davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-28

WRITTEN FoR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
With the date of the meet still four
weeks of. the 81. Loui; University Ath-
letic Association already feels assured of
having the greatest meet in its history.
The remarkable proriptitude with which
the entry blanks have been filed UP and
the keen interest manifested by the con-
~testants promise TO make this the indoor
athletic event of the West this year. Uni
ve-sit.es are sending their stars to ST.
Louis, and several new records are con-
faently expected. The chief object of the
gathering is to arouse enthusiasm among
the athletes OF St. Louis and the immediate
vicinity. For this purpose the programme
has been extended so as to embrace a
tract home talent.
WESTERN MILITARY
IN RELAY RACE.
The latest addition to the i~nterscholastic
relay is the Western Military Academy
team of Alton. The Alton boys have a
good team. With High School. Smith
Academy and Blees Military Academy al!
training hard. there is little doubt that
the interscholastic record Will be broken
in this event.
Among the hest organized junior athletic
clubs Of the city are those of Nandeventer
place. West End and Burlington. They
nav been holding annually a series of
contests in baseball. football and track.
events and the rivalry between them is in
tense. They are 10 settle the question of
superiority ky entering relay teams in the
meet. The management has offered q sill
yer cup TO the winner. The teams are
training at the Coliseum.
MCKINLEY HIGH
SCHOOL BOYS.
TIE relay between ST. Louis University,
Western Military Academy and the new
Mckinley High School will probably fur
nish an exciting finish. Owing to the fact
that the new Mckinley High School was
70 recently opened. 1t is not thought that
Il will have a team in the in~terscholastic
relay.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-28

throughout the day. II the betting OF
be taken as an indication the track will
get along nicely enough. 1t is not a pa.
latial plant, by any means. but is neat
and attractive enough to surprise a visitor
attending for the first time.
One Singular feature Is the construction
of the grand stand. This Is II single
stored structure built over q double rof
of boxes. which I'LL the entire front of
the stand. The stand is commodious
enough. and is eaid to afford a good view
of the races from all sections.
Some rapid work in the building of sta
bles has been done at the Union Jockey
Club track in the last few weeks. To
have the facilities for quartering the
horses in completion by the middle of
March, the work on the sheds has been
rushed to the utmost. Already long rows
of stables have been put up, and one neat
piece OF work was the erection OF ten
stalls in a single morning. They We're
complete in all particulars. and are ready
for occupancy.
Applications for 800 stalls are now on
file at the club offices. NaEJs of the
owners are being withheld by the track
management to enable these owners ana
their stables to race on the tracks of the
Southern circuit this spring. 1t is thought
that any owner who expressed an inten.
course might find himself barred from
Western Jockey Club tracks upon that
< ~ pBc
tunity will be afforded to those horsemen
who desire to race up to the last moment
on the tracks of the Western turf body,
policy would be followed for the convent
ence of the horsemen. and he states that
the result has been a flood of applications
which reached $50 in the first few days.
and which now number 300.
Constant work on the surface Of the
track has put the course in good shape.
By the middle Of the month it will be in
trim for horsemen who may desire to
stable early at the track.
Secretary Joe Martin Of the Delmar
course paid a visit to New Orleans last
week. and has been compiling the list Of
entries for the Delmar stakes. AS in the
case Of the Fair Grounds. the number is
far In excess of the list Of last year. This,
which will be added to the purse. Is larger
in many cases than it was last season.
Secretaries Hachmeister and Martin
both believe that tehir overnight events
will attract a higher class of horses this
year than ever before. With the number
of high-class sprinters in the shorter
stakes. and with the greatest horses OF
the country in the Worlds Fair Handi-
cap, there will be an array Of equine ma
terial here such as never was seen on the
St. Louis courses before.
Special events will be carded, in the way
of conditions. to enable these horses to
compete, just as special handicaps were
arranged for the Derby eligibles of pre-
viOus years.
and any rains which will fall in March
will likely help their condition. Rain will
settle the new grading and dressing given
to the Delmar track. and it is believed
before.
When John ]. Scannell Of New York
paid $4,000 for The Abbot the horse had a
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-28

