Jottings of the Month

• Lindrum is expected to arrive in England about the middle of October, and Reece about the middle of the present month. Stevenson sails from Sydney for Vancouver on September 25.
• It is said that Frank Ferraro, the South African player, who actually scored 12,000 against Harverson's 13,218 in the latter's tour (when allowed 4,000 in 16,000), may be seen in this country in the coming season.
• The Scottish champion, T. Aiken, has fixed up a game with John Roberts, beginning on September 25 at the Waverley Rooms, Edinburgh, and extending over a fortnight. The match will be 18,000 up, the veteran conceding 3,000.
• It may now be taken that the professional billiard season is one of at least nine months. The Gray-Inman match ended on June 17, and Diggle and Aiken are down to meet at Leicester Square on September 4, where they will be followed by Gray and Cook.
• In the London tournament promoted by Messrs. Burroughes and Watts, the players will be Stevenson, Diggle, Inman, Reece, Harverson, Aiken, Mack, and Tothill. Tothill is a Bury lad (a pupil of Stevenson's), who is moving to the front.
• An interesting fortnight's match between H. W. Stevenson and Lindrum, the Australian champion, was concluded in Melbourne on August 19. By special arrangement each break off the red was limited to 75, and on these terms Stevenson conceded 4,000 in 18,000 up. The final scores were: Lindrum, 18,000; Stevenson, 14,436.
• George Gray's fixture list for the coining season is said already to extend with few breaks over several months. Another statement is that he has fixed up a twenty weeks' contract, but we were under the impression that he (or his father) had taken to heart the advice of Mr. Harry Lauder, so earnestly imparted at Glasgow: "Beware of the contracts and sign no more."
• Amongst possible challengers for the professional championship are Edward Diggle, who put up such a fine performance last season in a month's play with Stevenson. In 96 hours' play he beat Stevenson level by 7,388 points, and averaged 397 points per hour, with breaks as follow:— 686. 529, 3 of over 400, 6 of over 300, 19 of over 200, and 86 of over 100. George Gray may also challenge, and possibly Lindrum, if they decide to give the ivories a trial.
• Gray, who played 236,000 up last season, and has been recuperating in Cumberland, is returning to London to commence a twenty weeks' contract. No match has yet been arranged between the two Australians, but it is probable that they will meet before Gray leaves on his world's tour next May. In the meantime Gray will have a serious engagement with John Roberts; but the Law Courts will be the scene of this fight, as the ex-champion is bringing an action against Gray, claiming damages for breach of contract.— Evening Times.