“I wouldn’t take a cent,” went on Maria, with flushed cheeks and

sparkling eyes. “Ann Kirk thet hed the name of bein’ as mean as me, was

berried to day, and folks that keered nawthin’ fur her is a goin’ to

hev her money an’ make it fly. They say ’round here no grass will ever

grow on her grave, fur ev’ry blade will be blarsted by the curses of

the poor.”

“M’ri, you a perfessed Christian!” cried Silas.

“There’s good folks unperfessed,” interposed the stranger; “but I dunno

but a near Christian is better nor a spendthrift one as fetches up at

the poorhouse.”

“Right you air!” said Silas, almost affably feeling he had an advocate.

The stranger was tall and bony, with a thin, wrinkled face bronzed by

wind and weather, with a goatee and mustache of pale brown hair, and a

sparse growth of the same above a high bald forehead; his eyes were a

faded brown, too, and curiously wistful in expression. His clothing was

worn and poor, his hands work-hardened, and he stooped slightly. When

the meal was ready he drew up to the table, Maria plying him with food.

“Would you rather have coffee?” she asked.

“Now you’ve got me, marm, but land! tea’ll do.”

“I should think it would,” snarled Silas; but his grumbling was

silenced in the grinding of the coffee mill. When the appetizing odor

floated from the stove, Silas sniffed it, and his stomach began to

yearn. “You put in a solid cup full,” he muttered, trying to worry

himself into refusing it.

“We want a lot,” laughed Maria.

“Set up an’ eat,” called the stranger cheerily; “let’s make a banquet;

it’s Chrismus Eve!”

“That ham do smell powerful good,” muttered Silas, unconsciously

drawing his chair up to the table, where the stranger handed him a

plate and passed the ham. Maria went on frying eggs, as if, thought

her husband, “they warn’t twenty-five cents a dozen,” and then ran

down into the cellar, returning panting and good-humored with a pan of

apples and a jug of cider; then into the pantry, bringing a tin box out

of which she took a cake.

“That’s pound cake, M’ri,” cried Silas, aghast, holding his knife and

fork upraised in mute horror. She went on cutting thick slices, humming

under her breath.

“Might I, marm,” asked the stranger, pleasantly, “put this slice of ham

and cake and this cup of milk aside, to eat bymeby?”

“How many meals do you eat in a evening?” growled Silas, awestruck at

such an appetite; “an’ I want you to know this ain’t no tavern.”

“Do eat a bite yourself, marm,” said the stranger, as Maria carried the

filled plate to the cupboard. The impudence of a tramp actually asking

the mistress of the house to eat her own food, thought Silas. “We’ve

eat our supper,” he hurled at the stranger.

“I couldn’t tech a mite,” said Maria, beginning to clear up, and as

he was through eating, the stranger gallantly helped her while Silas

smoked in speechless rage.

“I’m used to being handy,” explained the tramp. “I allus helped wife.

She’s bin dead these twenty years, leaving me a baby girl that I

brought up.”

“You was good to her?” asked Maria wistfully; the stranger had such a

kind voice and gentle ways.

“I done the best I could, marm.”

Doubting his senses, Silas saw Maria bring out the haircloth

rocking-chair with the bead tidy from the best front room.

“Lemme carry it,” said the tramp politely. “Now set in’t yerself, marm,

an’ be comfurble.” He took a wooden chair, tilted it back and picked up

the cat. Maria, before she sat down, unmindful of Silas’s bewildered

stare, filled one of his pipes with his tobacco.

“I know you smoke, mister,” she smiled.

“Wal, I do,” answered the tramp, whiffing away in great comfort.

“’Pears to me you’re the biggest-hearted woman I ever see.”

She laughed bitterly. “There wan’t a cluser woman in Corinth than me,

an’ folks’ll tell you so. I turned my own son outer doors.”

“It was part my fault, M’ri, an’ you hush now,” pleaded Silas,

forgiving even her giving his tobacco away if she would not bring out

that family skeleton.

“I’ve heered you was cluse,” said the stranger, “an’ thet you sent Jim

off because he went to circuses in Bath, an’ wore store clothes, an’

wanted wages to pay for ’em.”

“All true,” said Maria, “an’ he wanted to ride the horse, an’ was mad

at workin’ him so hard.” She went on then, and told how the old animal

had come home.

“An’ me thinkin’ the critter was a speerit,” said the stranger in a

hushed voice. “Beat’s all what a dumb brute knows!”

“I thought mebbe,” went on Maria, twisting her thin fingers, “as Jim

might be comin’ home this time. They says things happens curious when

folks is goin’ ter die--”

“Your good fur a good meny years, M’ri,” said Silas, pitifully.

“There’s folks in this wurld,” said the stranger, his kindly face

growing sad and careworn since the mother’s eager words, “that ain’t

mean enuff, an’ comes to charity to the end--”

“That there be,” assented Silas.

“And as can’t bring up their folks comfurble, nor keep ’em well an’

happy, nor have a home as ain’t berried under a mortgage they can’t

never clear off.”

“Ay, there’s lots of ’em,” cried Silas, “an’ Mis Lowell was a twitting

me this very night of bein’ mean.”

“An’ this good home, an’ the fields I passed thro’, an’ the lane where

the old hoss come a gallopin’ up behind me, is paid fur, no mortgage on

a acre?”

“There never was on the Lowell prop’ty; they’ll tell ye thet

ennywhere,” said Silas.

“We uns in the South, where I come from,” said the stranger, shading

his face with his bony hand, “ain’t never fore-handed somehow. My name

is Dexter Brown, marm, an’ I was allus misfortinat. I tell you, marm,

one day when my creditors come an’ took the cotton off my field, thet

I’d plarnted and weeded and worked over in the brilin’ sun, my wife

says--an’ she’d been patient and long-sufferin’--‘Dex, I’m tired out;

jest you bury me in a bit of ground that’s paid fur, an’ I’ll lie in

peace,’ an’ she died thet night.”

“Mebbe she never knowed what it were to scrimp an’ save, an’ do

without, an’ never see nawthin’, till all the good died in her,”

muttered Maria.

“Part o’ my debt was wines an’ good vittles fur her, marm.”

“I’ll warrant!” said Maria quickly, “an’ she never wept over the graves

of her dead children, an’ heered their father complainin’ of how much

their sickness hed cost him. Oh, I tell you, there’s them that reckons

human agony by dollars an’ cents, an’ they’re wus’n murderers!”

“M’ri!” cried Silas.

“Mebbe, marm, you are over-worrited ternight,” said the stranger

softly; “wimmen is all feelin’, God bless ’em! an’ how yer son loved

ye, a tellin’ of yer bright eyes an’ red cheeks--”

She turned to him with fierce eagerness. “He couldn’t keer fur me, I

wan’t the kind. I don’t mind me of hardly ever kissin’ him. I worked

him hard; I was cross an’ stingy. He sed to me, ‘There’s houses that

is never homes, mother.’ I sneered an’ blamed him for his little

present.” She ran and brought the vase. “I’ve kept that, Mr. Brown,

over twenty years, but when he give it to me, bought outer his poor

little savin’s, I scolded him. I never let him hev the boys here to pop

corn or make candy; it was waste and litter. Oh, I know what he meant;

this was never a home.”

“But he only spoke kind of ye allus.”

“Did you know Jim? Been gone this ten year, an’ never a word.”

Silas, a queer shadow on his face, looked eagerly at Brown.

“I did know him,” slowly and cautiously--“he was a cowboy in Texas, as

brave as the best.”

“He could ride,” cried Maria, “as part of a horse, an’ Tige was the

dead image of that Washington horse in the pictur, an’ Jim used to

say thet girl there in the blue gown was his girl--the one with the

bouquet; an’ I used to call him silly. I chilled all the fun he hed

outer him, an’ broken-speerited an’ white-faced he drifted away from

us, as far away as them in the graveyard, with the same weary look as

they hed in goin’.”

“An’ he took keer of much as a hundred cattle,” said Silas; “they has

thet meny I’ve heerd, in Texas?”

“They has thousands; they loses hundreds by drought--”

“Wanter know?” cried Silas, his imagination refusing to grasp such

awful loss.

“Wal, I knowed Jim, an’ he got merried--”

“Merried!” from both the old parents.

“He did. He says, ‘I wunt write the home-folks till I’m well off, for

mother will worrit an’ blame me, an’ I hain’t money, but Minnie an’ I

love each other, an’ are satisfied with little.’”

“Minnie,” the mother repeated. “Was she pretty?”

“Woman all over you be, to ask thet, an’ she was,” said Brown, sadly

“with dark eyes, sorter wistful, an’ hair like crinkled sunshine, an’

a laugh like a merry child, fur trouble slipped off her shoulders like

water off a duck’s back.”

“An’ they got prosperous?” asked Silas uneasily.

“They was happy,” said Brown with gentle dignity; “they was allus

happy, but they lived under a mortgage, an’ it was drift from pillar to

post, an’ ups an’ downs.”

“An’ they’re poor now,” muttered Silas, visions of Jim and his family

to support coming to him.

“Hush!” cried Maria. “Tell me, sir, was there children? Oh, the heart

hunger I’ve had for the sound of a child’s voice, the touch of baby

hands. You an’ me grandpa and grandma, Sile! an’, my God! you think of

money now.”

“Set calm,” pleaded Brown, “for I must hev courage to tell ye all.”

“An’ they sent ye to tell us they was comin’?” asked Silas, judging of

their prosperity from the shabby herald.

“They asked me to come, an’ I swore it. There’s a queer blight as

creeps inter our country, which without thet might be like everlasting

Paradise. Ourn is a land of summer an’ flowers, but up here in this

ice-bound region, the air is like water in runnin’ brooks, it puts life

an’ health in ye.”

“There’s the blight o’ consumption here. We’re foreordained to suffer

all over this airth,” muttered the woman.

“But there it comes in waves of trouble--in awful haste--an’ takes

all at once, an’ them that’s well flees away and the sick dies alone.

So the yellow fever come creepin’ inter my home, fur Minnie was my

child--the daughter I’d keered fur; an’ fust the baby went from her

arms, an’ then little Silas (arter you, sir). Then Minnie sickened, an’

her laugh is only an echo in my heart, for she died and was berried,

the baby in her arms, and Jim was took next--an’ he says” (only the

ticking of the clock sounded now, never so loud before): “‘I want you,

dad,’ (he called me dad) ‘to go to my old home in Maine. I want you

to tell my father I named my dead boy for him, and I thought of his

frugal, saving life with pain, and yet I am proud that his name is

respected as that of an honest man, whose word is his bond. I’ll never

go up the old lane again,’ says Jim, ‘nor see mother standing in the

door with her bright eyes and red cheeks that I used to think was like

winter apples. And the old horse, she said she’d care for, I won’t see

him again, nor hear the bells. In this land of summer I only long for

winter, and dad, if I could hear those hoarse old jolly bells I’d die

in peace. Queer, ain’t it? And I remember some rides I took mother;

she wan’t afraid of the colt, and looked so pretty, a white hood over

her dark hair. You go, dad, and say I was sorry, and I’d planned to

come some day prosperous and happy, but it’s never to be. Tell mother

to think of me when she goes a Sunday afternoon to the buryin’-ground,

as she used to with me, and by those little graves I felt her mother’s

heart beat for me, her living child, and I knew, though she said

nothing, she cared for me.’ He died tellin’ me this, marm, an’ was

berried by my girl, an’ I think it was meant kind they went together,

for both would a pined apart. So I’ve come all the way from Texas,

trampin’ for weary months, for I was poor, to give you Jim’s words.”

“Dead! Jim dead!” cried Silas, in a queer, dazed way. “M’ri,”

querulously, “you allus sed he was so helthy!”

