Los Angeles herald., 1908-02-24
OCCIDENTAL
AFTER SCALP
PRESBYTERIANS HOPE TO FLAY
POMONA TRACK GOAT
Captain Bird Is Experiencing Plenty
of Hard Luck, but Is Still to Be
Enumerated Among Those
Present
by J. %. wOODsIDE.

III % ID NEOODSADAHs
Their success against all Corners so
far this season, when at the beginning
of the training period they entertained
but few hopes of excelling on the Gin
der path, has raised the Occidental col
lege track representatives into the
seventh heaven of optimistic eXpecta-
ton for defeating Pomona.
When the first ante-season omens
were foretold the Highlanders were
conceded but little standing by the
prophets. But since the Congregation
alists have held preliminary meets and
their records are no better than those
already made by the Presbyterians
Capt. Birds proteges are wont to put
little faith in the poetic thought
that every cloud has silver lining
In fact the only obstacle which de-
lays the construction of their air
castles is the difficulty Capt Bird him
self is having in making friends again
with the speed germ which seems to
have flown clear away from all asso-
citation with the auburn sophomore
For the past two years Bird has made
regular habit of clipping off the CEN
fury sprint close to the 10-second mark
but this year the necessary rabbit spir-
it Is reluctant about injecting his foot
and the best time he has been able to
negotiate to date has been 10 3-5.
Every misfortune in the hard luck
calendar has been experienced by Bird
in his effort to coax back old time
form. His bad knee, almost as famous
as himself, gives no promise of I'M
provement and in addition the southern
champion has lately acquired fash
ionable but expensive habit of getting
off poorly at the post. Besides all this,
when he was going to make the at
tempt of his life to smash record
Saturday, Bird jumped the gun in the
meet with high school and stopped only
to see his ambitions fade with Rubio,
as the little Mexican led his field to
the WIRE But this disappointment
was only temporary, for as soon as he
could get his feelings satisfactorily ex-
pressed. where no one could plagarize
his vocabulary, Owen girded his loins
and galloped through the 440 like
streak.
In the other events the Presbyterians
have a stable of candidates that bid
fair to liven things up in the sage
brush town. Lowry and Kenneth Cor
don are having daily debates over
which way is the most graceful to get
over the 10-foot barrier in the pole
vault. Both boys have done the height
and Lowry added an inch to 1t Sat
urday.
Fred Thomson is perhaps the only
one in the Highland camp who has
done himself real justice this season
or who takes a genuine delight in beat
ing opponents. He has no idea of his
own strength and seems to compete
for the simple pleasure of exercise.
An illustration of this popularity is
the manner in which Thomson entered
and won the broad jump against high
II l,oI ut fa6 q ny
thing in the cross-country leaping be-
fore, but happened to feel hoppy and
expressed his inclinations to the ex-
tent of 20 feet inches. Another &C.
centric custom lately acquired by the
young giant is a destructive invasion
he makes into the shot put china shop
every week. In the two preliminary
meets this season Thomson has broken
his own college record with the lead
and after considering the new mark
made it's revisement necessary.
Brewer is a Splinter who will do to
level your opera glasses on and gives
evidence of developing into a speed
nimrod. Carver Is increasing daily in
favor with those who like to look at
q mile tourist in action and has had
no trouble in quelling the ambitions of
the antagonists met so far. Wieman
can attend to the surplus hurdlers who
are striving for recognition. Collins is
steadily cultivating a closer acquain-
lance with long distance casts of the
shot and looks forward to competition
with Pomona crowbars with great pu-
salamity.
The closest Interpretation of the
noises in the direction of Claremont Is
that the Pomonaites entertain about
the same idea of their aspirants that
is harbored by Coach Goheen concern
ing his own children. Rogers and
Sturgeon seem to be the most prom
inent of the hay boy crew, but many
other youngsters in the styx region are
ambitious and have given good practi-
cal reasons in the way of records for
their self-confidence.