LAID & WATER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1795, 17 April 1886, Page 21

LAID & WATER.

On the Hudson at Hyde Park, on February 23, Mr A. Rogers sailed his ice-boat a measured rnilo and a-half in a minute aud a-half. The wind was blowing a. gale, as it need have been to drive him even over ice at the rate of 60 miles an hour.

The 2500-mile walk between Edward Payson Weston and Daniel O'Leary began at Newark, NJ., on December 7, and was concluded at Chicago, 111., on February 6. The conditions of the contest were to walk 12 hours daily until the Hill distance was completed, the winner to take two-thirds of a subscribed purse of 3000dol aud a portion of the gate receipts. The men tramped in skating rinks throughout New Jersey, New York, Ohio and Illinois, walking but two days on the road at Cleveland. Weston alone finished the great task, O'Leary retiring from the contest on February 3, after scoring 2292£ miles. The gate receipts were not as large as was expected, and there will be little to divide. When O'Leary knocked off the two men were about level, and there being but four days, the excitement and the cash takings should have been vastly increased. Such was not the case, however, the whole affair having been looked on from the start as a last expiring effort on the part of two worn-out pedestrians to milk the public, and O'Leary wisely saved himself four dciys' labour.

The "catch-as-catch-can wrestling match between Matsada Sorakichi, the Japanese, and Evan Lewis, appropriately named " The Straugler,*' took place at Central Music Hall, Chicago (III.), on February 15. The hall was crowded, and wheu the wrestlers faced each other for the first bout 3000 people cheered them. After a couple of unsuccessful manoeuvres on both sides, Lewis got the Japanese on his stomach, and placing his Knee on the calf of the Jap.'s leg seized his foot with both hands and began bending the foot in such a manner as to wrench the ankle out of the socket. A shout of indignation rose from the crowd at this inhuman treatment. The Jap., compelled by the pain to give in, was turned .)vcr on his back, and lay there unable to rise to his feet, and was carried off the stage in the arms of his trainer, Edwin Bibby. The referee iMr Palmer) awarded the match to Lewis. Lewis appears to have no science, and relies -.olely on his superior weight and brute force to 2arry his point. Though no bone is fractured, one of the chords of the Jap.'s leg is broken, and All the muafleti arc ko strained and twisted that Sorakichi is more badly hurt than if the limb had l)eon actually broken. He will not be able to use the limb for some weeks.

Evan Lewis, who in the match with Matsada Soiviluclii, at Chicago, disabled the Japanese wrestler, appeared on February 23 at thu Olympic Theatre, Chicago, in an exhibition wrestling match with Edwin Bibby. Thu immense audience greeted tlio introduction of Lewis with groans and hisses, calling on Bibby to " break his leg." Lewis bore the hissing calmly. When he threw Bibby the hissing wasrenewed. After the, performance Lewis said to Charles E. Davi-; that time would change publ'c opinion, and that lowers of sport would at least give him credit for being honest in his matches and doing his utmost to win in accordance with the rules under which ho was contesting.

In the recent billiard match between John Roberts, jun., and W. Mitchell, 15,000 up, which was won by the former by 1741 points, the best breaks were as follows, the number of spots being given in pai.-enthees :— Roberts, 722 (230), 716 (47, 181), 603 (230), 616 (88, 104), 544 (179), 430 (27, 110), 378 (124), 353 (112), 352 (59,53), 339 (4, 101), 328 (12, 2, 88), 323 (33, 61), 322 (103). 319 (18, 15, 56), 316 (16, 70), 305 (90), 301 (17, 50, 27), 276 (23. 2, 34, 7, 7, 38), 275 (87), 272 (5. 3, 30, 41), 138 (17, 43), 214 (20, 38), 204 (47), 202 (45, 20), 198 (6, 19), 101 (62), 187 (51), 182 (60), lfi-1 (53), 162 (23, IS), 152 (49), 151 (47), 147 (46), 144 (45), 143 (20, 3, 12), J43 (46), 143 (30). 142 (43), 138 (41), 13S (38), 131 (41), J3O (10, 19), 12S (27, 4), 123 (25), 123 (35), 121 (37), 113 (27). A total of forty-sevon breaks of over 100 poinK Mitchell 9G9 (321), 7 15 (214), 601 (197), 532 (175). -JS4 (159), 4SJ (29,118), 424 (139). 335 (6, 100), 326 (106), 321 (94), 308 (101), 287 (87), 2SI (45, 31), 258 (84), 251 (80), 248 (81), 237 (76), 219 (69), 212 (62), 202 (63), 183 (60), 182 (58), 164 (4. 48), 160 (12, 3, 38 , 153 (49), 146 (2, '/.I), 143 ('18), 142 (43), 140, 137 (42), 133 (35), 128 (41), 127 (37), 122 (39), 122 (35), 115 (3G), 114 (34). 113 (33), 111 (36), 111 (31), 106, 102 (27), 100 (18). A total of 43 breaks of over 100 points.