in better than 4:27. and always sure of
eleven feet or over in the vault.
John Purcell once won an important vote
IN the English Parliament by his jump
ing. At the English championships held
at stamford bridge. in 1885. Il member of
the British Parliament was judging. That
was the year in which Gladstone's IA
nous home rule bill was before tn. House
of Commons. The member IL question was
opposed to home rule so ardently desired
by Ireland. Purceli's great jumping en-
Unused him. The English record was then
some twenty-three feet three inches. Pur-
cell! jumped very close to it. and won
easily.
Purcell said the English lawmaker.
rule. but If YOU will break the record to-
s,one's bill"
IF a jump can free Ireland said Pur-
though five rods of helrs naked flames
yawn beneath my feet" Then he went
back for his run.
LEAP FOR IRELAND'S FREEDOM.
The ~announcers explained to the as
sembled thousands that Purcell was
jumping to win a vote for Ireland. The
tall fellow. black of hair. blue of eye and
red Of skin. walked back a long seventy
yards. He was a man of immense bone.
beautifully formed, the possessor of one
of the finest torsos an athlete ever owned.
He turned. shaded his eyes with his
hands until he measured the distance to
his take-off. dropped his head and began
his run in that long. stumbling stride
Irisfmen who followed athletics in the
eighties knew 50 well.
For some twenty yards the dog trot
developed into the bound of the stag.
Running his last thirty yards in 8 2-5 sec
onds. striding steadily as a machine.
hands clinched. eyes flashing and lips
compressed. Purcell took-Off beautifully,
described a parabola of ineffable grace in
the air. floating like a bird on the dead
wing. and landed light as a feather %
feet 4 inches from the take-oh. He mad
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-28

record of 2:OSA. was too fast for other
trotters. INT the horsemen said the New
Yorker had bought a gold brick" With
out Il chance to race 1t was not piaih he
he was to pay for himself. But he did. III
never won a race. but earned for \ Nj
ScannelI $50. 40. This Is the way he eaf1d
most OF it: Losers share of $1,000 rae.
at Brighton Beach. 5000; losers share oil
race at Readville. $4,000: forfeit, s25 900.
paid by Thomas w. Lawson when Bo-
ralma failed to meet The Abbot; 5000 for
felt on an option held on horse by E. Il
smathers; $50 for an exhibition at Al
bany and $3.50 for IN exhibition at Pough-
keepsie. His last appearance on the track
was at Poughkeepsie last year.
The Abbot was a fine type OF the trot-
ting horse; not pretty. but full of quality.
He was a horse of remarkable action: SO
much so that his gait. his frictionless
stride. was regarded as perfection. He
was. In his early racing days. a high
strung. nervous horse: but this character
ist.c wore of. until. at last. he became an
easy animal to handle. He was a ~favorite
with trotting horsemen. because Of his
consistency. He was always trying hard
and in some boig races had to fight the
whole field.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-28

the title OF an animal which won the .
year-old race of the opening day. This
was Caroline Goody Koontz. Exactly how
this sort Of name is less Objectionable
than the H~uitZilopochtius and Caout-
chicines, which were blacklisted ny the
Eastern Jockey Club. II is hard to say.
When these multisyilabeled names CEN
menced getting frequent on the Eastern
turf ordinances were promptly adopted
making it impossible to race horses bear
inG such titles on jockey club tracks. The
Western body has rules bearing on names
which carry advertising. and which may
be OF suggestive or ~biasphemous nature.
II appears as if an amendment was in
order which would include nomenclature
which permits a 2-year-oId to be burdened
with such a title as the winner of last
Thursday
Names of the sort are inconyenient to
pronounce, their authorizations often cause
perpleXity and mistakes on the part of
both bettors and bookmakers. they make
the composition of n programme, or form
chart, difficult, as they have to be short
ened before printing. and are altogether
Objectionable. Some action on the matter
is predicted In the near future.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-28

