Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-14

of the little fellows have any show of de-
feating Dixon for some time to come.
1t is pity that Dixon did not meet Fred
johnson in the ring when the former was in
England. johnson may never get to this
country, and there are many people who be-
lieve be would have a chance of defeating
the Boston hero. don't, and 1 have seen
them both.
If all rumors are correct we may have
Dixon here shortly giving exhibitions Of
the manly art. He is worth seeing, as he
doubtless is the best man at his weight there
has been seen for many year.
Plimmer and Kelly have been matched
and their battle will likely be rattling
one. 1t is with hard gloves. 1t is soon
enough yet to discuss its features in detail,
but both are good little men and both have
proven themselves very game and clever.
About tho Speedy sprinters. s.
A few days ago Collins, the American
sprinter now in England, wrote friend in
| this country relative to the erroneous
notions that prevail concerning the speed of
American sprinters. He went on to say
that in his Judgment, with the exception of
Steve Farrell, there is probably not another
even-time man in the country. This state
ment, coming rs it does from an authority
like Collins, is a very important one to
those who take an interest in foo. racing.
Personally, l have taken an interest in
| sprinting for more than 90 years, and de-
| pend upon it, experience has taught me to
recognize an 'even-timer" as a very fast
man, and have also found tnat more than
| 80 per cent of the alleged even-time men
were from halt to a whole second slower.
While am not prepared to accept what
Collins says as entirely true, I do maintain
that there is at least a great amount of truth
| in his statement
OF late years we who are on the western
side of the Atlantic have been told of
| scores of young men who "can run 100
yards in ten seconds" The truth is that so
common has this standard become that
one hardly dare venture the opinion that
there is a mistake somewhere. Time and
time again I have had good honest citizens
come to me and tell me of young wonder
who has never run for money, and who can
! run 100 yards in less than ten seconds.
| I'm not e1aggerating in the least And
when have doubted the statement have
been the object of some very cool remarkA
draw attention to this question simply as
means of requesting those who believe
they have these ''fyers" to ponder over
what man like Collins says on the matter.
The Big Football Game.
Tomorrow week, if all goes well, we will
have one of the most important football
contests ever played in Pittsburg. The foot
ball team of the Chicago Cricket Club are
to be here to tackle the local team, of course
under Association rules. To all intents and
purposes, the contest will decide whether
the West or East owns the best football
team under the rules named.
That there will be considerable amount
of rivalry there is no doubt, but it is to be
hoped that the rivalry will not develop any
unpleasantness. The probabilities are that
the contest will be good one, and, if the
local team are defeated, we will then have
some idea as to the comparative merits of
the Eastern and Western teams. The Chi
cago fellows are a good lot of players, as
their record shows, and, if the home players
defeat them, then the Pittsburgers need not
for a moment hesitate to meet any team in
the country.
1t is likely that there will be some con-
troversey between the Thistles and the local
club. The Thistles were challenged first,
bat they were so slow In responding that
the cricket club eleven stepped to the front
and as champions of the West" offered to
play the Pittsburgers. A match was made
at once and the game will take place on
Washington's Birthday. If the weather is
fine the contest should certainly attract
very large attendance, and the enterprise of
the local players is worth all the patronage
the game can get.
Another Warning Given.
Those gentlemen who have the welfare of
trotting races in their keep, met during the
week and once more gave the world to
understand that fraud is not to be allowed
on the trotting track if they know it. The
Noble and his horse Alcryon, for all time
because of the questionable race that took
place some time ago between the famous
stallion Nelson and the horse owned by
Mr.. Noble.
The gentleman has for a very long time
shown desire to fight the Board of Review
in the courts, and his action has doubtless
caused delay of the sentence imposed upon
him by the board. But from the beginning
Mr.. Mobiles doom was sealed and blind,
indeed, he must have been if he has not
all along seen that he could not hold out
against the board. 1t will be well for all
Noble and others who have had to face
similar charges of late. The American
public are brave in backing their opinions
on the race tracks, and the Board of Review
deserve all credit possible for their efforts
in trying to give tie public a tair race for
their cash.
The New Boxing Weights
For long time there has been revision
of the scale of weights for boxing and
pugilistic contests needed, and while there
have been several attempts made to formu-
late satisfactory scale nothing has been
definitely done as far as getting a new scale
nationally or internationally adopted. The
methods and surroundings of pugilistic con-
tests have so materially changed during the
last Is or 20 years that something must be
DONE because both in England and in
America there are champions at all kinds of
weights
During the week a number of prominent |
sporting men and sporting writers met in |
New York and formulated a new scale of |
weights, but it is safe to say that other per-
sons who were not at the meeting will be |
opposed to the scale simply because they |
had no hand IN the business. It is wonder |
full how this spirit of envy operates in all |
walks of life But whether the new scale |
is acceptable to everybody or not, it is a |
step in the right direction. Starting awav
from ITO pounds it goes up to 160 pounds,
the latter figure being the middle-weight
limit. That increases the limit four pounds |
from the old P. R. limit and two from the
Queensberry mark. see no fault to find
With the increase, as the welter-weight
limit is placad at 145 and the lightweight at
135. All this seems satisfactory, and while
it will favor some men in one respect it will
20 against them in another. have always
held that 154 pounds was too narrow a limit
for middle-weights considering there are so
many very big men in the heavyweight
class.
But, as just intimated, although the new
scale may be less free from criticism than