davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23
Some Interesting Facts
Tbout Foot-Racing.
Records to Date Made by amateurs and
Professionals at Home and
Abroad.

these are overshadowed by the perform
ance of L. H. Carey of Princeton, N. j.,
who is credited with 3-5 seconds on
May 9, 1891, which is mere fraction in
side the time of the others.
For so yards there seems to be only
one record, but that is a very fast one for
an amateur, and one who was not reputed
to be quick starter; that is, one who
leaves his mark promptly. Wendell Baker
ran the distance against time in 8 seconds
at Boston, July 1, 1885, We shall hear
more of this runner.
The 100-yard run is, in one sense, the
most popular of all field and track sports,
simply because the majority of aspiring
young men believe that they will begin at
this and see how they develop and in what
direction. Consequently twice as many
men enter for this distance as any other.
The record table is elaborate, as will be
seen from the following:
The best professional records are As
seconds. Johnson, who was just named,
and who died in this City in 1890, ran the
distance in Cleveland on July 81, 1885,
Harry Bethune accomplished the same
ieat in Oakland on February %, 1888. Up
until 1890 there were no less than eight
amateurs contesting for the honor of run
ming 100 yards in 10 seconds; SO to keep
peace in the family they were all allowed
to hold the best on record. Among these
were r. s. Haley and v. E. Schifferstein
of this coast. However, in 1890, John
Owen Jr. won the championship at Wash
ington, d. c., on October IL, in 8 As under
circumstances that silenced the most cap
tious critic. Everybody who was inter-
ested heaved a sigh of relief to think that
all these 10-second records were wiped off
the slate-and some of them were claimed
to be shaky-and replaced by one authen-
tic record that would doubtless stand till
doomsday. That was six years ago; and
when / look the matter up find that the
time mentioned g 4-5) is credited to the
following amateur athletes: c. w. Stage,
Cleveland, Ohio, September 2, 1893; j. v.
Crum, Chicago, ILL.,, June 10, 1895; B. j.
Wefers, New York, September 81 1895,
and May 80, 1896. However. OWENS and
last named are the most reliable.
Australia has two men who have held
up the standard by running the distance
in 8 4-5-W. T. Mcpherson at Auckland on
February g. 1891; ]. B. Hempton, at Can
terbury, N. H., February 6, 1892. As for
England, she has never produced man
who could beat 10 seconds, and conse-
quently her list is as long as graduating
class of seminary. We are naturally
pleased to notice in that list the name of
L. IL. Cary, our own champion of 1891.
The remainder are ]. P. and w. M. Ten.
nant 1868, Wilson 1869-1871, Baker 1870.
Portal 1879, the Lucas brothers in 1880.
Wharton 1886. Cary 1891, Bradley 1898 and
Downer 1895. / am willing to admit that
all this array OF evidence is confusing but
introduce it to make the record complete.
The performances of Wharton, Bradley
and Downer are most generally accepted.
The performances of Haley and Schiller
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

pieces of rattan. Sixty feet or ten fathoms,
is fair price for a wife.
81 know another chief down there, a
chief known as To-Gsru, who has about
10000 fathoms of money. He cuts quite
figure as a financier. also, but of course
does not take rank with To-Kinkin. He
has garnered his cash in much the same
way, is worldly wise and knows how to
take care of it.
II should not omit to state that there
are some other kinds of shell money in
circulation there, but it's circulation is
limited. and is not like the dewarra, the
money of the people. First there is a
little black shell, in which hole is
punched and it is put on string. Ten
inches of it is worth 25 cents. This is
known as pele, or iele money. Then there
is another shell there a ten-inch string of
which is worth from eight to ten marks, or
say So. There is a pigtail on the end of
the string, and the pigtail adds to the
value, as man will soon find if he has a
string of it and happens to lose the pig
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23
Men Have as Many
Foibles as Women.
PeneIope Powelson Reads Many Pointed
Lecture on the Text "Why
Will Women?"

