Athletic Mems.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 6498, 28 April 1888, Page 2

Athletic Mems.

(BX HUTCn.)

What a change has taken place in the pugilistic atmosphere sinco my last notes i At that time Harry Laing was in the pink of condition, and fit to stand before any man in the arena. Last Tuesday, however, when everything seemed perfect for the encounter of the following day, a most acuto attack of diarrhcea suddenly set in, and completely alteied the aspect of affairs. Every thing that could be done to pull Laing together was tried, but failed, and Wednesday morning brought no abatement of the complaint, our "pug's" appearance being quite altered, a very care-worn look denoting tho weakness to which he had so soon been reduced. A conference was held as to the advisableness of allowing him to enter the ring, and to place matters on a satisfactory footing medical advice was called in. The doctor distinctly stated that Laing's health quite unfitted him to enter tho ring, and those most concerned requested Harry to forfeit, but ho firmly declined. The conference adjourned till later in the day to see if our champion would, in the meantime, alter his mad. They met again later on, hut Laing remained invincible, and said he was determined to execute his portion of the contract. Notbingelsc was to be done nowbutto get ready for the encounter,and ten minutes to 3 p.m. witnessed the arrival of the gladiators, and 3.10 o'clock saw them in the ring at opposite corners, Laing looking very jaded j Slavin, on the other hand, looked confident, and stripping for the fray, exhibited a pink,healthy skin which betokened first-class condition. A good deal of " ducking" on the part of Laing was indulged in in the opening round, and both men retired to their "corners" little the worse for the brush; but in the second round, heavy work was successfully negotiated on both sides, Slavin having considerably the worst of it; and if Laing had been in anything like his proper form, Slavin must have received his coup rfc grace in the next round. Slavin's condition stood him in good stead at this juncture, and he recovered in a miraculous manner; while Laing, on the other hand, fell away. By this time the New Zealanders " ducking "was thoroughly mastered by Slavin, whose octopus-like reach enabled him to get home on some part of Ljing's anatomy, no matter in which direction he bobbed. Prom the third round till the conclusion of the battle, science mi completely laid aside, and nothing but arm-slinging and heavy slogging indulged in, Laing getting considerably the worst of it. Slavin scored the only two knock-downs, if they were worth calling such. Considering Laing's condition he made a wonderful stand, and had he been fit, I have no doubt the termination would havo been otherwise; and should another meeting be arranged, I will still pin my faith, as I said before, on the New Zealander. John L. Sullivan has a record which in itself is sufficient to quoll the most arrogant defamer of his prowess with the kid, without one ever resorting to fisticuffs to try and prove that the Yankeo is wrong when he says he is champion of the wide world. The following briof Bketch of the career of this "pug" will, I hope, prove interesting to my readers. Seven hundred and twenty-nine meetings this woithy is credited with having engaged in, only two of which ended otherwise that in a win. One was when he fought Patsy Cardiff, in the second round of which he broke his arm, and the other was wheil he met Tug Wilson, who managed to last the number of rounds stipulated in the agreement, and in that encounter John L. was nover struck a blow. Tug fulfilled his contract by continually going down, and in one round he fell no less than thirty one times ! Of tho other 727 of Sullivan's set's-to, 327 wero knock-outs. The rest were bested. The police interfered in over one hundred contests, for the purpose, thoy maintain, of pi eventing Sullivan killing his antagonist. Sullivan never received a scratch in all liis bouts, and the only time he trained was for his encounter with Paddy Ryan, whom he thoroughly whipped. — Since the above table was compiled Sullivan has met the plucky little Irishman, Charlie Mitchell, in a baro knuckle encounter, but although, he was going to administer the finishing stroke straight away he failed to make anything but a draw of it, after what has been the most severe battle of modern times. Charlie Samuels is reckoned to be the fastest sprinter in Australia, Alf. Trinder coming ne\t, with "Joe Price and Clarke respectively tMrd and fourth. The aquatic championship of the world — E. Hnnlan v. P. Kernp — is to he rowed next

