Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1886-09-02
Z sxHroH or MYERS.
Advised 10 Take Outdoor Exercil
The winner of Nearly A0ss Rriz


The winner OF Nearly 400 Prizes.
1t seems L. e. Myers, the runner, was
anything but robust when youngster. In
a sketch published in Ligpiacott's he says
his mother died of consumption when he
was baby. His family came from Rich
mond to Jersey City in 1875 and he OBJ
tanned employment In wholesale drug
store, where his health began TO fail and
physicians advised him to take more out
door exercise. He had always been fleet
and active, and In November 1878, COM
peted at the sports of the New York
Athletic Club, winning the quarter-mile
race and catching a terrible cold. Next
spring he went into training, being sick
one day and well the next, but managed
to beat everybody that opposed him. He
says: In the fall of 1879 began to lower
records. AT that time man was thought
to be doing great thing whom he lowered
an American record. 1t was generally
conceded that, owing to atmospheric in.
fuenoeH,i II was impossible to repeat in this
country the performances credited to
English athletes. ! took different view
of the matter, attributing the fact that
our standards were 30 much below the
English either to the disposition on the
CT to their not training properly. The
day reduced the figures for the quarter
mile from So 1-5 seconds to 40 1-5 seconds
and ran tho last 100 yards without my
right shoe, never saw such a dumb
founded crowd in my life. Why, the
hme-keepers at first refused 10 show their
watches, each thinking he had made IN
egregious error. Later In the same
afternoon, when, with pair of borrowed
shoes much too large for me, lowered
the figures for q furlong, the excitement
was intense. a think my head was turned
from that moment, for II seems from then
until now I've been doing nothing else
but tackling old Father Time--with what
success yon know.
When our English cousins heard about
their records having been knocked into
the shade, they merely laughed, and
called II american bounce" All of the
English authorities said It was just pos
sible that the tracks were short or the
people who held the watches didn't know
their duties. / now determined to go to
England. So In the spring Of 1881, the
Manhattan Athletic Club, of which was
and have always been a member, sent me
across thebig pond. shall never forget
the day arrived In London. Mr.. Will
liam Waddell, who was then secretary of
the London Athletic Club, met us Of the
depot. He looked at me In manner
which seemed to say, 81 am sorry for
you, young man, II you imagine you can
beat our best men," Turning to Mr..
Harry Pike, who had charge OF our party
he quietly said, "He may be good man,
but he Ia not strong enough to beat such
men as Phillips, Baker and others could
name"
The eventful day arrived at last. Al
though 1t was late In June the
weather was disagreeably cold, and it
rained nearly all day The knowing
ones gave 1t as their opinion that what
chance ! might have had on good, clear
day was now Offset by the heavy track.
had never realized before how small
In stature was until toed the mark for
my first race on British soil. All of my
opponents were great strapping fellows,
Phillips who stood next to me, being
about six feet in hight, and beautifully
proportional. At the pistols crack
was first away, position held for about
40 yards, when Baker, who was running
In the interest of Phillips, spurted
to the front. / heard Just before the
race that first one and then another of
my opponents were to race me rs hard MS
they could, so as TO break me
up In the interest of Phillips, who
was to finish me. / admit was Just O
little nonplussed OF first. But soon had
my wits about me, and l fell back into
third position until half of the distance
had been covered, when l cut loose, and
before the ''pacemakers" knew where
they were l was 10 yards In front. Com
ing along OF my best speed soon had the
field strung out like 80 many telegraph
poles. l won, away of, and, notwith.
standing that the track was heavy, Ibroke
the English record, doing the Quarter
in 40 40 seconds. There were many
Americans present. One of them, more
enthusiastic than the rest, threw his um
brella in the air when he saw me running
easily, and 1t narrowly escaped HITTING
me on the head as It fell.
The papers had to give me credit ,mucl
against my will, and many excuses wert
| 1'adG 'oE PHILIPS TIE f6,,awlne 9atdr
day made a new record To- tAc inf
nile,and, the Saturday after that RI, dsrs
the quarter TO Az seconds; and, to oIai
the climax, al the champion sports, Jul,
10th, ran quarter In 4S So seconds
finishing In walk. This last perform
ance settled II. was voted stop of til,
heap" and dare say that am though
more highly Of as q runner in England
than in America. have visited England
three times, and, although have woI
nearly 100 prizes there, have only beer
beaten once in level race, and that wa
due to an unfortunate stumble OF til,
start In 100-yard race.
How many prizes have l won2 Well
really can't tell. have long sine
stopped counting them, but the humble
must be somewhere between 800 and 400
think / must have given away over 200
The original cost Of my prizes could no
have been far short of $4,000. On
medal alone cost $500, and single cul
nearly as much.
You want to know the best man eve
metz Now, this Is puzzler. There's W
g. George, Phillips, Oowle, Shook an,
Brooks, all of whom are good men at thei
distances. II / am to decide, l must civ
my vote TO George and Phillips. o
course these men were not in the sam
| class, George being distance IMAM, Will
Phillips, who is now dead, excelled a
distances from 100 yards to quarter Of
mile. beat George four times out O
! six We met, while Phillips had to put al
with second place on the two occasion
we came together. My best distances mr.
from 220 yards to three quarters OF mile
IL No, never claimed to be the best 100
yards runner In the world. am away be
: yond the average Splinter In ability but tn
distance is too short for me. i nm no
heavy enough to ever become yeritabl
champion OF the distance.
A Steer Horribly Clashes a Man.
III CHICAGO, Aug. 49, While herd O
Texas cattle was being driven througI
bridgeport last night steer broke ava
near the Main street bridge and started o.