Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-09-23
where KELLY
MADE MISTAKE
Southern Climate Took the
Edge Off the Western
Athlete

BAKER CITY, Ore. Sept 23.-Ever
since the big meet at jamestown the
friends of Dan Kelly in oregon have
anxiously awaited his version of his
defeat at Jamestown. In a letter to his
parents in this city, Kelly gives the
first direct statement regarding his
showing at the meet. He writes as fol-
lows:
"The big event for which 1 have
trained and worried so hard about for
months is over and have lost. After
I was two or three days on the trip
began to feel weak, but when we land
| ed at jamestown I felt in first-class
shape. The day after we arrived
stepped the 100 in 94-5 seconds. I kept
working each day. but in two or three
| days began to feel weak. I drank the
water for two or three days before
| found that it was almost poisonous.
! The weather was not so hot, as we
| call it in the West, but was sultry. The
warm weather came about four days
before the meet and it was hotter at
night than during the day After try
ing to sleep in the hotel two nights
gave it up and went to sleep in a
| tent Here I caught peach of cold
and didn't sleep well, either.
"All this misfortune made me worry
a great deal about my physical condi-
| ton and the day of the meet I was
eight pounds lighter than before start
ing on the trip and very weak. I knew
I could not win, but did my best. In
the 100-yard- dash both heat and final
I had a good lead for the first so yards,
but was too weak to finish in any form
and was fourth place among seven
| starters. I was beaten about five feet
by the first man, and Parsons, who took
third place. nosed me out about foot
There is no doubt in the world but that
I could have beaten the best man 10
feet had the race taken place the day
went down to jamestown or at any
other time. I was simply sick on my
feet, that was all there was to it.
won the broad jump simply on my
nerve, as I had to run only short
distance
In the 220-yard dash ran my head
off the first 150 yards and did not have
strength to finish. did not get a place
In my heat at % seconds. would con-
slider this poor time when I was run
ming at home and would consider mar
dub who could not beat 1t.
my great mistake which was re-
sponsible for losing, was IN COINS
South so soon. All the other athletes
came the day before the meet, and the
climate did not have time to get to
them, and they were in good shape.
was there in the heavy, humid atmos-
phere II DAYS too long. We should
have stayed North and gone down the
day before, but Bill did not want to
pay the extra railroad fare on account
of the To-day limit and he couldn't see
that 1t would make much difference
anyway in my condition; but we see Il
now when 1t Is too late
"I do not know how the people in
the West take my losing at Jamestown
but they understood pretty well at the
exposition that / was sick and there
was not much criticism"
In regard to his future Dan was un-
decided as to whether he would attend
the Western university at Pittsburg o.
go to Michigan He expressed a desire
to secure his A B. degree from thu
University of Oregon, but did not thinl
1t would be the wisest thing to do a
this time.