Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-15
Of one. l cannot help thinking that three
miles is Peters best distance.

Of one. l cannot help thinking that three
miles is Peters best distance
The Two Sprinters.
The other race to which 1 have just referred,
or rather the other prospective race, is one
that is not a whit less interesting. I refer to
the probable lOQyard race between Joseph
Priddy and the Young colored man Smothers,
of Brownsville. Judging from what has ap-
peared in the newspapers this week, it is likely
that these two very promising young men may
be matched at this office tomorrow. Person.
ally nothing would give me greater pleasure
than to see these two youngsters tackle each
other. While l am not in position of any direct
or definite Information regarding the abilities
Of either runner, / am convinced that they are
Two very speedy sprinters. But l give little
credence to the somewhat sensational. reports
that now and again have been circulated re-
garding the phenomenal speed of each of them.
In plain language L don't believe it and won't
until ! see 1t. / arr free to admit that both
Smothers and ]. Priddy are two of the
most promising sprinters in the country.
but my credulity stops there. Depend upon it
even time steadily and in absolute reality is a
jewel; he Is worth measuring; that is, if he is at
all an unknown man. / have during my expe-
rience seen many. aye. very many reputed Va
money by not running in anything like even
time when they were asked TO do it. But all
this shows that a race between the CHARTERS
and the Brownsville sprinter will be one IN
which everyone of as who take an interest in
footracing will be anxious to see. don't hest
tate to say that / am exceedingly curious TO
know who is the speediest man of the pair. For
the life OF me l could not at present give any
opinion as to who would win, and presume
there are many people like me.
Great Development of Speed.
In speaking of professional sprlnting I am
reminded of a very interesting fact, and that is
the very great improvement there has been in
sprinting during the last 20 or % years. If we
compare the speed of the flyers" of the period
when Clowery. Mole, johnson and others were
the stars with the speed of the champions of
to-day, 1 think Wen find that the champions Of
about a quarter Of a century ago would not by
any means be champions to-day even though
they were in their very best form. l can well
remember when a man who could run LIS or 130
yards two or three yards inside of even time
was looked upon as something extraordinary.
Now. it is not considered anything more than
an ordinary performance. When we remember
that Clowery, % years ago, the great Clowery1
mean, only conceded R. Buttery 81 yards
start, the former running 1873 yards,
and only defeated Buttery by a
half yard, we cannot do other than
to the conclusion that s~printers are much
speedier to-day than they were then. Buttery
was not by any means near championship form
as a short distance runner. whatever he might
have been as a quarter-miler. l refer to this
because we are continually being told
about the great abilities of these oldtimers. l
may also state that l have known men who
years ago were kept" for Sheffield handicap
for months and wears who would not be kept a
day now. Well, all this is as it should be.
There is as much reason to expect improve:
me3t in foot-racing as in anything else, and if
this improvement had not taken place l Ques-
ton very much whether we would have had as
much interest in the sport to-day as there really
- AAa-. HAs--.
ment, and my hope is that it will continue, and
as 1t continues that foot-racing will en-
tirely free itself of the many taints that for
time have been connected with it. But
before i dispense with this subject, let me add
that while the professionals have been improv-
ing, the amateurs have been going ahead in
even a more rapid way.
Something About the Half-Milers.
While l am talking about foot racing 1 may
as well fully unload myself, even at the risk of
wearisome, and it may be interesting to
say a few words about the half-mIle runners.
the last few days there has been con-
talk about a big sweepstake race, in
the champions, or aspiring champions, of
this countr~ and Of other countries could take
part. Nothing in a foot-racing way could be
more desirable than a race of this kind. and
during a period of purse giving, such as this lie,
it is a wonder to me that some enterprising
man does not put up a purse of $1,000, and
added to a sweepstake of say $500 each. The
total would be worth winning, and depend upon
il there would be an immense crowd to see it if
the race took place here. Let us look at the
probable field Peter Priddy, S. Farrell. II.
the North of England runner. OF
course others might enter, but here
are six that might be reckoned on
1000. Surely there is inducement enough for
both runners and spectators. / have men,
toned the name of Williams because he has
recently challenged George to run for $3.50 a
side and if he would run George for that amount
hackers would certainly be sporty enough
to send him to America to try and win seven or
times that amount. Williams. if / mis-
take not, Is the man who some time ago ran
second to Perkins in that half mile handicap at
Sheffield. And if remember correctly he had
10 yards start and ran his distance somewhere
about two minutes. That he has improved since
then there is no doubt and should he come here
there is certainly a race for him which If he
wins he will pocket quite a pile of greenbacks.
what I want 90 enforce most in talking
poets of putting up a good purse for a sweep |
race for them.
The Amateur Boxers.
Every day is proving that those who have
the guidance of amateurs in their control have |
made up their minds to draw
the lines very. very tight around these
RenIlemen peElOTmers- 1u6 lateSt portion
Of the amateurs to be called down are the |
amateur boxers. Facts have recently come to |
light which go to show that these men who
propose to be in the sport for ''only the love of
il" have been receiving pay for their appear
ance at boxing tournaments and other indoor
entertainments. As a result the anna
teur law makers have declared themselves on
the matter and have taken means to try and pre-
vent the repetition of such fragrant violations
of amateur law. / am quite ready to believe |
that matters have been just as 'rumored state
ments say they have. Because of the cloak |
amateurism sometimes affords TO shield
is a low type of professionalism
amateurs have for a long time been al
to thump and 'slug'' away at each
other in public in a much less accomplished
and much more clumsy way than professionals
would. And il has been steadily believed that
these very ''gentlemanly'' persons were thump- |
ing each other merely for the love of it. Not
SO. They in many cases have been doing no
such thing. Like any professional, they have
been out for the stuff" and in doing so have
been deprlving those of money who are making |
their living by boxing. In truth, amaIeurism
has been dropping down the scale of late, and
1t is well that determined efforts are being
made to purge il of all the degrading enden. |
cies that have of late become attached to 1t.
Ii a professional boxer Is to reap any odium |
for being such let him have the full benefits of
the recOmpense offered in the way of money |
for his efforts, and let amateurs be strictly
limited to what they claim TO be-men who are |
g~entlemanly BOXERS, merely for the
love of it