NOTES BY AMATEUR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2289, 13 January 1898, Page 36

NOTES BY AMATEUR.

*>• The council ef the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association has -decided that it is inadvisable to tend *n Austraiacian te«m Home this year, but has invited the Australian representatives to take part in the Waeganui championship and other meetings. Ib was resolved to devote a percentage «f the profile at the championship meeting to form the nucleus of a fund for sending Home an Australasian team oest year.

• . • A (Sydney cable states that the athletic benefit meeting resulted in a l<ws of £25 to the local association. New Zealand iotesfcioas being kco-sn.'a team will not go to Eogkuid until nexfi year at the earliest. Ro'Cigrare won the Champion Long Jump ■wifch 22tt 3in, Campbell (Queensland) wen the 440 Yards unopposed in 54- 9-10wc, and Rowley the 100 Yarda in llsec. E"g'ish won the High Jump with sft_ 9in, Richards the 120 Yards and 440 Hurdles in 18|8ec and lmin 6jec respectively. • . * At the Auckland Eight Hours League sports there was only a moderate atieadanoe. In the One- mile Professional Race W. Hucketep, from 25yds behind scratch, did the mile in 4-min 31Jsec, tqual to 4miu 27aec to the mile, and was not pressed.

• . ' In past years the results of the wrestling compeljitions at the Caledonian Society's gatherings have been somewhat of a mystery to those not familiar with the conditions governing thfse contests, the absence of any means of cemmunicatiiig the results to tpectafcors being responsible for this ; but at the gathering that; is jusS over a contrivance was employed that rendered it a matter of ease for anyone possessed of a. programme to follow the events. A special telegraph board was provided, with movable numbers and semaphore arms painted red and blue. Bach couple as they came out to wrestle stepped up one on each side of the board, holding their respective numbers above their heads, and then hanging the numbers in their pi ices on the board. Both conteßt.'.nts then went forward to a mark, shook hands, and commenced the contest. The first fall was indicated by ths blue aim being raised, the second fall in similar manner, and the final by the red arm.

• . • The fecond wrestling match between A. Skinner (of Scotlaud) and J. W. Sutherland (of New Zealand), for a stake of £40 and the championship oT New Zealand, was decided at the, Agricultural Hall (says the New Zealand Herald) in the presence of a large number of spectators, who doubtless attended for the purpose of witnessing an interesting competition. In this they were not disappointed, for the bouts between the competitors were closely contested. The conditions were best of five styles — cateh-as- catch-can, Cumberland, GrsecoEoman, collar-and-elbow, and Cornish and Devonshire, — one fall in each. la the firsb, Cumberland, Skinner beat Sutherland ; in the next, catch-aa-oatch-can, the Scottish representative was defeated, but in collar-and-elbow Skinner threw his man in good style. In tbe Gr^eco-Roman style the advantage was with Sutherland, who evidently preferred gi-ound wrestling, Skinner's forte being leg wrestling. Thi3 made matters even, and in the last style, Cornish and Devonshire, considerable excitement was aroused, the competitors wrestling fog about 20 minutes, until Skinner clean

bufctocked the local man, &nd thus won tbA championship and stake.