She went to him and laid her hand on his bowed head.

“An’ we’ve saved an’ scrimped an’ pinched fur strangers, M’ri, fur

there ain’t no Lowell to have the prop’ty, an’ I meant it all fur Jim.

When he was to come back he’d find he was prosperous, an’ he’d think

how I tried to make him so.”

“The Lord don’t mean all dark clouds in this life,” said the stranger.

“Out of that pestilence, that never touched her with its foul breath,

came a child, with Minnie’s face and laugh, but Jim’s own eyes--a bit

of mother an’ father.”

The old people were looking at him with painful eagerness, dwelling on

his every word.

“It was little May; named Maria, but we called her May for she was

borned three year ago in that month; a tiny wee thing, an’ I stood by

their graves an’ I hardened my heart. ‘They drove her father out; they

sha’n’t crush her young life,’ I said. ‘I’ll keep her.’ But I knowed I

couldn’t. Poverty was grinding me, and with Jim’s words directin’ me,

I brought her here.”

“Brought her here!” cried the poor woman.

“Ay! She’s a brave little lass, an’ I told her to lie quiet in the

basket till I told her to come out, fur mebbe you wan’t kind an’ would

send us both out, but I found your hearts ready fur her--”

With one spring Maria reached the basket and flung open the lid,

disclosing a tiny child wrapped in a ragged shawl, sleeping peacefully

in her cramped bed, but with tears on her long lashes, as if the

waiting had tried her brave little soul.

“Jest as gritty,” said Brown, “an’ so good to mind; poor lass!”

Maria lifted her out, and the child woke up, but did not cry at the

strange face that smiled on her with such pathetic eagerness. “Oh, the

kitty!” cried May. “I had a kitty once!” That familiar household object

reconciled her at once. She ate the cake eagerly and drank the milk,

insisting on feeding the ham to the cat.

“Him looks hungy,” she said.

“We’ve all been starved!” cried Maria, clasping the child to her heart.

Such a beautiful child, with her merry eyes and laugh and her golden

curls, a strange blossom from a New England soil, yet part of her

birthright was the land of flowers and sunshine. Somehow that pathetic

picture of the past faded when the mother saw a blue and gilt vase in

the baby’s hand--Jim’s baby’s.

“It’s pitty; fank you!” said the little creature. Then she got down to

show her new dress and her shoes, and made excursions into the pantry,

opening cupboard doors, but touching nothing, only exclaiming, “Dear

me, how pitty!” at everything. Then she came back, and at Brown’s

request, with intense gravity, began a Spanish dance she had learned

when they stopped at San Antonio, from watching the Mexican senoritas.

She held up her little gown on one side and gravely made her steps

while Dexter whistled. The fire leaped up and crackled loudly, as if

it would join her, the cat purred, the tea-kettle sung from the back

of the stove, and little snowflakes, themselves hurrying, skurrying in

a merry dance, clung to the window-pane and called other little flakes

to hasten and see such a pretty sight. Maria watched in breathless

eagerness, and Silas, carried beyond himself, forgetting his scruples,

cried out:

“Wal, ef that don’t beat all I ever see! Come here, you little chick!”

holding out his silver watch.

With a final pirouette she finished with a grave little courtesy, then

ran to Silas: “Is there birdie in der?” and he caught her up and kissed

her.

* * * * *

When the old lane is shady in summertime, and golden-rod and daisies

crowd the way, and raspberries climb the stone-wall, and merry

squirrels chatter and mock the red-breasted robins, and bees go humming

through the odorous air, there comes a big white horse that looks like

Washington’s in the picture; and how carefully he walks and bears

himself, for he brings a little princess who has made the old house

a home. Such a fairy-like little thing, who from her sunshine makes

everybody bright and happy, and Silas’s grim old face is smiling as he

leads the horse, and Maria, with her basket of berries, is helped over

the wall by Dexter Brown, who always says he must go but never does,

for they love him, and he and Silas work harmoniously together. And

grandma’s eyes are brighter than ever and her cheeks as red.

“What comfortable folks they air gittin’ to be,” say the neighbors,

“kinder livin’, but I dunno but goin’ a berryin’ a hull arternoon is

right down shiftless.”

Winter is over and forever gone from that household on the hill; the

coming of gracious, smiling spring in a sweet child’s presence has made

eternal sunshine in those ice-bound hearts.

HINTS TO FOOTBALL CAPTAINS.

BY WALTER C. CAMP.

Much has been written from time to time of the growth of the game of

football, and the reasons for its popularity, but no one has described

that which is the real secret of its fascination; viz., planning the

campaign. Planning a football campaign is a most interesting piece of

strategic work, and the amount of thought expended on it would astonish

the majority of that eager audience which crowds the Polo Grounds on

Thanksgiving Day.

“Get some of your old men back to coach,” is a bit of advice often

given to captains of crews and ball nines. But to no one is it so

invaluable as to football captains. It is the careful planning of the

season’s work that will bring victory in November. Through the summer

the captain has been counting over the material he will have as a

nucleus in the fall, and he has also calculated about how much he can

rely upon from preparatory schools. As a rule he treats with distrust

all reports of wonderful men in the incoming class, for the players who

may have been giants on school teams are generally lost in the crowd on

a university field.

His first interest on looking over the men he means to make use of is

this: Are there enough old men to steady the team? With five old men

no captain should be discouraged, and with six or over he ought to be

hopeful, provided he has a half-back and a quarter among them. The

reason for this is that he can then arrange to have a veteran next to

every novice in his team, by scattering the three old rushers. It is

amazing what steadiness can be infused into a team in this way. If the

captain has six instead of five, he can then strengthen the weak side

of his team by putting an old hand as an end-rusher on the side of the

green half-back.

This plan of formation is merely for the early weeks of the season

until the real campaign can be laid out. The veterans act as coaches

to the new men, and after ten or fifteen days of playing in this way,

the novices, if they be at all promising men, will have learned the

general system of play, for the positions in which they stand. That is,

the rushers will have learned not to bunch, _i. e._, keep too close to

the next man, and also not to lag, or be slow in lining up when the

ball is down. They will have been repeatedly cautioned against tackling

high and not getting through hard. A new half will have learned about

how far back he ought to stand, and how quickly he has to kick. In this

way the captain can accomplish a double amount of work, for while he is

looking over his new material, and deciding upon what men will develop

into the service, his old players are giving very efficient assistance

to him by coaching the new ones and rapidly breaking them in. Were it

not for this, things would be in almost as much of a mess after ten

days’ playing as at the start, for it frequently happens that a green

captain will make so little use of his old men in the way of coaching

that the new men will be blundering on in the middle of the season full

of faults which might have been stopped the first week.

Two weeks’ work will enable the captain to select about sixteen men

from whom he sees his team must be drawn. If he is wise he will be

inclined at this period to favor those men who are showing rapid

improvement rather than those whom he knows have already reached their

best days. He will also put some thought upon the general weight of his

team as well as the probable weight of the other teams he must meet.

When he has considered these matters well, and made up in his own mind

the strongest team he can select, he should play these men together as

nearly as possible for some three or four days, and after making any

changes that may seem to him necessary, get his coaches together and

stand with them for one afternoon, when all will have a good look at

the practice. That evening he should have a meeting of the team and

coaches, and a thorough discussion of the strength and weakness of the

team. One learns very rapidly at such a meeting what the team considers

its strong points and where they fear an enemy. During the next week

the captain and coaches should decide finally upon what the strongest

plays of the team are likely to be. The great necessity of doing this

early is to thoroughly provide against accident, not only by being

more than usually careful of the one or two men most engaged in these

plays, but also to train others up to a moderate degree of skillfulness

to take the places of men who may be injured. A decision must also

be reached regarding the weak points of the team, and these not only

strengthened but made less evident to opponents.

Following upon these decisions should come a week or more of very hard

individual coaching. Each man is taken by himself and worked at as

though upon him and his particular plays depended the victory or defeat

of the team. A curious fact is that just at this point in the season,

not only the team, but very often the captain and coaches are sure that

their playing is poor and that defeat stares them in the face. The

true explanation of this is that the enthusiasm has been worked off

to a great extent, and the players have not yet gained the dexterity

that practice will give, so that the poor playing is really painfully

apparent.

Let us review the plan of the campaign up to this point. The captain

first sprinkled his veterans among the raw recruits, so that it was

necessary for them to mingle. By doing this he has prevented the old

men from banding together and looking down upon the new ones, and has

also compelled the green men to ask questions of the experts. While

all were thus being well shaken together, he has had an opportunity

to select the best team, and, by actual trial, to judge in what line

of action they would prove strongest. All this has been effected with

the least possible loss of time, for, owing to the shortness of the

football season, time is too valuable to be wasted even in experiments.

Of individual coaching, little need be said, as it is only a means of

improving details, and does not affect the campaign, except in the way

of dexterity.

The captain next begins to study the best offensive and defensive

tactics for his team. He starts with the problem in such shape as this:

Given the kick-off with an adverse wind, what is the best opening for

the style of game his team plays? He may kick the ball as far down the

field as possible. But this is very seldom a good opening, because

the side that wins the toss, having the choice of goal or kick-off,

it invariably happens that the kick-off is made against the wind. The

captain knows that if he makes a straight kick down the field under

these circumstances it will be returned, and with the help of the wind,

will most surely be put back some distance into his own territory, so

that the play will have lost him considerable ground.

The next thing to be considered is a long kick down the field and

out of bounds on the side. This opening was a strong feature of the

Yale game for several years, owing to the combination of two happy

possessions--a strong place-kicker and a very fast end-rusher. The

play usually means that the ball, when it goes into touch, is first

reached by the opponents and they return it into the field at the point

where it went out. Of course, the ball has made considerable advance

into the enemy’s territory; but as an offset to this, they have gained

possession of the ball, and, if their play is strong and accurate, they

should be able to return it past the center of the field on their first

kick. While the above is the usual result of the play, it does happen

that a fast end-rusher, in perfect unanimity with the place-kicker,

will succeed in reaching the ball before the opponents. In this case

there is an actual gain of the distance from the centre of the field to

the spot where the ball crossed the touchline. Another opening is to

dribble the ball and then pass it back for the half to punt. This gives

the rushers a chance to get up the field and prevent a return kick. In

this case, unless the ball is fumbled, there is only an apparent gain,

for the ball is in the possession of the enemy and after the down will

be returned probably beyond the centre of the field.

The opening most popular during the past season was the “running

break” or “V.” The ball was dribbled and passed back to a half who was

protected by the rushers enough to insure his having a fair start. He

then made a break for the opening in the line and carried the ball as

far as he could. The amount of interference allowed last year made this

a strong opening, because the player usually made several yards, and

that without losing the ball.

From this point on, however, comes the real strategy of the game. An

illustration of this is the statement made and carried out by one of

the coaches of a team which competed one Thanksgiving Day, not many

years ago. After a conference with the captain and other coaches the

night before the game, he made the astonishing statement that his team

would, if they lost the toss, put the ball over the enemy’s goal-line

in less than five minutes from the time of kick-off. The diagram of

the plans was laid out on paper, and is still in the possession of one

of the men. The plays were these: The ball was dribbled and passed by

a long throw to the right half-back, whose run was made successfully.

The ball was snapped and passed to the rusher next the end on the same

side. This play was strong, because the position of the men and the

throw of the quarter made it appear that the ball was again going to

the half, and the opposing rushers went through the more eagerly. The

next play was a centre-play--the guard giving the ball to the quarter

for a run, and the final play, which carried the ball over the line,

was out next the end once more. The immense superiority of such a

system over the usual method of sending the ball wherever there seems

the most chance was conclusively proven, for, with the exception of a

slight fumble, which caused one more down, there was no break in the

chain, and each man made within a few yards of the spot which had been

marked on the paper.

