The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-08-09
OLYMPIC HERO'S
GREAT RECORD
Melvin w. Sheppard Greatest
Middle Distance Runner
Since Fitzpatrick.

The winning of both the 500 meter
and 1,5oo meter races in the Olympic
games, something accomplished by no
other American. places Melvin w.
sheppard in class by himself among
the middle distance runners of the
world and stamps him as the greatest
amateur half mile since Charley Kill
patrick forsOok the amateur ranks In
TACT sheppard has run within f5ftb of
second of Kilpatrick's wonderful
ndII-ihlie record. made in the dual
salhes between the New York Athletic
club and the London Athletic club in
1895. and which has stood ever since
he is a native of Almonesson Lake
N j., and celebrated mis- twenty-fourth
birthday on Sept. 5 last. As a bow he
took no interest in athletics further
thah games he and his companions in
dulged IN about town. In 1902 a frienr-
iy wager brought about a match with
some schoolmates. and he unexpectedly
discovered his great speed. On Aug.
: OF that year he ran his first race al
set of games in Philadelphia, Since
then his career has been one long Sc
ries of sensational performances. No
athlete ever was known to do spch
work continually without suffering a
breakdown Taking little care of him
or three events at every meet and
choosing the fiercest of his opponents
In all his races, Sheppard has been one
OF the athletic marVels of the decade
In February. 1904 at the interscho-
lastic meet held in New York he won
for Brown school the half-mile race
in 2:03 As and the mile in 4:34 Is, es-
tablishing new indoor records for both
On June 80 Of the same year. in St
Louis, he took these two events at the
Olympic interscholastic champion
ships. In 1905. at the carnival held on
Cornell university field in March, he
broke the mile record, putting up
AIS 2-5 as the new .Hgura .aGd at the
University of Pennsylvania meet on
May he lowered the two-mile record
to 1851 2-5.
In 1906 the Irish-American A c. took
Sheppard into its fold, and in Febru-
airy he won for it a mile race in 4:22
Later he took the 1.000-yard and mile
indoor national championships. During.
the summer he captured the half-mile
event at all three. the Metropolitan.
the National and the Canadian cham
pionship meets, and by fall he was
moving so well that he was induced to
make an attack on the half-mile
worlds record of 1:53 2-5. He missed
it by fifth of a second and another
attempt at the 6S<yard standard fell
three-fifths of a second short of the
mark. but on Nov. 9, in Madison
Square garden, he established a new
1,0G0-yard record of 2:17 As. and he
continued the good work throughout
the winter. On March &c. 1907, i'm the
Twenty-second regiment armory. he
made a half-mile indoor record of
1:5S 2-5. and on the 30th a 600-yard
one of lib 2-5.
Last summer he proved himself in
vincibIe at his distance, the half mile.
He won the Metropolitan in 1:56 2-5.
the National in 1:5S 2-5 and the Cana
dian in 1853 is. adding to the latter
the Canadian quarter mile in so sec
onds Then. at Celtic park. on Sept.
l. he reduced the 900-yard figures 10
POI As.
Sheppard is a stocky and well put to-
gether athlete. He stands five feet
eight and one-half inches and weighs
$50 pounds. He runs with a smooth,
elastic stride that appears to be no eX-
ertion to him. and he is a good judge
of pace.
Ernie Hertberg, trainer of the Irish
American Athletic club. was the hap
piest man in New York when the re-
suit of the 800 meters was received. He
made no bones of coming out flat-foot-
ed and declaring that before the out
door season is over Sheppard will do
the four furlongs in OO:01:53 fat. 'All
Sheppard needs" said Ernie, lis a fast
enough pace. The English climate
must have had some effect on him.
Two weeks is hardly enough in which
to get thoroughly acclimated. Mark
my words When Mel gets home again
he will run the latest half mile ever
travelled -