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not prejudiced in favor of our pastime as against those of his own country:

"Permit me to acknowledge receipt of your very interesting and instructive letter on Base Ball which appears in this week's Leader, copies of which I hope you will duly receive by this post, and to thank you for your reference to my very cursory treatment of the subject written after seeing the game played by its able exponents, whose visit to us last Summer will always remain a pleasant memory with Australians who made their acquaintance. That the game in its thoroughness and "go" is essentially characteristic of Americans can quickly be seen, and as an old cricketer I recognize in it many features the study and practice of which would, I feel sure, benefit our cricketers in connection with their own national game. Some thirteen years ago, when I was captain of one of our suburban cricket clubs (St. Kilda), we had a caterer, an American, C. S. Jewett, who introduced Base Ball to us, and we played several enjoyable games with the American Christy Minstrel troupes who visited Melbourne, but I need hardly tell you that when I saw men like Anson, Ward and others on the diamond, and talked ball with such as A. G. Spalding, George Wright and my jovial friend, Harry Palmer, I discovered for the first time how very little I had known previously of your great game. Some of our cricketers who have taken to it have developed fairly good form, and Harry Simpson has done his utmost to thoroughly establish the game in Australia, but I have no desire to paint a picture in unduly roseate colors, and am therefore constrained to admit that it has hardly taken the hold upon our public which seemed probable immediately after the departure of the Chicago and All-America teams, and while their remarkably skillful displays were fresh in the memory of our people. I may tell you, however, that we Victorians have during the past few years been suffering from a terribly strong overdose of horse racing, five and six days' racing continuously in every week, and week after week, without intermission of any "off" season. I am happy to say that there is a prospect of racing reform being extensively carried on with a view to materially curtailing the number of meetings, and when that desirable consummation has been reached I hope for an increased interest to be displayed in other field sports which (cricket and Base Ball included) have suffered from the general attention paid to the turf with its more exciting attraction in the shape of betting. Our great Winter game, as you are doubtless aware, is football, neither Rugby nor Association rules, but a game played under rules of Australian origin. Being an Englishman by birth, though an Australian by the acclimatization of nearly a lifetime, I have no prejudice in comparing our game of football with the other two named. The Australian game was,