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Our Contemporaries.

The Eton College Chronicle for March 5, gives a very good account of one of the great races of the half, viz., 'The Steeple Chase.' The course was across country, and the distance is about two miles and three quarters. Benson, who seems to have run very finely, and who came in first by about 20 yards, did this in 16 min. 20 secs. Second was Calvert, who appears to have had hard luck in having been second for this race for three consecutive years. Benson was also the Chronicle's tip for the Mile, the other great Calvert won this in 1867, with Benson second, as he did the Quarter-of-a-Mile: Benson, however, got the Quarter-of-a-Mile this year. There are also Junior races. In the College Two Mile Handicap, MacNaghten, who is, says the Chronicle, dangerous for the Mile, and who started at scratch, wins by 40 yards, in 11 mins. 42 secs. The second man was handicapped 190 yards; the third, 150. Two who were handicapped at 300, gave up in the middle of the race.

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A return Racquet Match was played in the Harrow courts, on Feb. 24th, when Ottaway and Tritton again beat the Harrovians, Reid and Murray. Eton won six games, Harrow four. Ottaway appears to be specially deadly in his double match his opponents make 1 and o, and he is said by the Chronicle to be several points better than anyone else in the school. T. K. McClintock-Dunbury is captain of the Boats. The Eton and Harrow Cricket Match is fixed for Friday and Saturday, the 10th and 11th of July.

The Eton College Chronicle was right in its prediction for the Mile, as the number for March 19 tells us that Benson having won the first heat, and Johnstone the second, the former in the final heat won in great form in 4 mins. 58 secs, Johnstone being second and MacNaghten third. Harris won the Walking Race, two miles, in 17 mins. 15 secs., by 15 yards, from Moss second and Calvert third. Ottaway won the final Racquet Match with much ease, winning four games to Tritton's o; Tritton got 6, 8, 5, 14. Ottaway also won the Double-handed Racquets in company with Thornton, against Tritton and Thornhill. The first Cricket Match was played on the 13th of March, when Thornton got 70.

The Marlburian keeps up to its standard. A third letter from Abyssinia opens the number. A short summary of arguments for the Disestablishment (it is not our word, gentle reader) of the Irish

Church, is calculated to stimulate thought on public affairs at Marlborough, and is therefore, as well as for other reasons, highly commendable. A correspondent answers objections to joining the Natural History Society: we agree with his arguments, but we cannot subscribe to his opinion that a butterfly is the most beautiful thing in nature. There is a good letter on the question of calling Houses after the letters of the alphabet. Football is played in the first quarter of this half at Marlborough. In the Debating Society, only one could be found to agree with R. Rocke that 'a barrister is bound to consider the moral guilt of his client,' against 32 noes: only two could be found to agree with the same speaker that 'England would not be justified in permanently occupying Abyssinia.' At the meeting of the Natural History Society, 114 were present.

Our friend, The Cliftonian, publishes a second number. The Schoolboy Spectator' is a decided advance on the first number, and is to be continued; we are glad that it is. Another good thing in The Cliftonian is a parody of part of 'The Brook': on principle we dislike parodies, if you except such as are on poems like 'It was a Summer's evening'; but this certainly is a good one. There are sensible remarks on School Boy manias, 'as might be expected considering the advantages Cliftonians have had in studying one most singular and, we hope, rare mania, viz., for lying in wait in the College playground for field-mice, which field-mice they caught and skinned, and of their skins made-penwipers !

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The Wykehamist makes some remarks about Leaving Books: the article concludes with these words,-'Let us take care lest our Winchester conservatism pass into a proverb as Winchester obstinacy. A correspondent attacks his school on the ground of conservatism in the teaching of Classics, as opposed to other branches of Education: he says 'proficiency in Latin versification reigns triumphant.' Latin versification is the subject of the next production also, which is in the metre and to some extent in the manner of Dolores.' There is a translation of the last ode of the First Book of Horace into some peculiar, but, unfortuately, not unheard-of, metre: we have yet to learn that the rhythm of the Sapphic stanza is represented by a line like 'Scornful! view the splendour of the Persian.' We respectfully recommend to the notice of the translator a footnote to p. 439 of the second edition of Donaldson's 'Varronianus,' cap. xiv. § 4. The number of fellows now at Winchester is 276, of whom 70 are Collegers. We do not quite understand the meaning of some remarks made by a correspondent, notably the following:-'I am sure no one [in the

Debating Society] would have thought it a mistake to keep Garibaldi at Caprera, unless indeed they thought that St. Helena would be a better place.' We earnestly hope that the most obvious meaning of these words is not the true one.

The two last numbers of the Meteor have been sent us so late that we cannot do much more than quote the account of the principal events in the Athletic Sports, which were held at Rugby on March 23 and 24.

Flat Race-200 yards.-1. Badger. 2. Bucknill.

Mile Race.-I. Bucknill. 2. Welsh. Time, 5 mins. 20 secs.
Standing Jump.-I. Yardley. Height, 3 ft. 11 in.

Quarter-of-a-Mile.-1. Bucknill. 2. Tobin. Time, 63 secs.
High Jump.-1. Francis. Height, 4 ft. 10 in.

Half-Mile.-1. Welsh, 2. Botfield. Time, 2 mins. 25 secs.

