RANDOM SHOTS.

[By Zamiel.]

Some write, a neighbour's name to lash: Some write—vain thought!—for needful cash ; tsomo write to please the country clasli, And raise a din. For me, an aim I never fash— I write for fun.

Shades of Solomon, Confucius, and all the wise fraternity ! What a terrible fuss is this over the administration of a gentle castiga. tion to a school-girl ! Is this go-a-head age meaning to make light of the wisdom of the ancients, by reversing their adage* and by spoiling the rod, spare the child ? It would verily seem so, from the how-de-do that has been raised over the caning of that stout twelve-year-old girl at Newton Eas* School. According to some people, there is no danger of spoiling colonial children— they are all spoilt already—so there can be no danger in laying: past the cane and the " tawse" as the barbarous relics of an effete and unenlightened past. But it isn't the principle of inflicting corporal punishment for the correction of a child's fault that is involved in this discussion ; the question is, whether it is right to whip a girl because her parents happen to be poor, or, it might be, unable to write ! For the fault for which the girl Sheard was caned was fail ing to bring a shilling, or in lieu thereof a written excuse from her parents—a case of " Hobson's choice" in the case of people who had neither riches nor education in superabundance! In Fiji they extract sugar from cane ; in Auckland the "Sugar" is supposed to be extracted by applying the cane to the children's palms ; and whereas in Germany the beet-root is crushed to get the saccharine substance, they "beet" the Auckland girls, who are of course all very sweet! And now, the sug gestion is that a "crusher" (policeman) should be called in from his "beat" to castigate the castigator. But no; that •would not be in accord with the eternal fitness of things. The dominie is a reverend gentleman, who believes in "visiting the gins of the fathers upon the children," and the proper* course, if he has done wrong, is to wallop his daughter for it! With this suggestion of poetic justice, I com mend to the whole tribe of dominies the moral lesson of the Newtoli East incident, which is—

"If there's a hole in a' yer Coats I rede ye tent it; A duel's amanK ye takin' notes And faith he'll prent it!" »' » * • * • "Hee-haw! Hee-haw ! Heo-haw?" The ducks have retired from the contest;, and now the donkeys are to the front. If the quacking of the Aylesbury breed was inhar monius, what shall be said of the braying of the anti-Salvationist donkey ? Only this— that il Auckland donkeys have the sense to

"lengthen out Most ruefully, in endlo-s shout, The long dry see-saw of their horrible bray,

only in a counter-blast to the discordant •'music" of the Harmy, they will redeem the asinine breed from the reputation for stupidity which they have hitherto borne. This Wellesley-streeb donkey appears to be calling forth a host of imitators, for I see some one advertising twenty donkeys for sale, evidently in the hope that the haters of the big drum and bag-pipe music ■will pay a handsome price for the opposi tion "animiles." But, how if these des perate measures should not be effectual in stopping the Salvation discords? What a public nuisance ie will be to have one and twenty four-legged donkeys braying, in chorus, in the yftin attempt to drown the noises made by asinine biprtds ! Ig there not even a possibility of the ■Salvationists winning over the donkeys to their side? Between Hallelujah lasses and Hallelujah asses there is but the difference of a letter. Coleridge, who wrote "Linea to a Young > Ass," had another poem headed "Lines, to a Young Lady." Was not the celebrated " Peter J3ell" con verted by an ass and a Methodist parson ? And why should not donkeys supplement the effects of the big drum to regenerate Auckland reprobates? Fancy what a stirr ing discourse could be preached by the «' Captain" from the text—" Saddle me, the a»s4 ; and they saddled him, the ass !" But the prospect of the two-legged and four - legged donkeys joining their forces is to horrible to con template ; let me earnestly hope that a syndicate will be formed at once to purchase those one-and-twenty asses—" Hodgeus creatures " the gentle punster calls them— and direct their energies in the proper direction. If these " lang-luggifc" and saeacious creatures could be taught to speak like their ancient progenitor who re buked Balaam, they night he trotted out at political meetings to ask question?, while the astonished electors would exclaim with the Bard of v Avon—" Now, what a thing it is to be an ass !" They might even be sent down to Wellington to help the retrench ment broom along. Would it not be a surprise to find the key to the political Situation held by. a donkey ! ',' Hee-baw ! Hee-haw! Hee-haw!

A respected friend—no other than the re nowned " Tim Doolan "-was maintaining the other day at a public luncheon table that, whereas Aucklanders had a violent prejudice against Southern people, the guileless Southerners had nothing but the most kindly feeling towards the people of Auckland province. Let us test the,thing by a little instance of how the lovo of Otago is practically - shown towards Auckland. Mr Larnach, the late Minister of Mines, was of the South, southerly; he visited the coal mines of the-North some time ago, and. in his handbook h6 states that, "from what i he saw," he came to the conclusion that there was very little chance of good coal being found there, or of its being worked as ; economically as the Southern seams ! yV rell, what are the facts ? That Mr Larnach never went into a single mine in the North; knows nothing whatever of tho quality, of the coal or how it is got, and simply evolved his report from his inner con sciousness, or "vamped" it from some ill-informed Southerner's former mistate ments! Of course the excellent Mr Doolan would npt ask me to assume for an instant that Mr Larnactris grossly ignorant of matters which he was paid £1,200 a-year for attending to, nor wbpld I dream of accusing the Minister: of such arrant cowardice as to be afraid to go down _ a coal-pit; in short, I must conclude that he spoke from the depth of his prejudice against the North and all things [Northern. And strangely enough, there has just been found a seam of coal at Hikurangi, in. the despised North, that is' prbnbunce'd By Wellington experts to be in some respects superior to the best West Coast article ! >■ ' " Zamicl,'? metaphorically Speaking, kicks himself for meddling with that lugubrious fraternity, the funeral under taker.s Not• that he feels particularly " spiflicated "by the onslaught made Upon liinr by the champion of the traders m tim ber suits, bu% because he ought to have! known better than cay a Word against tlioso who are under (the) Lord's special pro tec* tiori: -Whafc do Lihean? Why, fchab Mr LoVd, the local Registrar of Hatched^ Matched, and Dispatched," hasvby some cruel irony been made to appeni' to run an advertising, bureau for funeral undertakers, " Zamiol '? had occasion to call m at the house of (the^Lord the other day> and Was horror-struck fcr observe the walls ,of passage plastered over & fufdral undertaken -Of oowtarjgji Lord is not dmnip6tmit, and- Mori fc blanie hS &Wi -bUbl^ov^fttnfint ate m dy etretchiDg th© economy craze juetftlittia