While it is, of course, impossible to lay out the entire progress of

the game, owing to the element of uncertainty introduced by ignorance

of what line of action may be adopted by one’s opponents, it is

possible to plan what ought to be done at certain stages in the game.

For instance, for many years it was thoroughly believed by all the

best football men that the kicking game could not be played against

the wind under even the most favorable circumstances. This theory has,

however, fallen through, and it is generally concluded that with fast,

good rushers, and strong, accurate kickers, the running game can with

advantage be supplemented with a few timely kicks.

The opening of the game has been discussed; the next point is the

placing of the men on the first down by the opponents. This is

something of vital interest to the captain, for if the opponents have

any strong line of play they will undoubtedly develop it early in the

game. To discover and prevent the surprise is, therefore, the end to be

aimed at, for a strong play successfully made at this point seriously

weakens the adversaries, not only taking from them the actual ground,

but upsetting their confidence and nerve as well.

Upon the use of the quarter depends the style of this first defensive

play. Some captains keep him back of the line where he may assist

the half-backs; others send him up into the line as an extra rusher.

Neither of these two plans can be said to be the right one in all

cases, for there are two elements which govern the play and should

enter into the decision. The first is the relative skill of the rushers

and halves. It is always possible for a captain to say whether he is

strongest “in the line” or “behind it,” and the quarter is most needed

with the weaker set of players. The second is the wind. If this is

very strong and straight with the opponents, there is the greatest

necessity of checking their running before they shall have advanced the

ball within kicking distance of the goal, even though by doing this

the captain for the time being leaves his halves and back less secure.

Therefore the wise captain brings up his quarter into or just behind

the rush line, and concentrates all his strength on preventing the gain

of five yards on three downs. In this way he can oblige his opponents

to kick or lose the ball before they are far enough advanced to be in

dangerous proximity to his goal. Of these two elements, then, it may

be conclusively argued the wind is the greater, and if very strong,

should decide him to bring his quarter up, even though his line of

forwards be exceptionally strong.

The next point worthy of consideration is the offensive and defensive

play about the goals. Most important are: _guarding a goal against the

wind_, and _trying for a goal with the wind_. The former is of the most

vital importance, and time spent upon studying the situation will prove

of advantage to every captain. Let us suppose the case of a touch-back

(_i. e._, where the ball has crossed the goal-line, but without

compelling a safety), for it is generally at this point that the

condition becomes most serious. The captain finds himself driven back

into his own goal and facing a wind and a team encouraged by success.

His own team, on the contrary, are tired with the effort of contesting

the ground, and they are also nervous with the feeling that the

least slip on their part means a goal or a touch-down. The privilege

of a kick-out--at best a privilege of less than twenty-five yards

start--seems pitifully small in the face of the odds. The situation

is the same as at the kick-off upon beginning, with the exception of

the proximity of the goal and the attendant danger. The ball may be

place-kicked or drop-kicked down the field or out of bounds; it may be

dribbled and passed back for a punt or run. There is one thing which

must not be done, and that is to kick or pass the ball out toward the

centre of the field or across the goal, for as surely as the ball falls

into the enemy’s hands in front of the goal, they will, if their play

be accurate, not fail to score. Next to be borne in mind is that when

the ball does go into their hands it must be either a down or a fair,

_i. e._, it must not be a fair catch, but must go out of bounds, or

into their hands on the roll with a rusher close enough to make them

have it down. There are three ways to accomplish this: the first is

to place or drop-kick the ball down the edge of the field and out of

bounds, or accomplish the same result by a dribble and punt; the second

is to attempt the running game until two downs are exhausted, and then

kick out of bounds; and the third, and most aggressive of all, to kick

the ball a short distance ahead but well up in the air, and putting all

the men on side, rely upon getting possession of the ball in air or in

the scramble as it falls. If the last plan is adopted every man in the

line must go forward with one idea in his mind, and that is to prevent

a fair catch at all hazards.

Another question is often discussed regarding the protection of a goal,

and that is: Is a man ever justified in running round behind his own

goal with the ball on the chance of getting out far enough on the other

side to gain ground? The only answer to this question lies in the head

of the man who has to do it. There are some who can be trusted to know

when it can be done, but most should be told to never do it unless at

that point in the game a safety will turn the balance of the score, and

they should not do it in the first half.

But to pass to the attack. A side has advanced the ball within kicking

distance of their opponents’ goal, having the wind and the ball with

them. Should they at once attempt a field-kick, or by running try to

get nearer, or even rely upon a touch-down? If they try a field-kick,

should it be a drop at goal, or should they punt the ball just short of

the goal and chance a muff or a fumble by their adversaries to yield a

touch-down? Unless a team is remarkably strong in the running game, and

has been making their five yards, it is silly to try a touch-down or

nothing. Again, unless there is plenty of time remaining, it takes too

long to work the ball up to the line and get it across, beside the many

risks of losing possession of it in the meantime. Finally, a punt up in

front of the goal is too decidedly a confession of the lack of a good

drop-kicker.

As a rule, then, the first down had better be utilized by getting the

ball in front of the goal if it is off at the side of the field. The

second down should be an attempt to get somewhat nearer only in case

the snap-back and quarter are sure men. Otherwise the drop-kick should

be tried after the first down. One thing to be said in favor of trying

the drop-kick at once, without attempting to bring the ball in front of

the goal, is that the adversaries are then much less prepared for the

try, and hence the kicker has a more uninterrupted aim and longer time.

After the first down the opponents concentrate their attention more

upon the kicker.

These are salient features, but, of course, there is an infinity of

detail, of which the present article does not give space to speak.

[Illustration: Editor’s Open ~Window~.]

THE NATIONAL HORSE SHOW.

“It’s an ill wind that blows nobody good;” and let the press, comic and

otherwise, deride anglomania as it may, the good effects of this same

craze are plainly visible in some directions. Since Richard Ten Broeck

won the Cesarewitch Stakes with Prioress in 1857, since the victories

of Foxhall and Iroquois, no one has doubted that the race-horses of

America are in every respect equal to the English standard. But the

same can scarcely have been said of the carriage-horses, hacks, cobs,

and ponies, while until a comparatively recent date the hunter, in the

English acceptation of the term, was unknown. The rankest “_laudator

temporis acti_,” who took a stroll in Madison Square Garden during the

horse-show week, would not venture to deplore “the good old days” as

far as horseflesh is concerned. The prevalence of the “bang” tail and

hog mane may offend the eye of some, and when such treatment is carried

out on an elephantine dray-horse--as was the case with some of the

exhibits--the result is truly absurd. But the sporting, capable class

of horse with the best of action, which was so well represented--more

so than in any previous year--must of necessity have favorably

impressed the true disciple of horseflesh.

The exhibition was very good--in some cases extremely so--and in a

rising scale from Mr. Pierre Lorillard’s happy family of Shetlands up

to Mr. A. Palmer Morewood’s colossal Clydesdale “Marlborough,” there

were shapes and sizes to please every eye. From East, West, North, and

South they came to constitute this goodly array, and in some cases

laurels gained in English show rings were supplemented with American

honors.

In the high-jumping, however, as in former years, lay the special

feature of the show. When it is possible for _green_ hunters--save the

mark!--to be put to jump 6 ft. 6 in., even though it prove somewhat

beyond their powers, it may well make even old horsemen open their

eyes, and wonder where this emulation will stop. Such feats have never

been accomplished or indeed attempted in England, but in the New York

Show the standard rises year by year, and the record, unlike that of

trotting, is all the time being broken. The jump of 6 ft. 9⅞ in.,

accomplished by Mr. F. Gebhardt’s “Leo,” ridden by “Pete” Smith, the

only man who can induce this wonderful horse to put forth his powers,

and Messrs. Durland & Co.’s “Filemaker,” ridden by that graceful

rider, Mr. McGibbon, is something which, unless one has seen it done,

he receives with doubting ears. The riding and driving was very good.

In the latter department, Mr. F. Asshenden, as usual, distinguished

himself. He drove in every competition which enters into his province,

with such success that only on one occasion did he leave the ring

without a “ribbon.”

The management of the show was very well conducted, and with the

exception of some complaints of dampness--which was attributable to

Jupiter Pluvius and not to the management--there were no grounds for

objection. The health of the horses was excellent, the veterinary

department under Drs. Carmody and Field left nothing to be desired,

and the equine visitors left the Garden after their week’s sojourn in

strange quarters in no way the worse for their experience.

~Sporting Tramp.~

* * * * *

PLAIN TALK ABOUT STEEPLE-CHASING.

For several years past the steeple-chase associations and hunt clubs

have been making strenuous efforts to raise the cross-country branch

of racing to its proper level. Five years ago steeple-chasing was a

byword and a reproach. The scandalous and open swindles that took place

at some of the large tracks were a disgrace, and the managers of these

tracks sat with folded hands while the press exposed the swindles and

urged them to do something or expunge altogether the cross-country

farces from the programme, but nothing was done. The truth is the

managers did not understand steeple-chasing, and would not learn, and

yet it was too lucrative a branch to expunge, as the public enjoyed the

excitement and liked to see the accidents and falls.

About four years ago the members of the Rockaway Hunt Club formed the

Rockaway Steeple-chase Association, and with the Meadow Brook Hunt

Club as well as members of all the other hunt clubs, joined in trying

to raise the level of steeple-chasing. That they were successful

is shown by the records. What the cost was to their private purses

they themselves only know. It is hardly to the credit of the general

public or to the society element in New York, that associations of

this kind that provide honest and fair sport, should lose thousands

at each meeting. Naturally the members object to this continual

drain, and a change of some kind will have to be made. Neither the

Rockaway Steeple-chase Association nor the Country Club Steeple-chase

Association can continue running at a loss any longer.

It might be well, however, to analyze the reason for the loss. When

in 1886, the future of racing in this State was jeopardized and

politicians were endeavoring to stop the sport for purposes of their

own, the leading men of both these associations cheerfully lent a

helping hand and worked to get the Pool bill through. Their endeavors

were successful. Racing was limited to the dates between May 15 and

October 15. So far so good. Then came the question of the dates for

the respective meetings, and the large associations at once seized

all they could get. The principal sinner in this respect has been the

Brooklyn Jockey Club, which has shown great precocity in its grabbing

propensities during the short time it has been in existence. Not

content with taking the days the Rockaway people wanted, the Brooklyns

encroached on Jerome Park’s dates and wanted those also. The Country

Club Association had to deal with Jerome, and found that association

very fair and open about its dates. No attempt was made to “grab,” and

every help was cheerfully given that could be. The weather, however,

knocked out the Country Club Association, and also took a hand in

marring the chances of the Rockaway, which, buffeted on all sides,

lost money steadily. Now for the cure. The Steeple-chase Associations

will have to reduce their meetings to the level of hunt races, _pur

et simple_, with cups and very small money added--with perhaps one

large handicap of $1,000 at most, and wait for better times. Another

alternative is to induce the Legislature to alter the Pool bill in

such a way that steeple-chasing may commence in New York State on

May 1 and end on Nov. 1, thus giving the Association a month to hold

their meetings. The third remedy would be to discontinue the meetings

altogether, a course which would be very regrettable. The Rockaway

people have an expensive plant at Cedarhurst, and the Country Club is

making arrangements for something of the same kind. Some measures will

have to be taken to protect their interests as well as those of the

other hunting clubs.

~C. S. Pelham-Clinton.~

* * * * *

THE GAME OF LACROSSE.

The season which closed November 1 has not been so productive of good

results as those interested in the success of Canada’s national game

anticipated. Certain innovations, which were introduced last spring

and promised well, have proved to be impracticable. Then, again, the

splitting of the old National Association into two minor leagues has

not brought about closer relationship between the clubs. Not one of the

New England clubs has signified its intention of joining the Eastern

Association. A local championship series and a few games with outside

clubs have satisfied them.