Gardner equal. Distance, 18 ft.

Broad Jump.-Tobin

Hundred Yards.-I. Bucknill. 2. Badger. Time, II secs.
Cricket Ball.-1. Tubb. Distance, 97 yds. 2 ft.

Half-Mile Hurdle Race.-I. Welsh.

Putting the Stone.-1. Tubb. Distance, 31 ft. 2 in.
Hurdle Race-200 yards, 12 hurdles.-

.-I. Tobins. Time, 30 secs.

The Steeple-chase was won by W. Welsh.

The earlier number has a dialogue in Sapphics, between 'Cosmopolitan' and a 'New Fellow,' on the 'Hat Question.' They are on the model of Canning's 'Weary Knife-grinder,' and not unworthy of their model. The Meteor says, 'We hear that, owing to many impediments which inevitably come in the way of arranging new matches, the challenges of Cheltenham and Rossall have been declined. We are very sorry that this should have been necessary, as it is high time that all prejudices should be abolished in such matters.' Veritas temporis filia.

Occasional Notes.

Robert Threshie Reid has been elected Ireland Scholar. W. L. Newman is the only other Cheltonian who has gained the same honour.

At the risk of wearying our readers we beg to call their attention again to the following facts:-The Grand Stand at the College Races is at present hired annually, at the cost of some £70-the

cost of buying such a stand is about £300. Hence the present owners of the Grand Stand, which we hire, get 23 per cent. every year for their money from the unresisting College Stewards. The remedy for this extortion, which has been proposed, is this:-Let a company, say of twelve, buy a stand at £25 a-piece; let them for the next six years let it to the College for £50 a-year. At the end of six years they will have regained their principal, and if they choose to keep it another year to get a fair interest in return for. their risk, no one will object. At the the end of these seven years let them allow the College the use of the Grand Stand on condition of the expenses of putting up, &c., being defrayed by the Stewards. Thus these twelve patriotic persons, who should be in some way connected with the College, either as master or pupil, would practically contribute £40 to the College Athletics for the next seven years, and after that would relieve them of £70 a-year, which it would not be hard to spend. We do not think that the admission of strangers to the Grand Stand ought ever to be free, as that would produce a crush, and so long as people are willing to pay any sum for reserved seats there is no reason why they should not be gratified. In fact, we incline to think that at present a higher admission fee at the gates might certainly be charged this year, and possibly a higher price put on the tickets for the Grand Stand. There has not of late years been too much money for prizes.

The College Athletic Sports are fixed for Friday and Saturday, May 1st and 2nd. The following are the Stewards :

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The Ladies' Prize, and indeed, all the Prizes seem at present as though they might be anybody's. There has seldom been such an uncertainty even among the most sagacious.

The Public School Raquet Matches will be played in Prince's Courts on Easter Monday and Tuesday. Our competitors will be Eton, Harrow, Rugby, and Charterhouse, of these we have drawn Harrow. Marlborough holiday arrangements do not permit them to join. Eton is considered the favourite. It will be very important for J. J. Reid and A. T. Myers, who have been accustomed to our slow courts to get a few days practice on the fast courts at Prince's, and permission has been given them to go up a day or two before the Easter holidays begin.

The Easter holidays begin on Thursday, at II a.m., and end on the following Wednesday, at 9 a.m. The Easter Tuesday has been given in honour of our new Ireland Scholar.

In the 1st Trinity Athletic Sports we notice the following Cheltonians names as winners :-F. J. Dickson, 2nd in the 300 yards handicap (time, 33 seconds); and Ist in the first heat of the 100 yards (time, 10 seconds). C. T. Naylor 2nd in the first heat of 100 yards, 1st in the second heat of the hurdle race, 120 yards, 10 flights (time, 19 seconds). The Mile Race on the same occasion was won by J. Kinlock, S. W. Cooke was 2nd (time, 4'54).

At Christ's College Sports A. H. Hamilton was 1st in the hurdle race and 1st in the vaulting with the pole. In the Cambridge University Sports Hamilton was 2nd in the vaulting with the pole (height, 8ft. 10 in.).

In the Rifle Corps shooting J. Kinlock won the Marksman's Cup.

The examination for the Iredell Prize will take place on the morning of May 11th. The subject is, 'English History, with the foreign history connected therewith, from the accession of James I. to the death of Oliver Cromwell, with the Literature of the same period. The Examiner is W. L. Newman, M.A., Fellow of Balliol College, Oxford.

The Twenty-two Ribbon is published, and gives pretty general satisfaction. Much difference of opinion exists as to the respective merits of the two sides of the ribbon.

An extraordinary frenzy has at present undisputed possession of the minds of a section of the school. Instruments, called Boomerangs, may be seen at certain times flying with frightful rapidity all over the playground; there is only one Boomerangster whose dexterity is especially remarkable. But his powers of hurling are simply appalling possibly he knows where this awful instrument of destruction will go when he throws it certainly others do not. Amusement we suppose to be the primary object of this pursuit. Is murder the secondary one?

The audience at the last three of Mr. Bloxam's chemical lectures on Wednesday afternoons was inferior neither in numbers nor enthusiam to that at the first three, and the uniform success and brilliancy of the experiments certainly deserved all the applause that was rendered them. After speaking of hydrogen and oxygen

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