obtuse angle along the space where three
people could sit comfortably. Two women
companions in car will sit close together,
their feet on the floor, knees together.
elbows at sides and hands in their laps,
and converse. Two men talking together
will edge around until they face each
other. put their hands on their knees,
thrust out their elbows and spread them
selves over all the unpre-empted adjacent
space. And women, never-no, they
never resort to that unpleasant habit of
taking a seat near the door, crossing one
knee over the other and compelling every
ingoing or outgoing passenger to aid in
cleaning their boots.
"Why will women endure to drag the
dust of the street along in their skirts p a
masculine friend asked of me recently,
and upon that he stopped down and with
his handkerchief carefully whisked the
dust of the streets from his polished shoes.
Then he put the handkerchief in his
pocket.
In this same connection might be men,
toned something l saw gentleman-a
professional man, apparently-do on the
ferry some time since. He sat on the
nDDer QeCk NuIs1uE Ills EVlucul-
ly something had hurt it. Presently he
spied pin on the deck, and bending for
ward secured it. With this he proceeded
to pick and poke at his injured thumb
until he had extracted silver, after
which he stuck the pin carefully upon the
lapel of his coat Now, aside from what
one would suppose to be the well-known
fact that pin, which is made of brass, is
a bad instrument for performing these
minor surgical operations, there are a
good many points besides that of the pin
itself to be considered in connection with
this little episode.
How was the man to know, since we all
do use pins for such purposes, that that
particular one had not been in some
poisonous wound? A good many involun-
tary inoculations with painful and serious
disease come about in just this fashion.
Ten to one if the next use that pin was
put to was not to pick the teeth of the
economical human being who picked it
up. Picking up pins is dangerous and
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

tail The pig is highly honored animal IN
these islands That is why his taii'
beautifully coIored, adds value to sucn
coin current in the realm
'Chief To-Kinkin, the political and hnan-
cial magnate, is about 40 years old. though
he looks somewhat older. He IS Just no"
in Berlin, as one of the features OF the
German exhibits. from the BlsmarcKs,
which are islands of German New Guinea.
81 have peen in these islands many
years, and find life very pleasant there. l
was formerly in the German Government
service in these islands,"
Lieutenant Kobe wife is the notable
ex-Queen Emma of Samoa, daughter OF
Jonas NJ. Coe, who for many years was
United States Consul to Samoa. She Is
said to be worth several million dollars,
the wealth being in extensive plantations
and mum berless vessels and stores in Ger
man New Guinea.
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

Nearly every traveller through California
has seen and wondered at the great tree
known as ssFremont's Cabin. but few are
aware of the existence of the original
ssHotel de Redwood" :" which, happily, has
been preserved by its present owner.
Years ago, when the stage wound its
accus toned way over the mountains be-
tween San Jose and Santa Cruz. French
man. who occupied tract of land near
the summit. planned the establishment
of way STATEN in his magnificent grove
of redwoods. This idea met with the
hearty approval of the stage-drivers and
of all who found it necessary to pass fre-
.quently over the mountains.
In the midst of an assemblage OF giant
trees stood a mighty redwood, ifty-two
feet in circumference, whose boughs nearly
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23
I'm Old Landmark
Hmong Forest Giants
Hotel de Redwood, in the Santa Cruz
Mountains, and It's qolden-Day
History

dropping with their weight of green luxu.
rance, travellers were wont TO rest, en-
livening the time with jovial repartee.
Over the entrance is rudely cut the
name, "Hotel de Redwood, and the
word s'letters' above an opening in the
door marks the site of a postotfice which
peeded no appropriation. The first room
was presumably Office and dining-room.
The presence of numerous bottles is sug-
gestive of bar also. To the left is the
opening into the hollow trunk OF the red
wood which lent its name to this wayside
inn. This room within the tree is seven
teen feet in circumference. From it the
descent is made to the cellar.
Altogether, this is probably the most
unique hotel to be found in the world.
But the old man believed that his estate
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

