NOTICES.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 161, 13 October 1883, Page 8

NOTICES.

Secretaries of all hinds' of Clubs for the promotion o/ out-door sports will confer a f avow by communicating any items o/ interest connected with, their sport, game, or pastime; more especially with respect to coming events.

{Short sketches of sporting or pleasure excursions •will be welcome, and questions on all matters connected with sports will be gladly answered. All communications must ie addressed to The Editor.

— W. R. Itter has won the English long-dis-tance amateur swimming championship, doing 5f , miles in lh 14m. — O'Leary intends to return to America in time to meet Edwards, as he is not jet satisfied he has been " beaten on his merits." Humph ! — Miller declares his intention to proceed to America next month, to test the question whether Sullivan can knock him out in three rounds. — The Muritai is, I hear, to be properly, and not jury, rigged this year, so as to fit her for racing. I will believe it when I see it, and not before. — Cricket Association forming. Good thing for cricket and cricketers — Hang humbug, increase interest, prevent puddling, invite inspection, please public, win wealth, govern ground, manage matches, &c. (alteration ad. lib.). — A match was played in the Domain, on Saturday, between the Hobson and Home-rulers, which resulted, in a victory for the former by 19 runs to nil. This junior club bears an unbeaten record, winning every match they have played. — The Sybil was out on Saturday and Sunday, ■when, aided by the improvements effected dince last season, she sailed like a little witch. She has had lead ballast melted down on the keel inside, and it has had the effect of stiffening her finely. — Should Muldoon pay his projected visit to Australia, it is not altogether off the cards that ha might tackle Miller with the gloves. The ♦* solid mad " was taught how to use the mittens by Miko Donovan, and is anything but a " Blouch" with them. / — So young Scott beat Edwards in the 24 hours' walk. Just so ! but backers had better hold off about the 48 hours' affair, for all that. Looks too much like a "ready up," somehow. However, Scott's record is good — 111 miles in twenty-four hours is not slow. — George W. Hamilton, the American champion jumper, recently accomplished a wonderful feat. Five chairs were placed in a line, and L. L. Burton, of Clio, Mich., stood upright at the end of the fifth chair. Hamilton then jumped over the chairs and Burton's head. — William Sheriff, better known in English fighting circles as "The Prussian," having received no response to fight the best American middle weight, now offers to fight John L. Sullivan a four or six round glove contest for £200 S'side. He promises to make it a hotter &et-to than Sullivan has ever had. — The following will represent the Young Colonials in their match to-morrow again9t the Union F.C. for a new ball : — T. Whiteside (captain), W. McConnell, W. Warbrick. D. Berry, W. Cole, S Williams, E. Hardwick, T. Salt, R. Danks, F. Laurie, J. McHugh, T. Keetley, L. Pilkington, J. Wooler, and F. Hardwick. Emergencies : — Ridings, Healey, and La Roche. Umpire : — Mr R. Whiteside. Tictor iB out with a challenge to wrestle any man in Australia or New Zealand, bar Miller, for 4J50 a side, in the Graeco-Roman. style, two falls out of three. He is further willing to meet any man in Australia or New Zealand, for .£IOO a side, in the following exercises : Wrestling fencing, heavyweight lifting ; best two out of three ; the match to, come off in Melbourne or New Zoaland, at the discretion of the acceptor. I — It seems W. Or. George was at one time refused admittance to the competitions for the various championships in which he was lately beaten by W. Snook on the ground that he had not entered. He, however, claimed, as holder of the championship, a standing entry, but being disgusted at the spice of hvmbug, went out of training, and was only induced to resume by hearing that he. would be accepted as entered. , He therefore ran far from fit, and it is supposed will give Snook slops when they- meet next year. — I don't know who supplied the information in a late issue that McKinlay, who won the Whau Handicap, had placed himself in the hands of W. L. Walsh, " ex-champion," to be trained for the sports on the 9th November. McKinlay informs me that it is anything but truth, as he is quite capable of doing in the future as he has in the past, that ie, training himself. Moreover, I have yet to learn that Walsh was ever " champion" of anything, unless it maybe champion jolly Irish, bhoy — more power to him ! —Miss Saigeman, the swimmer, who we believe is the only girl that ever defeated Agnes Beckwith, was a remarkably smart girl when she first swam in public, and boasted a very symmetrical ■pair of " understandings." Some ten years ago she was assisting the Beckwiths in an entertainment at Brill's Baths, Brighton (during the race week), and her feat of Bwimming with " one leg out of water" was received with enthusiastic shouts of " both legs next time " — racing men are so demonstrative, don't you know Her attire at the time vr&i elegant but scanty, and really to see her being assisted out of the water by Atwood, the " man-fish" (also in swimming costume), gave one a first-class idea of Adam and Eve — before they " ate appleß." — The bicyliats of Auckland, who have now reached a very respectable number, met at the loot of Grey-street on Saturday afternoon, and started on a cruise around the City and suburbs. They numbered 19 A.8.C., led by Captain Barfclett and Bugler Bartley; 19 W.8.C., led by Captain Chambers and Bugler Clayton; three Remuera 8.C., and eight unattached. 2.45 p.m. saw them start in a double file, the uniforms looking exceedingly neat, and the machines being mostly good ones and in crack condition, showed up with fine' effect. The vi«e-Preaid«nt of th« Wftttein&ta Club, Mr Street, followed a portion •! th« rente in hii «aflriaf •, A* th« top of ColUg»

Hill a halt was called, while Mi' Henius, of Hcmus and Hanna, took a photo of the riders. Town was reached again at five o'clock sharp.

