Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-13

| ought to make up their minds to stop this
| evil at all hazards. Most certainly expect to
see the County League again in existence next
year, but l do not anticipate that it will be
made up OF ten clubs. We have had, think
| the fact demonstrated to us that there are not
sufficient good players, that is. good amateur
players, in the neighborhood to keep ten clubs
| going at an interesting pace. l therefore ex-
| pect to see the number reduced considerably.
absolutely necessary that each club should be
| protected: that is, players should no be al
| lowed under any circumstances to desert one
club in the league to join another.
A Big Checker Tournament.
Efforts are being made to hold weeks inter-
national checker congress or tournament as
soon as convenient, the meeting place to be
New York. Tie idea seems to be a good one,
and 1 feel certain that if willing hands
commence TO work it good re-
suits will follow. Undoubtedly draught
playing is become more and more
popular and it really contains so many excel
lent qualities that anything that may be done
to still further popularze it should be heartily
encouraged. l don't think that anything
tus than gathering of all the great movers"
in the world. wish those who are interested
| in the movement every success, and believe
they Will be successful.
More Fast Spriuting.
year, as far as foot racing is concerned. If
they are in the background in sculling and
few other things, depend upon it that they
have some very speedy sprinters, and amateurs
at that. The latest achievement is the lower
ing of the 2O0-yard record This was done re-
Gently by p. h. Polling at the sports of the
London Athletic Club. The 20O-yard race was
substituted for the 250-yard contest, so as to
give PellIng a chance to lower his own record
of 20 seconds. The result was eminently salts
in IS As seconds, he carried off the final by
few inches in the still faster time of 19 35 sec
onds-both records-though the value of the
latter achievement is unfortunately discounted
to some extent by the gale of wind which blew
at the runners backs-a decided contrast to
the trial heat which was run in a comparative
calm, the wind having suddenly dropped as if
by pre-arrangement
PugiIists and Pugilism.
Those who are interested in pugilism may
make up their minds that matters in that
line will be extremely dull this winter. At
least every indication is in this direction, as the
only place where there is opportunity for purse
fighting is at San Francisco When contests
for purses and receipts are not numerous istic
encounters will soon die out. At present there
are no prospects of any prominent encounter
in this country Sullivan is devoting his efforts
toward organizing a combination to make
tour of the country. In addition to this re-
ports state that he is also devotiDg consider
able time to saloons However this may be, l
venture to say, that Sullivan's tour, if he ever
makes it. will not be a bonanza by any means.
He has missed his golden opportunity. Had
he gone on the road as soon as he left New Or
leans he would have caught the public at a
high degree of excitement regarding pugilism.
Now there is no interest at all in that branch of
sport. 1t is also true that in many of our
largest cities boxing contests are not allowed.
l said a few lines previous that
there was no prospect of prominent battle
but had almost forgotten that Jack McAuliffe
is again on deck with a public offer to fight
Jimmy Carroll 1t is likely that the California
Athletic Club will offer purse big enough to
induce contest between these two light
weights They would certainly make good
battle, hut it will be soon enough to talk about
a winner when they agree to fight There is
little or no likelihood of La Blanche tackling
anybody for some time. He won't readily give
Dempsey another try, and as Jack Fogarty.
like McCatfrey, has retired, there is no chance
of Fogarty and La Blanche coming together.
Certainly think that McCafrey and Fogarty
have done the best thing possible in retiring
from business that to neither of them has
been very profitable. AS have already re-
marked, there is about only one place where
public glove contests of any financial worth
are allowed. That means that there is CON-
paratively little in the pugilistic business now.
Some time ago ] remarked that Pat Farrell
was thinking of going to San Francisco under
the guidance of John Hallahan. With the
present outlook so gloomy for boxers and pu-
gists it might be well for Farrell to leave fistic
affairs alone for time at least. Pugilists who
are well located at present should bear in mind
that the boxing bcom," which lasted SO long.
is spent. There is nothing in the business now,
and won't be until something of an extraordI-
nary kind give it new impetus.
An Interesting Opinion.
Henry Sampson, probably one of the best
authorities on pugilism in England, makes the
following interesting statement on the modern
e G,rl,
back reminds me that have been of late read
ing In the sporting papers about some extraor-
dinary preparations that are being made to
usher in the boxing season with due regard to
its present importance. How much of this
preparation is real, and how much is intended
to humbug section of the COM
muniry who appear only too anxious to be
humbugged, I don't presume to say. Still,
after what has taken place between boxers
and their managers on the one side, and the
dupes of both and the jay division generally on
the other, should as soon expect to grow figs
upon thornS, or onions upon horse chestnuts as
to find all the matches talked about, or even
those that are already in progress, are as genu-
inc as they profess to be. Mr.. ]. Smith de-
spite the extraordinary manner in which he
has failed to fulnl anticlpations seems still to
have no end of friends who have unlimited con-
fidence in him, and who are prepared to put
more money down on any one of his trials than
some of the greatest and best among real cham
pions had down in the whole of their encount.
ers. The biggest stake Tom Sayers won was
s20O; in one of his fights for the belt
only 9l50 was put down on each side: when
King and Heenan were matched for $1,000, old
ring goers shook their heads and said thousand
was too much to risk in stake money on any one
man, as such figures were likely to lead to men
being bought over and, even if this could not be
done, no man but would be overawed by having
so much dependent on his abilities, and would
suffer in consequence. 1t is more than prob
able that both these views were shown to be
correct by means of this memorable match
which certainly did more than any other match
that can be mentioned to scotch, or as it then
seemed, to kill, pugilism in England. During
the nowaday revival-or what has been digni-
fed by the name of revval--an endeayor has
been made to compensate for lack of class by
lavish displays of money. Not only do heavy
men, who only little while back were but one
degree above dockers, sneer at matches for less
than thousands, but bantams of the bantamest
description won't look at anyone who wants to
fight for less then his own weight in silver. 1t
does seem strange that, while such flyers as
HOLES and Nolan, Napier and Gallagher al
ways were satisfied to fight for $50 or, at most
and under exceptional circumstances, fl00
side, thread-paper little creatures who are not
to be mentioned in the same breath think
nothing less than monkey is worth going into
training for"
The Single Judge System.
The same authority, speaking of a referee
alone dacidinr O hio hoxino oontast for yo;r+e