run by G. II. Sheriff. Jr. at New Haven,
Conn.,, on June Is, 1888.
Three hundred yards will next occupy
our attention. The best performance at
this distance is 80 seconds, by Hutchens.
The reader will notice that 1T is an average
OF 10 seconds for each 100 yards. This time
was made on January 2, 1884, at Edin-
burgh. Our best amateur time is 81 1-5 Sec
onds, by Wefers, at Travers Island or Sep
tember 2S, 1885. A. r. Downer holds the
record for Scotland, having run at Glas-
Cow, June 10, 1895, in 1926. England's
best time is by G. G. Wood, at London,
July q, 1SS7-31H sec.
Three hundred and fifty yards is a dis
tance that has occupied some attention
from runners. L. E. Myers is credited
With having run the distance in a440-yard
race IN 30 4-5 seconds. Hutchens ran it in
80 2-5. Mortimer Remington, an Ameri-
can, had the peculiar fortune of making a
best on record i'll England, though he
could not do so in his own country. He
made this distance in 81 3-5, at London,
July IL, 1891. The best ever credited to an
English amateur is SO 1-5. by Z. G. Bredin,
at London. April 10, 1895. GEO. BAIRD.
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

It is the literary fashion nowadays to
see in nearly everything keynote Of the
age.' The expression is a taking one;
newer than ''fin de steele" not so COM
monplace as characteristic, and has
that vague impressiveness which so many
meaningless phrases possess. We are apt
to be most deeply influenced by what is
not perfectly clear to u.s. like that con-
verted African Barrett Wendell tells about.
who found in an old "Book of Common
Prayer" no words quite SO fraught with
spiritual meaning as Augusta, Princess
Dowager of Wales" Psychological re-
search, scientific study, out-of-door recrea-
ton, each and every fad, according to its
devotees, is "the keynote of the age" /
am convinced, however, that no one of
these is the true blue, simon-pure, take
no-other keynote. There is one that en-
braces and transcends them all. and it is
found embodied and expressed in that
recurrent phrase W hich in these days meets
our eyes ct every turn-"Why will
women ?''
IT is funny, this ceaseless anxiety, this
constant agitation OF everybody over the
failings, the fancies and the foibes of
women. One would suppose the woman
question was something quite different
and apart from the man questionable hu-
man question. 1t would really be rather
dreadful, when one thinks about it, if we
women actually followed out all the good
advice that is offered us. The degree of
painful perfection to which we might at
tain is alarming to think of.
The very best man living is sure the
average woman occupies more space in
streetcar than he does, but he is mistaken.
Let her spread her skirts as she will, they
may brush against and in front OF her
fellow-passengers; but. as they generally
sit, more women than men can find ac-
commodation in streetcar. They do not
seat themselves, spread out knees and
elbows, and begin to read the paper, OBJ
livious of all else They do not sit side
wise, one knee thrown over the other, gaz-
ing from the window and occupying space
enough for two. They do not secure
corner seat, spread an arm along the ledge
of a window and extend their knees at an
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

Having spent some months on the sub
lects Of training and health, it occurred to
ne that had educated my readers to the
bitch of becoming interested in athletic
perform ances to the extent of appreciating
list of the best-on-record for the different
.thietic events. Acting on this idea 1
lave carefully compiled table of times
ind distances. These will come in handy
ust now, as the spring season is over and
he fall is near, when so much is done in
he way of altering the records, especially
n the Eastern States.
The first thing that comes under our
consideration is the fifty-yard run. This
S distance which is not very popular,
because it is too short. H. Nj. Johnson,
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

The same time has been made in this
country by c. Fl. Sheriff., New York, May
II, 1890, and by John Owen Jr., who re-
peated the performance in one day, at De-
troit, Mich, September 13, 1890. Other
professional performers are Westhall of
England and Forbes and Johnson of
America-15 seconds.
Next we take up 200-yard running.
This also is an uneven distance, and
seldom run, but it will be interesting TO
consider some times that have been made.
Seward ran this distance in 1871 seconds
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

ie professional. ran this distance on
ovember %, 1884, in New York, in 81
conds. L. E. Myers, at that time an anna
ur, covered the same distance the fol-
wing December II in 51I seconds in the
me city. On this coast the distance has
zen covered by A. S. Henderson, then an
nateur, in 5N seconds.
Another odd distance is 70 yards. A
,ofessional by the name of James Quirk
N the distance in Canada on October 30.
s8. in the very fast time of ~. No less
ian six amateurs have been credited with
vering the distance in ~ seconds, but
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

