The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-06-20
FAVORS
A CONFERENCE
MEET HERE
Cardinal Athletes Sure They
Can Make Showing Against
Best in Country

The showing made by the athletes OF
Stanford university at the big confer
ence meets at Chicago during the last
two seasons has caused considerable
comment among the followers of Gin
derpath athletics in the local club and
intercollegiate circles. Among the
alumni Of the University of California
and Stanford is this especially true, and
here it has raised the question as to
the feasibility of holding a large con-
ference meet on this coast.
The proposition. has been advanced
by the enthusiasts in order to demon
strate conclusiyely to the eastern col
legians and those of the middle west
that the men of the coast universe
ties are on a par with the performers
of the east and middle west. The rec
ords made by the athletes Of Stanford
and California in the last few years
compare so favorabIy with the best
times and distances made in the east
ern college meets that it is believed
by the experts here that the teams Of
Stanford and California would be able
to make a great showing against the
pick of the other large institutions OF
the country.
The failure of the cardinal men to
bring back the Chicago conference cup
in the last two seasons has been shown
to have been the lack of full team.
Stanford has only been able to finance
the sending of two small picked teams
which have come within a small mar
gin of winning the meet, but have been
forced to retire in each instance before
an institution more locally situated TO
Chicago, which had full team.
The local enthusiasts, while conn-
dent that the coast athletes would take
care of the records, are forced to admit
that the matter of financing the propo-
sition is a serious one If local con-
ference association were formed 1T
would be obliged to offer heavy guaran-
tees to the competitors from across the
continent. 1t Is in this manner tnat
the Chicago conference association Sc
cures such a large attendance OF cem-
petine teams. The guarantee in the
instance of a meet here would have to
be considerably larger than that OF
fered by the Chicago officials at the
present time.
The plan, to be successful, would ne
cessitate a large attendance 10 Deslh
with and also the cooperation OF ia
cific coast merchants and the railroad
and steamship companies The col
legians. who have taken up the matter
in an informal manner. believe that the
meet would appeal to many promoters
as a good advertisements for San Fran
cisco and the coast and that large sup
port could be anticipated from this
source.
As both the universities of Stanford
and California are closed for the sum
mer session, the plans are not likely
to progress much beyond the formative
period for some months. When the col
legians again get together it is thought
that something definite can be done.
The stanford athletes are enthusi-
astic over the conference meet, and.
while disappointed in the outcome,
speak highly of the treatment received
at Chicago. They state that the trips
of the track team has done much to
instil interest in Stanford among the
people of the Rocky Mountain states
and in the middle west. Many alumni
are located in all of the cities visited
by the team and the receptions ten
dered the stars en- route were numer-
Gus and enjoyable.
If meet can not be arranged on-this
side of the continent, the cardinals ex-
pect to go east again next time and see
if the third time will not prove the
charm. Dad Moulton expects that he
will have a team worthy of the trip,
as the majority of his stars will not
leave college and others will be ELI
gible.