120 yds hurdles, and in his letter makes the following challenge: "As Pni not satisfied the best man won (on the last occasion), I will run Smith at the Auckland Cycling Club's Meeting, which is to be held in two months' time." In reply 10 this challenge, Smith tells me that he will meet Roseingrave on the Domain on any "off" day the Irishman likes, over one or three distances, provided that a couide of months are allowed in order to get into form again. Smith docs not care to run at a "cash" meeting, and the alternative conditions under which he accepts the challenge seem reasonable enough. It remains to be seen whether Roseingrave will agree to run on an off night.

I paid a visit one day this week to Mr C. N. Brown-Parker's "Academy of Physical Culture," in Hoffmann's buildings, Upper Queen-street, and spent an interesting hour looking over the gymnasium and examining the ball-punching and Sandow appliances. Mr Brown-Parker, who is a comparatively recent arrival from America, comes with excellent credentials as an athletic trainer and boxing instructor, having held amongst other positions that of instructor in the San Francisco Athletic Club. He is the first to introduce to Auckland the "ball-punching" system, by which all athletes in America are trained. It is a splendid exercise, calling into play all the muscles of the body, and developing a quickness of eye and alertness of motion in a manner that no other system of training has yet equalled. "Ballpunching" has caught on already here, and athletes and footballers will find it invaluable for training purposes,. Mr Brown-Parker also tenches boxing and the Sandow dumbbell exercises, and his assistant, Mr Geo. TL Paltridjre, is gymnastic instructor. The daily classes are being larg-ely attended.

Some eood performances were put nn at the N.Z. Caledonian Society's championship meeting at Napier last Saturday. L. C. McLachlan again showed his merit as a sprinter, winning the 100 yds championship by a yard from Sexton, in 9 4-5 sec, and coming- second in the 440 yds handicap, within 2yds of the winner, wdiose time was 49 4-ssec. McLachlan also annexed the 440 yds championship in CO 2-ssec, evidently taking things leisure in this event, in which there was but one other starter. McLachlan has been in great fettle this year, and though some of his recorded times are open to question, there can be no doubt about his merits as a sprinter. F. H. Somers, too, seems to be in very good nick.

The field events at the above sports did not produce anything phenomenal in the way of performances. A. Carlson, the winner of Lord Ranfurly's medal for the best all-round athlete, hails from Dannevirke, and is physically a splendid specimen of manhood, Oft Sin high, and weighing 15 stone. Be was undoubtedly the pick of the athletes wdio competed. I am sorry, however, that A. Skinner, of Auckland, was unable to be present, for Skinner has put up better performances than those which won the medal for Carlson on Saturday, and I feel sure the Aucklander could have carried -off the trophy had he been competing. I see J. W. Skinner, the ex-Auckland athlete, has joined the ranks of the professionals. He competed in the field events at Napier on Saturday with modernco success.

Among those mentioned by Lord Roberts for conspicuous bravery in South Africa was Corporal P. J. English, of the New South Wales Mounted Rifles. Corporal English is a wellknown Australian athlete. He holds the Australasian amateur record for the running high jump, sft lljin., and is amateur champion of Australasia at the running high and running broad jumps.

T. F. Keane, the American professional sprinter, put up two fine performances at Edinburgh on January 5. He won his heat of a 130 yds handicap from scratch in 13sec. In the final he was third, the winner's time

from 9j_ yards being 12_sec. The 300 yards handicap was run straight out, and Keane won from scratch by five yards in the splendid time of Sl.sec. A wonderful feat was recently accomplished by the veteran athlete, Peter Adair, who, despite a furious gale that was raging, accomplished the long walk from London to Brighton in fifteen and a half hours. He is fifty-nine years of age, and so the journey was all the more noteworthy. An American exchange of recent date says that a grand carnival of sports, embracing all the most famous athletic games of the day, planned on a scale to eclipse all previous efforts in this sphere, will be one of the strong drawing cards of the PanAmerican Exposition in Buffalo next. summer. For this purpose the largest and handsomest sporting arena ever erected in America, covering nearly ten acres of ground, and having a seating capacity of 12,000 has been built in a convenient part of the Exposition grounds. The nature of the sports will be varied. Amateur athletics will be strongly encouraged, and college sports will be made a special feature. Professional events will be appropriately featured, and the foremost representatives will participate. The character of the prizes that will be offered has not yet been definitely determined upon, but assurance is given that they will be of value as lasting souvenirs of success at. the Exposition. The national game of baseball, lacrosse, football, professional and amateur college games, lawn tennis, and other tourna-

ments will be held, in which the leading experts in the United States and Europe will take part. The Marathon Race, which was the principal attraction at the Olympian games four years ago, and again in 1900 at the Paris Exposition, is planned, the start and finish to be in the Stadium. The celebrated Caledonian games will be seen, and the popular German diversion of turning will be a feature. There will be cross-country runs, with finishes in the Stadium, cycling, basket ball, rogue. shooting, gymnastics, military manoeuvres, cricket, bowling, and other sports. Two days will be devoted to world's championships. The Stadium will be an ideal place for holding the sports planned. It has a quarter-mile track, and a sufficiently large space for any of the athletic events.