bit iii converting the interior of their buildings- into advertising hoardings. By the way, that cheerful and poetical undertaker in Ivaran gahape Road should let ib be known that he* could undertake to write notices on the' American model, eg. :--

"The death-angel smote Alexander McGlue And gave him protracted repose : Ho wore a chocked shirt and a No 9 shoe, And had a pink wart on his nose ! No doubt he is happier soaring through space, Ovor there, on tho bvorgroon shove; His friends are informed that tho funeral takos

place At precisely a quarter past four V A little bit of consolation like that, thrown in with the trimmings, would do much to reconcile the survivors to their loss- and the bill; but the poet should be careful to specify whether he is describing tho personal peculiarities of the death-angel or of the dear departed. * * #..# * *

" The girls are the boys!" I was read ing an article the other day that sounded the praises of Frenchwomen as being able, economical and practical; it told how they managed their husbands and families, con trolled domestic finances, and when widowed how they carried on business even more successfully than their husbands had done. Eh, Men, said I to myself said I, but the Auckland woman is ahead of her French neighbour. Are not the married ladies of Auckland noted as being the most talented managers of matters financial? They beat the Frenchwomen in that their business faculties are developed without the spur of widowhood ; they are as valu able in bankruptcy as the French wife is when the bread-winner dies. There have been several instances in our city of late, wherein the sleeping partner has come to the rescue and reinstated the active busi ness man when he seemed "dead broke." In one case only has the modus opvraudi of these model wives been disclosed, and the plan is so excellent that it should be more widely known. The plan is for the lady to keep a banking account of her own, into which she pays whatever she can save from her housekeeping allowance. A lady of a " frugal mind" who gives her talents free play can soon amass a handsome sum in this way, so that wlion dull times come, and her husband is in financial diffi culties, all she has to do is to " lay low " till a composition has been accepted, and then step forward and with her modest nest-egg buy her husband's business from the creditors and givo him a fresh start in life. The wise man of old declared—"He that findeth a wife findeth a good thing :" and I expect ho meant an Auckland wife when ho penned that truthful remark. Fancy what a " good thing" Solomon would have had if his 500 odd wives had each laid past a few hundreds sterling for a rainy day !

It was a little trifling incident, perhaps, but still it was mutely eloquent in the light that it threw upon the tim«sS in which we live. Mrs Zamiel was taking her walks abroad with a lady friend when a passing gentleman politely raised his hat. " Who is that?" asked tho lady friond. " Only my grocer," replied Mrs /. "Ah " said the lady, with a meaning intonation, " you pay your bills regularly, 1 see 1" Now, ladies, don't accuse your grocer of being chiulish if ho should happen not to recogniso you, for you know tno reason. Politeness costs nothing, butgroccrios do, and tho struggling tradesman must make things balance some how.

Either civilisation is a pretty large mis stake or this human form divine is not all it's cracked up to be. Let us take it into little bits and nee how it looks. The teeth, for instance, don't last oat the rest of the machinery; they decay and ache and fall out or get pulled out ,to abolish tho ache, and some common beast, say an elephant, or a hog, or a demist, has to supply the hiatus. The top hair, too, leaves a big de ficiency in about half thd business career, and wneri a man is prepared to retire tho assets are close on nil. As a protection to the human head it is not reliable. Take the lungs. The ribs certainly shield them in a measure from the point of a stiletto, but they are quite too near the surface for winter use, and the cold strikes in on them and stays there on the smallest provocation. What on earth the toe-nails are made for is a mystery that has yet to be elucidated. The only place a man can possibly scratch with them is tho calf of his leg, and this mass of thew and sinew is as much out of place there as a buffer on the tail end of a torpedo. The idea of a man's shins striking wheelbarrows and things while there is such a gorgeous cushion at the back is preposterous. The knowing ones of the Salvation Army are fully alive to this malformation, and dis creetly walk backwards when in the vicinity of the snares and pitfa'ls of the everlasting hoodlum. Oh ! they're artful,' are the Harmy Generals, and when in real warfare it comes to butting they'll know which end to use. Oh the whole, though the carotid is handy for suicide and murder, I think there is ample room f6r improvement in the general make-up. If the untutored savage preserves his hair and teeth and lungs and shins intact for the whole term, then turn mo loose !

