Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-04

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not have improved very much since he lie
feated Carroll, and that contest was such
poor one that McAuliffe could almost hav,
defeated them both
There is scarcely any speculation at ell oil
the Dixon and Skelly contest, the forme
being such strong tavorite. On paper o
| in public form it does look like walkove
for Dixon, but, of course, the unexpected i.
always liable to happen. But 1 do not an
ticipate that it will happen in this instance,
Altogether the three battles promise TO bs
| exceedingly interesting ones, and the week
will likely go down in pugilistic history as
the greatest on record up to date That the
Olympic Club will make lots of money i:
sure, and the club deserves it because OF the
enterprise in putting up such an enormous
sum to fight for with gloves. 1t is TO be
| hoped that each contest will end salts
tactorily.
II Ill and Pritchards Surprise.
Doubtless the sporting world would be
surprised the other day to learn that Ted
Pritchard and Hail, the Australian, had re-
solved to tour England together 10 giving
boxing exhibitions. The cable report CIV
ing this news stated that the fact had sur
prised Halls friends Well, it might
The compact between Hall and Pritchard
leads me to believe that the battle between
them was fraud. 1 an always loath to
come to such conclusions, but along e1-
perience forces me to this opinion. can
easily understand how considerable money
could be made by making it certain for
Pritchard to lose. He was backed by a
wealthy aristocrat, and the betting was to
in favor of Pritchard. And if anybody
Just recalls the contest it will be seen that
1t had features of the most suspicious kind
Most certainly think that there is some-
thing very questionable in the movements
of the two men.
What strengthens nv conviction is the
fact that Pritchard now wants to fight Fitz-
simmons either in America or in England
for very big stake and a very big purse
Ii Hall defeated Pritchard on his merits so
easily and so decisively, in the name of
common sense what kind of a show has
Pritchard to defeat Fitzsimmons None at
all. Even allow Hall to be little bit
better than Fitzsimmons, the way in which
Hall downed the Euglishman proves that
Fitzsimmons would have an easy task to
defeat Prtchard also. To me it seems clear
that there is something rotten in the State
OF Denmark" as lar as Hall and Pritchard
are concerned.
The Irish Crick 'uers' Visit.
Within few days the Irish cricket team
will be opposing a team of American
players and the contest ought to be of a
very interesting kind. If the team coming
from Ireland this time is anything like the
team we had from the Emerald Isle some
time ago they will be lot of real gentle
men and will do good for cricket in more
ways than one. These international matches
do good to the sport and it is pity there
are so few Of them. If we could manage to
have English and Irish teams here more
frequently think the old game would be-
come more popular. We cannot shut our
ewes to the fact that cricket is losing its
popularity in many places in the country,
and something out OF the ordinary should
be done to revive it
But there is one thing in connection with
the proposed match between American and
Irish cricketers that demands notice, and
that is the makeup of the American team.
don't think the best II in America are on
the team, and it is a surprise to m. that
such splendid player as Alexander Mac
pherson is not on the list. He is a citizen,
and if the fact of his having been born in
Scotland is not legal barrier to his being
on the team, l see nothing to keep him off
but that old spirit of envy that has done so
much injury between the East and West.
Ii the national success of the game was the
great object special attention should have
been paid to Chicago. But Philadelphia
seems to be the entire cricket world in the
United States. The powers there have put
Walter Scott, of Pittsburg, on the list, but
they do not forget to add that "Mr. Scott is
really Philadelphian." Often we find
deal of seli-sacrifce among amateurs and
even cricketers, but many of them in the
irin f11 of hat 4.
much stronger than their real love Of the
game.
Mr.. KenDy's Swimming Record.
As might have been expected, the claims
of Arthur Kenny and his friends for the
amateur swimming record OF America are
not going to be granted. A week or two
ago it was claimed that Kenny swan mile
in 2S minutes 45 2-5 seconds at Philadel-
phia, thus beating the best previous record
OF 29 minutes 25% seconds, made by Dayen-
port in England in 1887. Mr.. Kenny also
had q previous claim relative to his fast
work, but none of his claims are to 60
w. B. Curtis, of the A. A. u, witnessed
Kenny's last effort to beat the record, and
it is well Mr. Curtis was there, or else we
might have been forced to admit record
which was entirely false Mr.. Curtis says
the application for the record will be
strongly opposed, and makes the following
statement:
I'm swimming the first half against the
curreut the men hugged the bank for most
Of the distance, and only turned out in the
current when it became necessary to make
TOR the halt-mile buoy. How this helped
them may be judged from the following in
termedlate times: First quarter, along the
sheltered bend, minutes 13 seconds;second
quarter, in open water s minutes 81 Sec
onds. On turning for home both Kenney
and Meffert swan straight down the center
on top of the current, the leader making the
third quarter in minutes $50 seconds, and
the last quarter minutes AZ 2-5 seconds.
The total time of the race was % minutes
As 20 seconds, as against the supposed pre-
vious best OF 30 minutes 25H seconds, which
has been standing to the credit OF Daven-
port, OF England, since 1887. Neither has