Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-08
WINNING THE HIGH JUMP.

Kingsley may perhaps be taken as the type,
says c. Turner in Outing. Yet so it was;
they famed into life the embers in which
still burnt the hidden fire, and rekindled the
dormant passion for rural sports into more
than its old vigor with a new purity and
with force which. ere half century had
passed, was TO restore atheism 20 its legiti-
mate sphere throughout the Anglo-Saxon
world
To Oxford belongs the honor Of initia-
ton in the Athletic Club Of Exeter college,
founded in 1880. Five years later the sister
university followed Oxford's example, but,
as is her habit, though slower to the influence
Of innovation than Oxford, when once she
has accepted an idea she makes more rapid
progress St. Johns College led the van;
Emmanuel, and one by one the rest followed
So rapid, indeed, was the development that
within two years the whole OF the seventeen
colleges and halls were ready for fedora
tiOn,h and in 1851 the first intercollegiate
sports were held
Naturally, the existence of these two
friendly yet rival corporations led 10 trial
OF strength between them Cambridge chal-
lenged Oxford TO friendly tournament,
and in 1864 the first Of those since famous
meetings Of the students Of the two univer.
Eties was held.
Emulation and imitation, that sinceres'
corn Of factery, quickly produced followers
the fame which the universities had Lit,
raised 20 a beacon's height by The Times re-
ports spread like a wildfre. Nor was tbs
agitation confined TO one side Of the Atlantic,
for within an extremely short period, the
foundation Of that now world renowned as
sociation, the New York Athletic club, was
laid
Is it to be wondered at that this sudden,
simultaneous and widespread movement
should have raised grave approximations, and
anxious, if not bitter, critics! WiIkie Col
Inns In his MAN and Wife" caricatured tn,
athlete; Mr.. Leslie Stephen also ranged
against atheism; the Hon Edward LyttIe-
ton followed his lead Medical men pre-
dicted for athletes premature decay, bu.
atheism rose triumphant over these, as over
many other dangers surrounding its early
path
Cambridge. which by its early example
did SO much to popularize athletics, has had
e long succession Of faithful, loyal and pa
triotic SONS to carry her coIors through many
a hard won fight and many stubborn fray.
Who that has seen her career through the
past quarter of a century cannot recall, with
champions, from the day, il 1855, when 2
(. Webster now the learned attorney gen
e-al twice lowered Oxfords colors by de-
featIng the Earl Of Jersey for the milo in
minutes RI 4 seconds ION a slow, wet ground,
and for the Two miles in 10 minutes $50 sec
onds down to ". c. heuGa.Is exciting odd
event" jump this springi Between these
dates what memories crowd toe sceneI
And who that nas seen thirty generations
for eacn year brings It's new generation
Of under graduates strip" can have failed to
recognize i distinct, general Improvement in
the average physique, in build, IN carriage,
and even in tho quality and condition Of the
fesh It Is undoub5ed and paIpable even 20
the casual eye, and it has singularly enough,
within the past few months, received con-
GTnatEon from an authority anything but
casual. Dr. Sargent, of Harvard, in his
Physical Proportions of the Typical Man."
has proved with mathematical accuracy and
from reliable and exhaustive measurements,
that man cultivated both IN mind and body
aion, the lines Of least resistance shows that
the tendency Of the race l. 10 attain the per-
feet tTpe, tie order Of growth Is regular
towards it."