River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-12-04

and fraudulent entrance. 10 the TAIL
stout man who signs as his thoughts are
waited back to college days-all are
there. leaning over or in close proxim-
ity TO the low fence.
Back of this crowd is the grand stand,
moderately well filled with matronly
ladies. papas, carpet knights and pretty
girls, some of whom doubtless have
sons, or nephews. or brothers, or lovers
among the knot of athletes out there
on the green.
1t is glorious day-a typical DC tober
| one. The lawn is elastic; the track is
superb. The air is bracing. with an
aroma of Indian summer in it; and over
every thing, as if Jupiter Olympus him
self had blessed this special occasion
with his supernal appreciation, is the
smiling azure of perfect sky.
A very small boy, with his chin just
level with the crest OF the railing, to
which he clings tenaciously, refusing to
be hribed or coaxed from mis- enviable
position, says:
There they goes on the two-twenty,
Tommy and looking over the stretch
of green we see a bunch of seven or
eight forms, dressed in white and blue
and red, bound off, as il propelled from
the pistol whose sharp report reached
our ears a moment later.
Round the end OF the course they
come, keeping we'll together; the inev-
liable winners however, drawing slow
ly ahead. One hundred yards remain
seventy-five-and look! Out of the
half-dozen stragglers there darts form
dressed in blue--a tall, fair, slender
youth. There is a cry of warning to
the two men who are leading, neck and
neck. from some partisanl They turn
their heads as they strain every muscle,
and in that moment the form in blue is
foot behind them-abreast, ahead
and goes flying past US, the winner, in
twenty three secondsi | hear q well
done, boy" in deep voice that trem-
bles, and / look up and see that the
stout gentleman's face is flushed, and
that there are tears in his eyes. And
then the boy in blue comes over
and shakes the big man by the hand.
and the father puts his arm through
that of his son, and goes off with him to
the dressing-room in the seventh
heaven of manly pride, and happier
than he has been for many long day.
The race of the day, the ''mile," Is on
now; and some of the contestants, robed
in long blankets, are stalking up and
down the path, or running slowly on
their toes. in that preliminary little
canter that is such a mystery TO the ma
jority of the onlookers.
The names are called and Green" is
missing. Who is 'Green?" Nobody
knows him. None of the clubs or rum
ming men have ever heard of him. But
as if a replication to the expressed
curiosity, now become general, very
small boy dressed in very large home
spun clothes. and bedecked in Byron
collar, an enormous cravat and a low
crowned stiff hat, ambles down the
course between the grand stand and the
fence, and sputters between long inter
walls of breathing:
'Jim's-comin'l He's COMMIT Here's
Jiml Our-ole mare-she-broke the
shat this side-of Billin's Holler-
strikin' Rube-Gray's wagginl Rube
as drunk-blame 'iml An run in-on
Jiml But we got--here-just the same.
Here's Jim now!"
Attention was now conferred on Jim"
that genuine. undivided public atten-
ton that will forget you a moment later
il your head sinks an inch below the
line of novelty.
Give you three minutes, Green, '"
called the starter, and Green's" dust
stained figure disappeared in the door
way of the dressing-room.
WIS not prepossessed with "Jim's'
physio ne as applicable to pedestrian
ism; but at the first glance / expert
enced an instructive liking for the boys
face. 1t was plain and honest with a
square jaw and delicate but firm
mouth.
II, however, | was not gratified with
"Jims" form, as imperfectly exhibited
and unjustly determined through his
i'll fitting clothes, / was delighted with
the bows figure as he came out of the