Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1908-07-30

track and field went to their countrv-
men. Tofalos won the weight lifting.
Georganttas won the stone throwing
contest, and Aliprantis took the rope
climbing contest.
Even the ancient Marathon went to
a foreigner, ana II was IN InIs evv.IS
that the disappointment of the Greeks
reached its height. That was essen
TALLY their race. Coutoulakis, upon
whom they based their hopes, had
sworn that he would either win the
race or die in the attempt, but he
had not the strength to win and was
not given the satisfaction of dying
death which would have made him
famous.
When the automobile of the Judges
came into the stadium from Marathon
1t was followed by Il native of North
America, w. j. Sherring OF Canada,
who ran under the British colors. In
spite of the fact that the race which
was founded by their ancestors to cele-
brate the messenger who ran to tell
of the victory of Marathon and that
the Persians had been driven into the
sea and who fell dead as he shouted
victory h2d been won by for
eigner, the 10000 Greek spectators
cheered to the echo the Canadian who
had taken away their greatest prize.
The origin of the Olympic games goes
back to the time of mythology. Credit
for their foundation was given by the
ancient Greeks to the ldaean Hercules
not the NEUROLOGICAL athlete, but the
demigod who was present at the birth
of Zeus himself. The human origin
of the games, however, is placed in the
ninth century before Christ They
We're reorganized, it was said, at the
bidding of the oracle of Delphi and
made Il national festival.
1t was not until b. c. T7G however,
that the records of the Olympic vic
tors commenced to be kept The games
took place in the last full moon of the
summer sOlsticc and lasted for five
days. The competitions were open
only TO freeborn Greeks of unstained
character. Barbarians could be pres.
ent to watch the games, but no wo,
men were allowed to he spectators ex,
cept the Elean priestess Of Demeter.
Before they were allowed to enter
the games the athletes had to swear
that they had undergone the training
of ten months which was prescribed
and that they would obey the Olym
pic laws What the athletes trained
SO long to win were simply olive branch
wreaths, with which they were crown.
ed ut the expiration of the games
With this olive branch, however. went
honor all through the Grecian posses.
stons and the privilege of living at
Olympia at the expense of the state
and of erecting statue in the Altis
A three time victor had the right to
erect statue bearing his features.
The Olympic games reached their
height during the period after the Per.
sian wars before ancient Greece began
to decay. They were abolished by the
Emperor Theodosius in a. d. 394.
In the Olympic games Of 1906 once
more the Americans showed their su.
periority in the track and field events
and went home after having won elev.
en- out of twenty-five contests. a much
other nation that entered team. The
Olympic games this year lack u great
deal of the enthusiasm and the dignity
which went with the old Greek revival
of 1906. 1t is not that the perform.
ances lack in quality or that the scene
of the contests does not compare ia.
voraby with that of the former Olym,
pic games. The stadium Mt Shepherds
Bush, London, where they are held is
great enough TO contain the stadium
at Athens in its infeld. 1t holds
10000 spectators and contains 1900
of them under an immense covered
stand. Under the seats are great
spaces which contain committee rooms
and halls for exhibitions of different
sorts. The cost of the structure was
100000, or nearly S330,00O. but the
structure does not express the senti-
ment of nation. 1t was built by q
stock company as a business invest
ment and as such, from what can be
learned about the attendance at this
yQar's games seems lil;nlv tn fail