The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-12
ArHLET.Cs AND BRUTALITY.

A curious idea of the meaning of the
term sport" is beeen1tpg~ prevalent
among our people. The contests Of
physical strength, skill and endurance
which take place from time to time are
degenerating rapidlySinto events whose
brutality is their most obvious feature.
There is a strong public prejudice
against this in many instances. while
in others there is not only a singular
Indifference. but even delight and
an encourag cement on the4patt of the
.populace. which ought to be checked
and condemned. The pressure of pub
lie opinion has gone the length of en-
tirely prohibiting prize fights, except
in semi-civilized and Authenticated
communities in the great American des-
ert, and it has made great improve
ments in sport of such acknowledg-
ed worth as football. The, principal col
lege games of this year were free from
many of the Objectionable features
hitherto noticed, and the efforts of foot
ball experts are directed constantly to-
ward still further removing all cause
of reproach
While advances are being made in
this direction, the public bicycle con-
tests that are. still. permitted reach
lower level of brutality than anything
known to the gridiron or to the pugi-
listic arena Only a Spanish bull fight
could equal the horrors of the six days
bicycle contest that has just closed at
the Madison Square garden in New
York city, and even it would shock US
by its cruelty. to animals, where this
has for it's inevitable consequence the
total wrecking of a number of men.
The ordinary press reports" colored
rather in the direction of .concealing
than Of eXaggerating this feature of
the exhibition, are disgusting and a
witness of the degradation of the peo-
pie who permit OF participate in such
an event. Half of the entertainments
in the Roman amphitheaters during
the time of the emperors were less OBJ
jectionable than this frightful strain
upon physical powers. and human en-
duTance. The requirement that the
contestants Should be examined from
time to time by aphysician' and put
out of the race If they We're in danger
of collapse was reduced to a mere fic-
ton. Man after man left the ring
only after injuries, external or inter
nal, that will last him for life. or
those who remained in the race until
the end, probably nearly all have sac
rificed to this senseiess struggle the
health of -lifetiple.4 s4.1~4
Probably the worst feature of such
contest is its effect upon the mind.
Any one who has ridden the wheel for
any length Of time, is familiar with
the fact that it makes large demands
upon the nervous system. AIertness of
hand and eye and muscle must be
matched and governed by Judgment.
the calculation Of chances and the put
ting forth OF a tremendous amount Of
nervous force. Where records are to
be broken, where the, riding is done in
the presence Of a vast audience ard
where. from fifteen to thirty men are
riding in a single ring and must cal
culate the chances eat every turn of
a collision whose results would possibly
be fatal, the demand upon the brain
and the nervous system as a whole is
something terrific. Add to this the
physical exhaustion consequent upon
muscular eXertion almost unremitting
Cor IA hours. and you have a test that
is more dellcately and damnably bru-
tai than the bioodiest meeting OF mere
" physical forces. One Of the con-
tcstants, at least, was retired by force
from the race on account of insanity.
which may be temporary. but is GER
Tain tc leave its mark. Most Of the
others baTG gone for several days at
a stretch v'itFs net more than two
or three hours sleep. For six days the
poor wretcnes have been forcing their
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