The Western Association, and its doings during the first season of

its existence, remain unknown to the lacrosse men in the East. For

some reason efforts to bring about cordial relations between the two

sections of the country have failed. The Western men appear to think

that enough deference is not paid them on account of their possession

of the National Championship, which was gained, not on the field, but

on paper.

The Brooklyn Club will have the honor of being the champion club until

1889. It has made astonishing strides forward. Faithful practice and

attention to team-play has made it a strong organization. The Staten

Island Club, on the other hand, may safely be relied upon making every

effort next spring to regain the coveted honor which so long was theirs.

The other clubs in the Eastern Association--Philadelphia, Baltimore,

Jersey City, Staten Island Cricket Club--have not done much during

the summer, except to build up their organizations. There is every

indication, however, that the season of 1889 will witness some exciting

games.

That nothing encourages so much as success, is seen in the vigor and

enthusiasm with which Princeton, the champion of the College League,

has gone to work since the opening of college. Usually the lacrosse

men do very little in the fall in the way of practice. But this year,

intent upon again winning the championship in 1889, class games have

been played, and the University team has also had several games with

outside clubs. This has not escaped Harvard, her most dangerous rival.

The _Crimson_ has repeatedly called upon the college to give better

support to the lacrosse team, which has at times been almost the only

one to bring back a championship. In the spring the time is too limited

to get the men into first-class condition, and fall and winter work

should be indulged in when possible.

Lehigh is thoroughly delighted with lacrosse, and Cornell is taking

it up. Williams is considering whether it will not draw too many men

from the other sports, and other colleges and schools are getting ready

to introduce the game. This is very gratifying. To play the game well

requires so much attention to training, and such thorough self-command,

that, as a mere matter of discipline, it ought to be recommended;

besides, no game is more exciting, and certainly none more graceful.

~J. C. Gerndt.~

* * * * *

RABBIT COURSING.

For every man who owns a greyhound, at least a dozen own some kind of a

terrier. The terrier is essentially man’s companion among all the dogs.

Bright, intelligent, and full of spirits, he also has the happy knack

of knowing how to make his presence unobtrusive. Among the many breeds

which have at the present day attained popularity, the fox-terrier is

_facile princeps_, and of late years owners have bethought themselves

of a good plan to avail themselves of the natural instinct of the dog.

The fox-terrier is naturally possessed of a speed out of proportion to

his looks, and since “the nature of the beast” is to pursue anything in

the line of game or vermin, he has readily fallen in with man’s scheme

to course the rabbit with his aid.

The advantages of this sport over coursing with greyhounds are many.

The grounds have not to be so spacious or complete; the dogs are not

so expensive, either in initial cost, maintenance, or elaboration of

training; impromptu matches can be easily arranged, and, especially

in this country, the difficulty of supplying the requisite quarry

for greyhounds is obviated. The rabbit, on the contrary, is fairly

plentiful in the Eastern States, and a goodly supply of them is

generally forthcoming. The meetings that have hitherto been held have

been very successful, and it is a cause of great satisfaction to all

sportsmen that the recent case at Hempstead reached such a favorable

termination.

This sport has not as yet, in America, gone beyond the limits of the

select circle which patronizes polo and fox-hunting; but no real reason

exists why this should be so. The writer has witnessed and taken part

in very successful impromptu coursing-matches in the South, where the

intentions of the dogs were better than their looks or breeding. It is,

in fact, a sport open to every man who owns a decent terrier, and as

such it is regarded in many parts of England, where the farmers will

not only allow but will take part in matches run over their land.

~Sporting Tramp.~

[Illustration: ~The Outing Club.~]

THE DISSENSION IN THE ATHLETIC WORLD.

Some time since ~Outing~ entered into communication with

the various gentlemen who are taking leading parts in the serious

disruption which has shaken the athletic world of America to its very

centre. For some reason best known to those addressed, the majority

of these gentlemen have not seen fit to favor us with their views on

the situation. We have, however, been placed in a position to give

the public some extracts from what appears to us to be an impartial

review of the facts, from the Union’s side of the question. We quote as

follows:

“In 1879 the New York Athletic Club decided to give up the management

of the Amateur Championship Meeting, so successfully established by

it three years previously. This course was taken because it brought a

great deal of additional work on the officers of the club, and although

the games had been profitable to the organization, its officers no

longer desired to be continually appealed to for decisions and rulings

upon athletic matters. For these reasons the N. Y. A. C. was willing to

relinquish the conduct of the championship games to properly organized

associations of clubs.”

Thus it came about that in the spring of 1879 the National Association

of Amateur Athletes of America was organized. In 1880 we find the list

of clubs that were members numbered twenty-one. In 1885 we find that

this number had sunk to twelve, and in 1887 it was still twelve, while

the New York Athletic Club, “through some personal club trouble,” had

resigned in 1885.

“With these facts before us it can readily be seen that although the

Association may have been, and no doubt was, national some years ago,

it failed to keep pace with many of the leading clubs during the past

three or four years. Some of these, notably the New York and Staten

Island Athletic clubs, made such rapid strides that not only were

meetings given that were far superior to the championships, but also

many championship of America events were given by them and at their

expense, among them being the boxing, wrestling, swimming, general

gymnastic, general athletic, etc.

“In 1887 the Athletic Club of the Schuylkill Navy started the Amateur

Athletic Union of the U. S.” The why and wherefore of its inception is

thus accounted for. “The first time the A. C. S. N. participated in any

other athletic competition than those held under its own management

was in February, 1886, when a number of entries were made in the

championship boxing and wrestling tournament given under the auspices

of the New York Athletic Club, at Tammany Hall, New York. Of the three

representatives of the A. C. S. N. at this competition, one, Mr.

Charles A. Clark, won the championship at feather-weight boxing, and

another, Dr. J. K. Shell, was fortunate enough to meet Joe Ellingsworth

in the middle-weight boxing class; the latter, it was learned just

in time to enter a protest, was so tainted with professionalism as

to render his presence at an amateur competition preposterous. The

protest against Ellingsworth was made by Captain Huneker of the A. C.

S. N. to the New York Athletic Club, by whom he was referred to the

National Association of Amateur Athletes of America for a decision as

to Ellingsworth’s standing. The latter association refused to take any

action, claiming that they had no jurisdiction in the matter.

“The inconsistent part of the National Association’s action in this

matter is the fact of its having refused to take any action in this

instance and claiming that it had no jurisdiction, while many will

undoubtedly remember that sufficient jurisdiction was claimed in the

cases of the wrestlers who were disqualified about six months previous

for competing at unapproved meetings.

“From the time of this occurrence dates the desire of the A. C. S. N.

to see formed an association national in character, which would take

cognizance of and exercise jurisdiction over all kinds and classes

of athletic sports over which no recognized association already in

existence, exercised special authority. This, together with the sincere

wishes of the club to contribute by every means within their power to

an effort to exclude from the amateur ranks the semi-professional,

‘tough’ and ‘shady’ element which has proved so great a detriment to

the natural growth and popularity of all true amateur sport, dwarfed

its possibilities and rendered competition in many of its classes

obnoxious to gentlemen, are the reasons which mainly influenced the A.

C. S. N. to request the New York Athletic Club, which organization was

not a member of the National, to join in a call for a meeting of all

the recognized amateur athletic organizations of the United States to

consider the formation of a new association.

“The meeting of such a body and its outcome is a matter of athletic

history. From this convention emanated the Amateur Athletic Union. From

the inception of the Union the A. C. S. N. at once became prominent

in its councils, one of its delegates, Mr. W. H. McMillan, being

unanimously elected president of the new association.

“When the circular calling for a meeting of all the clubs to consider

the formation of an association was received by the Staten Island

A. C., a letter was at once sent to Mr. John F. Huneker, captain

of the A. C. of the Schuykill Navy, inquiring what club was at the

bottom of this move, and what were the ideas and reasons in forming

such an organization. The reply, as received, was read to the Board

of Directors, and, after satisfying themselves as to its honesty

and advisability, a committee with power was appointed, consisting

of President J. W. Edwards, Secretary W. C. Davis, Treasurer G. M.

Mackellar, and Director F. W. Janssen.

“This entire committee attended the first meeting of the A. A. U.

After carefully noting and satisfying themselves on every point, they

unanimously decided to join; so the Staten Island A. C. at once became

a member of the Union.

“Later on, the Union showed so many advantages over the National,

and had so many respectable clubs in it, its affairs being conducted

on so much better and more business-like principles, that after duly

considering the case, the Staten Island A. C. sent its resignation to

the National Association. When the Union selected September 19, 1888,

at Detroit, as the date and place of their championship of America

games, the National scheduled its similar meeting for September

15, 1888, at New York, and, in order to detract from the Detroit

meeting, empowered the Missouri Athletic Club of St. Louis to hold a

Western championship on its grounds September 9. The Union, to show

its strength, at once authorized the Chicago Athletic Club to hold

a Western championship meeting on its grounds September 1, in order

to establish a set of Western champions for 1888 before the National

meeting could be held.

“As time went by, the Union representatives considered the advisability

of taking some final action in the matter, and, after some six weeks’

deliberation, at a meeting held August 25, 1888, unanimously passed the

following resolution:

“‘Resolved, That any amateur athlete competing in any open amateur

games in the United States not governed by rules approved by the

Amateur Athletic Union, shall be debarred from competing in any games

held under the rules of the Amateur Athletic Union. This resolution

shall take effect immediately.’

“The idea was to have the Western clubs and athletes recognize but one

championship meeting of the West (that of the A. A. U. at Chicago).

“The National (or rather now the Manhattan A. C.) found it impossible

to hold its championship meeting in New York, owing to the fact that

all the athletes, with very few exceptions outside the Manhattan Club,

belonged to Union clubs, and would not compete under the National

rules; so a cable was sent by the Manhattans to the Irish Gaelic Team

to the effect that the meeting had been postponed until October 6 in

order to allow them to compete.

“In the West the two championship meetings were held, and those

athletes who took part at the St. Louis National meeting were debarred

from competing at the Detroit Union games.

“The Union Board held a full meeting of the Executive Committee at

Detroit, on September 18, 1888, when the above resolution was again

unanimously approved of. The committee also unanimously refused to

rescind the same or to reinstate any of the athletes who competed at

the St. Louis National meeting.

“The so-called National meeting held in New York city, on October 13,

1888, was, with very few exceptions, between the teams of the Irish

Gaelic Association and the Manhattan Athletic Club.

“At the Detroit meeting of the Union, a committee consisting of Otto

Ruhl, James E. Sullivan, and Fred W. Janssen was appointed, with

power to confer with Mr. Cullinan, the manager of the Irish team. To

him, after explaining matters, the following proposition was made, on

condition that his team should not recognize the National Association

as an authorized body to give a championship of American meeting, viz.:

The A. A. U. would give his team a testimonial meeting whenever he

desired; would give all the American and Irish championship events,

and an all-round competition. His association was to take all the gate

receipts over and above expenses, and the following guarantees were

made for tickets: Staten Island Athletic Club, $500; N.Y. Athletic

Club, $500; Pastime Athletic Club, $200.

“This offer was refused by Mr. Cullinan, and he wrote a letter to the

Secretary of the Union asking that the resolution be not enforced so

far as his team was concerned. As a similar request was made at Detroit

on behalf of the Western athletes, and Messrs. Schifferstein and

Pursell of the Olympic Club, San Francisco, and refused, no action was

taken. The request could not have been granted owing to the fact that

the Irish team seemed bound by contract to the Manhattan A. C., and

paid little or no attention to the Union’s propositions.

