The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-04-05

Indoor Championship MeetinG-A Run to


Indoor Championship MeetinG-A Run to
San Jose.
Professional sprint-runnng in England
has become quito q money-making scheme.
The majority of runners at Sheffield handi-
caps in England work at various trades in
factories, but when they improve in athletic
ability so much as TO attract the eye OF some
hacker they drop their trade and pay undi-
yided attention to getting into good athletic
condition. Hundreds Of sprinters are now
kept in that city alone, just as though they
were horses for the handicaps are so well
organized and the prizes and betting so large
that the sport is almost on par with horse
racing so far as good organization and profit
are concerned. There are about half adGZeH
large handicaps held each year in Sheffield.
The usual place for holding them IS the
Queen'S Grounds, although the Hyde Park
grounds have been used very often for the
great occasions. The main feature Of the
Queens Grounds is the broad sprint PATH
which is taken care of as carefully as if it
were never 10 be cut mp by the runners
shoes. Tie judges are stationed in boxes
right at the finishing posts at some elevation
from the track. so that they can get better
view from looking down on the contestants
as they fly past the finish. This method of
Judging is known to produce far better re-
suits than If the officials were on a level
with the contestants, and, as so many
Sheffield handicaps are won by only few
inches, the utmost accuracy is sought for by
those in charge
The Berkeley University athletes have
been training for weeks, in the hope of being
able to aStOuiSh their opDOne nts-the
OlympiauS-at the coming field day meet
inEs. There can be no gainsaying the fact
that among the Universities there are some
fiTst-class athletes, and especially short-dis-
tance runners who will give 2 good account
Of themselves II has hpclma a very conf
mon occurrence to have hInOrs COMPARE
lively easily earned CAPTURED by the wearers
OF the flying shoe The Berkeleyites have
begun 10 realizs that their only chance of
giving a surprise to their old opponents on
this side of the water is by Instant appli-
cation to the einder path. Heretofore the
u. C.'S" have neglected to train as athletes
should do when booked for any SPECIAL
event such as championship meeting.
Now that Schffersten and Purcell have
temporarily retired from athletic sports,
it is by no means improbable that the
Oiymp'ans will u taken by surprise when
they last expect il.
When the news spread abroad that NAL
coin Ford had been reinstated an amateur
by tie Amateur Athletic Union Committee
a New York reporter visited Ford, who
said;
The whole thing is a surprise to me. for I did
not even know that the j. A. l. Board would
meet on Friday night had been told since l
was di>quaded that IL would be but a few
months before l would be reinstated .,sfOr there
WAS no Ieason for the Disqualification. aud there
fore % would have TO give way for the pressure
against u. Nothing but desire Tor per
sunal IeTenge on The part Of some Of the
more &C re members OF tue A. a. U. Board
caused me trouble, ana now since they
have taken It back OF their own accord, without
the slightest request or cOmmgni catiun on INV
lait, | suppose should be SaIi,n-d The case
Has done amateur sport COusids- able good, for
II caused changes N rules which viii prevent
In The future some other athlete from being
.f.FHs rra# raj 0 III in
Thank MesSrs. George W. Carr Manhattan Ath-
leiIc Club; Charles +. MdtheWsOn. Berkeley An
Ietic Cl.b; illism b. Curtis, New York AIh-
leJic Cab; Geurge B. NotSOn, Boston Athletic
Association, and William f. kurtz, Warren Attn
ltic Cab, The nye men who originally voted
araRsi jha disqualification, for their stand. and
VIII also say consider their influence chiefly In
slruneuisi In lec,lfyiag matters.
Referring to the proposition for semi
irOfe. siOnal pugilistic contests, A. G. Mills
OF The 4. A. u. makes the following points:
Ry The new rules in reference to prizes, dia-
muHd-iins>, gold watches, e C., are done away
with, and nothing more valuable than $S5
medal or badge can in the future be awarded
therefore, the incentive to the boxers is gone,
ard there j. apparently nothing left Tor them TO
90 but drifI into professional pUgilism. This
would unGu estiouably be bad thing for them
and tie pnhIc.
Therefore. | make the proposition to put them
on basis where they can continue 10 box under
tile huuiaGe rules of the a. a. IT, and at The
same time do away with the hypocrisy that has
~ to date enYelOped these contests. Let purse
OF 500 in money lie offered. S75 TO winner and
SOS 90 loser, and have tne affairs conducted on
business plane.
1he boxers could still maintain their clubs as
they aIe now, and In order 10 keep out the pro
fessionals have it provided that man who has
ever purse in the ring shall be allowed to
compete. The New York Ath ellie Club would
b gad - ufier purses for contest Of this sort,
ana l believe other clubs would do tie same.
The principal event in the way of amateur
athletics will he the indoor championship at
the Mechanics Institute On April oath. The
boys are losing no time these beautiful even
ings to get themselves in tiptop fettle for
the races which will undoubtedly be very
interesting. TIE athletes Of the Academic
Amateur Athletic Association have the use
OF the Olympic grounds by courtesy Of the
board Of officers. The association will have
field day on April 25th.
Cornelius Lyons, the bnotblack, has ac-
cepted proposition by which he can win
$1,000 if he is capable of accomplishing the
task. A wealthy merchant has offered to
give Lyons $1,000 il he can run or walk from
the new City Hall to the City Hall of San
jose in ten hours. The distance is calcu-
lated to be filty-two miles. and Lyons is
confident of making it in the time stated
with few weeks training.
The juvenile wrestlers of the Olympic
Club are training hard for the approaching
tournament.