The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-04-13
TbQ PERSEVERANCE, Club.
..ooof>.f@ss<-*@H<3oo.--
BY JAMES ALBERT WALES.

series, each team having scored Victory.
The Knights also entered competitors IN
several Of the athletic events.
During the two weeks preceding the
meet the boys trained faithfully and
worked hard in the gym" On Monday
and Thursday afternoons an hour was de-
voted to regular class work on the ap-
| paratus, and in chest weight and wand ex-
ercises, under the leadership of Walter
| Gladwin, who had been trained In the
Junior class of a nelghboring Y. M. c. A.
Fifty cents admission was charged to the
meet, and as the boys had a good attend
ance they cleared $50 over all expenses.
| Mayor Barclay acted as referee, and two
! other citizens performed the duties Of
| judges. member of a metropolitan ath-
letic club acted as special judge of the
parallel and horizontal bar contests and
Kept record of the points scored by each
contestant in the matter of form, difficulty
Of feats performed and general showing.
The first event held was the pole vault.
After number of trials the field narrowed
down to Wilbur Wheatley, Roy Rogers and
Robert Van WORT, of the Golden knights
Finally Robert could not get over the cord
at six feet in three trials, and was conse-
quently out. Roy Rogers won the event
at feet 4 inches, with Wilbur Wheatley
second at feet 3.
Fritz Baumbach easily distanced his COM
petitors in the parallel bar exhibition, Rex
Tickner winning second In the standing
high jump Tom Barry cleared feet 8,
with Robert Van WORT second, at feet z.
One of the most interesting events was
the ladder climb. Each contestant would
stand in turn at the foot of tln rope lad
der, with hands clutching the lowest rungs.
awaiting the signal to start. At the word
"Go!" he would climb hand over hand to
the top, strike the beam with his hand and
dnCQnnd limo H.
taken by "A split second stopwatch. Walter
Gladwfn won, his time being 1-5 seconds.
Charley Olmsted finished second in>9 sec
onds.
The horizontal bar event, which every
one expected Fritz Baumbach to win. was
taken by Jack Henderson. Fritz and Rex
tleu Tor second place. In the running high
Jump Teddy Ensign and Frank Carson
looked at first like winners but they were
| at last declared out ON their third trials
Reuben Sayles, Harry Hanford, Tom Barry
and Wilbur Wheatley had gotten over Mt
rect =, and they were left to fight II
out for first place. Rube finally made
| S12 but the others could not better their
figures, and therefore divided the point
first place counted two points and second
| place one.
me point winners were awarded hand.
| some ribbons, with the date and event
stamped In gold. A blue ribbon signified
nrst place and red one second When
the competitors had tied the ribbon was
cut In sections vertically and each bow
Kept his share for a souvenir.
Inc next event was a friendly boxing
match between Tom Barry and Terry
o'Brien. The exhibition was clever and
scientific, and the boys were heartily an
plauded at the close of the bout Two Of
the Golden Knights then gave an exbihi.
tlon OF wrestling, and the winner was
nlatched with George Graham, the Perse-
Verance champion. George got the deci-
sion over his opponent, although the lat.
Yer was much more powerful lad. Fol
ewing the wrestling match was class
drill In calisthenic wand exercise by the
members of the Perseverance Club. This
number evoked prolonged applause. The
spectators were delighted with the grace
and regularity of the exercises
The Potato race came next Sands and
Robinson, of the Knights, competed with
Joe Stein and Alfred Davidson, of the
home club. dozen potatoes were laid
about a foot apart in a straight line. at
the end of which was dishpan Each
boy took his position at the end of one of
these lines, four in all, ready to start in
stantly.
At given signal the boys leaped forward
and quick as "a flash picked up the po-
tatoes, one by one, and raced to the pan
with them. After getting one potato in
the pan each contestant would go for the
second, then for the third, and SO on until
each one had been picked up and de-
posted in the pan at the end of the line.
This event furnished a great deal of