The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-15
CHINESE NOW turn
TO ATHLETIC SPORTS.
orientals Just Commence to
Overcome Aversion to Physi-
cal Effort.
Especial to Tho Times. Dispatch.,

(Special TO The Times-DiBpatch)
NEW YORK. January 14--Barrett
Smith former Cornell track athlete
and distance runner OF reputation In
his college days, has returned from q
year or moro in China, and has some in-
terestng things to tell about the Chinese
athletes.
'rhe higher rank Chinese are only Just
beginning to take up sport" said Mr..
Smith recently. You must know that the
idea Of physical exertion IL foreign to the
nature OF the Weather Chinese, because
they are not supposed to do anything Ike
work.
consequently tho bulk Of what IL done
by native athletes ia performed by those
OF the coolie class.
1.-THE riksha runners and the portera
form the athletic stock. However, In ths1
last few months mon OF higher station!
have begun to turn a little to athletics,
too, because many OF tho men are beinDl
educated IN the native universities. pre-
sided over in some cases by Americans!
and English, who bring the sporting idea.t
with them. Tho first families are begin-I
ming to drop tho idea that athletic sport.
liloe other forms Of manual labor, IS ~
disgrace.
'.The Chinese have not = great amount
OF stamina. They are not distance rum
ners at all. That 10 surprising when you
think Of the endurance exhibited by the
riksha men. But there Il secret In thtAI
art OF drawing heavy carriage, wfaca
depevds upon the way tho carrier gatS'
the weight adjusted
A Chinese Sprinter. /
'r do recall ono man who wascertain1ya
q cracking natural sprinter. He ran 1col
yards over q very inferior bit OF grotndj
in 10 2-6 seconds without trainings and IL
there ever WIS 1o-second man on thoi
path, It was that fellow.
'The only thing they can do besideat
sprinting is high jumping. The average
best Is 8 feet s inches, no very great per.
forrnance, after oil.
'The native Chinese athletes wear q
costume something like that OF an Ameri- !
can or English athlete, but more q carl,
cature Of 1t than anything else. They
sport long flowing running breeches. and !
loose jerseys. They run in spiked shoes, !
and the sight when a bunch IL finishing !.
together, with silk habliments Tapping
and queues streaming out behind IN thsl
breeze. is rather funny.
Good Field In Shanghai.
I'm Shanghai there is ono Of the great
est athletic fields in the world. There is
a big English and American colony in
that place. The athletic field is on the
grounds of the big club formed by them.
u0 WlLolo pltCo ~ AuGlOSeO III u pony
track of dirt. OF a mile and half, on
which the ponies are exercised and raced.
Inside this comes a running track of turf.
mile and a quarter long.
This turf Is a grand thing to run on.
and an absolute pleasure even to step on.
1t is close cropped springy and soft, and
you can run as fast on it as on any cinder
path that ever was. ~
There are four cricket creases. two
baseball diamonds and three gridirons
for football, only 1t Is not American
Rugby that they play there. socker is
the favorits form of football.
There are no less than forty tennis
courts. and in thescente. OF tho place are
two swimming tanks. enormous things.
with glass roofs.
There are two sets OF games given
each year on this field. Ono Is under
control of the Y. NJ. G.. A, and another of
tho police organization OF the munici-
pality OF Shanghai. There are events for
natives in this latter set Of games
The hobbies in this North China city
ara British exrsoldlers and ex-sailors for
the most part They have events both
amateur and professional. The most pic
turesque OF these are special events for
some OF the slx-foot Sikhs. native East
Indians. WHO have como up to China to
be cops"