The fickleness of the fair sex has for ages formed a theme for the nobler being, man, to harp upon when so inclined. Per haps the latest illustration of this occurred two weeks since in this city. One of our leading jewellers was quietly sunning him self at the door bf his establishment, when up drove a weddittg carriage, out of which stepped the presumably happy man. What think you he wanted ? Nothing less than a wfedding ring. He made the remark that he was.to be married in afew minutes, and feared that he would be late. A gentleman who happened to be standing at the counter said that it was rather strange for the groom to have left the purchase of the ring to practically the last moment, whereupon he received the somewhat astounding reply, "Well, if it had been bought before, the girl might have changed her mind." , ■ ■».* ■', - * *: ■ ■* • "Be 6ur6 that you're off with the old love before you are on with the new !" The sentiment may -not be strictly moral, but it is eminently prudential, as a certain tradesman in one of our suburban boroughs will be prepared to admit ere long. The gentlenian in question is rather susceptible to the "tinder" passion, as Pat calls it Very appropriately, for it makes a "flame" as readily as tinder does.. He came to the colony some time ago, leaving his sweetheart at home on the understanding that he should eend for lief as soon as he was able. Love lightened his labours, he was soon able to send a bank draft to his Dulcinea, arid she at once* flew o'er the billow on the pinions of affection to him whose absence made her heart grow fonder. She arrived a fortnight ago, but was rather disappointed at the chilF reception which was. accorded her by her once ardent lover. She learned "the reason why" when she reached his home— her home that was to have been—for there she found a young and buxom house keeper in charge, who strongly resented the advent of the V new chum." It was too plain that the susceptible lover had con tracted a new attachment, and after a week's ineffable torture* during which he was doubt leas singing-^ ■:.■'' .' ' '.'- ■ r ,**; J

" How happy could I be with cither Were t'other dear charmer away,"

the desperate fellow solved tHe problem by, *' popping the question" to his houae keeper, who did not cay him nay. The ■ rejected one has talden lodgings and legal advice, and it is nob unlikely that the honeymoon of the housekeeper will be spoiled by th© bridegroom having to defend ad aottow for breach of promise. Such is the tool© sa4t' raadhes me, and it- seems to provetliat Rtoftwen mm fickle mmtae Urowenl

SPORTING NEWS.

[By Saxjsteker,]

RACING FIXTURES.

November 8. 9, and 10.- Canterbury Jockey

Club's Sprincr. , , , <-«• v November 9.--Wanganm Jockey <£"">• ri ,,.. November 9 and 12.—Auckland Racing Club s

November 26.-Island Bay Jockey Club. November 26-Takupuna Spring Mj cling Novombcr 30and December I.—Wellington R.C. Spring.

DATES OF PRINCIPAL AUSTRALIAN RACES.

Melbourne Cup.—November 1,

ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.

STEEPi.ECiiASic.-Tho highest jump recorded of a horao in Australia is that of Spondunx—6 R.^MAXv^Euf' (Pukekohe).-KinK Quail ran under the iudge's box at theA.R.C. Autumn Mooting, 1883, and tho stakes were awarded to Piirainena.

THE MELBOURNE CUP.