“The National published on its official circular the following

Executive Committee: President, Walton Storm, Manhattan A. C.;

vice-president, Wm. Halpin, Olympic A. C.; secretary, C. H. Mapes,

Intercollegiate A. C.; treasurer, W. C. Rowland, Staten Island A. C.;

S. S. Safford, American A. C.; W. G. Hegeman, Nassau A. C.; Geo. S.

Rhoades, Missouri A. A. A.; and on the Games Committee, W. C. Rowland,

Staten Island A. C.; Walton Storm, Manhattan A. C.; W. G. Hegeman,

Nassau A. C.

“Now, the following delegates and clubs mentioned on the Executive

Committee were not members of the National, viz.: Vice-President,

William Halpin, Olympic A. C.; treasurer, W. C. Rowland, Staten Island

A. C.; S. A. Safford, American A. C.; W. G. Hegeman, Nassau A. C.; and

of the Games Committee: W. C. Rowland, Staten Island A. C.; and W. G.

Hegeman, Nassau A. C., the clubs having resigned and joined the Amateur

Athletic Union. This left on the Executive Board of the so-called

National: President Walton Storm, Manhattan A. C.; secretary, C. H.

Mapes, Intercollegiate A. A., and George S. Rhoades, Missouri A. A.

A., with Walton Storm on the Games Committee. On both the circulars

and postal-cards, issued respectively under dates of September 3 and

September 18 by the so-called National, were found no names whatsoever,

nor did the parties left claim any more members. Therefore, the

following articles taken from the constitution and by-laws of the

so-called N. A. A. A. A. proved beyond a doubt to any fair-minded

person that such an association was virtually out of existence since

the resignations of afore-mentioned organizations, to wit:

CONSTITUTION.--ARTICLE III.

_Membership._

The membership of this association shall be limited to amateur

athletic clubs, and any associate club not giving at least one

public outdoor athletic meeting each year, to consist of not

less than five games, open to all amateurs, shall pay a fine of

twenty-five dollars, to be paid at or before the next annual

meeting, and in default of such payment such club shall forfeit its

membership.

And the Intercollegiate Athletic Association may become a member of

this association, such Intercollegiate Association to be deemed an

amateur athletic club for all purposes herein.

ARTICLE VI.

_Application for Membership._

Any amateur athletic club desiring to join the association shall

send to the secretary an application for membership, a copy of its

constitution and by-laws, and a list of its officers and members.

The secretary shall submit this application to each member of the

Executive Committee in turn, and these members shall endorse their

decision. The approval of seven members of the Executive Committee

shall be necessary to constitute an election.

BY-LAWS.--ARTICLE III.

_Meetings._

The annual meeting of the Executive Committee shall be held at the

close of the annual meeting of the association. Special meetings

of the Executive Committee shall be called by the secretary either

at the written request of three members of the committee or by

order of the president, and one week’s notice of said meeting shall

be sent to every member of the committee. At all meetings of the

committee five members shall constitute a quorum.

“By the first it is proven that the Intercollegiate Association was but

a single organization in the so-called National Association. The second

shows that it was necessary to have seven members of the Executive

Committee present in order to elect a new club to membership, and

the third that there should have been five members present to hold a

meeting. As the so-called N. A. A. A. A. had not been able to hold a

meeting or transact business under its own constitution and by-laws,

the organization in the Union refused to recognize the existence of

the so-called National Association of Amateur Athletes of America,

and in so doing stated that the respective clubs comprising the Union

positively denied having in any way boycotted the Irish Gaelic Team,

owing to the fact that the latter simply joined with the Manhattan and

Missouri Athletic clubs in preference to the Amateur Athletic Union

which was composed of twenty-seven leading associations.

“The M. A. C. _Chronicle_ of October, 1888, published the following

clubs as having had delegates present at the so-called National’s

annual meeting held about October 13: Missouri A. A. A., St. Louis;

Manhattan A. C., New York City; Star A. C., Long Island City; West

Side A. C., New York City; Allerton A. C., New York City; and

Intercollegiate A. A.

“The Allerton A. C. was organized in September, 1888, by members of the

Manhattan A. C. Mr. G. M. L. Sacks is treasurer, and Mr. G. M. L. Sacks

of the Manhattan A. C. represents the club on the so-called National

Association’s Executive Committee. Of late the Manhattan A. C. men have

organized several so-called athletic clubs in order to swell the list

of clubs belonging to the so-called National Association, and in the

M. A. C. _Chronicle_ of November, 1888, we find Walton Storm, G. M. L.

Sacks and Fred A. Ware, three well-known M. A. C. men on the Executive

Committee of the so-called National Association, and probably two or

three others of which it is not positive.

“None of the so-called National clubs own any property, except the

land which Mr. Walton Storm of the M. A. C. lately purchased for about

$160,000, on which it is proposed to build a club-house. We, therefore,

arrive at the following totals:

_National Clubs._ _Membership._ _Property._

Manhattan A. C. 400 None.

Missouri A. A. A. 200 “

Star A. C. 60 “

West Side A. C. 40 “

Allerton A. C. 50 “

--- --------

Entire National 750 Nothing.

“The so-called National during the past year has given the St. Louis

championship meeting, New York championship meeting, and a ten-mile

championship run. (The New York meeting was twice postponed and the

ten-mile run was also postponed.)

_Union Clubs._ _Membership._ _Property._

New York A. C. 2,500 $410,000

New York Turn Verein 2,500 150,000

A. C. of Schuylkill Navy 680 85,000

Staten Island A. C. 900 85,000

Columbia A. C. (Wash.) 400 65,000

Orange A. C. 650 60,000

Detroit A. C. 500 35,000

New Jersey A. C. 500 35,000

Flushing A. C. 200 25,000

Jersey City A. C. 500 35,000

Berkeley A. C. 250 225,000

----- ----------

Eleven Union Clubs out of

membership of 29 9,580 $1,210,000

“During the past ten months of the A. A. U.’s existence, six

championship meetings have been given, namely:

“Boxing, wrestling and fencing championships; general gymnastic

championships; swimming championships; Chicago Western championships;

Detroit American championships; New York indoor American championships.”

The programme for the coming year, arranged by the A. A. U., is most

extensive and comprises a really notable list of events.

“In view of all these facts it can readily be seen that the Amateur

Athletic Union has done more during its short period of existence to

encourage and foster athletic sports than the National has done in

almost its entire history of ten years. The Union has nationalized

athletics, and has proved itself to be national in character. It is

composed of more and stronger clubs than the National, and it has not

only come to stay, but also to make itself felt throughout the entire

United States.”

In regard to the personal attacks made upon the leading spirits of the

Union by the Manhattan Athletic Club _Chronicle_, we do not propose

to say anything. We pass them by with the remark that “abuse is not

argument,” and that such indiscriminate scattering of verbal mud can

further no cause.

In conclusion, we wish to remark that the evil effects of this

disruption are already becoming apparent. “Union is strength,” and the

following fact shows that the athletic world is losing its unity:

“A Western Association has now been formed with a view to governing

the sport solely in the West. To further this cause, the Missouri Club

resigns from the N. A. A. A. A. and the Union, while the Wanderers of

Chicago club resigned from the A. A. U.”

[Illustration]

OUR THEATRICAL PLAYGROUND.

The Casino, for the time being, has deserted the French and German

composers of comic opera and taken up the early English humor of

Gilbert wedded to the modern English music of Sullivan. “The Yeoman of

the Guard,” the latest production of these two writers, is now in the

full tide of its run at the Casino. It is doubtful, however, if its

prosperity will approach anywhere near that of its predecessor, “The

Mikado.” The theme does not admit of the same supply of fun, life,

color or picturesqueness in acting, and while Sir Arthur Sullivan has

given us some of the best music he has ever written, it is not destined

to strike the popular fancy. A comic opera that does not win popular

taste is sure to be short-lived. This may not be evidence of good

taste, but it is true, nevertheless. The manner, however, in which “The

Yeoman of the Guard” is put on the stage here, as regards costumes and

appointments, is good; but when the cast is considered it is time to

hesitate in praise. With the exception of Miss Bertha Ricci, Mr. Ryley

and Mr. Solomon, the other principals engaged to present it are unequal

to the task. In women, particularly, is “The Yeoman” weak. Miss Sylvia

Gerrish and Miss Isabella Urquhart are, to put it mildly, not happy in

the rôles to which they are assigned. Vocally, they are not up to the

mark, and their acting is on a parallel with their singing. The male

members of the company are also of inferior make-up. All the coaching

of Mr. Richard Barker, the London stage-manager, cannot make singers

and actors without the proper material. With a good caste, “The Yeoman

of the Guard” would have been a great success here, as it is now given.

While it is by no means a failure, it has disappointed numbers who

anticipated with pleasure its production.

A MELODRAMATIC UNDER-CURRENT.

Augustin Daly has once more plunged into the exciting scenes and

thrilling situations of melodrama. With the production of “The

Under-Current” at Niblo’s, he has gone back to his first and early

love. “The Under Current” is a reminiscent kind of work in which

familiar scenes are called to mind, but Mr. Daly has been candid enough

to acknowledge the source from which he had taken them. To “Under the

Gaslight,” one of the most successful local dramas of its day, and “A

Flash of Lightning,” he is indebted for some of his effects. Both plays

named were written by Mr. Daly. He has availed himself of some of the

material contained in these works effectively. “The Under-Current” is

English in story, English in character, and the scenes are all laid

in England. The play was not successful, and after a short time was

withdrawn from the stage of Niblo’s.

THE ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE DRAMA.

Charles H. Hoyt is one of the most prolific writers of the present day

in a class of so-called farcical comedies. “A Hole in the Ground,” “The

Parlor Match” and “A Brass Monkey” are the names of a few of his most

successful works. They have been played in this and other cities to

overflowing houses. One peculiarity of the Hoyt _pot-pourri_ is that

while people as a rule declare that the productions are rubbish and

“all that kind of thing,” they crowd the theatres in which they are

given, to enjoy the Hoyt nonsense and be amused at its absurdities. It

is not, however, the story, its manner of construction, or the dialogue

of a Hoyt skit which entertains, nearly so much as the situations,

music, and rough-and-tumble business of a number of fairly clever

people of variety-show tendencies. The Hoyt order of play will not

live long, but the prolific author of this curiously named theatrical

driftwood is bright enough to perceive that amusement seekers relish

nonsense and absurdity on the stage, no matter how ridiculous, and he

furnishes a supply equal to the demand.

OUR MARY’S RETURN.

Mary Anderson’s return to the United States and her reappearance in

this city was hailed with welcome. It is three years since she left

here to play a return engagement in England. Her success abroad has

been such as she may feel just pride in. It moreover serves as a rebuke

to a certain class of people who claim there is no English recognition

for American talent. The absurdity of this assumption is self-evident.

“A Winter’s Tale,” as presented at Palmer’s Theatre by Miss Anderson

and her company is a creditable production.

ENGLISH BURLESQUE BY ENGLISH PLAYERS.