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The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-28

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
with the opening OF the Hot Springs
track last week a new factor was added
to Western racing. Although first reports
seemed to indicate that the course would
have a poolroom war on its hands as an
initial experience. affairs settled down
quietly enough, and the meeting seems to
have favorable prospects.
With Joe Goss. W. y. Gates and Stand
Pat among the winners. and with many
4 veteran Of the local tracks on its open
ing days card. the racing had d strongly
pronounced st. Louis flavor. The pro-
gramme continues to show a lengthy ar
ray Of names familiar to Mound City race
goers. and it is said that some sood-sized
waGers have been won on the success of
ST. Louis horses.
That there is need for some more drastic
legislation than now prevails. anent the
naming of race horses. Is evidenced by
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-28
A.D.n fnr I-;-h f-nnInrn

broken the record and won at least one
vote for Irish freedom.
HOW THE RECORDS WERE MADE.
The jump remained the record for seven
years. In 1893 it was broken by Charles
Reber Of st. Louis, who jumped % feet
Gha inches. The same year c. B. Fry. the
present famous cricketer. then an oxford
student, tied MIR. Reber'S record. This
record endured for some seven years. I'M
til broken by W. NJ. Newhall of Mullin-
gar. Ireland, who jumped "a feet 4.
Newhalls record stood for but a year
or two, when it was broker by Pat O'Con-
nor. the present Irish and English cham
pion, vino went over % feet.
j. c. Purcell. the young man now in st.
Louis, says that John Purcell was 80
years old at the time of his death. That
means that he was 80 years old when in
his prime as an athlete. Malcolm Ford
was about the same age. The St. Louis
Purcell resembles his father only in the
structure OF his chest. which is excellent
weighed close to 1870 pounds when fit. His
son does not go much over 40.
The younger Purcell says that he can
jump - feet. a good mans distance.
running. He says that while he did not
win the Marathon race-the actual race
from Marathon to Athens-at the Olympic
games of 1894, he won the twenty-five mile
race run within the stadium of that meet
ing.
ar. Purcell says that he won the cross
country races at the olympic games when
they We're held in Paris. in 1898, and he
feels certain that he will win the Mar
athon race at the games in St Louis in
1904.
Young Purcell is 20 years old. and some 5
feet 10 inches tall. He runs with an eff
fective and graceful form, the true style
of the English distance runner. His IA
Their was a Corkonian. but his mother was
an English lady, and the young man was
brought up in England. Purcell trains at
the NJ. a. c. every day., and his work al
ways attracts many spectators. He ran
a public mile on the track in 4:44 some
time g and can, he says. do better. He
has finished first in all the cross-country
runs in which he has taken part in st.
Louis.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-28

Much interest. of course. centers in the
local relay. the first contest OF its Kind
in st. Louis athletics. The First Regiment
Athletic Association win be represented
by a fine team. AS the First Regiment
club intends to remain intact and take
part in the Worlds Fair games. its initial
est to its friends. Another prominent local
team IN this race is that of the Central
Branch Y. NJ c. A.. Owing TO their splen-
did facilities and splendid material. many
not overcorfdent. but feel certain of MAX
ing a fine showing and hope to win. They
have the largest team ever entered in any
local event.
CONTESTANTS FROM ABROAD.
Another gratifying proof Of the effect
of the meet is found in the great number
of entries that are coming in from sur
rounding towns. 1t Is expected that a
number of excursions will be run to ac-
connmodate spectators on March 26.
If arrangements can he made a special
train will be run from Lebanon. Ill. to
bring the students and rooters of Mcken-
dree College. The supporters of Mcken
dree are convinced that their plucky team
will not so home enpty-handed.
TRY-OCT AT NJ. A C.
The games last night at the Missouri
Athletic Club were intended as a try
out" From the winners the club will
select a representative team for the meet.
AS this will be the first track team of the
10 set the standard as high as possible
by sending the very best men possible to
uphold the honor of that club. Their
strong organization and perfect accom-
modations fer training should enable the
VI. A. C. to take from the very outset a
leading place in track sports.
A special invitation will be sent to ]. c.
Purcell to enter the invitation mile. He
says that he will be able to give 4 good
account of himself in the fastest company
in the West.
The membership Is congratulating itself
on its success with enlarging the card, so
as to give us many more local features
without excluding the stars from other
universities. This will double the interest
of the spectators and insure the largest
and most enthusiastic gathering that ever
witnessed a st. Louis university athletic
meet.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-28

