Horse-master, Charleston, S. C.—The breast-strap is seldom used in England in place of the collar. It is in some measure no doubt due to the fact that English people use much heavier vehicles than are in vogue in America. With at all a heavy weight, the breast-strap confines the shoulders.
Tennis Enthusiast, Boston, Mass.—(1) H. W. Slocum and Howard A. Taylor are graduates of the rival Universities. Mr. Slocum graduated from Yale in the class of ’83, and Mr. Taylor from Harvard in ’85. (2) Mr. Taylor is the junior by some three years. (3) Mr. Taylor plays with his left hand.
G. B. T., Fellowcraft Club.—Fishes Eddy is on the New York, Ontario & western Railway, 154 miles from New York, with two trains each way daily. It has one small hotel. It is located on the East Branch of the Delaware. The country is wild, mountainous, and abounds in game both large and small—deer, black bear, partridge and woodcock. The trout fishing in the small streams and lakes is excellent. Guides can be had for about $3.00 per day.
A. L. M., Boston, Mass.—The recent high commendations given to Californian brandy by the medical journals would seem to point to its decided superiority to French products. The brand which we should specially recommend to your notice is the Royal Grape Brandy, furnished by the California Vintage Company, 21 Park Place, N. Y.
Bird Hunter, Washington, D. C.—Audubon explains the “drumming” of the cock pheasant as follows. After telling how the bird struts and plumes itself on some decayed trunk, he continues: “The bird draws the whole of its feathers close to its body and, stretching itself out, beats its sides with its wings in the manner of the domestic cock, but more loudly, and with such rapidity of motion, after a few of the first strokes, as to cause a tremor in the air, not unlike the rumbling of thunder.” Indeed, this seems to be the only method vouchsafed by nature for the cock to summon his mate in the early spring, during the period of incubation.
Amateur Photographer, Albany, N. Y.—You can procure the outfit you require from the Rochester Optical Company, who are perfectly reliable dealers.
PRINCETON HEARD FROM.
THE following communication from W. L. Hodge, of Princeton, is given a place in OUTING with a view to making as perfect as possible the data of college baseball. No intention to do Princeton an injustice was intended by Mr. Chadwick, whose interest in the progress of the game with which his name is so honorably associated is now as great as it was in years gone by when the game and the veteran were younger. OUTING is ever ready to correct an error as well as to vindicate the truth.
To the Editor of OUTING:
DEAR SIR,—I have just this moment finished reading an article in the August number of OUTING entitled “Baseball in the Colleges,” by Henry Chadwick, and beg leave to correct several mistakes which he makes, and by which he does Princeton gross injustice. At the close of the article he gives a summary of the championship matches played between 1880–88, inclusive, and says Harvard won the championship in 1882. Now, if he will refer to his tabulated summary, he will find that instead of Harvard winning the championship in that year, she was third in the race, winning five and losing five games, while, if I remember rightly, Princeton and Yale tied for the championship, and Yale won the tie game played in New Haven. Yale has never lost the championship but once, and that was in 1885. Again, he says that Princeton was third on the list during the whole period from 1880 to 1888, inclusive. Now, if Mr. Chadwick will refer to his summary once more, he will see that Harvard has held that honorable position quite as often as Princeton, for in 1888 Princeton was a close second, tried for second place in 1881, and won the second place in 1882 and 1883, Harvard being a bad third. In 1885 Princeton and Yale tried for second place, and Princeton won the “play-off” game at New Haven by the score of 15 to 13. I simply mention these facts to do Princeton justice.