Nellie Farren and Fred Leslie, of the Gaiety Theatre, London, arrived

in this city just prior to the presidential election, and opened at

the Standard Theatre shortly after in the burlesque, “Monte Cristo,

Jr.” Miss Farren has been the pet of the London public for twenty years

or more. She won her place to honorable regard by her acknowledged

abilities as an actress of burlesque characters. Her talent, however,

is not confined to this class of entertainment alone. A long experience

on the stage--she began her career before the footlights when she was a

child--has given her opportunity to attempt all kinds of parts. In the

romantic, domestic and Shakespearian drama she has made a commendable

record. Boys’ parts are her particular specialty, and in these she

excels. Miss Farren has introduced English burlesque in its best form

to New Yorkers. The attempt has been made before by other companies

from London, but shapely forms in scanty costumes were suborned to the

artistic requirements of the performers. In English burlesque, as given

by Miss Farren and her Gaiety Company, we get an attractive travesty

told with intelligent action, bright music, movement and life. It has

made an impression as it deserved, while it has given contradiction

to the theory entertained by the few that because Londoners could not

recognize the burlesque elements in an American company sent hastily

abroad, a New York public would reject an English burlesque company

here. Bringing coals to Newcastle must, in the regular order of things,

prove unprofitable, but there was no good reason why the theatre-goers

of this city should withhold their patronage from an entertainment

which has won the attention of the amusement seekers of the British

metropolis. The engagement of the London Gaiety Company at the Standard

has taught us much in the line of burlesque.

~Richard Neville.~

[Illustration: ~Among the Books~]

~A story~ which deals with a routine of life, strangely unlike

the common every-day existence of civilization, is the novel, entitled

“A Mexican Girl,” by Frederick Thickstun (Boston: Ticknor & Co. 1888).

The most _blasé_ novel reader will find his attention riveted by

the novelty and wildness of the scenes depicted. The word-painting

and dialect are good throughout, and, as a rule, the characters are

very strongly drawn; but there is a striking improbability in the

supposition that any man could, like the New England schoolmaster, have

reached the age of thirty, or thereabouts, and remained so ignorant

of the ways of the world. The climax of the story is, moreover,

somewhat unsatisfactory. The principal character is dismissed rather

summarily. In spite of such disadvantages, the volume is full of

strong situations, and the interest is well sustained, while the

scene, laid in the Southwest, in a community composed of Americans,

Anglo-Americans, and Mexicans, serves as a weird and picturesque

background.

* * * * *

~An~ amusing and interesting account of a yachting expedition

is to be found in “The Devil of a Trip; or, The Log of the Yacht

Champlain,” by J. Armoy Knox, the well-known editor of _Texas Siftings_

(New York: National Literary Bureau). The volume forms a number of “The

Unique Series,” and is entitled to its position. It consists, in fact,

of a photo-engraved reproduction of the letters from Colonel Knox, as

they originally appeared in the columns of sundry well-known daily

papers, with the addition of clever marginal sketches by Thomas Worth.

The voyage was an inland one, and apart from the entertainment to be

derived from the book, it may serve to furnish many hints to intending

voyagers of desirable routes of travel.

* * * * *

~Messrs. A. G. Spalding & Bros.~ have issued a little hand-book

entitled “Baseball,” by Harry Palmer, in view of their Australian

tour. It contains short and interesting biographies of the players who

compose the Australian teams, and careful directions and explanations

as to the science of the game. Every lover of the national game should

own a copy of this manual, if only for reference in settling knotty

points in the intricacies of play.

* * * * *

~When~ Mr. W. W. Greener adds another to his list of works on

the subject of guns, the sportsman may feel sure of gaining valuable

information by the perusal of the volume. “_Ne sutor ultra crepidam_,”

is a motto which should especially apply to writers of books on such

subjects, and a volume of this description, unless from the pen of an

expert, is worse than useless. In “Modern Shotguns” (Messrs. Cassell

& Co.) the author, without reiterating what he has already published,

has given sportsmen a valuable guide to the selection of the right

weapon in the right place. The mass of useful and interesting facts

and information incorporated will please every one interested in such

matters, while the cuts and diagrams are a markedly useful feature.

* * * * *

~An~ account of a winter sojourn in the kindly climate of a

tropic land may, to readers enduring the rigors of a northern latitude,

serve either of two purposes. It may inspire with envy and malice,

or serve to transport one for a while far from the interminable snow

and slush. Such as can read, without evoking the darker passions, a

prettily told narrative of a winter spent in the pleasant warmth of a

land blessed with

“A snow of blossoms, and a wild of flowers,”

should promptly peruse “A Winter Picnic,” by J. and C. E. Dickinson

and S. E. Dowd (New York: H. Holt & Co. 1888). The ladies who have

contributed to the book seem to have basked the winter through in the

glorious sunshine, but also have not neglected to chronicle, in an

amusing way, many a small inconvenience and drawback. The primitive

civilization of Nassau, the queer traits of the negroes, and, in short,

all the curious features of a country utterly unlike the great marts of

commerce, are duly set forth in an entertaining fashion.

* * * * *

~The~ literature of amateur photography--that most fascinating

pastime--grows apace. “The International Annual of Anthony’s

Photographic Bulletin, for 1888” (New York: Messrs. E. & H. T. Anthony;

London: Messrs. H. Greenwood & Co.), is a charming contribution. It

embodies a vast collection of papers on the various aspects of the

art from the pens of the best authorities on the subject. Information

on any and every point can be found in the pages, and no amateur

photographer should omit to study it. Messrs. Anthony’s manual for

amateurs, “How to Make Photographs,” contains a variety of practical

instructions and formulæ which are of substantial service.

* * * * *

~We~ have received some charming children’s story-books of an

exceptionally interesting character. Messrs. Lee & Shepard, Boston,

and Charles T. Dillingham, New York, are the publishers, and the

excellent appearance of these seasonable little volumes reflects

much credit on them. The mere fact that the text of “The King of the

Golden River, or the Black Brothers,” a legend of Stiria, is from the

pen of John Ruskin, and the illustrations by Richard Doyle, speaks

for itself. “The Last of the Hugger-muggers, a Giant Story,” and its

sequel, “Kobboltozo,” by Christopher Pearse Cranch, are thrilling tales

for the delectation of the little ones. Other two books for juvenile

readers, but for those out of the nursery, from the same publishers,

are “A Start in Life,” by J. T. Trowbridge, and “Little Miss Wheezy’s

Brother,” by Penn Shirley. Both are admirably calculated to effect

the purpose for which they were written, and will prove admirable

gift-books for this holiday season.

[Illustration: AMENITIES.]

THE BRITISH FOX’S LAMENT.

“‘A southerly wind and a cloudy sky,’

So runs a line of the hunting song;

But a bleak nor’-easter is what suits me,

Driving and whirling the snow along.

“From the times of yore has the fox been sung

As a sly old rogue and merry wight,

Who loves the gay sound of the horn and hound

And gobbles chickens the livelong night.

“Such things may have been, but the times are changed;

Chickens are scarce, and the farmers keen,

And with all the hunting that’s going on,

I’m quite played out and am growing lean.

“Now, a neighbor was lately telling me

Of a land that sounds like Paradise,

Where instead of a fox they hunt a bag,

Where chickens are cheap and very nice.

“And I wonder much if such things can be;

Egad! how I’d laugh to see that sport;

But they ‘break us up’ when they catch us here--

What do they do when the bag is caught?

“I have half a mind to speak to my wife

And take the cubs to these promised lands:

As I go back home, I’ll call at the bank

And see how much to my credit stands.

“But, hark! I’ll be hanged if it ain’t that horn--

I guess I’ll skip ere the hounds catch on.”

A few minutes after, the pack came up

And found the old “varmint” home had gone.

_Sporting Tramp._

[Illustration: ~Tally Ho!~

~Gone Away!!~]

[Illustration: Editor’s Scrap Book]

AT THE RIDING SCHOOL.

~In~ her new riding habit of soft olive green

She appeared quite as lovely and proud as a queen,

As around the big ring with a petulant bob

She sailed on the spine of the old sorrel cob.

She rocked like the reed in the breezes a-dream,

She rocked like a lily upon a wild stream;

And she made the old cob like a bald-eagle fly

When she hit him right over his only good eye.

Oh, she seemed like a queen in the yellow side-saddle,

When she made the wild horse to “Erminie” skedaddle!

And when the band ceased, from the stirrup she dropped,

And over the platform most gracefully hopped.

Then I heard her observe with a gesture elate:

“I am now riding daily to pull down my weight--

I am losing flesh daily by riding, and that

Is the reason I’ve stopped taking Smith’s anti-fat!”

--_Puck._

* * * * *

~Miss Gushington~ (_enjoying a sleigh ride_): I think you have a

lovely horse, Mr. De Lyle. About what does such a fine horse cost?

~Mr. de Lyle~: Two dollars an hou--oh--er--yes, that horse is worth

about eight hundred dollars, Miss Gushington.--_Epoch._

* * * * *

~Smith~: What paper are you working on now?

~Jones~: Ain’t working on any paper. The season is over with me.

“How’s that?”

“I was the humorist on the _Bugle_ who got off jokes on the baseball

umpire. As soon as the baseball season closed I was bounced. I’m

trying to get a position as a coal-dealer and slipped-up-on-the-ice

humorist.”--_Texas Siftings._

* * * * *

~A pretty~ maiden fell overboard at New Bedford the other day,

and her lover leaned over the side of the boat, as she rose to the

surface, and said: “Give me your hand.” “Please ask papa,” she gently

murmured, as she calmly sank for the second time.--_Boston Herald._

* * * * *

ANOTHER HUNTING INCIDENT.

~Doctor P.~ had been asked to make one of a party to shoot over

some private preserves. It turned out to be one of his unlucky days.

“I give you my word,” he at last exclaimed, in despair, “I can’t kill a

thing!”

“Come, doctor,” suggested his host, “just imagine that you are at the

bedside of a patient.”--_Judge._

* * * * *

~Oh~! music sweet has charms, you know,

To soothe the savage breast;

It lightens troubles, calms all woe,

And gives the weary rest.

In order, then, to kill his cares,

And all his sorrows check,

The blear-eyed, big-mouthed bull-dog wears

A brass band round his neck.

--_New York Journal._

* * * * *

~Wife~ (_indignantly_): I’ve heard through a certain married

lady in town, John, that you bet me against a horse the other night

that your candidate would win?

~Husband~: Well, what of it? My candidate is bound to win;

the other man hasn’t the ghost of a show, and, as you’ve always

wanted a riding horse, I thought I would just get you one, and get it

cheap.--_The Epoch._

* * * * *

~Parson’s Wife~: Why, Johnny, you’re not going fishing on

Sunday, are you?

~Johnny~: Oh, no--no. I--I only thought I’d take the pole away

from the house so that my brothers needn’t be tempted.--_Life._

* * * * *

~Captain~: Well, what do you make it out to be?

~Miss Culture~ (_of Boston_): Why, it is a feline vessel, a

Grimalkin craft.

~Captain~: Oh, yes; we call ’em cat-boats.--_Ocean._

* * * * *

~Jones~: Ramrod, they say that it takes a temperature of 64°

below zero to kill a wild goose.

~Ramrod~: Well, what of it?

~Jones~: Oh, I was just thinking that you won’t be likely to get

any wild geese this season, that’s all.--_Burlington Free Press._

[Illustration: ~Pleasure Travel and Resorts~]

~The~ following extracts from Mr. H. H. Johnston’s paper in the

_Fortnightly Review_ for October will interest sportsmen. Mr. Johnston

grows enthusiastic over the new territory ceded by the Sultan of

Zanzibar to the Imperial British East African Company:

“The animal products of this region are typically African, and at

the time of my journeyings therein it was a sportsman’s paradise....

Buffaloes, which abound so as to be dangerous, provide very eatable

beef. Rhinoceros are so numerous in the interior that the horns are an

important item in trade, for they may be sold on the coast for three

or four rupees each (say 6s.). Hippopotami are abundant in the rivers

and lakes.... The elephant abounds in the neighborhood of Kilimanjaro

and Kenia to the extent of many thousands. He here becomes quite a

mountaineer, and ranges through the magnificent forests that clothe the

upper slopes of these giants among African peaks. The natives waylay

his forest tracks with artfully devised pitfalls and traps, preferring

this more cowardly way of procuring their ivory to facing the elephant

in the chase.... Lions’ skins are less easy to obtain from the natives,

as that animal is rarely killed by them; but sportsmen might shoot him

to a considerable extent, as he is both common and bold. Monkey skins

of the handsome variety of bushy white-tailed Colobus, which is alone

found in this region, are valuable.

