The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-01-07
CRACK ATHLETE
EATS NO MEAT
Lewis COnnOr's Case Inter
eSts Yegetarians.
WAS HIGH SCHOOL STAR
Unplaced in Only Three Events in Fiji
teen Starts-Jumper and Sprint
and Distance Runner.

Not since Mike" Stewart set the
mile record for the Washington High
Schools in 1898 have the local schools
developed such an athlete on the cinder
path as Lewis Connor who ran for
Central in 1893. 1904, and 1905
Besides his claims TO fame as a re-
suit Of his brave doings on the cinder
path across country, and in the jump
ing pit, this young man is noteworthy
because of the fact that he is one
of the few athletes IN Washington who
is a strict vegetarian while in train
ing. Every since he has been old
enough 10 formulate his own ideas
about things no has aDstained from
meats. His case has been watched
with great interest by those interested
in the vegetarian movement, who cite
IL as an important instance Of an ath-
lete becoming highly sucCessful in
competitions requiring the utmost
hardihood and endurance without eat
ing huge quantities of rare beef and
other training-table deiicacies of q
meatv. fieshy nature None OF the
fieshpots Of Egypt or the Washington
lunchroom for young ConnOr. The wal
nut stew. the sirloin Of spinach. the
Dreaded chinqupin chops and choice
cuts Of cabbage for him while prepar-
ing for a reach for the laurel wreath.
Consistent Performer
Although this runner did not equal
the record set by Stewart. his work
throughout his school career was al
ways consistent and much credit is due
the boy for his splendid showing under
circumstances that were out of the
ordinary. COnnor did not go in for
athletics i'm his freshman year. In
iact. he knew practically nothing of
the art of running, but when he went
out TO try for the track team in his sec
ond year, Trainer Bit Foley recog-
nized that he had in him the making
OF "a good track man.
ConnOr's first appearance in an event
was the interclass cross-country run
in 1904. when he surprised even Foley
by his performance. He was pitted
against such men as Al Hendley, who
had WON the mile in the High School
meet of the year BEFORE and who was
expected by everyone 70 walk away
with the Cross-countTy. other season
ed runners, who were thought 10 be
far superior 10 Conner. had entered in
this event. II was therefore taken al
most as a joke when Foley prophesized
that Conner would very likely wni
Bur nevertheless win he did, and in
"A walk at that.
Won Jump and Run.
The same year he won the mile and
the broad jump in the National Guard
indoor meet but shortly after this
he met his first taste OF defeat at the
Princeton interscholastfc meet on April
T. In the Jacob ToEe meet. which fol-
lowed in May. he ran taird He would
have undoubtedly finished better than
this if il had not been that the num-
Der of entries for this event necessitat-
cd starting the field In three banks,
Connor being in the third row
The inter-high school spring meet
was the next in which this athlete
figured. 1t was at these games that
he did the mile in 4:55. only 3 seconds
over the time made by Mike Stew
art. son of A. T. Stewart superintend-
ent of the District public schools, and
better by three seconds than any had
done since.
At the Georgetown University meet
on Labor Day Of that year he won the
broad jump easily, although he was
pitted against number OF the best
men in and about Washington and
Baltimore. On New Year Day. 1905 he
captured first prize in the Carroll In
stitute cross country run by defeating
one OF the largest fields that had ever
entered In an event OF this kind in the
city.
on January he could do no better
than second in the mile against Byrne
then of the Technical High School. who
had the year before set a new record
for the half mile in the spring games
a month later at the Georgetown III
door meet he was badly out of form
and did not place
First in Endurance Test.
IL the cross country OF March 16. open
only 10 students of Central High School.
he ran away from the crowd of airy
or more entries and finished first by
over 900 yards In this race were VII
son, who defeated the champion Byrne
in the lnter-high games a few months
later: Clagett. who ran second to Adams
in the mile at the same time. and Dick.
who had no trouble getting place in the
half mile with Wilson and Byrne
In the Episcopal High meet on May
o. Common won hands down. Because OF
the age limit OF tWenty-One, he was not
eligible 10 compete in the High School
games of last spring and his high
school career ended with hts appearance,
al The Alexandrians' meet just men
In the South Atlantic division cham
DionSEips or May u he could not place
and for while he decided TO STAY our
and rest up for The Washington grove
meet On Labor Day of 1905 when he got
second in the broad jump.
CO.mor was largely Instrumental i'm
winning the IWo-mile relay race from
Central High School at the Fifth Regf-
ment meet in Baltimore on the Isth of
December for the Columbia Athletic
club
In summarizing the work OF Cya.-or
it will be found that out OF the fifteen
or more events in which ne has entered
he has won eight, finished second IN
three, and run third in one. making
three the total number of times he has
been unable to place in his entire career
During all of COnnOF's work in the
High Schools he attended school and
worked at the Postofiice from three in
the afternoon until twelve at night Al
the end of the second year at school he
expressed a desire 10 graduate one year
earlier than he would unless ne skipped
a year and al the suggestion OF prin-
cipaI Wilson ne studied during the sum
uIef Of 1894 and in the fall OF that year
ne took an examination which qualified
him for the fourth class. Last spring he
graduated among the first of his class.