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
John c. Purcell, who is attracting the
attention Of those who AVE seen him run
on the NJ. A. c. Gymnasium Track. holds
that he is an athlete, runner and jumper
by right of birth.
Mr.. PurceT's father was the famous
John ]. Purcell, the Irish athlete, who
some twenty years ago opposed Malcolm
Ford for the all-around championship OF
America. Ford beat Purcell. chiefly
through superiority in the sprints. The
broad jump and the high jump. pole vault
were the forte of each.
Purcell was a good man over a distance.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-28

but not such a sprinter as Ford. Both
men are dead. Ford killed his brother.
Paul Leicester Ford, the author. some
three years ago, and then committed sui
eide. Purcell died two years ago in Cali
fornia, of pneumonia. Neither man was
over IS years old.
In their day they could jump over TWEEN
ty-tllree feet. and few men better de-
served The title of all-arOund champion
athlete. Clark. Powers and latter-day
champions might exceed them in the
weights, yet Ford and Purcell could put
the siyteen-pound shot over forty-one feet
and throw the hammer close to 135 feet.
They could do six feet in the high jump.
twenty-three feet in the broad. run 100
yards in 10 3-5. a quarter in "A and a mile
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-28
SUITED fine TO BOYS PURSE.
Young Miner Who Killed Buz
card Had to Give His All.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
Huntington, W. Va, Feb. "a gaunt-
looking beaker boy was brought before q
Squire In a coal mining town Of the New
River District OF West Virginia on tho
charge Of having killed n Of the "sa-
cred'' turkey buzzards. which are the only
s~cavengers Of that country.
After severely reprimanding the boy the
old Squire, who was a German, said:
ct fine you ten dollars"
ct hain't got tibet much" replied the
boy.
Den 1 fine you fife dollarsr
II hain't got five dollars" d
"Vel, how much hat you got?
Thre dollars and eeventy-five cents"
"All right; den 1 fine you three dollars
and seyenty-flve centS!"
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-28
WILL on BUSINESS CARD.
Unique Document Contains Only
About Fifty Words.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
White Plains. n. Y, Feb. N.-The win
of John lie Page of Mount Vernon. filed
in the Surrogate's Court at White Plains
is peculiar, because Mr.. lie Page wrote It
himself on a small business card, With
the heading painter and Decorator on
the TOP.
The document contains only about fifty
words. 1t leaves his entire estate, WORTH
about $500, to his wife. Sophie Devoo La
Page.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-28

At the opening of last Thursday. the
number of books which cut in proved dis
appointing. This was due to the still
unsettled state of the poolroom situation.
But five ring books and two field books
were on, but these are said to have
handled a good play rather steadily
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-28
LOCAL AND FOREIGN ATHLETES
PREPARE FOR COMING INDOOR MEET.

