Men of Muscle, and the Highland Games of Scotland, etc.

TOM CA1 NON, OF TYLDESLEY. T O:M CANNON has never appeared at H ighiand games, but he is so well known, at least to Glasgow readers, that we venture to think his career will be interesting. The burly subject of this . ketch has been claimed as a native of Ireland, England, and America, but the plain facts concerning Tom Cannon's first appearance in this world of troubles are that he wa born of Irish parents at Tyldesley, near :.\fanchester, in Lancashire, in 18 54, so that he is now 46 years of age. Tom's father was a miner employed with the Ashley Coal Company (Limited), and at the age of 1 4 the boy, following his father's footsteps, began work in the same mine. Every second man in Lancashire is a wrestler, and of course like other lads young Cannon soon began to practice the art, and with such success that lads two or three years hi seniors had to admit their inferiority to the new-comer from Tyldesley. This age is full of com– petition, and rightly so, and when Tom's friends said be could defeat any lad his age there were no want of individuals to dispute the point; and that is how matches are made. It therefore came about that in a short time after Tom's app arance at the mine he was matched against James Scully for £10 a-side. At that time Tom didn't understand business so well as at present, and he and Scully agreed to ask the management of the Royal Oak Rabbit Cour:-ing Grounds to allow them to bring off their match there. The request was readily granted, and Cannon won his first match in 1 2 minutes : 8 minutes, and 4 minutes respectively. The 108.