The great event of tha year for all Aus tralasian sportsmen is once more on us, and next Tuesday will see the Melbourne Cup for 1887 lost and won, and with it the many thousands that depend on its result. Never since the race was first inaugurated has such a small number of acceptances been chronicled as for this year, and this may be mainly attributed to the race seeming such a one-horse affair. On paper it reads as if there was nothing in it but that lightly burdened son of Goldsborough, Algerian. Last yeat 39 horses accepted for the Cup ; this year the number is 24. Last year the number of starters was 32 ; this year it will probably be half that number. When the weights were declared there were 128 horses in tno race, and now the field has been cut down to a bare score. But when we come to look at the quality of the horses engaged we cannot but be impressed with the first - class characters of the few that give promise of starting, and the task of separating the winner will be found an extremely difficult one. As I said before, on paper there seems nothing in the race but Algerian, and on public form with his light impost ho should win. Though in stalled first favourite at verj short odds, strange to say, Algerian carries but little public money. Previous to his perform ances in the early Spring meetings in Now South Wales almost any odds might have been obtained about him, but the public would have none of him. Algerian then showed what his calibre really was, and when the public tried to back him the price was too short, the money had all been snapped up by a certain section of Sydney sportsmon. The only hope there seems at present to be of his being out of the run ning is that Algeriun cannot run a fast two miles, or that some other good horse with a light weight may bo able to upset him. The field will be too small for his backers to entertain any fear of his being blocked. Good as his chance looks, I should not cure to tiiko 3 to 1 about it, but would rather stand the other first favourite at the price —Silver Prince—oneof NewZealand'srepre sentatives. Hiabreedingisquite goodenough to suit the greatest stickler on that point— Anteros, out of Sylvia—and we know what rare good colts Sylvia always dropped, though the fillies may not have been worth a rap. Silver Prince has had a unique position in the betting for the Cup. When the majority of the horses were at prices ranging from 20 to 1 to 50 to 1, his price was as shorb as 14 to 1, and he was firat favourite before he left Maoriland, and he has maintained the position ever since, being now quoted at 3 to 1. > There must bo something very good behind the son of Anteros to justify this support. Though decidedly off colour at the time, from all accounts, he won the Forbury Stakes, 1J mile, with 7st 41b up, and the Flying Handicap, 1 mile, with 71b more on his bnck, atDunedin lastyear, easilyenough, and the Southern handicappers formed a v«Sry high opinion of his powers, judging from the impost he was given in the New Zea land Cnp--88t 81b, being 61b under his weight for age. His backers over the other side have not shown their hand in public as yet, and they have seen all the other horses run and can rightly trauge their merits, so that- they must be very well satisfied with Silver Prince's chances of winning to back him down to the short price he is now at. Algerian is first favourite on his public form, Silver Prince equal with him on the judgment of his stable, and all must allow that a first class four-year-old may very well give a horse a year older 6lb and a beating in a two mile race. Of the other hOrs&s in the running Trident heads the list with the heavy impost of 9st 81b, and I doubt very much if, grand, horse as he is, he can carry that crusher to victory in the field opposed to him. Sardius performed very well as a three-year-old when he ran second to Martini-Henry's Derby, but during the last two seasons lie has done nothing to show that he has much say in the settlement, and the general public evidently think so, as he is not mentioned in the betting. Dunlop has been going to db Something big for a long time past, but Algerian, on his running in the Waverley Handicap, holds him safe at the weights. Both Thunderbolt (7st 81b) and Lord William (7st 71b) have been strong tips for a long time, and I like their chances very well, especially the former, if he was wanted, which I doubt. Frisco has been fancied on and off a gre*at deal* his chief claim on public attention being his victory in the Sydney Cup (2 miles) with 6st lib up last season; when he put down: some good horses ; but I doubt whether h0 is good enough to pace it with the clinkera he will meet on Tuesday. Niagara I have & great respect for ott account of his breeding and his undoubted pluck, but the Derby is bound to cruel him terribly; nevertheless, I expect him to run well up if sent foHt. Niagara's stable companion, SilVermine, is v very dangerous horse in the race, and he was never so well in as at the present time1' with Bst 31b • bat I think the light weights will be found too good company for hint When the Weights first came outs Meteor was at once spotted as a good thing of the handicap, and as his condition ha§ not been exposed yet I expect he will be all there when asiked by the stable td go* En filade is well bred enough to win in any Company, arid from the accounts ofthe work he is putting in- Would be Very dangerous, but everything pbintls to Silver Prince as the selected one of the stable. Affluence, Escutcheon, Pakeha, and The Charmer are goodj but will be found out classed oh the day, thduffh the first named has been backed pretty heavily as a/good outsider, The Australian Peer commands respect owing to his having put Trident down at w.f.a. over three miles, but I would not take that defeat as a gauge of their respective merits over a two-mile course. Stlllj the son of Darebin is a real clinker, and I like his Chance very W6H. Cranbfook is another of my fancies, and I will not be one whit surprised if he is sent for the Cup in preference to Trident. I do not believe he will start for the Derby* and with 6st 121b will be very dangerous in the big handicap. Reihus ran eeGontf. to Oakleigh in the Caulfield Cup, and is a proved good one, but I like Others better. Oaklelgh, Consequent Oh his victory in the Cauffield Cdp and some fast trials he hat done, has baen backed to a considerable extent,' and will stand a lot of beating No one knows What Trahter can do yet, though.he must be shaping well on the training track judging from the support accorded him, but ttiuqh as I like the son" of Musket I prefer to leave him alone. The two Jebußites has been &. favourite double here, and he has been bftcked heavily over the other eide, bub nls

performances in public do not-justify the support. Reducing my selection to halt-a dozen, I will take as my fancies White s selected, The Australian Peer, Algerian, Meteor, Silver Prince and Lord William, and will look for the winner in

Silver Prince, or

Algerian.

TURF GOSSIP.

«S4unteree" tipped five winners last week, and had his selections placed in the other three races. ,wm. v- Torpedo's rider cleared over £200 by his Victory last week. Lady Emma has dropped a colt foal to Gorton, and she will be put to Rubezahl. Ifc is reported that it was the Hon. VV. Robinson who offered £3,000 for Algerian. Rumour has it that Derrett will ride Artillery in the New Zealand Cup. Cannon was heavily backed on the totahsa tor for the Flying Stakes at Ellerslie last Saturday, but Actually ran last the whole W<Hotchkiss is by Musket, out of Petro leuse, not by Leolinus as mentioned last MrW. Lees, a Sydney metallician, has purchased Acolyte, the price paid being two hundred guineas, with contingencies. Ma Petite Fille nearly did the treble, coming in second in the Light Weight Hurdles and leaving the, field behind in the Members' Hurdles arid the Ladies Bracelet. The two-year-old race in the Spring Mept ino- of the Auckland R.C. should be very in teresting, as some flyers will be showing out Game horse Artist, but when you back him watch his tall. When his tail goes up and he starts thrashing the air with it you may reckon that your money has gone. The Melbourne correspondent of one of the Southern papers reports fchafc Chain Shot will join the Hon. W. Robinson's team atFlemingtonatanearlydate. Rosebud, dam of Black Rose, who is now in Mr Redwood's possession, has dropped a colt foal to Natator, and has gone to Stoney hnrst, who is now lord of the harem at Spring Creek, Marlborough. The scratching of Bravo for the Mel. bourne Cup came as a great shock on the punters both here and over the other side, as he was a very strong tip and had been heavily backed. Tattereall's Club have decided to try and have their race meeting on the 4th of Decem ber and have written to the Auckland Racing Club for permission for the use of the course. , Tattersall's have arranged their settling days'or follows :—V.R.C. Derby, Monday, October 31; Melbourne Cup, November 7 ; C.J.C. Spring Meeting, Friday, November 11 ; A.R.C. Spring Meeting, Monday, No vember 14. , . It may not be generally known that the strong favourite Tor the Melbourne Cup- Algerian—met with a serious accident to his back as a two-year-old, and it was thought ho would never be able to race again. . , , There has been little or no betting done on the Spring Meeting during the week, but consequent on her running at the Paku ranga Hunt Club Meeting Ma Petite Fille has been installed first favourite for the Hurdle Race. . . , Messrs Ray and Pilbrow, the clover push, followed the Hon. VV. Robinson's horse Silver Prince over to Australia to see if his work was satisfactory, with the full inten tion of backing him. After his performances at Forbury they reckoned he must have a great look in with the Weights. Thomas Rowe has Foxton, the Somnus— Leonessa colt, irf hand. He is being ridden, and Will shortly be.put to work for his two year-old engagements. He is very thick* set, lt arid, "Matchlock" thinks, -will Want more ago on him before he can be finished off. * Jack Chaafe has a real-beauty of a two year-old colt in Tartar in training, and he will stand watching. Tartar is by, Musket, out of Steppe, and there is not a better-bred colt inthe world. He is rather small yet, but is splendidly formed with agamohead, while ■lua coat is a beautiful glossy brown, ticked all over with grey hairs. It Is nob very often that a heps© is asked to carry his weight in earth sods tied up in a sack in front of his saddle, T6 ask a horse to-take stone walls and fences with that encumbrance pressing him down in front is giving him something beyond his weight. This was the pickle Sator went out for the Fanner's Plate in. There is great discontent expressed among race-owners at the action Of the Takapuna j. C in deducting ten per cent, instead of the customary five per cent, off the winnings at their meeting. A document is being signed by a large number of the owners ' agreeing not to enter on account Of this, as they consider it an imposition. . Fair Nell has been eased" in her work and sent to St. George, and from all accounts she is not likely to start for the New Zea land Cup., Her market quotation is 100—5. St. George Should be making a name for himself soon, as he isfullbrother to Roodee, the sire of the Caulfield Cup winner, Oak ieigh, and to the Hon. j. White's celebrated Bird Chester.

