Los Angeles herald., 1908-01-19
UNCLE SAM
GOOD SPORT
AMERICAN ATHLETES EXCEL ALL
OTHER NATlONALITIES
Representatives from Gem of the
Ocean Lead Men from Other
Lands in All Branches
of Sport

The eyes and thoughts of all the
amateur athletes are turned across the
Atlantic, for next summer the Olympic
games will take place in London.
The first record we have of any
American athlete competing abroard s
of the performance of George Seward
of New Haven, Conn, who went to
England in 1874 and beat every man
who dared run against him at all dis
tances up to quarter of mile offer
ing long starts to any man living, beat
all existing records at running short
distances, at skating and at jumping
on skates and finally returned to Amer
lea, the acknowledged sprinting cham
pion of the world.
Ran in Moccasins
Deerfoot, the great Seneca Indian
runner, went to England in 1868, ran
many races at distances near ten miles,
beat all the best English runners, and
established the hour record for
twelve mile run. The latter still stands
as the fastest in the world. He ran
in moccasns, with an awkward stride
and a rolling gait, outranged all civil
lied ideas of training, but neVerthe-
less was the best man of his day.
The first American amateur to COM
pete in England was probably Richard
II. Dudgeon, a New York boy. He was
a genuine amateur and an enthusiastic
contestant, ever ready to run against
anybody, on short notice, for any prize
from a diamond medal to a bunch OF
toothpicks, His death left big gap
in the ranks of the old-fashioned anna
tours, who loved sport for sports sake.
Organized invasion in 1881
The first regularly organized invas-
ion of Great Britain by American anna
teur athletes was in the summer of
1881, when l.. e. Myers, Manhattan A
c., and e. e. Merrill, Union A. c., Bos-
ton, Mass, went to England and com
peted in several meetings, including
the championships. Merrill won sew
eral races and established new English
walking records at one mile and two
miles. Myers was beaten but once
the l00-yard championship-but won
the quarter championship and es-
tablished a new worlds record for that
distance and several fresh English rec
ords for various distances.
A combination of athletes consisting
of w. H. Meek, F. P. Murray, A. A.
Waldron and II. Fredericks, went to
England in the summer of 1884 to at
tend the championship meeting. Meek
won the seven mile championship and
established several new records and
was unanimously voted the fastest fast
walker ever seen in England Myers
won everything in sight, astonishing
his critics and establishing new rec
ords by the wholesale,
Two Teams in 1888
In the summer of 1888 Great Britain was
invaded by two armies Of American ath-
letes The Manhattan Athletic club sent
H. M. Banks, T. P. Coneff c. w. Y.
Clark and f. Westling, while the New
York Athletic club squad included 4. c.
Carter, w. c. Dohm, G RI. Gray A. A.
Jordan, w. e. Koos, c. Nj. Smith and w.
C. White. Banks, White and koos did
nothing worthy of mention. Smith won
twice. a running high jump and half
mile run. Dohm was quite successful in
the quarter and half mile runs Jordan
won four firsts. including championship
and the International race at Dublin.
Gray was an easy first in every shot
putting contest he could find, winning the
championships and beating
the worlds record five times in one after
noon. Clark and Coneff were also big
but as their birthplace was I'M
der the English flag their performances
cannot very well be accredited to America. |
Again, in 1891, the Manhattan Athletic |
club sent team to England and France
In Paris, at the international meeting |
Victor Mapes of Columbia university won
The long jump, while the Manhattan Ath-
etic team took every other first prize.
A team of Yale athletes CROSSED the At
antic In 1884 and competed against Ok |