A Dutch court-mar;ial has decided that
it is not insubordinate for a soldier to re-
fuse to wash his face when ordered to do
SO by his commanding officer. and the
nigh military court of the kingdom has
confirmed the decision.
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

they are paid for them. In his dilemma
probably a young man has no other
chance to get money than from the
chief.
'After the chiefs rife speculation he
had all his loose money strung on long
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

A novel means of defense has been tried
at the town of Holguin, Cuba. As proof
against'a sudden onslaught that town has
been surrounded by thousands of yards Of
barbed wire,
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

looking and amiable of disposition. 1
should say you could get good wife for
this sum. Then you have the wife there
to help earn other money. Those father
in-Iaws out there are hard and unfeeling.
They won't give up their daughters unless
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

at London on March %, 1847. Two anna
teurs contest the honors at this distance
E. II. Pelling, at London on Septem Der %,
1889, and A. r. Downer. at London, Sep
tember 15, 1894, and May IL, 1895. The
best American time is 20 seconds by
Wendell Baker, at New York November s,
1890. Our coast record is 81 seconds, by
Henderson in two successive heats, Sep
tember 9, 1891.
One of the most interesting and popular
distances is 900 yards. 1t is at this dis
tance that the amateur surpasses the pro-
fessional, for on examination we find that
B. ]. Wefers has run the distance in q 1-5
seconds. He accomplished this at the
intercollegiate games held in New York
on May 80 last spring. The English rec
ords, both amateur and professional, are
q 4-5 seconds. the former by G. G. Wood
at London on June 25 and July %, 1887
The professional record-21 4-5-was ac-
complished by Harry Hutchens at London
on May IL, 1885. The best on record for
the Pacific Coast is 22A seconds, Septem-
Der 3d. 1882, by R. S. Haley. The fastest
time that has been run in late years was
at the cham mpionship games in 1892 when
Il. Mays covered the furlong in % seconds.
AS this was accomplished around sharp
curve, while all the great performances in
the East are on straight paths, consider
the performance an excellent one.
Two hundred and fifty yards is some
what OF favorite among runners. W. T.
Macpherson of Australia is credited with
the fastest time ever made, having run the
distance at Auckland " in d 3-5 Sec
onds on February 7, 1891. The professional
record is 2514. by H. Hutchens, at Botany,
Australia, January "a, 1887. England's
amateur record is "a 4-5 by E. 81. Pelling,
at London, September %, 1883. America
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23
The Old
T erry Clock

The old ferry clock, which has timed the
going and coming of all who enter San
Francisco by the bay for a generation past,
has experienced another vicissitude of its
fortunes and now adorns the front OF the
temporary structure which has been
erected at the foot of Market street by the
Postoffice Department.
The old clock, which has been gazed
upon by no less than three Presidents and
an innumerable number of people less dis
tingulshed, has had an eyentful history.
1t was brought from the East about thirty
years ago in ship which was wrecked in
the bay soon after it's arrival, and after be-
ing submerged for month was raised
and cleaned. 1t was placed upon the
summit OF building then used as ferry
landing, and again removed when this
was replaced by larger structure. At the
time of the demolition of the old build
ing, in order to make way for the new one
now being erected, the clock fell into the
hands of the iunkman who bought the
old shed and who again sold it to the
Board of Harbor Commissioners, who ele-
waited it upon tower of its own. There
it rested in peace for nearly three years,
always keeping good time, excepting when
the fog became go thick as to clog the
works.
These attacks of inh1enza.w were occasion
al, however, and such as would aff1ict aim ost
any self-respecting clock in so exposed a
position. So excellent has been the gen.
eral behavior of the clock that its time
has always been accepted as standard, and
hundreds of people have regulated their
watches and appointments by its infalli-
BILE records.
Three months ago the same iunkman
purchased the building that had to be
removed to give place for the Postoffice
and the clock with it, and again the Har-
Dor Commissioners bought it back that it
might return to its old duty. Here it will
remain until the tall tower of the new
ferry building looms up over the bay, and
in this the old ferry clock may find per-
manent abiding place; but the junkman,
who has already bought and sold it three
times, is confident that he will buy that
clock back again. The clock is held in
affectionate remembrance by thousands as
the first object upon which they paused to
gaze as they entered the City, and its dis
appearance would be painful to them. 1t
is regarded by many as an old landmark
that should be preserved as carefully as
the one in Independence Hall at Philadel-
phia.
Fish may have deformities, just like
human beings. For instance, fish may
be humpbacked. There are fish whose
natural shape is such that they are called
humpbacked, but aside from these there
is occasionally taken fish which is, in
greater or less degree, misshapen, in this
manner. A fisherman tells of fish he
once caught that had slight bend in it.
When in repose the tish's body was not
straight, but bent slightly sideways.
ALI the letters of the alphabet are con-
tanned in the following: "a quick brown
fox jumps over the lazy dog"
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