You would go & long way to find a I pluckier lltfclo liorse than Whalebone proved i hirtiself to bo laiafc -Saturday. After making- ( a splendid race for the Steeplechase Cup i with Torpedo, td ask him to go another 3| nlileß in company With the fresh Huntsman was almost too much, but he did not shirk [ his work, arid made a very interesting race i 'of it. , ; ~,;'• , ;;.>.,:.■, :y L ■ Martini-Enfield is described as a small threeiyear-old, but having lots of power in his muscular frame. He is a very sluggish young gentleman on the' training ground, but he is a beautiful inbVer when he does extend himself, and ought to {Mty his way. I think he will not be seen at his best until he is another year older,,as he is really little more than two year! now, though count ing as a three-y^ar-bld. If the protest entered against Ma* Petite Fille in the Ladies'. Bracelet, by Wood pecker, had been sustained, a great many backers of Woodpecker would have been extremely disgusted. Being the last race, as soon as it was over there was a general irush for the train, and holders of tickets on the losers got rid of then?, very soon. I; know I passed mine over to some one to collect, and jolly foolish I would have looked if the mare had been disqualified. In speaking of the New Brighton Races held the week before last, " Senex" says :-r ---" I think it worthy of the notice of subur ban racing dubs, who so persistently grab at public holidays on which to bring off their gatherings, that this meeting was not held on a public holiday, and yet the atten dance was considerably in excess of any gathering held there on Anniversary Day, and that the totalisator receipts were also much larger.*' A meeting Of the members of the South Auckland Racing Club is to be held on Nbveinber, Ist for the purpose of electing stewards, judge and other officers, judging from the efforts the committee are taking the first -meeting ol the club should be a great success. The, racecourse is capable of being' made one of the best in the North Island, and in addition to being; close to the main line of r&flwa^ the Bcenery sur rounding the track is some of the prettiest in WalkatbT "

It is interesting to HOte in connection with' th 6 slow time Hio Caulfield Cup was won in'» the fast trial the winner did On the training track at Ballarat a fortnight be fore. It appears that Oakleigh and Bravo cantered ap to Eecall, who itood at the post, and the twogot away to&f obd stattandkept abreast until about five furlongs from home, when St. tcmte picked them tip. Bravo was beaten off, and Reoall and Oakleigh raced home under i the whip, the last named hOree. just winning The mile, it fs repotted, wm *«n ia Imin. 408e6.jand the mile and a half in 2min, 45sec,

