The San Francisco call., 1896-10-18


Atany rate, a series OF races were arranged
to take place at Madison-square Garden,
New York. Three races were planned
and I do not recall exactly what they
were-I think thousand-yard, three
quarter and a mile. At any rate, Myers
won the first of the series amid tremen-
dous excitement, on the old sawdust
track, an eighth of a mile around-the
straights about sixty yards long and the
curves about fifty yards around, though L
think perhaps they were even smaller
than this.
Concerning the mile run I will briefly
say that George as usual forced the pace,
Myers lying behind until about 175 yards
from home, when to the astonlshment OF
his friends and the multitude he dashed
past the great mile runner. whose record
was 4:1S 2-5. George responded feebly,
but when the last curve was reached Myers
had decided advantage, and being more
accustomed to sharp curves held his own
until the entrance to the homestretch,
then he let out once more and came IN a
winner by five or six yards.
The time was 4:32 and when one con-
siders the consistency and shape of, the
track, and the fact that the race was run
in the winter time. when neither had
proper opportunities to train, the time
was fully up to the standard. At any rate
it demonstrates the ability of Myers as a
mile runner, but particularly as an all
round runner. This was his last per-
formance of any consequence.
1 will now give a resume of his best per-
formances:
50yards, 81 seconds; so yards, 62-5 Sec
onds, both on a sawdust track in the dead
of winter. These remain the best on
record; rs yards 73I, under the same cir
cumstances. For long time this re-
mained equal to the best. The record
just made by Wefers is 2-5, in the sum-
mer and trained specially for 1t.
100 yards, two heats in 10 seconds; 120
yards, 3 seconds; 130 yards, 1917, this
was in 400-yard run and around a sharp
curve. The present record for 100 yards is
As, by a man who seldom runs over
300 yards. Myers time for 120 yards is
the best in America. The English anna
teur record is IL 3-5.
200 yards. 2Os on a curve-The Ameri-
can record is 20 seconds, made on a
go yards, 221I on a curve, slowing up on
the last ten yards-American amateur
record, 81 1-5; E nglish record, 81 As.
$50 yards, 26 seconds. in 4Oo-yard run,
on an eight-iap track. Worlds amateur
record "a 3-5, American 25 4-5 300 yards,
31ss, in a quarter-mile run, on a cold,
chilly day. Wefers has just run 800 yards
only, in 81 seconds. The English record
is 81 2-5. Hutchens, the Engli profess
sional, has run it in 30 seconds.
$50 yards, 36 As, best on record in the
world. The best English record is by an
American, and is 81 3-5. 400 yards, 4355s,
on an eight-lap track. When Downs ran
quarter mile five feet short in AZ 2-5 he
passed the 400-yard mark in 43 seconds, the
course being a straightaway.
440 yards, 48 3-5 seconds. The profess
sional record is 4S1z; the amateur record,
the record of the world, is 47sl, made on a
straightaway, while Myers was made on
circular path. The English record is
4sH.
500 yards, So seconds, record of the world.
600 yards, I'LL 2-5, record of the world,
equaled by Downs of America and Bredin
of England. 700 yards, 1:31. The record
of the world is 1:29. 500 yards, 1:44 2-5,
record of the world.
Half mile, 1:55 2-5. The best record in
the world is by an American amateur,
:53 2:5; English record, 1 :54 2-5. 1000
yards. 2:13, best record in the world; Eng
lish, 2:15 As. Three-q quarters of a mile,
3:13 (this performance has been men
tioned). The best on record in the world
is 1902 2-5. by an amateur, under the most
favorable circumstances.
One-mile run, 4:27 3-5, walking the last
ten yards. The record of the world is
4:12s4, made by George. who. the winter
before, was beaten by Myers. One-sixth
of mile, hurdle race. over ten hurdles,
feet inches high, 377s. This remains
the best on record in the world.
No man on earth has ever held SO
many records, and do not know of any
man who could make such an assortment
of times and distances Wefers seldom
runs over 800 yards, and has beaten Myers
time three-eighths of a second for that.
Fitzpatrick never runs less than quarter,
ana 1 have not heard that he has beated
90 seconds. Altogether l think l have
cited enough evidence to assure my read
ers that l.. E. Myers was the greatest all
round runner that ever lived.
GEO d. BAIRD