Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-28
QUEERED BY HIS COLORS.
Two Odd Experiences on the Track of
John Cregan of Princeton.

From the New York Sun.
Among the athletes that have sailed from
this country to compete in the international
athletic games at the Paris exposition Is
John Cregan, captain OF the Princeton
track team and holder of the intercollegiate
record for the mile run. On the day of his
departure q friend of his who was on the
dock and saw him standing on the deck
of the ST. Louis laughed and said:
II wonder If Johnny will get himself dis
liked by the Frenchmen and have them
leaning over the ropes that bound the
track and yelling, "A bas Cregan! as he
comes under the wire winner
why should they?' asked the Sun man.
to whom the remark was addressed.
"Only because he is the most unfortu-
nate man on earth to displease 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 August 3, 1897, In the An
Gent Order of Hibernian games at Albany.
Johnny was very proud of the Princeton
colors and the band Of orange ribbon across
his athletic chest was wonder in width.
This in itse'f would have been enough to
make him an object of suspicion TO
the members of the Ancient Order of Hi
bernians, but it was not a marker TO the
rest of his decoration. The Princeton Ath-
letic Association had just bought new caps,
and on the 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 that monogram was discovered 1t
confirmed the suspicion that Johnny was
full-breed Orangeman. The crowd greet
ed him with insulting remarks when he lined
up for the start of the mile run. At first
Johnny lay back and took things easy. The
crowd hoWled with glee when they saw the
supposed Orangeman fully one hundred
feet in the rear and shouted and yelled to
their champions to distance the interloper.
The result was that every other man in the
race ran his legs off, and just as Johnny
put on his squirt, when they started on the
last lap, and began to forge ahead, the
trouble broke loose.
Johnny came down the track like
whirlwind at least fifty feet ahead of his
nearest competitor. The crowd hung over
the fence, and such cries as XIII the Sas-
senach! Tell with the Orangeman! and
Throw him off the track! were hurled at
him as he sped across the tape a winner.
Men were shaking their fists at him and
cursing him, and Johnny discreetiy made a
retreat to the dressing room There he in
nocently asked what was wrong and why
the crowd had it in for him. When he dis
covered the cause he laughed and took 1t
a good joke.
THAT was his first experience, but he
had one other that was equally funny. In
1888 Johnny Joined the New York Athletic
ors of that club was on July 4, 1898. The
country was in d ferment of excitement and
patriotism over the victory of Simpsons
fleet at Santiago. Johnny, of course, would
not run without his Princeton coorS, and,
of course. he had TO wear the New York
Athletic Club colors. The games were at
Bergen Point. under the auspices of the New
Jersey Athletic Club. When Johnny APP
peared on the field for the mile run he was
again greeted with Kisses and cat calls.
Again was he called names and again did
the crowd root for him to be beaten and
groan when they saw him win by a big
margin. Again Cregan made quick run
for the dressing room and demanded to
know what was the matter this time. 1t
was pointed out to him that the orange of
Princeton and the red ribbon of the New
York Athletic Club. placed side by side
across his breast, made beautiful Span
ish flag, and the crowd had been quick to
note it. Johnny did not compete in any
more games that day.
1T was talking to Johnny about 1t 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 he would wear would in
some strange manner affect the foreigners
as a. red flag does a bull in a one-acre lot.
He hoped for the best, he said. and I will
bet one thing: Whether it does happen or
not, Johnny will run just as fast as ever.
for yells from the crowd do not AFFECT him
in any way. He just goes in and WINS