Whatever chance St. Clair had Of dis tinguishing himself in tho New Zealand Cup is very considerably discounted by the effects of a slight accident. That his show was a particularly rosy one is im probable in face of the reputations of Northern horses, but he was more than an average outsider.. A rare Stayer and a nice mover, thoroughly sound, and as game as a pebble, he would be bowling along when horses of inferior stamina were well beaten. While at. exorcise one morn ing lately he twisted a shoe and hit him self, and shoeing him immediately after wards caused a slight lameness. The acci dent is comparatively trivial, but the stoppage in his work will impair his.Cup prospects very materially. ■'...' The " Referee " says—"During the past week but little has been recorded in betting circles, which arises most from the fact that the likely starters for the New Zea land Gup are narrowing in number as the eventful day approaches. Nelson is show ing such improvement that the book makers are chary of laying even 100 to 20, and he, Artillery, and Lochiel are, at the time of writing, making a dead heat of it for pride of place. 200 to 24 was taken one day during the week abouJ? Sextant by a bookmaker who evidently stood bad about him. Dunedinites are still willing to support St. Clair. and 200 to 10 was closed within one hand before the report of his lameness got about; still the -'bookies will lay no more than 100 to 4. Regma has shortened to 100 to 8, .consequent on the. Wellingtonians still fancying her chance, and Ruby has been backed in small amounts since he won at New Brighton but Lorraine and Fair Nell have both receded." , The New Zealand Cup betting nas under gone considerable changes during the week, and Nelson, Artillery, and Lochiel are now all in better request than Maxim and bex tant, the favourites of last week. The ad vance made by Nelson is due to the as surance that the horse will remain m New Zealand, and the presence of a, commission to back him on account of browner. Butler makes no secret of the fact that he is very confident of Artillery running a great horse, and the son of Musket is looking and eoing better than anything else at Riccarton. The improvement made in the whole of Butler's horses during the past month is a matter, of general com ment among the touts, and, it may be hoped that the ill-luck which has pursued the popular green and white hoops for a season or two is now exhausted. There is nothing tangible to account for Lochiels position, but there is an impression abroad that he will after all be the Yaldhurstre preaentative. Still, Maxim and Beresford are at such short prices-Mr Stead's chance beine estimated at 100 to 46-that the stable cannot as yet have made any move. Of the other Cup horses, Sextant is not croing quite as well, either on the track or m the market, but he is a wonderfully good colt, and should he be O'Brien's hnal selection, he is sure to finish very near the winner. Hermitage is a.Rood deal firmer in the betting and the little son of Cadogan is undoubtedly pounds better than he has ever been ssen'in public. We are beginning to doubt if he is not quite as good as hex tantatthe weights. There fis little fresh to report in reference to the others, but O'Connor has effected a great improvement in Moana, whom wo look upon as the best of the outsiders.— Canterbury;" Times. Ifc must havo been with *feeungs of genuine satisfaction that sportsmen read i% Monday's Stab that Mr W. H. Oxenham, the Sydney leviathan, and ow«er of Phaon, Enfield and Straight Shot, had been ordered up with his trainer by the Moonee Valley stewards to explain the running of his horse in one of their races during the .pre vious week, for although the explana tion has proved satisfactory and the oharge has been dismissed,r the -action of the stewards Rives promise of., stringent racine supervision in the. future. The integrity of the turf should be sustained at all costs. - . , The Australian papers at the tune of the Aylesbury scandal srave some very good and some very strong "advice, to Australasian Racing dubs on the dutiesjin similar cases. I quote the following: from the <* Sporty man "of October 5 :—" There is, probably, no country in the world where the general arrangements and management of horse racing are so perfect as in these colonies. And, on the other hand, there is certainly no portion of Her Majesty's dominions where fraudulent practices on the tnrf are more prevalent than they are in Australia. Indeed—more particularly so far as our metropolitan courses are concerned ?- the higher the position Of the owner in turf circles, the more flagrant are the cases of pulling in connection with MsVor his con federacy's horses, and the more persistently do the powers that be wink at the most transparent fraud. Pulling is a very diffi^ cult charge to sheet horn&. Still they manage to: prove it at Hbme; and^ if our leading clubs cared to take the bull, by the horns, we fancy they could contrive to detect at least one glaring case at each of their big meetings."

The annual meeting of the PakuratigaHunt Club is alw&ys a most enjoyable one; and the one held last Saturday was ho exception to the rule. Everything went off without a hitch, and credit is due to the energetic Secretary, Mr H. H. BAyr, for the i able manner in Which air the necessary arrange ments were made. ThS facing was very good, and the jumping of the horses left little to be Wished for. In the first race, the Members' Light-weight Hurdles, a good finish saw Orangeman just beat Mr Hayr's gallant little mare by a neck, art event generally expected by the public/'aß Orangeman was favourite 6ri the machine. The Gup Steeplechase was thought a good thing for Falcon, but though he ran well h& " had to cry con tent with third pljice. I fanoied that Haw thorn would about do the trick in this eventj but the second time ifeund heran off at one of the jumps, and was not prominent after thai. Torpedo*; thb wltfiier, ran wMI forward the whole time, arid* Certainly de served' hii victory. Sir Isaan had no diffi culty in disposing of his field in the Farmers' Elatei Whining with ease. Hatp6g being scratched, only Huntsman and Whalebone saddled up f6r the Open Steeplech&se, arid the "h\ miles Whalebone had already put in had taken thei stuffing'out of hiin> arid al though he ran a ganie and a splendid race, when the home turn Was reached he could' not live beside the big horse. The Members' Hurdle Rice was a. gift t6 Ma Petite FilleJ who won as she liked j and tKe Win seemed to be very popular, for, aS she 1 cleared the last hurdle on the home stretch, 6. hearty cheer wfiriU up. Artistl aid EEawthbrri divided honours for the position of first favborite in the Light Weight Steeplechase v but the second round Artist struck the double heavily, up went his tail in the air,^ and though he stuck to his Work, it Was very evident that Hawthorn had him beaten^ and he had to be content; with coming in a very indiffsrent second. The impostor. Cannon, Was hotiotilred with being installed first favourite with Antelope on the machine; but he could not go the pace, and Antelope, after atavirief off a strong challenge from Tupaki at the home turn, won as she liked. Woodpecker and Ma Petite Fille were dished up hot favourites in the Ladies' Bracelet, and the result fully carried but the public's judgment, for th 6 mare was first, with Woodpecker a good second, Lonei Hand running close up for third* :.

A Sooldino Woman. --The barbarities of the dubking-stool for the cure of sco'dinfe Women though abolished by law. are now oftentimes toraotiaod by a Mnd of social barbarity none the jess reprehensible. Women scold only when they are illl • Instead of blaming them we should prescribe Am. C6.'S Jlof> Bitters. The ent»)*s sysiteni will tindeifgo a genial, pleasant, tehattge. The nerv6B Will bequieredand do^rbity of word and thoughtwill give place to amiabuity and affection. Healthy womeu do not scold or fret, Eead. ■ |

ATHLETIC NOTES.

