The San Francisco call., 1896-08-16

calling himself an amateur yet resorting
to mean devices to gain possession of the
coveted prize Q say coveted), he is on a
level with crooked pedestrians, who
travel around among country fairs in
some countries and localities with the
sole purpose of working" the green but
conceited countrymen who think they can
run.
Among the practices that l have known
so-called amateurs to be guilty of are
pocketing, iostling and crossing. Pocket
ing is for one man to take the curb with
another behind him, who is the victim.
On the right of the latter is another man.
an accompiice of the first. After awhile
the pace gets too hot for the leader and
his partner, and then the trick is played.
Number two cannot forge ahead for he
will step on the heels of the leader, neither
can ne swing out, for the man on his right
prevents him.
He must take his choice of either stay
ing where he is or dropping behind and
losing about five yards, which would be
fatal. Jostling is simply 70 elbow another,
and 1 have known cases where men have
had to drop out of a race in consequence
Crossing is to deliberately pass across a
mans path and take the curb. The man
crossed must necessarily slow up, which
in a short distance run virtually throws
him out of the race.
Now it seems incredible to honest people
that young men who consider themselves
amateurs, and particularly gentlemen,
could be guilty of such practices, but
sometimes they are. It is to be stated that
such instances are rare, but have known
such things to occur. I have known in
stances where men have been disqualified
for crossing another's path
True, it was unintentionaI; but. instead
of the man in question accepting the
punishment in good grace, promising
himself not to do such thing again. not
only he but his companions take it as a
personal insult, and say ell manner of
hard things about the referee.
l distinctly remember a case of this
kind occurring in the championship games
of this coast in 1891. In one of the short
distance runs there were two rivals strain
ing every nerve to lead. 1t happened that
l stood at the railing OH the last curve.
and the inspector and occupied a better
position than any one else to see what
followed.
As they came to the curve one man
forged little ahead of the other-onIy
about a yard-and then deliberately
crossed in front of the other and took the
curve. This movement compelled the one
who was fouled to slow I'D, and he came
second best at the finish. When the
referee heard the claim that was lodged
on the spot, and the testimony of the in
spector on the curve, he promptly dis
qualified the offender.
The result was that the one disqualified
and his friends were bitter and preJudiced
against the referee and the man who made
the claim though the latter was fouIed to an
extent that shocked me. They certainly
did not display the spirit either OF ANA
teurs or gentlemen of honor.
Many years ago 1 had my attention
called to a newspaper paragraph which
illustrates my point. A race was started
on certain occasion, but bv some
bungle of the official in charge certain
man was sent off his mark five seconds
earlier than he should have been. He was
notified by the starter that he must beat
the next man five seconds in order to
win. When the race was over and he