The Washington herald., 1908-02-09
Athletic Games in Philip
pines Keenly Contested.
DIFFICULT STUNTS PERFORMED
Riders surpass Fents of
CIreus In ReekIessness and psF-
iag-rusky Soldiers Excel fn
Some Branches of Sport-Great En-
thusiasm EvEnced by Troops.

Field a plot OF ground as smooth as a
billiard table about thirty acres in area
covered with velvety green. closely
cropped grass-trUly an ideal spot for
such events.
The Third, Ninth, and Tenth Cavalry
were the contestants for mounted honors,
while the Twenty-sixth. Twenty-ninth.
and Thirtieth Infantry fought il out TO r
finish for tactics afo0t After a long
and bitterly contested battle for suprsin-
acy, the Third Cavalry was awarded the
first prize in the mounted drill, while the
Twenty-ninth Infantry undoubtedly won
the most number Of points.
Every feat performed in the three
ringed circus was equaled if not i'm
proved upon by our boys in khaki uni
forms and blue flannel shirts. Riding
bare-backed horses at full speed. they
| leaped over obstacles. hurdles. and run
ming water in pyramids OF FIVE. six, and
seven men on two, three. ana four
mounts. the pyramid meanwhile chang
! ing shape and form with a Tecklessness
+ that brought the heart up 10 your mouth.
ard with never a suspicion Of a break or
/ fall. these events being only equaled BY
/ the daring of the artillery men in their
madly dashing drill up and down the field
/ between pegs that barely permitted the
heavy gun carriages 10 pass. turning
corners so sharply az to bring every horse
/ back on hts launches, and causing the ye-
hicles to careen to an angle Of about
/ forty-fye degrees-truly such a thing as
! NERVES" does not exist in the mounted
/ service.
Baseball Is Popular.
have been amazed at the baseball
/ contest between the regiments IN the
/ islands. The same wild enthusiasm at
/ tendant upon a series for the worlds
championship has been in evidence, each
team producing its coterie Of rooters
shouting themselves hoarse, cheering on
their comrades. hurting defiance al their
! opponents. and shreking curses and
biasphemy at the Iong-suffering umpire.
/ N the series Just completed, which was
won by the Twenty-ninth Infantry, with
nine games one and one lost there were
eight games in which the final score was
! to 0 and twelve games were won BY
single run. while ten contests were per-
feet SO far as fielding was concerned.
without a single error The deciding
contest between the Twenty-ninth and
Twenty both teams being equal IN
percentage OF games won. was spectac-
uar in the extreme.
The finals in the 100-yard dash vas won
in the good time Of 10 3-5 seconds by Col
lins, OF the Tenth Cavalry (coloredl, who
also was presented with gold medal for
the best all-arOund athlete in the Phil
ippine Islands.
A boxing match was held every after
noon, and some clever exhibitions we're
given, the first contest resulting in
Knockout in 80 seconds. The hammer
throw half-mile run. 220-yard hurdle. in
fact, every known branch OF athletics.
was presented to the appreciative and
enthusiastic audience.
Native Troops Score.
Il would indeed be incomplete II I did
not mention the drill OF the Philippine
! Scouts. A company OF Macabebe Scouts.
under command OF Lieut.. Boss Reese,
came on the field with a dash and pre-
cision that reminded me Of the palmy
days OF the Washington Fencibles and
Morton Cadets.
Likewise amusing and entertaining was
the mule pack train drill Twenty-Five
mules are turned loose on the field and
viii run like mad from different points
to the platform at which they are 10 be
loaded, each mule having a number and
assigned place In line to which 1t almost
invariably goes without assistance Woe
10 the unhappy mule who stumbles into
the wrong place-it is bitten and kicked
by his indignant co-workers until It cor
rects its error and gets into its proper
place-a sadder and wiser mule.
Another striking feature OF the meet
was the concert given by the combined
bands of the three infantry and three
cavalry regiments, a combination OF
about $50 men who played selections
from "Tannhauser," the "Valkyrie" and
other classics in a highly eommenaable
manner.
WaII-seaIinE Contest.
The wall-scaling contest was won hands
down by the men from the Twenty-ninth
Infantry and was a thrilling and pic
turesque spectacle. Temporary wooden
walls were thrown up in the center OF the
field 10 a height Of about forty feet, the
first man reaching the top as apex OF a
pyramid OF some twenty enlisted men,
he in turn reaching down and assisting
the man nearest him 10 the top. and so
on until the entire brigade was at the
top Of the wall, the actual time con-
sumed being less than a minute
Mounted wrestling was won by the
Tenth Cavalry. the white troopers being
no match for the brawny members OF the
successful regiment
1t had been anticipated that the Tenth
would also have a walkover in the tug-of-
war but. strange 10 say, the match was
won by the Third Cavalry.
! An enormous grand stand was erected
at one side of Wallace Field for the ac-
was filed 20 overfiowing each day, but
the bulk and enthusiasm of the crowd
was in the solid wall OF enlisted men
who encircled the track and cheered on
their fayorites.
. Natives Watch Maneuvers.
Still further back was row upon row OF
Filipinos straining their necks TO see and
, watching with amazement the maneu-
I vers OF the cavalry and artillery Their
demonstration after the drill of the Maca-
bebe Scouts was equal to the leather
= lunged infantrymens paean of victory.
The native girls. with their variegsted
gowns. made a bright and attractive
t, background 10 the picture.
The presentation Of prizes and medals
were made by Mai Gen. John T. Wes-
ton department commander. al the con-
; clusiOn OF which ceremony he said 1T
| gives me great pleasure TO note the great
improvement in tactics. as Well as ath-
letics. during the past year Whatever
. has been accomplished during the meet
has been obtained through hard. perse-
vering. and conscientious work. and
desire TO congratulate the competitors on
y their conduct and fidelity in the games,
+ and congratulate myself in having such
men under my command
2 1t was generally agreed that the present
I, meet exceIed all previous similar events