The San Francisco call., 1896-06-21

jumping of Page. This student of the U.
P. is 5 feet 7 inches high, very compact
and of shapely build. His record lin 1884 is
feet d inches, and he very nearly exceeded
this on the present occasion. AS q matter OF
fact ne clears his own height four and one
half inches, and in the previous games five
and one-quarter inches. He runs at the bar
with series of bounds that denote great
muscular power and elasticity. Arriving at
the mark he doubles up and strikes his right
heel on the ground; then with q powerful
action of the toes forces himself in the air,
twists like cat and whips himself over the
stick with sharp movement that is very
striking.
Now as to the running broad Jump.
This exercise is not so complicated as the
! running high Jump. The latter requires
close application and assiduous study, but
the leap under consideration is much sim
pier. 1t is to this reason l attribute the
fact that so many spr1nters are successful
broad jumpers. If they were compelled TO
devote the time and energy to it that a
high jumper must they would not care to
undertake it in addition to their running
| properly laid path for long jumping
should be about twenty yards. ct the end
OF this path is the block, which is piece
OF scantling, sunk acEoss and level with
the course. Beyond this the earth is
shoveled away and soft spot dug up fif-
teen to twenty feet from the take-off
! Stand at the upper end of the path and
start toward the scratch slowly, but in
crease the pace at every stride. On reach
ing the block strike it with one foot,
leap in the air and alight in a stopping
position, but do not fall backward. If You
were to lose your balance and sit down in
the dirt, or even place a hand behind to
save yourself, you will be measured from
those points.
Then you try again: and this time you
overstep the mark, plant your foot in the
dirt, at which the stupid officials shake
their heads and call it foul" Bv this
time you are in a humor to thrash a DO
liceman if he were to speak to you, when
something happens to divert your atten-
ton.
young man in athletic attire steps out,
and by the buzz that arises you conclude
he must be some DISTINGUISHED Jumper.
AT his request the officials measure off
certain distance-say twenty feet-and at
this point he places handkerchief by the
side of the path, with one point projecting
an inch or so into the course. The new
conner walks up to the mark he has made
and leisurely PAGES off to the head of the
course and turns around ready and conf
dent.
By this time you are all attention You
observe that he starts slowly, as you did,
and increases his pace. Then you notice
that he does something that you did not;
when he reached the handkerchief his foot
struck it exactly and the remaining strides
were taken as though they were cut by
machinery. Moreover, as you were watch
ing closely so as not to lose single point
you noticed that his foot struck the wood
so accurately that it was scarcely an inch
out of the way. Moreover. you observed
that one hand was slightly in the rear and
one slightly advanced when his foot
struck; that when he began to rise from
the block the hand in the rear shot for
ward as he rose, but stopped suddenly at
about the height of his nose This sudden
Jerk when the body was light had ten
dency to pull him upward and onward.
greatly accelerating the movement of the
jumper.
Many beginners are puzzled to know
why block is used in broad jumping
and measurement taken from its edge.
and why man should be measured from
mark his hand makes if he has lost his
balance after landing
Now if you were being chased by bull
across field and came to a creek cut he.
low the level of the meadow vou would
have to jump. If your "take-off' or point
of jumping is six inches from the edge Won
lose that much, do you not? and YOU run
that much chance of falling in the water.
Certainly the edges are not going to move
toward you to make up for your bad take
off. The jump is certainly not measured
from toe to heel in that case, even if it is
measured SO by your indulgent friends on
the campus. On the contrary, if you miss
the edge and go too far the ground is not
going to be so accommodating as to shift
and keep you from tum bling in the water.
When you land on the other side. saw
within a few inches of the brink, should
you lose your balance and fall backward
can you support yourself by placing a
hand on the ground behind? You would
find yourself in the water Thus expert
ence has taught our athletic Solons the
most superior methods to conduct athletic
exercises that the best possible results NAV
be attained.
A high-jumping shoe should not have
spikes as long as those for sprint-running,
but besides should have in the heel spike
OF moderate length, that when the jumper
drives his heel in the ground preparatory
to springing he will not be in danger of
slipping. The broad-iumper should wear
sprlnting shoes that have seen some SER
vice, as it is necessary that they should fit
the foot perfectly to stand the sudden
strain, but particularly that the spikes
may be worn down somewhat, as it is not
desirable to have long spikes strike the
! wood. GEO. D. BAIRD.