Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-28
HAD TO RUN OR STAY
OUT ALL NIGHT
How Tom Longboat, the Fa.
nous Indian Runner, Ac-
quired His Reputation.

QulFeQ Ills heputatlOr.
Here is the story of how Tom Long
boat discovered that he could run. The
yarn has been spun before, but there has
always been belief that it vas a product
of the vivid imagination of so:1e newspaper
man. Longboat himself. howe 'er, acknowl-
edged the truth of the story, although he
modestly disclamed that it was at all
remarkable feat.
That old horse can't run, anyway" he
said
Longboat had been known as a good
runner on the Indian reservation at Gale
dona which is about fifteen miles from
Hamilton, but while he could beat any of
the Indians at distances from a mile up to
five, there was no idea that he had it in
him to break worlds records from ten
miles up to twenty-five, which is what he
has done since last fall.
One day last September Longboat drove
with his father and mother from the res
ervation into Hamilton. Arriving in the
city Longboat was left to his own devices,
but warned to turn up at the stable where
the horse had been left in time to start
for home by 8 o'clock.
Missed the Team Home.
Visits to Hamilton were few and far be-
tween for Longboat, and the young Indian
put in his time seeing the sights, admiring
the store window displays and having as
go; i a time as he could without any money
in his pocket. In spite of that handicap
he had so good a time that 1t was after
5 o'clock before he remembered That ne
had to go back to Caledonia
He hurried to the stable and found that
his father, with the stole sternness of the
Indian, had started for home, leaving Tom
to get there the best way he could.
There was nothing left but to hoof 1t the
fifteen miles. Tom started right off, and
when he got outside the city limits start
ed with a swinging lope, hoping 10 eaten
up with the old horse
Mile after mile he logged along and no
sign of his people appeared in the dusty
road ahead He increased the pace, ana
still no sign. When he had covered half
the distance he was surprised to find that
he was not in the least winded or fatigued
Beat the Old Horse.
So he ran still faster. Finally, about
three miles from the reservation, he came
to a fork in the roads, either of which
would take him home, with little choice In
the distance. 1t SO happened that Long
boat chose one road, while his father had
driven over the other, and Longboat ar,
rived at the reservation ahead OF the old
horse His father was naturally surprised
when he arrived and found Tom nome
ahead of him.
The news Of Longboats run was soon
the talk of the reservation. Billy Davis
heard of it and got interested. Davis is
a distance runner himself. In 1901, When
Johnny Caffrey set the record In the b. a.
A. Marathon, which hung fire six years for
Ioneboat to break, Davis finished second
to Caffrey Davis is an Indian himself,
from the same Indian settlement when ls
Longboat's home Since his great race In
Boston in 1901 Davis has entered In many
distance runs, but has always been beaten.
His ambition was to have an Indian from
the Caledonia settlement capture the ham
ilton Herald annual road race Tor nineteen
miles and q little over. which is the plue
ribbon event for Canadas distance runners,
Just the Is. A. A. Marathon is the sieat
race of America.
Trained for Hamilton Race.
Four weeks remained before this race,
which is run late in October. Davis was
in training for the event, but he dropped
his personal ambition and secretly went to
work to train Longboat.
Longboat needed little training. Davis
tried him out at ten miles, and the young
Indian beat Davis so badly that Davis
found him at the end of the distance not
even breathing hard while he was all IN;
The day of the race came DAVIS with
drew his own entry and substituted that OF
| Longboat so he appeared at the start In a
wildly striped bathing suit and pair OF
old bicycle shoes. Everybody gave DAVE
the laugh and wanted to know Where ne
| picked up his ringer" The betting men
| who made book on the race, quoted Long
| boat 100 to l. He was the joke of the race
How He Won His First Race.
Davis gave Longboat his instructions
Try to keep up with the leader, whoeve,
| he is Don't pass him until the very end OF
| the race Just keep at his heels II you
| can" The Indian nodded and grinned.
! Longboat was the original Message to
| Garcia Indian. He did just what Davis
told him. A leader worked out of thu
| bunch with Longboat at his heels. He
| looked around and saw that the freak ii
| the bathing suit was lodging him III
| shake him." he thought, and hit up the
| pace for the next two miles. At the enc
| Longboat was still at his heels. fresh an(
smiling and the rest of the bunch was way
| behind, out of sight and hearing.
The leader was firing and slowed up t.
! let Longboat take the van and set the pace
But Longboat slowed up. too, and still KEEP
| at his heels. The leader was winded, an(
as the rest of the bunch was far behind
| thought he'd sit down for minute. Long
| boat sat down on the other side of the roat
! and smiled at him. Longboat always smiles
| Soon they heard the rest of the runners
coming. The white man started at ter
| rife clip. He knew that he couldn't las
the race out, but he made up his mind t,
| run the lnQian on MS rect. lOngno3t me
| the sprint and ran fast or slow, keeping hi!
| place a few yards behind the white man
| smiling STILL
Leader Collapsed.
About five miles from the finish the leade
fell in a heap, completely done up. Long
boat stopped, looked at him, saw that h
was done for and logged home at a SLOW
dog trot. He finished nearly two mile
ahead of the second runner, and was within
a minute of the record for the course Sc
by Sammy Mellor, l hour. 40 min
utes, 70 seconds. He finished perfect