The continuation of these records aoiu appear in
nert Sundays issue
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

is considerably be.
hind in this particu-
lar, as the fastest that
we have been able to
do is 25 4-5. This was
The San Francisco call., 1896-08-23

All the letters of the alphabet are con-
tanned in the following: "a quick brown
fox jumps over the lazy dog
The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-05-22

y machine for catching flies off the
backs Of cattle, and so afTorling the ami
mails relief and cCmfalt, has been in
vented by farmer in Madison county,
Ky. The Gycatchcr is IL kind Of covered
pen or passagCway through which the
animal must walk to secure relief. a
few feet frcm tie entrance there is q
cupola CT dome il the roof Ct the pas
sagcway, made Cf glass and arranged
as 1iytrap. Beyond this the passage
is darkness. The animal walks through
the machine, and just Is it passes under
the dome and enters the Gnrlzencl part
Il set Of brushes sweeps of the flies,
which naturally rise into the lighted
dome, and the steer !E..'st 5 oJlt at the
other side free CT flies The flies are
retained il the dome trap. The in
vcntor has experimental with his ma
chino and finds that the animals socn
learn the value Of the machine and
know enough to walk through it when
the flies begin to bite. The device has
been patented.
The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-05-22

WISE, seeing tnpr m"sr oi titclu ''v r"
tlcfensclcss, to store IL there.
Tho entire control and management
of this great national store OF corn
should be under some permanent gov
crnmcnt department. Although its exist
cncc could not fail to have a stcadying
effect on the corn market. it should be
outside all speculative influences, the
price at which it would be sold, when
necessary to sell it, being fixed by law,
1t would be 10 sacrifice, i'll the long
run. for the country to provide such Il
reserve Cf food, as it would always be
worth its cost.
Other nations accumulate gold for
uso III wartime. We should have il war
chest of corn. II we have ii, what will
it do?
It Will give our navy timo to devote
itself to the crushing Of the navy on na-
viCs opposed toUs. twill give Us time,
with cur great resources, TO augment
our fighting fleet to almost amy extent,
ard it will give our farmers time to
grow three or four times Us much corn
and breed q much larger quantity 81
cattle and sheep than they now do
Nineteenth Century.
The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-05-22
ENGLANO'S FOOD SUPPLY.
And How It flight T2c Endangered In Ger
tain War CONTINGENCIES,


tain War Contingencies.
Strong as the English war fleet is, it
is very far from being strong enough to
successfully engage possible combina-
tion Of fleets and at the same time pro-
tcct our sea borne food supply. If the
United States and Russia declared war
with England, there would practically
be no food supply left to protect. They
would keep the imIr2nso supplies we
now get from them at home, and the
fear Of capture or destruction would ef-
fcctually prevent Argentina and other
ncutrals from sending food to us in any
sufficient quantity.
What is wanted is that, instead of
only prccariCus weeks supply, VIC
should have stored up i'll this country
enough corn to last for at least II
months. Experts i'll the corn trade agree
that there would be 10 insupcrablc diff
Guilty in gradually accommodating this
store Of corn. Itwould be for experts to
advise as to the best methods and places
of storage.
Perhaps the best plan would be to dis
tribute it over the country i'll magazines
at the military dcpots, giving the mill
tary authorities charge CT ii, but if it
was il the country and safe it would
not SO much matter where it was. Al
though most Of our corn is made into
hnTlr at tho great ports, it would not be