The morning call., 1890-11-14
AMATEUR SPRINTING.
An Analysis of Cory's Promi.
nent Performances.
Men Who Do Not Gain Much in Speed at
Short Distances-How Dixon Became
Famous-Ths Wrestlers.

lour YARDS In one week. On october 1ltn,
in the race Of his life, on fast track, Cary
could only finish behind Owen in 9 As sec
onds. On October 18th, on an inferior track,
he is reported as running in 9k seconds.
Apropos of Mr.. Cary's case and the differ
ent views as expressed in Eastern journals
by skeptical and humorous writers on this
phenomenal performance in sprinting. Will
lam b. Curtis of the New York Spirit of the
Times, who is the authority on amateur
records in this country, goes back into the
more prominent performances of Cary, and
an analysis of the following will be interest
ing as it shows that the rejectment of Cary's
claim to the 81 second record was based on
sensible grounds:
HIS sPRINTING HISTORY.
Alter men have raced for a year or two
and have acquired the size and strength of
full manhood they cannot and do not gain
much In actual speed at short distances.
They may learn to start better and stay
longer. but improvement in actual speed for
100 yards is matter of inches instead Of
yards. In the light of these facts it will be
Instructive TO study Cary's sprinting history,
and In giving it below we add some contem-
poraneous performances by f. Westing. j.
owen Jr.. and c. Ii. Sheriff., so that the
reader may compare the doings of the four
men and form an intelligent opinion as to
what each of them would be able to do
when at his best
WeSting has an accepted record of 100
yards in ten seconds, made III New York
City October -. 1888; Sheriff. has an ac-
cepted record of 100 yards in 10 seconds.
made in New York City May II, 1886: Cary
has an accepted record of 100 yards in 10
seconds. made at Detroit. Mich, June Is,
1850; Owen has an accepted record OF 100
yards IN 4-5 seconds, made ut Washington,
d. C., October II, 1899.
During 1856, 1887 and 1888 Cary is said to
nave competed IN several races at his home
In Oberlin. Ohio, and to have been credited
by local llme-keepers with 10 seconds and
40 seconds for 100 yards, but reports OF
these races never reached any sporting
journals or other athletic authority. jan
uary 10, 1889. at Detroit, 1C0-yard run, Cary,
10 seconds; Owen second by yards. Two
hundred and twenty-yard run, Cary, % 1-5
seconds; Owen second by 9. yards. Owen
was at the time novice, having run his first
race less than four months befuie Detroit
August 3, 1889, with brisk wind behind him,
Owen, 1OO-yard run, 40 seconds; 220-yard
run. q rs seconds. at Travers Island,
September 14th, championship meeting.
track soft ana slow, 100-yard run, Owen,
10 % seconds; Wrestling second. Cary sec
ond III his trial heat aud BEATEN by S. j.
King IN 10 80 seconds IN the Trial heat for
second men. Two hundred and twenty-yard
run, Owen, % 3-5 seconds; Westing third in
his trial heat, yard behind, % So seconds
At Princeton, n. j., November LIST, 100-yard
run, F. Vredenburg. 10 seconds; Cary Sec
ond by feet. III 1850, at Philadelphia. Pa,
40-yard run, Cary, 44-5 seconds. In Brooklyn,
February l0tn. 75-yard run, Cary, Is sec
oBds. In New York City, March 21sI, GO
yard run CRACK lew inches sh0rt, Cary, 8
IN - a
Boston. April l2tb, 75-yard run, Cary, 40
seconds. In New Haven, Conn, May 10th.
100 yard run, Sheriff.. 10 seconds. In New
York City, May 10th, 125-yard run, Cary
beaten u loot In IL 40 seconds; 22c-yard run,
Cary, q 80 seconds. May 18th, on The
Berkeley Oval, l00-yard run. Sheriff., 10
seconds; Cary .. BY yard. May 3lst, on
the Berkeley Oval, 100-yard run, Sheriff., 10
10 seconds; Cary, 2, by 2 feet; 220-yard run,
Sheriff., % 10 seconds; Cary, 2, by IA
yard run, Cary, 10 10 seconds; Sheriff.
broke down at 60 yards; ITO yards,
Gary, IL 1-5 seconds; go yards, Cary,
IS 2-5 seconds At Princeton, June 9th,
l00-yard run, Cary, 10 seconds; 220-yard
run, Cary, 22A seconds. In New York City.