' (By AxSftittsv) .". ,';.■■■'■/ ■ P I XTUE & S. SENIOR CUP. October 29 and November S-^Anckland (A) v, Holland; Auckland <B) v. Goid jn; Parnell v. United. ■ , / FIRST JUNIOR CUP. Octobftr 29-^Auckland It. v. Holland iJ.: National v. United II.; Onehunga v. Gordon H.; Alpha v. Waitemata. SECOND JUNIOR CUP. October 29 and November S—A.C. and G.S. v^ Holland III.; Standard y. Wanderers; Gor don 111. v. Onehunga United. AQUATICS, November 26.—Sculling championship of the World, Beach v. Hanlan, on the Wepean River. November 29.—Intercolonial eight-oared race at Adelaide. January, 1888.—World's sculling and double sculling races oh the Paramatta, i:, , , ; ATHLETICS. November 19.—Amateur Athletic Club's Spring j Meeting. November 26*—St. George's R.C. Trial Fives. November—Pickering v. Goodliffe (sprint) for I the Championship of Auckland. January—Ma'thews v. Laiiig (boxing) for the Wanganui Championship and belt. - '

CRICKET.

The final entries for the cups to be com" peted for during the season 1887-8 were re ceived last Monday, and may on the whole be considered very satisfactory. There are six senior, eight junior, and six second junior teams entered for the competitions, and if some of the entries are not quite so large as they were last year, I hope they will makeup for it in quality. Though as yet cricket does not seem to be making much headway, in a few weeks I expect to see it have more votaries than ever, arid I am sure the cup competitions will be keener and of far greater interest this season than they have ever been previously. Last year a large proportion of the clubs entered for the juniorcupwerefrightened out of the competi tion by thesuperior calibre of the ParnellC.C. which club^proved itself to be head and shoulders above the other clubs in the sanle rank. This year they have moved lip into the senior ranks, and the balance of power among the juniors is better and more even. | The same remarks apply with equal force] to the second juniors. Very few of the! clubs in for the second junior cup last year considered themselves equal to the Alpha C.C., and in many matches the latter club; had a walk over. They have this yoar t fot.' i lowed the ParnelPs example and moved, j and though considerably weakened by, the defectidn of some of their best men, will; make a good fight of it for the Junior ,Cup and See if they- Can appropriate; that j in the same manner they did the second brie. In the' senior ranks of the second j eleven of the Auckland C.G. ia the only stumbling block that I can see to a:very i close arid idteresting series of cup matches. | I trust, that everything will be carried; -out ■ squarely and as it ought to be, and that the two bJues will not have cause before the i season closes to lament the of their club into two. Last season Complaint was often made in reference to the umpires employed by the varidus clubs. NbWi be fore the cup matches commence, it would perhaps be advisable f6r the Cup Committee to appoint gentlemen who will act aa um pires. lam sure that' several can'be ob tained who would willingly undertake the onerous duties attached to the post, md whose fairness and qualifications for the, position are undisputed. The practice matches of the various clubs were continued last week and fully showed that ,Auckland will have a very strong set of playeis tb select their represehtatives from for foreign matches. t ; Jij the Auqkla.»d match Morrison proved t&afc He .is a good man in all departments of the gamp, -and frdni What 1 saw, Cleridinrien also showed good prpini|e, especially in the bowling de partment. Neill played an extreniely good innings for 40, showing , strong defence combined with judicious hitting, and he will, no doubt, prove to be one of the,best bats in the eleven. Arneil arid Reid both performed creditably, and if they practise will be very dangerous during the coming Season: • , , ..;.... ,■.\ ., M The Holland match showed that ; tb.e Tjrothers Hills haye not lost the least bit of their cunning, and will be able suppprts to both their club and their province. Gordon have, done nothing by which: to gauge their Strength as yet, but they have such a string tail to fall back on that they will always be able to place astrpng team in the field. The United practised last week, but what they will-:b« like this season I cannot say yet, as they have not exposed their hand. Parnell have not much im proved upon last year's eleven, but with good fielding and constant practice they" will place a strong team in the field, Iv" .fctie '■'' matcH played at the TOwnley ground, Dulwich, England, oh August 2, L. D'iklbeffe carried Tiis bat out for 287 runs, and took five wickets in five succes sive balls. The scores were :—B'Alberto's Eleven, 497; Harry Tinkham's Eleven, 9 (six of which were extras). " "I'elix,"' the cricketing scribe of "The Australasian, is informed that the Melbourne Glub will send a team to Kew Zealand at. Christmad to play a series of matches, And return Via Tasmania, and.*play fcKere." 1 ani glad to hear that such well known player* as Messrs Earl, Gill, and Buckland have decided to play regularly again, and have no doubt their services will be of Igreat assistance to their club. ! ■;; Messrs W. Newham and G. Brann, the two aftiateurs who are coming out to Aus tralia with Shrewsbury's English team, intend settling here—most ' "probably^ in Sydney. Mr Br-ann is one of the inosb pro minent of English Association footballers. ; I men|>ionea' in rriy riotejs soiiie time back | the remarkably high BCiorin^ of Mr C. J. N-] Fox "for the Crystal' Palace :Club. I see by; late hum-bet's of " Cricket "that he hasbeeri coming it strong again. During the first_| ; week iri'August he M&de 261, not out, for j i the Crystal palace, against Gharlton Park, i ! And they apparentlyliave- some very good I bowlers iii the latter dub, for I see that in July 30 one of them--d-. Ray—iriairiatch against Shrewsbury Park bowled 6 pyers I(o maidens) for 2 runs and 5 wickets, arid 1 againßt Blackheath the liext week trundled !6 overs {3 maidens) for 4 funs and swic jfeetß. ,v - ■'■'^- '>' • /?; r:: ■;' , ,'f1' , i A remarkable instance of fast run-getting I was recorded lately in" England. TLt • Oc curred 'in a match between the Alderley ! Edge and Brooklarids Clubs. The former I Were dismissed .for 205* and then Mr C. Haigh, who has played frequently for i Lancashire., and Mr Hi A. Forsyth Scored at. such a rapid rate that Bftroklands were able itoolaimlssrunsattheexpiry of fifty-five minutes. * Of this sum 98-were run out and I only;< four of the number came under the category of **extrasi" Mr ttaigh contHbut |ing93andMrFors3rthsß.i . ■ In the Surrey-Sussex match, Qiiaifej the [Sussex professional, was out in a n^ost peculiar mariner* In playing forward to Lohmann the ball beat him altogether, and he lbst his balance. Thinking that ho had been bowled from the noise of the ball hitting the wicket, whioh it did'without dislodging either of the bails, he left his ground, apparently under the impression that he was out, arid was promptly stumped by the Surrey wicket-keeper. I v _ Lohmann recorded a unique feat in the Surrey Hampshire match iri ' Englana lately. In his first ball in the match he had Mr Foreter caught afe ths widketi from his bowling, and in the Second inningswitfr \m first ball he clean bowled Mr Wyn -yard. ■; ;•';■ _■'■__.' ' \,