— The Whau Regatta programme for the Prince of Wales' Birthday is announced elsewhere in our advertising columns. The Brick and Tile Company have kindly granted the use of their grounds and -wharf for spectators, and the fine band of the/£uckland Naval Brigade will bo present by Kind permission of Captain Leßoy. The programme is a very attractive one, and the committee are doing their utmost to make the sports a success. Mr R. C. Greenwood, of Auckland, is the Treasurer, and Mr Litten, of Henderson's Mill, the Secretary, both ofwhom will be happy to receive contributions in aid of the annual aquatic tournament at this place. An old backer of Hanlan charges him with having arranged with Courtney to sell a race. They were to run thrco races, of which Hanlan was to win. the first, Courtney the second, and they were to settle after the first two were rowed as to which would got the third. The first race took place at Lachine October 3, 1878, and was for the citizens' prize of 6000 dollars. As per previous agreement, Hanlan won this race, but Courtney, according to the statement of Hanlan's backers, received 2500 dollars of the capital prize. The second race was to nave been rowed October 16, 1878, and was for the Hop Bittors prize of 6000 dollars. Courtney, it is alleged, told all his friends that he was sure of winning. They told all theirs, and a large amount of money was raised and placed upon him. When Hanlan arrived at the lake he is said to hare been much alarmed at finding so much money xipon the race, and that if he lost he would Bwamp his friends, and exposure would follow. He then backed out of his previous contract, and told Courtney that he could not give him the race. Courtney, it is alleged, knew that he could not win, and seeing that if be rowed he would ruin every friend that ho had left in the world, took the only course he had left out of the difficulty, and sawed his boat in two. The interview is crammed full of facts, and the statements are such that it will bo hard to refute them. Perhaps they would not be published now but for the recent angry meeting between Courtney and Haulan.

— The late football season, greatly successful as it has been, must leave a strong impression on the minds of all who have the welfare of the grand pastime at heart, and who have any knowledge of the difficulties under which the Aasociation has had to labour, that a ground is badly wanted before next season. The trustees of the Domain cricket-ground have shown anything but a wish to assist or encourage football. They have charged a large sum for a very restricted use of the ground for club matches, and a still larger for matches with visiting clubs. The Association is far from a wealthy one, and its very infant growth has been retarded by the serious drain upon its resources these charges have proved to be.. Against their being justifiable, I may point cut the serious difficulties which lie in the way of any club or association hiring the ground of collecting the gate money. It is no exaggeration to Bay that fully one-half of those who attend gatherings of any public nature on this ground either refuse or evade payment at the gates. It would require a legion of rangers and a round dozen of gate-keepers to prevent this evasion. The fences are merely nominal, many places being all but clear of anything in the way of barrier to ingresß, and of this fact hundreds take advantage ; while the fact that it is a moot point whether a charge can legally be made, is taken advantage of by a lot of those mean cusses who are to be found in every community, who are heartily fond of witnessing the excellent sport provided by the efforts of a few disinterested gentlemen, but who overlook the all-important fact that the providing thereof costs a heavy sum every time, and who begrudge pajing a shilling for their amusement, if on any twist, however mean, they can wriggle out of th« expenditure. It behoves the Auckland Football Association to at once take steps to ascertain if a suitable piece of ground be not obtainable for future years, over which they could acquire a title which would enable them to enforce payment, or the alternative, ejectment. Tbe matter ie one deserving of ?bo most careful consideration, and I sincerely trust that the Ag»osi*fekm will aot allow the grow to grow under tkeir f«efc, but at oust aeuteh out * amiable ground for 4hei* purpcass,

— The Wellington Kugby Union lias at last answered the communication from the Auckland Association re the late disputed match, and, in doing it, they have shown a continuance of the bad spirit which characterised the newspaper reports and discussion on the question. The idea of referring to the English R.U. is an absurd one, insomuch as it is utterly unnecessary, besides entailing a gr«at loss of time in the settlement of the dispute. Moreover, when all is said that can be said on the matter, the English Union can do nothing else but disallow the try claimed by Wellington, for several excellent reasons. First, the all-important fact (which Wellington never disputes, but which the Wellington newspapers plainly report) that Cotter, Auckland's umpire, "called back " for foul-play long before there was any appearance of danger to Auckland's goal, and that the consequence of his call was that the Auckland players ceased all efforts to stop the man bo called back ; second, the Union must support its own law, which reads thus : " Rule 46. — A side having touched the ball down in their opponents' goal, shall try at goal, either by a place-kick or punt out " (the parts in italics are also italicised in the printed rule). Well, as Wellington did neither, they committed a breach of the distinct rule, and had no claim to any seere, having, even if not positively stated, still tacitly, abandoned their claim by not proceeding according to rule, there being no middle' course open to them. Thirdly, they emphatically proved that they had so abandoned their claim and abided by the Auckland umpire's ruling, when they brought the ball back to where the off -Bide play occurred, and then hacked it off. No amount of plausible representation or misrepresentation that our Wellington opponents may go in for can overcome these three plain unvarnished facts. If our Association see fit to concur in the proposed arrangement, I see very little reason to doubt the result. It is not proposed to hold a meeting until Mr Henderson returns from his Australasian trip, which will be about the end of the present month. [Since the above was written, I see a Wellingtonian, "W. P. B." (should be W. T. B.), has written to an. Australian authority a fearfully garbled account of the affair, and asked an

opinion. One- sided as the question read, still the answer is exactly as I say above is the second reason given, and puts an extinguisher on W. T. B.].