September 2Otn. 100-yard run, Westing Won
in 10 % seconds, Cary foot behind 10 rs
seconds III his Trial heat. At Cleveland,
Ohio, September 10th, 1U0-yard run, Owen,
10 seconds. At Montreal, +. O., September
9th, 100-yard run, owen, 10 10 seconds;
Cary. z, by 4 feet; 220-yard run, Owen, % %
seconds, Cary did rot finish. At Detroit.
October lst, 100 yards, Westing, 10 Is sec
oudS; Cary thlro, yard behind; Owen
broke down when leading at 90 yards; go
yard run, Owen, % seconds; Cary, 2, by
yard. Al Washington, October 18th, annual
championship meeting, 100-yard run, Owen,
40 seconds; Cary, 2, by foot; Nesting,
8, by haf yard; 220-yard lun, Wrestling,
22A seconds; Owen, 2, by inches; Cary, 3.
by yards.
A critical Inspection of this catalogue
shows that Cary has the same record at 100
yards as Sheriff. and Nesting, and is one
fifth of a second behind Owen. Since he
made his 10-second record he has been beat
Ell at leo yards by Vredenburgh and KING
once EACH by Sheriff. ana Wrestling twice
each, and by Owen three times and at go
yards by Sheriff. and WeSting once each,
and Owen three times. \ 10 man Can figure
from these records that Cary is any faster
or liable TO do any better than either Sher-
rill, Wrestling or Owen. In order To be per-
fectly fair with Cary we have i'll above sum-
mary given him the benefit of all his Prince
ton l0-secund races, although the time-keep-
ing was more than doubtful.
RECORD OF A GREAT FIGHTER.
George Dixon, the champion coOred BAN
tam-weight pugllist, who is said to he
matched to fight the clever Cal Mccarthy at
New Orleans in the near future, was inter-
view ed recently in Baltimore. He tells how
he becaiue famous and knocked out all the
other bantam weights known to fame in this
wise: " begun on Elias Hamilton, a col
ored fellow, when l was going on Ii |
fought linn at my home i'll Boston, and l
knocked him out dead easy i'll the eighth
round. Then l started in TO try few white
fellows. In q little while JACK Lyman tried
to stand against ME in the Pelican Club, and
when he had got five rounds lie was taken
sick aud stayed so several days. Charles
Parton of England met me the next year.
and l stopped hiin-put him to sleep. you
KNOWN four rounds. That started 'em to
making HE give away weight by lighting
men who were heavier than me. L am H.
FOUNDER, and in 1858 Barney Finnegan, who
weighed 116, got seven rounds at the Pelican
Club. l closed one Of his eyes and did him
up. Ed Morris Of New York, who weighed
1l9, quit after four rounds with me month
or two later. He just couldn't stand it and
jumped out of the ring. Hank Brennan
thought he could finish me off, and we had
four fights before he saw he couldn't do it.
Hank weighed 122, but | licked him twice
and we had two draws. The last time |
frightened up both of his eyes in twenty
seven rounds, and the police stopped me
from giving it TO him worse.
81 got the championship OF the United
States by fixing up Cal Mccarthy So they had
to carry him home the 9th Of last February.
We had seven ty rounds in four hours at the
Carthy couldn't see a little bit when we were
through, because his peppers were not work
ing as they ought.
1.-The championship of the world won by
knocking out Nunc Wallace in eighteen
rounds last 9th of June at the Pelican Club,
London. Wallace was the champion Of
England, but his face was swelled up so
much after the fight was through with that
he didn't Look like he was the champion Of
anything. My match last Thursday week
with johnny Murphy in Providence was
forty rounds long. and Murphy is in bed
yet, with a silver tube in bis left ear. Why,
made him black and blue from head to
foot"
Dixon is only 20 years old, and has fought
twenty-eight battles without being defeated
His hacker, MIR. Thomas O'Rourke Of Bos-
ton, is now trying to arrange another match
with Cal Mccarthy, and noted athletic clubs
are bidding for the privilege of having the
fight in their own quarters. The Puritan
Club of Boston has offered purse of $500
If it gets the match, and the Union Athletic
Club has agreed to give 5000. The only
difference between the hackers Of the two
men is that Mr.. O'Rourke wants ths fight
TO be for n stake of $500 in addition to the