Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1908-01-24
TWe GREAT INDIAN RUNNERS.
LOngboat and Deerfoot Two Fleetest
Men That Ever Ran a Race.

There is one Indian running to.
day who is said to be the fleetest
mortal living, and Sherring, the
Canadian hero of the Marathon race
In the Olympic games in Greece, says
he is the greatest runner on earth
Thomas Longboat is his name, he IL
p Canadian Indian, and he is lean
and has long arms and big, fiat, bony
feet. ss-sa-5.
He carries not an ounce of super
1uous flesh. his stride looks longer
than the broad jump of an ordinary
man, and his ability to run is inner
Tied from generations whose very
existence depended upon their STAN
Ina and speed, says Van Norden's
Magazine. Longboat trains at home
On farm upon which he is EN-
ployed. Every day he runs from
1--we to twenty miles. Sometimes he
runs alone, but often is paced by a
horse. He weighs 140 pounds and
Is five feet seven inches tall.
Until he won the Marathon race
In Toronto Longboat was unheard
of In the world of sport. In that
race he was matched against the
fastest men in the Dominion, and
until the race he was not thought To
have a chance to win.
He arrived at Toronto the day be-
fore the race from his home in
Caledonia and slept at farm house.
On the day of the race he arose at
) O'Clock In the morning and before
the other contestants we're out of
bed he ran over the course just to
see IL he could do ii. When he had
finished he showed no signs of IA
tIgue.
When the race started In the at
ternoon the Indian took the lead
snd with long, swinging stride that
never seemed TO tire he kept the
lead to the finish and was as fresh
when the race was done as before
he had made the distance the first
time In the early morning
When racing Longboat uses his
brain quite as much as he uses his
legs. He falls behind the leaders,
put keeps within striking distance
until the last mile. when he comes
TO the front and generally wins with
ridiculous ease He trails along be-
hind the flying leaders, matching
their sprints with a barely percepti-
Die lengthening of his stride, until
his eagle eyes see Signs of distress
IN his rivals running Then he lets
himself out and begins his effort.
Uphill and down he keeps the same
merciless clip. bnt going along as
easily as though he was out for
practice jog.
In the distance race where he
smashed Caffrey's 1901 record by
more than FIVE minutes the eondl-
lions under which the Indian raced
and won were hea-.bfeaking. Blind
ID by dust first and then by rain and /
snow, with the last ten miles OF /
going decidedly muddy. the plucky /
redskin bettered the record OF CAT 4
frey-admitted u be one OF the /
greatest Marathon runners that ever
lived-by nearly 4 mite. and TO do
this Longboat had 20 run every mile 1
d the twenty-five in about 5 min
utes and as seconds.
IN me historic7l 1IilnfnE az Buf-
'zlo there hangs 4 picture. a draw
ng Of Deerfoot. the greatest OF all
indian runners He vas Seneca \
indian On one 5ocasfon. in 1861.
1efore the Prince % Wales. nov
<ing Edward. he ran twelve miIes
n 81 minutes and IS seconds. \
Think Of tan average OF q minutes
y seconds to the msIes u takes Il
irxt-eIsss runner 20 do this now
Deerfoot freqasntly raced With
iorses; he often ekassd large Ezme.
Iufalo. moose and deer. on foot
lis height vas six fael in his stuck
HE. and he weighed lie poands. II
ss neyer cared for the medals be
Foz bT his runnfnE and a. SOUS -