Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), Saturday 11 August 1923, page 8


A PAGE FROM DAVE GREEN'S SCRAPBOOK.

Interesting Memoirs.

By Rosscommon.

When the late Mr. Dave Green died, his scrapbook was handed to the proprietors of The Register, the deceased sportsman having expressed a wish that his records of the champions of bygone days might be published from time to time. In this article will be found interesting information concern

ing a fight which took place 74 years ago between Hyer and Sullivan. The Great Fight A supplement of The New York Illustrated Times of February, 1849, shows those great' ol '.-timers, Tom Hyer and Yankee Sullivan, in action in their memorable battle at Still Fond Heights, Kent Co., Mary'd, on February 7 of that year. Hyer -was the victor in 16 rounds, in 17m. 18e. The duration of the bout u strikingly dissimilar1 from present-day affairs of this sort. Sixteen rounds nowadays would occupy more than an hour. The combatants, of course, are shown with bare fists. Hyer was 6 ft. 1 in. in height, and weighed 12 st. 12 lb. Sullivan was a middleweight. He is given at 5 ft. 9£ in., and 11 st. 2 lb. The seconds were in the ring, and the referee wore an, overcoat and muffler. It seems hard to understand that an important .clash such as this one of 74 years ago should have been witnessed -by a mere handful of spectators, especially as there was £2,000 hanging on to the result. A bookmaker is shown making a bet. He is resting a pad of paper against the back of a sportsman with a shaggy fur coat. In passing, ii might be mentioned that both pugilists bore unmistakeable signs of their csllinR. English Waterloo Csp Winner. A clipping from the scrap book relative to coursing is especially interesting in view of the fact that. the late Hon. W. B. Rounsevell bred a litter of greyhound puppies sired by a son oHhe incomparable Fullerton. Fullerton was described by a vrriter in 1891 as the 'dog of the century,' as he lad then won the English Waterloo Cup three, times in succession, and had previously . divided with bis kennel companion, Troughend, when a

puppy. Three times out of four attempts was also the record of Master McGrath, and these dogs were the only pair to gain this distinction. Fuller-ton actually gained three and a half wins, and he was regarded as the best dog which had ever left the slips. He was by Green TickBit of Fashion— a wonderfully successful strain. Fullerton was described as being a mbst awkward dog in slips. He had a peculiar habit of continually looking around, as much as to say, ''Why the dickens don't you let me go?' By this trait several hares were lost during the running of the cups. When slipped, Fullerton was slow over the initial halffurlong, -but he then gathered, pace and smothered his hare, so that nothing ever had a chance when he fait the front. Simonian (own brother to Fullerton) won a Waterloo Plate, and Purse. The Hon. W. B. Rounsevell had registered a litter of pups by Soyal Dane, the only son of Green Tick in Australia at that time. Frank ('Paddy') Slavin. A portion of a supplement to 'The Sportsman' bears reference to Australia'* champion boxer in 1891. He was born at Maitland (presumably New South Wales) on January. 27. 1863. His height was 6 ft. 1 in., and weight 13.3. Slavin's most noteworthy performances up to that time were:.— Beat Harry Laing, champion of New Zealand, in five rounds; beat Nick Dooley in 2m. 40s.; beat Jock Burke in three rounds beat 'Chesterfield' Goode in five rounds; beat Jake Kilrain in nine rounds. . . . . ? \ ♦