Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-12-02
SAVAGE ATHLETES.
SIERRA MADRE INDIANS THAT
RUN LIKE JACK RABBITS.
Men. Women and Children Sprin.-
\ Wooden Ball Used as a Pace
maI<er-A Hundred-and.T TWEEN
ty-Mile Kace.

TN the heart of the Sierra Ma1re
Mountains OF Old Mexico are In
4 dams whose name means foot "foot-
runners" aud who are probably the
best race OF long -distance runners left in
the world runners who can perform
feats equal to those of the best OF the
old Greeks and Romans. The tribe &C.
cupies strip of territory along the
boundary line between the States of
chihuahua and Sinaloa, and number
about Is, 900 all told. The first one we
met was the mail carrier, who made
daily trips between Guarichic and San
Jose de los Cruces, distance OF fifty
miles Of as rough and precipitou' noun
tain roads as ever tried a mountaineers
lungs and limbs. This Indian was bare
headed and barelegged, his entire suit
consisting OF about three yards of mar
row cloth woven out OF goats hair.
On his back was mail sack that with
its contents weighed some forty pounds.
This was supported by strap across his
forehead and another across his caest. He
came trotting down the hill smoking
cigarette, and moving as easily AMI
gracefully as if just starting out, instead
of having some twenty miles already to
his credit that morning. As he reached
the leyeler ground in the valley he
dropped a ball about the size of a base
ball on the ground, aud catching it
deftly On his toes, gave it throw for
ward and raced after it with the speed
of deer, picking 1t up on his toes aud
throwing it forward again without in the
least. so far as could see, checking his
speed at all. As be overlook US the ball
was placed in his armpit, and he trotted
along BY the side of the mules chatting
quite socially.
l learned that the TAuri Mauria were
a race of runners, that their very namc
characterized them as race OF Mercu-
rvs, and every man and boy and most OF
the girls carried one OF the wooden balls
with them everywhere, tucked under the
armpits until they were in hurry; then
it was thrown forward, and away the
owner rushed after it. 1t was their way
of keeping IN training all the time, aud OF
burrying themselves over the ground.
The ball is made of hard wood and is
about the size of baseball, but some
heavier. 1t is always thrown from the
toes aud never by the hand, but just
how they throw it | cannot describe,
writes a correspondent to the Chicago
Inter Ocean. No one but a contortion-
ist in our land is supple enough to imi-
tate them. The ball is caught on top Of
the foo. aud balanced an instant, and
then thrown, not pitched, By an indie
scribable twist Of the leg. They seem
10 use the leg with as much vigor aud
to throw the ball with as much force
and far as often as Que OF Anson's colts
would using his arm. They pick 1t up
with the skill OF our hest short stops.
In short distance racing they have the
genuine professional stride, something
that had never seen among the Indian
racers. In long distance running they
bound and leap along like so many deer.
The courier said that there was to be
a great race between two rival towns in
two days, and that if we hurried our
mules we would get there in time, as it
was only sixty miles ahead. We hurried,
and witnessed a sight that seemed like
bit out of old Spartan days.
1t was at the Indian village of Glachio'
chic. about $50 miles west Of the town
of Jimenez, on the Mexican Central Rail-
road. All OF the best runners of that
place were pitted against those of the
rival pueblo Of Zapuri, little hamlet in
the bottom of a huge canyon little
farther west.
Guachiochic lies in a valley about
three miles wide and fifteen long, as
beautiful as a private park. The great
mountain reaching up to the snow line,
the velvety grass of the park, more like
a lawn than a wild pasture, the rule In
dian village of pole and bark hut, the
tropical foliage and the wild untamcd
looking Aztecs made scene not soon to
be forgotten and unrivtled in its pict-
uresqueness. The Tiuri Mluris are
long .linbed and slender, giving the i'm
preston OF being above the average
height. There is sea ,cely any muscle on
their puny arms, boz their chests are
deep. their backs broad and their limbs
as trim and muse liar as greghounds.
They look as if treated for speed.
in the after Ioon they asked me to look
over the couse. To my establishment l
found it was twelve miles long and that
the circuit was to be made Ten times. A
royal race, indeed, OF 12J miles. The
race was to be run in the night aud con-
cluded in the cool of the next afternoon.
About ) o'clock in the afternoon
everything was ready. The track, Known
to every one, began in the village and
ran across the plain to the opposite side
Of the valley, then around and around
the valley, coming through the iowa
each time, the finish being the straight