The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-24
OFFERED NJ HIS COLORS.
Two Odd Experiences on the Track Of John
Cregan. the Princeton Athlete.

Among the athletes that have sailed from
this country TO compete in the internationa
athletic games at the Paris Exposition is Johr
Cregan, captain Of the Princeton track team
and holder of the Intercollegiate record fol-
the mile run. On the day Of his departure a
friend Of his who was on the dock and saw him
standing on the deck of the ~. Louis, laughed
and ~aid:
Il wonder if Johnny will get himself diSliked
by the Frenchmcn and have them leaning
over the ropes that bound the track and yell
ing. A bds tre0aR, a he comes under the wire
a winAer.
TO whom the remark was addressed.
Only because he Is III" most unfortunate
man on earth Ia d~ispleaSe the crowd by the
display of the colors under which, he runs,
was the reply. Johnny started in his athletic
work at Princeton and the first time that he
ran under the Princeton colors was on Aug.
5. 1897, in the Ancient Order of Hlbernian games
Princeton colors and the band of orange rib
hon across his athletic chest was a wonder in
width. This in itself would have been enough
to make him an object Of suspicion TO me mem.
il was not a marker 10 the rest Of his deco
| ration. The Princeton Athletic Association
had Just bought new caps ana on me 'front.' of
them was embroidered the monogram Of the
association. To the person who viewed the
cap, the monogram looked like this: A. p, A.
when shat monogram was discovered II
COnnrnlt0 me Su~DltlDn tUHt JDIlTNN WhS u
null breed 0ranseman. The crowd greeted
him with insulting remarks when he lined up
for the start Of the mile run. Al frst Johnny
lay back and took things easy The crowd
howled with giee when they saw the supposed
Orangeman 'nlly one hundred feet In the rear
and shouted and yelled to their champions 10
distance the interloper. The result was that
every other man in the race ran his legs of.
and Just a. Johnny put on his squirt when they
started on the last lap, and began TO forge ahead.
the trouble broke loose.
wind, at leas, fifty feet ahead of his nearest
competitor. The crowd hung over the fence,
and such cries as Kill the Sassenachl Tell
with the Orangeman' and Throw him on the
the tape a winner. Men were shaking their
fists at him and cursing him, and Johnny dis
creetly made a retreat TO the dressing room.
There he innocently, asked what was wrong
and why the crowd had II in for hun, When
he discovered the cause. he laushd and took
il a. a good joke.
one other that was equally funny. In 1895.
Johnny Joined the New York Athletic Club.
The first time that he wore the colors of that
club was on July : 1855. TT The county, was Isl, IN
the victory of Sampson's fleet At Santiago.
Johnny Of course would not run without his
Princeton colors and Of course, he had to wear
the New York Athletic Club, oolors. The
games wore nj Bergen Point. under the auspices
Of the New Jersey Athletic Club. When Johnny
appeared IN the field for the mile run. he was
was he called names and again did the crowd
root for him 90 be beaten and groan when
they saw him win by a big maRin. Again
and demanded to know what was the matter
this time, II was pointed ont to him that le
orange Of Princeton and the red ribbon OF the
New York Athletic club, placed side by side
across his breast made a beautiful Spanish
flag. and the crowd had been quick 70 note IL.
Johnny did not compete In any more games
that day.
II was talking to Johnny about IL the other
day, and he said he feared the worst when he
ran in the games In London and also in the
Paris games. He was positive that the colors
affect the foreigners as a red flag does a bull
in a one-acre lot He hoped for the best, he
said. and l will bet one thing: Whether II does
happen or not, Johnny will run just as fast as
ever, for wells from the crowd do not affect
him in any way. He just goes In and wins"