Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-04

| Hawke has not good team with him. He
has good team. and it is an extremely
good sign of the progress of cricket playing
in America that Lord Hawkes. team was
beaten at Philadelphia. Not very long ago
it would have almost been impossible to
have found eleven crickcters in the United
States able to cope with the present English
team. This development in the art of the
game prompts hope that the time is not
far off when an American eleven will be
able to cope with first-class English team.
There is no reason why such result should
not be obtained. The Australians long
,since downe6 the mother country at her ma
tional game. True, cricket playing is not
so popular here as in Australia, but, allow
ing this, there are still evidences that
cricket playing is popular enough here to
enable our players to continue the progress
that has marked their playing during the
last seven or eight years.
Tuesdays Amateur Sports.
On Tuesday next we will have, weather
permitting, the fall field day of the Allie
gheny Athletic Association. That means
that our leading amateur athletes of this
vicinity and also very prominent ones from
other cities will be present to contest, and as
q result there will be some very entertain
ing sports. Amateur contests such as those
reation an opportunity to witness athletic
contests of kind that tend to make every
body the better for seeing or taking part in
them. The truth is, there are too few out
door amateur sports in big community
like this, and were there more than ct pres
ent, / venture to say that the athletic clubs
hereabouts would be in q much more -four
ishing condition than they are / am also
inclined to think that the public is more
inclined to patronize the amateurs than
many people imagine. The sport loving
public have become so soUred and even dis
gusted with professionalism that the anna
teurs are almost the only ones on whom re-
lance can be placed. Well, 1 trust that
Tuesdays sports will be we'll patronized.
The arrangements, as far as 1 am aware, are
all excellent, and if the weather is fine there
will doubtless be an interesting afternoon
for those who go to Exposition Park.
About the PusiIists.
The week Just ended has been one of the
dullest on record among the pugilists and
their patrons. Nothing has been going on
at all except more or less talking. OF
course there are any amount of rumors as to
coming battles, but there is nothing definite
vet regarding any contest of Importance.
There does seem to be greater likelihood
than ever of a battle between George Dixon
and Fred johnson, the Englishman. A
week or two ago ohnson defeated Jumper"
Howe in about IL rounds. Howe two or
three years ago defeated Patsy O'Leary,
who had go with Joe Ridge, near Cincin-
natl. Howe is tolerably game little
fellow, but he is not in the same class as
Dixon, and feel certain that the little
colored champion would have polished him
off in much better style than did john
son. The latter had some difficulty
in defeating Howe, and this con-
vinces me that Dixon will down John
sons colors whenever they meet. johnson
is splendid little boxer and very fine fel-
low to meet, but, in my estimation, he is
not vigorous enough for Dixon; indeed, it
seems to me that there is not man before
the world to-day at Dixon's weight who has
any chance of defeating him. Of course, if
the two little fellows fight it will be in
London, as the Pelicans will put up good
purse for them and will allow good ex-
penses. The Pelicans already have had
Dixcr when he defeated Wallace, and they
think well Of him. A contest between
Dixon and johnson will be exceedingly in
teresting, because, when Dixon defeated
Wallace, johnson put up a big forfeit to
fight Dixon and the latter left England and
came home.
Dempsey and Gallagher.
There has been considerable talk going on
since the Gallagher-Mitchell battle about a
contest between Gallagher and Dempsey. I
don't know whether or not they will ever
meet, but trust they will not, as Dempsey
has seen his day, and would likely suffer de-
feat at the hands of such pluckless man as
Gallagher. We all know the time when
Gallaghe: would not think of meeting Dem
sev, but matters are different now, and
Dempsey's sun has nearly set as far as
pugiiism is concerned. Dempsey is very
foolish man for ever thinking of fighting
anybody again. He will always be in danger |
of defeat, and one or two more defeats will |
extinguish him entirely. But Gallagher |
can find plenty of opponents if any purses
are forthcoming.
There has been more talk during the |
week of a contest between SlaviI and Sui |
ivan. This time it is stated that New |
Jersey organization will give 500, 900 for a |
battle between those two gladiators. From |
a club point of view it would probably pay |
to give that amount Of money, and if there |
were 5000 offered it is safe to say that |
Slavin and Sullivan would be quite willing |
to contest for it. The two champions may |
and nav not meet, but if they do not get |
together this fall there will not be much |
chance of their coming together at all. I |
have an idea that everything will depend on |
the condition of Sullivan when he returns |
from Australia. IF he is in anything like |
a good condition contest between himself |
and Slavin will likely be arranged.