Saturday, May sth.' The stake is £500 a-side, and the convincing ground the now historical Parramatta River, N.S.W. The correct namo of Samuels, the Australian sprint champion, is (says the Sydney Referee) "Charlie Combo," he being a brother of tho erstwhile flyer, George Combo, and, as the party who first took our

sablo champion in hand was afraid that if he was entered by his proper cognomen, the relation would influence the handicappors, ho entered him as " Charlio Samuels," with the result that in a handicap at Toowoomba

(Q.) ho received 16yds, heing 14yds from the scratch man (McGarrigal). He finished second to a man named Ryan. Samuels was born at Timhour (a station on the Darling Downs, Queensland, one time owned by that thorough, sport, the lato Sir J. P. Bell, whoso son formed one of the Cambridge eight in the Lite University boat race) , where ho is employed as a stockman, and is considered one of the best rough riders in tho district, in foot, the height of bliss to him

is a Ber.t on one of tho wildest " brumby " that can be got. His father and mother are still alive, and live at the blacks' camp on the station, where, of course, '" our Charlie " is lionized on his return from Sydney. He carries his honors well, and does not put on the least bit qf the usual " Colonial side." George Combo, liis brother, was, perhaps, tho noxt boat colonial runner to Charlie that wo have had. In his day (say fiveyeais ago) ho has left 200 yds behind him in 2Osoc, on grass, a performance which I think some of the greatest "old-timers" would be proud of. Combo has a lubra now, however, and as hoinuch prefers lying round the camp fires to training, I am afraid we

havo seen the last on the track of what wns tho best runner up to a quarter-mile we have luut Tho following are the definite arrangements of the English football team : — Play Dunedin, April 28th, and May Ist and 2nd"; Christcliurch, May sth and 9th: fellington May 12th and 14th. (if possible) ;" New Plymouth, May 17tb,^ Auckland, May 19th and 24th, Thp team tote boat for Sydney, where $hey play on June 2nd; Melbourne, June 16th, 23rd, 2Sth and 30th • Adelaide, Jmy;7lh, 10th, 12th and 14th; Melbourne, July 21st and 28th, August 4th and 11th. As three of the dates to be played in Melbourne fall on Saturday, the team will meet Victorian country teams, like Ballar.it and Castlemain, in the intervals. They then return ' to Sidney, and will play Newcastle, of^er. which they may agaiu visit Now Zoa\and, via, Auckland, tpr go, to, Queensland. Mr P. P. vVe^b, secretary of tho Wellington Rugby unionj has received favourable replies from Dunediu and Christchurch re a New Zoaland toam playing the Englishmen boforo they leave the colonies. — Canterbury Times. It will be seen by the above this tho Englishmen play in Wellington qjd, May tho 12th and 14th — Saturday aijs Monday — tho next niatoh, taking, place in New Plymouth on, tlp.e 17^ Thursday, Now, ! could, i\bt p.ur footballers arrange a match foj, say, Wednesday afternoon, to coramoneo at 1 o'clock ? I don't think there would be much'difficulty about that, as it would allow the visitors plenty of tim,e fcj. catch, tho North train, and there o#n b^ no doubt their oipensea would, foe Reared. Libeau, the New 2oafcauo\ walker and cyclist, won $h,ft Two, liplps Waiting Handicap at the Stawell (Victoria) sports.although V,o was rimcoding as much, as 350 yards to some of the competitors. On February the 14th, J. H. Mclntosh, an English athlete who, in 1886, wafted from Westminster Clock Toweoj to tho Brighton Aquarium, a distanoo of 52 miles, in 9hr 25min Bacc — a performance that is still the h^ on record — died on that date oj; w&imrotition of the lungs. Sam Matthews (who is a brother of the erstwhile New Zealand champion, Dick) defeated Andre Christp,\ in n wrestling contest in the Qjuoja House, Melbourne, on March, 3l»t, £&) .asidoand the middle* weight ohampionship of tho world, were the honors at stake, and as tjye mon had , "drawn" two previous, contests for the.same title, great interest was manifest. After, a severe smuggle of almost an hour's duration, Cl^wstol went down. In the, next; bout, eatch-as-eatch-can, tho frenchman hod hi/i arm injured, and tho Graco-Roman contest was abandoned. Sam wnp awarded, the stakes,