“Ostriches are exceedingly numerous throughout this district of

East Africa; the species which is here represented is the _Struthio

Danaoides_ of Captain Shelley’s determination. It differs from the

widespread _Struthio Camelus_ in the color of the soft parts and naked

skin, and the size and markings of the egg. When living in Taveita, in

the summer and autumn of 1884, I and my men used to largely subsist on

their eggs, which were brought us in numbers by the natives, and sold

for about a pennyworth of cloth each. Of course, to any ornithologist,

this country is exceedingly interesting, and there is an abundance of

guinea-fowl, francolin, pigeons, and bustards.”

* * * * *

~Should~ the disappearance of all kinds of game, with which

we are so much threatened in America, really come to pass, it looks

as if Scandinavia would be a good field to seek. Bears and wolves

were unusually numerous in Sweden last summer; in the province of

Jemtland four were seen on one occasion, and much damage to cattle

was reported. Elks were very plentiful, in consequence of rigid

preservation, particularly in Central and Southern Sweden, large herds

having been seen of these noble animals. A great royal elk hunt took

place recently on the Hunneberg estate, in Sudermania, a Swedish crown

property, when upwards of 100 elks were killed. As to feather game,

the season in Sweden was better than was anticipated after so long and

severe a winter. From several parts came good reports of blackgame,

capercailzie and partridges. For the protection of the last during the

winter, when the snow makes feeding difficult, the Swedish Shooting

Association has decided upon granting awards to farmers who feed these

birds during that season.

In Norway, however, game was scarce, owing to the terribly severe and

long winter. This was particularly the case with the rype, or brown

ptarmigan. The reindeer shooting was good, and bears seem to have been

more than usually numerous last summer, particularly in South-central

Norway.

* * * * *

~The~ following facts may, however, prove instructive to

Americans who think of emulating the example set by some few of their

countrymen, and seeking their sport abroad at the present time. In the

Valuation Appeal Court for Inverness, held recently, the first case

called was that of Donald Cameron, of Lochiel, who appealed against the

valuation of his deer forest at the rate of £25 per stag, and of his

grouse-shootings at 10s. per brace. Finally the case was settled at the

rate of £20 per stag, and 10s. per brace of grouse. It would be of much

interest to know what the rating of these properties would be if they

were used for agricultural purposes. It is worthy of note that Scotch

venison does not fetch more than 10c. per pound for the hind quarter in

the London market, and half that sum for the fore quarter.

* * * * *

~The~ following chronology of railways affords a good index to

the progressiveness of the countries mentioned: The first railway was

opened in England on Sept. 27, 1825; Austria, Sept. 30, 1828; France,

Oct. 1, 1828; United States, Dec. 28, 1829; Belgium, May 3, 1835;

Germany, Dec. 7, 1835; Cuba, in 1837; Russia, on April 4, 1838; Italy,

in September, 1839; Switzerland, on July 15, 1844; Jamaica, Nov. 21,

1845; Spain, Oct. 24, 1848; Canada, in May, 1850; Mexico and Peru, in

1850; Sweden, in 1851; Chili, in January, 1852; India, on April 18,

1853; Norway, in July, 1853; Portugal, in 1854; Brazil, April 21, 1854;

Victoria (Australia), Sept. 14, 1854; Columbia, Jan. 28, 1850; New

South Wales, Sept. 25, 1850; Egypt, in January, 1856; Natal, on June

26, 1860; and in Turkey, on Oct. 4, 1860.

[Illustration: ~Our MONTHLY RECORD~]

~This~ department of ~Outing~ is specially devoted to paragraphs

of the doings of members of organized clubs engaged in the

reputable sports of the period, and also to the recording of the

occurrence of the most prominent events of the current season. On

the ball-fields it will embrace _Cricket_, _Baseball_, _Lacrosse_

and _Football_. On the bays and rivers, _Yachting_, _Rowing_ and

_Canoeing_. In the woods and streams, _Hunting_, _Shooting_ and

_Fishing_. On the lawns, _Archery_, _Lawn Tennis_ and _Croquet_.

Together with Ice-Boating, Skating, Tobogganing, Snowshoeing,

Coasting, and winter sports generally.

Secretaries of clubs will oblige by sending in the names of their

presidents and secretaries, with the address of the latter,

together with the general result of their most noteworthy contests

of the month, addressed, “Editor of ~Outing~,” 239 Fifth Avenue,

New York.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

_All communications intended for the Editorial Department should

be addressed to “The Editor,” and not to any person by name.

Advertisements, orders, etc., should be kept distinct, and

addressed to the manager. Letters and inquiries from anonymous

correspondents will not receive attention. All communications to be

written on one side of the paper only._

AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHY.

~At~ a meeting of the Photographic Society of Philadelphia, held

recently, the executive committee of the Interchange reported that it

had selected from the slides of 1886-’87 two hundred specimens to be

sent to England in exchange for the same number to be sent to this

country.

* * * * *

~During~ the past year the Chicago Lantern Slide Club has added

materially to its numbers. The following new members were admitted

some time since: C. E. Bradbury, J. L. Atwater, E. H. Reed, G. H.

Daggett, Charles Stadler, F. S. Osborn, B. D. Washington, and Wallace

Fairbank. Three members were added to the executive committee: Dr. C.

F. Matteson, E. J. Wagner, and G. A. Douglas.

* * * * *

~The~ Society of Amateur Photographers of New York gave a

Smoking Concert, November 18, which proved a very enjoyable affair.

There was some good vocal and instrumental music, and after the concert

was over, the audience had a “German-American tea”--the tea having been

brewed in a keg, after the manner of the German. Strange to say, on

the conclusion of the repast there were several “kegs full,” after the

manner of the American.

* * * * *

~The~ New Orleans Camera Club has recently taken a number of

sketches of an “outing” along the line of the Northeastern railroad.

Some pretty bits of scenery and quaint negro characters were taken

during the trip. The following gentlemen headed the excursion party:

President William Mandeville, Vice-President Joseph A. Hincks,

Secretary Charles E. Fermer, Treasurer Harry T. Howard.

ATHLETICS.

~The~ fall handicap meeting of the Harvard Athletic Association

was held November 5, on Holmes’ Field, Cambridge, Mass. The events were

as follows:

100-yards run--_First heat_, O. K. Hawes, ’92 (2 yds.), first. Time,

10½s. _Second heat_, E. C. Moen, ’91 (scratch), first. Time, 10 2-5s.

_Final heat_, O. K. Hawes, ’92 (2 yds.), first. Time, 10 2-5s.

Running broad jump--G. R. White (scratch), first. Distance, 20 ft.

2½ in.

One-mile walk--C. T. R. Bates, ’92 (30 sec.), first. Time, 8m. 1½s.

J. E. Howe, ’91 (scratch), second.

One-mile run--J. L. Dodge, ’91 (100 yds.), first. Time, 4m. 34s. A. M.

White, ’92 (100 yds.), second.

Running high jump--E. W. Dustan, ’89 (3 in.), first. Distance, 5 ft.

440-yards run--T. J. Stead, ’91 (10 yds.), first. Time, 52¾s. W. H.

Wright, ’92, second.

Half-mile run--G. L. Batchelder, ’92 (40 yds.), first. Time, 2m. 3s.

220-yards run--S. Wells, Jr., ’91 (12 yds.), first. Time, 23 2-5s. O.

K. Hawes, ’92 (5 yds.), second.

The officers of the course were: Referee, G. B. Morrison, ’83; Judges,

J. D. Bradley, L. S., F. B. Lund, ’88; Judge of Walking, H. H. Bemis,

’87; Timekeepers, J. G. Lathrop, F. D. Fisher, ’86, J. T. Taylor, E. S.

Wright, L. S.; Scorer, Allston Burr, ’89.

* * * * *

~The~ fall games of the Friends’ Central School, Philadelphia,

were held November 4, at the University Grounds.

Pole vault--Stuart, 7 ft. 5 in.

One-mile run--Emerick, 6m. 13 3-5s.

Running high jump--Sill, 4 ft. 8 in.

Standing broad jump--Goldsmith, 9 ft. 2 in.

Half-mile walk--Wilkeson, 4m. 27½s.

100-yards run (juniors)--_Final heat_, Stuart, 11 4-5s.

Throwing baseball--Burrough, 1.

100-yards run (seniors)--_Final heat_, Goldsmith, 11 4-5s.

440-yards run--A’Becket, 1.

Three-legged race--Burrough and Marter, 11 4-5s.

One-mile bicycle race--Mode, 3m. 38 2-3s.

Putting the shot--Meredith, 27 ft. 9 in.

Running broad jump--Dumont, 18 ft. 4 in.

Hurdle race--Dickeson, 22 2-5s.

Tug-of-war--Class of ’89, 1, by 3 inches.

* * * * *

~The~ Athletes of the Gaelic Club of Ireland left for home on

the _City of Rome_, October 31. The trip to this country did not prove

a great financial success.

* * * * *

~The~ first annual games of the Outing Athletic Club were held

on the grounds of the Brooklyn Athletic Association, November 6. The

attendance was large, the management good, the track in fine condition,

and the racing events were closely contested and interesting. Nearly

six hundred people witnessed the sports, which resulted as follows:

100-yards professional race, handicap--E. Herline, Wilmington (5½ yds.)

first; Steve Farrell, Rockville, Conn., second. Time, 10 1-5s.

120-yards run, handicap (amateur)--Thomas Lee, N. Y. Y. M. C. A.,

first; N. Linicus, Olympic A. C., second. Time, 12½s.

Running high jump, handicap--M. O. Sullivan, Pastime A. C., first;

R. K. Pritchard, Staten Island A. C., second. Height, 5 ft. 5 in.,

handicap 5 in.; second, 5 ft. 8½ in.

One-mile walk, handicap--W. F. Pollman, Pastime A. C., first (40 sec.);

J. B. Keating second. Time, 7m. 1-5s.

Half-mile run, handicap--A. Aspengein, Prospect Harriers (42 yds.),

first; W. H. Moore, N. Y. A. C. (45 yds.), second. Time, 2m. 2 3-5s.

350-yards run, handicap--R. R. Houston, I. H. (20 yds.), first; W. E.

Hughes, Pastime A. C., second. Time, 39 4-5s.

Running broad jump, handicap--S. D. See, (36 in.), Brooklyn A. C.,

first, 18 ft. 9½ in.; W. Neuman, Olympic A. C. (30 in.), second.

One-mile run, handicap--P. C. Petrie, Olympic A. C. (43 yds.), first;

E. Hjertberg, Olympic A. C., (35 yds.), second.

220-yards hurdle race, handicap--A. Brown, Pastime A. C. (8 yds.),

first; W. H. Struse, S. I. A. C., second. Time, 27½s.

Putting the 16-lb. shot, handicap--W. Neuman, Olympic A. C. (6 ft.),

first; Alf. Ing, Y. M. C. A. (1 ft.), second. Distance, 31 ft. 4½ in.

* * * * *

~I. B. Meredith~, the well-known sprinter and football player of

Ireland is coming to America.

* * * * *

~Schifferstein~, the California amateur sprinter, has decided to

become a professional. He and Bethune will be a great pair at 100 yards.

* * * * *

~An~ athletic enterprise has been set on foot by the National

Assoc. of Amateur Athletes of America. It is this: The association

has determined to hold a national meeting immediately before their

international championship next May. The meeting will be open to every

amateur in the United States, and the winners of contests will form

an international team which will make a tour of Europe, entering all

amateur championship games held in foreign countries. The team will

also hold a series of games at the Paris Exposition of 1889. Many

prominent men interested in athletics are very favorably impressed with

the scheme and believe that it will be a successful one.

