SPEED OF LOCOMOTIVES: - An engine with 6 cars, on the N. Y. Central, ran 14 miles in 11 min. 7 sec.

A train, over the Pennsylvania Central, ran 10 miles in 7m. 30 sec.

BALLOONING: - Banmistle, in 1855, sailed from Adrian, Michigan, to Clarrion County, Penn., a distance of 350 miles, in four hours.

SKATING: - One mile in 1 min. 50 sec., by Wm. Clark. This is said to have been beaten by Donheur of Newburg, he having performed the mile in 1 min. and 52 1-2 sec.; 30 miles in 1 hour, by George Seward.

BILLIARDS: - Best time in a game of 1500 points, 2 hours, 40 min., by Joseph Dion.

PIGEON SHOOTING: - October, 1863, John Taylor killed 98 birds out of 100. This great feat was accomplished with 50 double birds, 18 yds. rise, 100 yds. boundary. This is the best pigeon shooting upon record in any part of the world.

The English athletes of those days were vastly superior to our own, and yet their peculiarities of measuring, starting, timing, etc., make their records amusing reading enough; for instance, the tremendous jumping feats mentioned above were probably accomplished by throwing weights from the hands. To-day the most careful scrutiny is expended on a new athletic record, and until it has been accepted by the Spirit of the Times as correct, it is generally looked upon with suspicious eyes. The perfection of rules of measuring, starting and timing, make the present records all over the world uniform, and establish them as final when they are made. However, it can be seen that the present records are pushed down so close that only in bicycling, where new ones are merely set up to be knocked down again, is there a probability of an important change in the immediate future.Even the fastest runner can hardly hope to beat 10 seconds in the 100 yards, without a flying-start, though many cracks, including our own Baker, are said to have done it in nine and a fraction. The following American amateur records, taken from Spirit's revised list, shows what we are coming to and what we probably shall cling to for some time: -

RUNNING: - 100 yards, 10 seconds, Baker.

220 yards, 22 seconds, Baker.

440 yards, 47 3 4 seconds, Baker.

half-mile, 1 min. 55 2-5 sec., Myers.

mile, 4 min. 21 2-5 sec., George.

WALKING: - One mile, 6 min. 29 3-5 sec., Murray.

JUMPING: - High, 6 ft. 1-2 in., Page.

Standing high, 5 ft. 1 1-4 in., Soren.