Runners, Jumpers and Weight Throwers of Western Military
Academy, Mckinley High School, Notre Dame College and
Other Educational Institutions Are to Take Part in Athletic
Events at Coliseum on March 26.
The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-28
GENERAL NOTES AND NEWS
OF WESTERN RACING WORLD

Hot Springs Meeting Opened It's Gates Rather Auspiciously Last
Thursday-Work Proceeding On All the Local Tracks-Ar
rangements on for stabling at Union CONSEQUENTLY En-
tries for Delmar.
The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1904-07-12

Greek and Seminole nations, will
be i'll the mountains, still much of
it is likely to prove valuable by
reason of the ore it contains. How
ever, no provision has been made
as yet for the disposal of the Semi
mole surplus lands. Congress will
probably attend to that early in
the next session.
1t is now the opinion of the mem
bers of the Dawes Commission that
there is not a sufficient unsegre-
gated area for all Of the enrolled
citizents of the Cherokee Nation,
aud that some will have TO be paid
in cash. Had not the intermarried
whites been adopted as full l-fiedged
citizens the Cherokees would have
had plenty of land and their allott-
ment would have been larger.
The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1904-07-12
Drowned In the Washiia

Anadarko Ok. July II About
10 o'clock yesterdayImorning Ralph
Hamilton, al Anadarko newsboy
was drowned in the Washita river,
one mile north of this place. The
young man was out for a drive
and drove into the edge of the
river to give his horse a drink. The
recent rains had changed the bed
Of the river so that instead of driv-
ing into shallow water, as he sup
posed he was doing, the horse
plunged into about ten feet deep,
and the current of the stream car
ried horse, buggy and driver down.
The horse and buggy we're found
down the river about quarter of
mile lodged against drifts, but
the body Of the young man is still
in the river. A viligant search
has been kept up all day, but no
trace Of him can be found.
It appears that the boy was a
good swimmer, but was frightened
and went 10 death clinging to his
buggy whip and asking for help.
Several shots of dynamite have
been put in tho. river with the hope
that the jar will cause the body to
come to the top, but no avail. The
river is rising rapidly.
The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1904-07-12
Sold Allotment
Ben Vann Has Been Arrested fol
Selling Land Too Often.

Benjamin. Vann, of this city, i:
in Jail for trying his hand at graft
ing
Vann began selling land soon af-
ter the Indian appropriation bill
passed, with its provision for the
removal of the restrictions from al
lotments of freedmen other than
the homestead. He was the FIRST
Cherokee freedman to sell his al
lotment.
He filed onlandnea Capt. Cobb $
farm, two miles from Vinita, and
sold all except his homestead to
John R. Campbell Then he went
to Tahlequah and changed his FL
ing and sold again, having filed on
other lands at Tahlequah.
Yesterday Vann was arrested at
Tahlequah and brought to Vinita,
where, in default of bond, he was
placed in JAIL
1t Is believed there are several
other similar cases, and all guilty
parties will be arrested as soon as
the facts can be asSertained. p
Vinita Chieftain.
The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1904-07-12
Surplus Lands
Two Million Acres in Indian Ter
ritory Will be Sold.

Muskogee, l. T, July II.-Ao-
cording to the estimate Of those in
a position TO know, when the Dawes
Commission completes its work Of
allotting lands to Indian citizens at
least !. 900, 900 acres will remain in
Indian Territory unallotted and un-
segregated. The greatest body Of
this will lie in the Ch;ckasaw-
Choctaw country.
In the Creek nation about $50,
600 acres surplus will be left and
in the Seminole country there are
about IS, 600 acres, however, the
best land will be in the southern
part Of the territory.
According TO the Chickasaw-
Choctaw treaty the surplus lands
are 10 be sold at public auction to
the highest bidder. Spectators
are already anxiously awaiting the
time when these sales can be made,
but they will have to await about
two years longer. The Greek sur
plus lands are, by a provision in
the Indian appropriation bill, to be
sold by the sealed bid system.
The Dawes Commission is at
tempting to finish the work of al
lotting lands within the next six
months. but the surplus area can
not be disposed of until the contest
period is over and it is known just
what vacant sections remain.
Much of the land which will re-
main unallotted in the Chickasaw-
Choctaw country is OF the best ag-
ricultural qualities. Thiscondition
is due to the fact that for various
reasons many allottees selected their
homesteads in themouptainous sec
ton, many preferring the pine tim
Der allottments to those containing
tillable soil.
While the unallotted lands in the