Smith andKilrajn, it is rvuupußed, are to fight again. W, Studhohtie, of the. United, C.G,

Chrietehurch, headed the battingaver&ge for the past season :— lnnings, 9; time* not out, 2 ; total runs, 350; most in an innings. 139; average, 50. The Canterbury Archery Club closed their season on Saturday last, 21sfc April. The champion prize of the season, presented by the Lady Paramount (Mrs F. Banks), was won by Mrs Martin, and the club prizes for spoon hits by Mrs Withwell. The season handicaps (six in number) wore won— lst and 2nd, Mrs Martin j 3rd and 4th, Mrs Kimbell j stb, Mrs WithweU ; and 6th, Mrs Peacock. An extra handicap, shot for in Easter week, was won by Mrs Kimbell. The prizes of the closing day meeting fell to Mrs WithweU,for "highest gross scow ; to Mrs Martin, for highest score at 60 yards • to Mrs KimbelL for highest score at 6U - yards; to Mrs Peacock, for most hits- to Mrs Acton Adams, the Consolation. Mrs Peacock's prize for best gold remained unawarded, the only competitors making golds having been awarded score prizes. It was decided to work out a handicap on the day's scores, and to present it to the winner. The contest for the Southern Champion Shot has -been deferred until next season, the Mauritius archers being unable to compete at present. It is hoped that by that time the C.A.C. will have a large addition to their numbers. It is understood that a 60 miles walkine match has been arranged between P. Bowen! of Cunstchurch, and D. McCune, late of Auckland, and now residing in Wellington. The match, which is for £20 a side, i. to come off in Wellington about the middle of May. Even if Wanganui cannot arrange a match with the Englieh footbaUists, the town wiU be very well represented by two Wanganui players, in the person of Bob sun, wno is to ocoupy the important position of full-back, Andrew Thompson playing three-quarters.

Tlie Bank of New Zealand,

(By Telegraph— Own Correspondent.) Chbistohtboh, April 27. The Star in referring to the Wane position of the Bank of New Zealand M L our great commercial institutions, and the alarm which followed the failure to declare a dividend, says :-When the directors of the Bank of New Zealand last year wisely determined to declare no dividend, no wonder that their resolution caused something like general alarm, though its necessity and wisdom wera admitted by a minority. There is little doubt that the action caused more misgivings in New Zealand and severe and untoward criticism outside than were at all pleasant. The report of yesterday tales the edge of all this It hnd two pleasant sides— one for the shareholders and another for the general public. The shareholders, watching and waitine perhaps more trustfully than hopefully, see a return of golden days of dividend, though their splendour is now so brilliant as of old. The shareholders we congratulate, and like enrious gentleman of anecdotal fame. would fain to have half the complaint 6' n ? ra1 ' t$ c PuMo, inowingthe influence ot tlie Hank's movements have beyond New Zealand, knows that the story will go forth that in the worstof times the great banking institution of the colony can earn ten per cent upon its capital. He knows that it will bo pointed out that the directors, besides declaring what is after all is said and done, a large dividend, can ccc themselves powerful enough to recommend the appointment of a strong committee of shareholders to look calmly into their affairs,, and investigate the condition of their multifsrioni securities. Such a course taken of their own initiative by men of high standing, of those who rule the fortunes of the Bank of NewZealand, is a most powerful proof of their faith in the institution, and their manaeement of it. Its effect on business witfia and without the Bank of New Zealand i» likelytobeof the best.