ATHLETICS.

A large number of athletes are already in training for the Amateui; Athletic Sports to be Held on the 19th of next month. Every

here beFore^hristSS^^t^i I Bebhune, the sprintor ran a I full distance, and'the tuners will fnafcd*« 6 davits as to the time. 9 ha Olives home he will be taken'inV-'n 4 ■ to 100 miles, or from 12 to 24 hours, 'ltii I accompanied Scott, butiorsomt: w&iti ■ other this has been kept quiet, tt -!>f I said, that Scott and Captain be lV*ffll--: ■ walk matches in the old coiihfcry. "' I Sam Matthews, who passed fchr u>-h fa* •■'■■■ by the last mail steamer, hds*"pg^p I great name for himself as a wres ler and % I weight wrestling championship' of *\C I world, arid isalso champion of the a* 1 on horseback. °He bi bright -- - 1 several saddles necessaiy' for this "g-^t I and intends showing the Austin!! • •'""' I a thing or two in that line. it. „",>",.- I over in New Zealand before ChrißtaaS I an athletic combination he iutends raising 1 in Sydney, and when he does vz "jj I sports will havo a treat. He'isboci. ""•* m get a number of matches on over in'?«:. ■ tralia, and one of his first I mats m 1 r>/n ■ Cannon, the Yankee wrestler, whqh&s b® I in Melbourne for some months. ■ The coming lawn tennis se son :- r^ fl to* be a busy one. The various club'have 1 their lawns in first-class ordei for 1 , . I ing of the season-, which takes r!,v. t:; 8 Saturday, while play on private "b^^fflf B been going on for some time pa*! ?-» B game seems to be becoming •■-. - p.-: ':- B every season; The' ]f^^^ffl^^^ffl| tend holding a concert at an early date" to 8 help the finances of the Club. 8 Logan , has in. hand ; a new I^HH Ihe Ponsonby Rowing Clulf ' BJ The yacht Spray is i«; -^?|sti»» B ready for the coming seuw v, and wlTfe? 8 be skimming r»)uiiil. r , B It U the intention of the Auckland jj^HH Club to have their opcnii „' cruise cn^i? B vember 9th. " .8 The St. George's Rowing Clnb bot:^ M to hold Trial Fives on tie afternobs'^ B November 2'3th, that day being - SatJr- 8 day. :: • ■■■■■ ■.■ ■■■ :. • '■. ■ ■ B The City Rowing Club brought their ri«f. j whalebbat across from ■^°&4 n»?-'^^fflH 8 She is built in hia best style, ami iJ3 utz- B bei-s are highly delighted with her. 8 An item of San Franeisoo news is us? ■ Gaudaur was beaten by two lengthy r. * B match rowed at Oriilb, Ontano, tj'i ■■ scalier named Wiee. . - ! _. I decided at the Lambeth Baths, Lofldop/ti ■ August 15, between C. Becbv:.' . --- s. ■ Robinson, arid S/ Sergeant,:wiiec 'the fiftS .;-. ■ . named won by 10 : yards from Rooin.^, B Sergeant being two yards behmd.E-..-' ■ son. time: 7min 36j6ec _/-_ "■ Among the prizes presented at tt ■ F,:*« a ing Association meeting last- J ue-daj. wrt ■ four gold" medals won by the \W-t ta ■ Rowing Club, in the matches last "JSWI The Association gave silver medals. |!!*^>|M West End'crew having won tv pw ■ thought they? would ; prefer ■ gdldi one*, & U they took a gold medal each "1S!& .S&HH their own pockets, but the A.X.A. Oomß-'-- 1 tee was riot;consulted in the tnai-fe • . ..* gramme of their regatta, and I ■j*"'."^ I bo required. These skifis are ii '" •'■*[■_ M the bTcyclo racoß. The comp6 I ])e won in a.clevei':--/^ Hiibf?^^ 9

fHE AUCKLAND EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29,' 1887.

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