Wallace Ross aud Fred Plaisted are not going through the Whirlpool Rapids at Niagara alone. Charlie Gwilt, of Montreal, Canada, proposes to swim the rapids tho same time that the oarsmen attempt to row through them. Three tombstones inscribed " Ross," " Plaisted," " Gwilt " have been ordered.

Mr Beach, the conqueror of the Alexander the Great of the rowing arena, has called in at Melbourne (writes our correspondent on the 6th) on his way to England. He has the strength of a lion, but is as ungraceful in a boat as his great opponent Banian was the opposite. Will he win when he meets a good man again ? Many believe he will not. Haulan he beat fairly, but Hanlan was utterly out of condition at the time. Beach was then steadily working at his anvil, and was a mass of muscle. Now he has given up his tradp, and trains with dumbells and Indian clubs. He is a stone heavier now than when he met Hanlan, and it is a question whether the strength and condition he gathered at the anvil will ever come back to him.

The Dunedin Lawn Tennis Club has now been formed, and an acre of ground has been secured between Castle and Cumberland streets from Messrs Allen on favourable terms. A contract has been let for the formation of two asphalt sind-four grass courts. Mr J. M. Ritchie is president of the Club, Mr Mackenzie vicepresident, Mr L. O. Beal, jun., is acting as hon engineer, and Mr C. C. Kettle is acting as hon. secretary.

A bowling club has been formed at Timaru with the following office-bearers : — President, Mr S. A. Bristol; vice-president, Mr A. Spalding; treasurer, Mr J. Wilson Smith ; secretary, Mr R. R. Taylor; committee — Messrs Black, Ziesler, Mcc, and Fraser.

An Auckland telegram states that a letter has been received by the secretary of the Auckland

Rugby Union from the Southern Rugby Union of Sydney proposing to send a Now South Wales football team to New Zealand in August next, and asking what teims would be init'lu for the visit.

Some very good bags of game have been made in South Canterbury since the opening of the season. Ducks are plentiful, as also are swans. Pukakis are not so plentiful as la^t year. A party of three bagged 62 brace of feathered game during the first two days south of Tiuiaru.

A largo number of entries have- been received for the bicycle sports which are to be held on the Caledonian ground next Saturday, and hhould the weather prove favourable, a good clay's sport may be anticipated. Competitors are coming from Invercargill and Christchurch, the 10 - mile championship of New Zealand being the chief attraction.

Footballers will be pleased to hear that there is every probability of a team of New South Wales footballers visiting the Colony this season. By yesterday's mail Mr J. H. Chapman received a letter from Mr Arnold, hon. secretary of the Southern Rugby Union, regarding the visit of such a team, and the matter will be considered at a special meeting of the Otago Rugby Union Committee to-morrow evening.

A deputation representing the Victorian Rifle Association waited on the Premier (Mr Gillies) and asked him to place £1000 on the Estimates for the purpose of assisting the Association to send a team of riflemen to England to compete at Wimbledon. It was stated that the desire was to make the team representative of all the Colonies, but if the other Colonies refused to join in the undertaking, tho Victorian Association were prepared to select a team, to which they would confidently entrust the duty of maintaining the reputation of the Colony. Mr Gillies agreed with the wishes of the deputation It was resolved that it should be left to the Association to decide whether the team should be sent this year or next.

The Mosgiel Factory Lawn Tennis Club have just let a contract for the formation of a lawn tennis ground. This will comprise an area of 100 ft square, aud there will be two double courts, to be protected at both ends by wire netting Oft high. The ground has been kindly placed at the disposal of the Club by the directors of the Company. Mr J. H. Morrison has been elected president of the Club, with Messrs Dryden and Miller as vice-presidents. The Club is in funds and thoroughly in earnest, so that a good tennis court may be looked for next season.

At a recent meeting of the Wellington Board of College Governors (we learn from the Evening Press) an interesting discussion arose with reference to the extent of athletic exercises at the college. It was brought up by a memorandum from Mr M'Kay (principal of the college), who stated that there sei-med to be a tendency to give far too much attention to athletics at the college ab present, and he especially condemned "cricket match tours," which lie held were not only a heavy +ax on the parents of the students, but also had the effect of unsettling the boys' minds in regard to their work. He intimated that in future, while giving every encouragement to athletics, he intended to keep them in their proper plncc, and he believed the course he was adopting would be.st meet the wishes of the parents and the interests of the school. The Chairman (Mr .1. It. Blair) and several other members agreed wit,h the remarks of the Principal. Mr Fisher, however, said he had always regarded athletics as a very gratifying feature )f the college. For his part he thought it was butter to produce a healthy lad than a living, .->iekly encyclopedia. Dr Nuwnian thought the hoy 1 , were all tins better for their outdoor sports, as it prevented them from loafing about town, lie. w;ts lafc.-ly on a visit to Christ College, in Christchurch, where they also went in largely for athletics, anil he quite concurred in Mr Fisher's remarks After .some further discussion, it was decided that no action on the part of the Board was necessary, and the subject was dropped.