* * * * *

~The~ following definition of an amateur has been adopted by the

Western Association: An amateur athlete is one who has never competed

with or against a professional for a prize, or who has never competed

for a staked bet or other monetary consideration or under a fictitious

name, or who has never, directly or indirectly, either in competition

or as an instructor, or as an assistant or through any connection

whatever with any form of athletic games obtained any financial

consideration, either directly or indirectly; who has never sold or

pledged any prize or token won or obtained through connection with

athletics, or whose membership in any athletic organization is of no

pecuniary benefit to himself, directly or indirectly.

* * * * *

~The~ games of the Manhattan Athletic Club, November 6, were of

a high order. Four new records were made, two on the running path and

two on the field. The cinder-path was in excellent condition. Arthur

George and G. L. Young, the champion cross-country runners of England,

gave exhibitions of their style. Conneff and Mitchell, the Irish runner

and the weight thrower, made new records. The following is a summary of

the events:

100-yards run--_First heat_: F. Westing, M. A. C. (scratch), and A. F.

Copeland, M. A. C. (2 yds.), a dead heat, in 10 2-5s. _Second heat_:

J. S. Wieners, Jr., M. A. C. (9 yds.), first, in 10 4-5s. _Third

heat_: H. Shipman (4½ yds.), first, in 10 4-5s. _Fourth heat_: J.

C. Devereaux, M. A. C. (5 yds.), first, in 10 4-5s. _Fifth heat_: W.

M. Macdermott, M. A. C. (7 yds.), first, in 10 4-5s. _Final heat_:

Macdermott first, Devereaux second, Copeland third; time, 10 1-5s. It

was a fine race, and less than 18 inches divided the four men at the

finish.

Two-mile walk--E. D. Lange, M. A. C. (scratch), first, time 14m. 45

2-5s.; F. Fillistrand, W. S. A. C. (80 sec.), second, in 16m. 21s.; F.

A. Ware, M. A. C. (25 sec.), third, not timed.

Throwing 16-lb. hammer--M. W. Ford, Brooklyn (25 feet), first, at 78

ft. 11 in.; J. S. Mitchell, M. A. C. (scratch), second, at 101 ft. 4

in.; F. L. Lambrecht, M. A. C. (scratch), third, at 101 ft. 3 in.

Two-mile run--T. P. Conneff, M. A. C. (scratch), first, in 9m. 43s.; A.

Sheridan, W. S. A. C. (175 yds.), second; T. Owens, W. S. A. C. (205

yds.), third; won easily. Conneff made 1 mile in 4m. 48s.; 1¼ miles,

6m. 3 4-5s.; 1½ miles, 7m. 19s., and 1¾ miles, 8m. 32 2-5s. His time

at 1¼ miles supplants P. D. Skillman’s 6m. 5 4-5s. made at Brooklyn,

July 4, 1887, and his time at 1¾ miles is the best American record,

there having been no previous record for the distance. Had Conneff been

pushed he could have broken Carter’s two-mile record of 9m. 38 3-5s.

120-yards hurdle race over 3 ft. 6 in. obstacles--A. F. Copeland, M. A.

C., first; H. Mapes, Columbia College, second; E. M. Vandervoort, M.

A. C., third. Won easily in 16 2-5s. The record is 16 1-5s., by A. A.

Jordan, N. Y. A. C.

Quarter-mile run for novices--J. E. Gounison, Columbia College, first;

W. Bogardus, M. A. C., second; J. A. Allen, Star A. C. C., third. Won

by 5 ft., after a good race, in 58 4-5s.

Running broad jump--Victor Mapes, C. C. A. A. (1 ft. 6 in.), first, at

22 ft. 4½ in.; A. F. Remsen, M. A. C. (1 ft. 3 in.), second, at 22 ft.

4 in.; Z. A. Cooper, U. A. C. (3 ft. 6 in.), third, at 22 ft. 3 in.

350-yards run--J. C. Devereaux, M. A. C. (9 yds.), first; A. F.

Copeland, M. A. C. (3 yds.), second; H. Shipman, M. A. C. (12 yds.),

third. Copeland got a good start, but was unable to get through the

field. He ran a close second in the good time of 39 3-5s.

Field officers: Referee, G. W. Carr, M. A. C.; Judges, C. H. Mapes,

Columbia College; W. Gage, M. A. C., and G. L. M. Sacks, M. A. C.;

Timers, M. P. Bagg, M. A. C.; G. A. Avery, M. A. C., and A. F. Kimbel,

M. A. C.; Judge of Walking, G. L. M. Sacks; Starter, H. P. Pike, M. A.

C.

* * * * *

~The~ amateur athletic clubs of Chicago and vicinity, at

present members of the Amateur Athletic Union, have organized a local

committee, to be known as the Executive Committee of the Associated A.

A. U. Clubs of Chicago and vicinity. The committee will be composed of

three delegates from each A. A. U. club within fifty miles of Chicago,

and will legislate, under the board of managers of the A. A. U., on all

matters pertaining to the interests of the associated clubs and Western

athletics in general. The committee is at present composed of delegates

from the following clubs: Chicago Amateur Athletic Association, Garden

City Athletic Club, First Regt. (I. N. G.) A. A., and Pullman Athletic

Club. Officers: Hall T. K. Fake, P. A. C., chairman; Noah Clark, C. A.

A. A., secretary and treasurer. The following circular has been issued:

~To the Amateur Athletic Organizations of Chicago and

Vicinity~:

The Executive Committee of the Associated A. A. U. clubs of

Chicago and vicinity beg to call your attention to the enclosed

announcement. It is to the interest of all amateur athletic

clubs to associate themselves with a national and thoroughly

representative governing body, having for its object the

advancement of American amateur athletics and whose rulings shall

be final and authoritative on all points of importance in such

matters, and whose decisions shall have international recognition.

The formation of the local executive committee insures the proper

representation of each local club, as well as the thorough

investigation and care of the mutual interests of the associate

clubs and Western athletic interests in general.

Respectfully,

~Noah Clark~, Sec’y.

_Chicago_, Oct. 17, 1888.

* * * * *

~The~ American Athletic Union held its first supplementary

indoor meeting for the Championship of the United States, November 21,

at Madison Square Garden in this city. W. B. Curtis was referee and

the judges A. V. De Gorcouria, E. C. Carter, and John Huneker. The

following is a summary of the events:

Seventy-five yards--_First heat_, W. C. White, N. Y. A. C., first; A.

J. Murburg, second; time, 8 2-5s. _Second heat_, Horace Walker, Yale A.

C., first; W. E. Hughes, P. A. C., second; time, 8 2-5s. _Third heat_,

F. W. Robinson, Yale College and N. Y. A. C., first; H. Luerson, P.

A. C., second; time, 8 2-5s. _Fourth heat_, Thomas J. Lee, O. A. C.,

first; N. H. Strusse, S. I. A. C., second; time, 8 2-5s. _Fifth heat_,

S. J. King, Col. A. C., Washington, first; F. H. Babcock, N. Y. A. C.,

second; time, 8 2-5s. Sixteen competed. _Final heat_, Robinson, Walker,

King and Lee competed, the others being beaten in the supplementary

heats. Robinson won by a foot; time, 8 2-5s; King second.

200-yards hurdle (3 feet 6 inches)--Run in one heat. Won by A.

A. Jordan, N. Y. A. C.; time, 30 4-5s.; G. Schwegler, second; E.

Lentilhon, Yale College and N. Y. A. C., third. Four ran. Jordan won as

he pleased.

Three-quarter mile walk--T. Sherman, N. J. A. C.; W. R. Burckhardt, P.

A. C.; H. Dimse, P. A. C.; Otto Hassell, Chicago A. A. A., and J. C.

Kouth, P. A. C., competed. Won easily by Burckhardt; time, 5m. 14s.;

Sherman second, Kouth third.

Standing high jump--W. Norris, S. I. A. C.; A. Shroeder, N. Y. A. C.;

S. Crook, M. A. C.; F. T. Ducharme, Detroit A. C.; Samuel Toch, S.

I. A. C.; R. K. Pritchard, S. I. A. C.; J. R. Elder, Columbia A. C.,

Washington, D. C.; John Scheurer, O. A. C.; E. Giannini, N. Y. A. C.,

and B. L. Harrison, Orange A. C., competed. Crook won with 4 ft. 11½

in. This is within three-quarters of an inch of the American record,

and beats the English record 1½ inches. The start was made at 3 ft. 6

in.

1,000 yards run--G. V. Gilbert, N. Y. A. C.; E. A. Merrick, M. A. C.;

S. Barr, S. I. A. C.; W. T. Thompson, S. I. A. C., and W. J. Gregory,

Birmingham A. C., competed. It was a good race, and during the last lap

and a half Gilbert and Thompson were in advance and running for their

lives. Gilbert lasted the longest and won by several yards. Time, 2m.

26 4-5s.

150-yards run--_First heat_, W. C. White, N. Y. A. C., first; Thomas S.

Lee, O. A. C., second; time, 17 1-5s. _Second heat_, S. J. King, Col.

A. C., Washington, D. C., first; W. E. Hughes, P. A. C., second; time,

17½s. _Third heat_, F. T. Ducharme, Detroit A. C., first; S. E.

Corbett, S. I. A. C., second. _Final heat_, White won a splendid race

by less than a foot. Time, 17 1-5s. King was second and Hughes third.

Kicking Football (for accuracy)--C. T. Schlesinger, N. Y. A. C.; T.

O. Speir, Orange A. C.; Frank Cunningham, S. I. A. C.; E. J. Chapman,

S. I. A. C.; D. A. Lindsay, S. I. A. C.; W. F. Allen, M. A. C.; C. T.

Hollister, M. A. C.; E. J. Laidlaw, N. Y. A. C.; G. A. White, M. A. C.;

H. Sinclair, M. A. C., and J. J. Barker, P. A. C., competed. Cunningham

won, Sinclair second and Allen third.

600-yards run--Stewart Barr, S. I. A. C.; J. F. Robinson, S. I. A.

C.; E. E. Barnes, O. A. C.; A. W. S. Cochrane, N. Y. A. C., and J. P.

Thornton, N. Y. A. C., competed. Thornton won in hand. Time, 1m. 23

2-5s. Barnes was second and Cochrane third.

56-lb. weight (for height)--E. Giannini, N. Y. A. C.; George R. Gray,

N. Y. A. C.; C. A. J. Queckberner, S. I. A. C.; J. Hackett, P. A. C.,

and M. O. Sullivan, P. A. C., competed. Sullivan won it with 13 ft. 11⅝

in., beating his own record 2⅝ in., made October 2, 1886. Queckberner

was second at 13 ft. 7⅝ in. and Hackett at 13 ft. 5⅝ in.

300-yards hurdle (2 feet 6 inches)--Run in one heat. A. A. Jordan, N.

Y. A. C.; A. Brown, P. A. C.; G. Schwelger, A. A. C., and E. Lentilhon,

Yale College and N. Y. A. C., competed. Jordan won without trouble.

Time, 41s. Brown was second and Schwelger third.

Running hop, step and jump--Nine of fourteen entries competed. G. R.

Robertson, M. A. C., won with 43 ft. 1 in.; E. E. Smith, B. A. A.,

second, 40 ft. 5 in., and T. H. Babcock, N. Y. A. C., third, 40 ft. The

world’s record is 48 ft. 3 in., by J. Purcell, Limerick, June 9, 1887,

and the American 44 ft. 1¾ in., by M. W. Ford, New York, May 10, 1884.