Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-21
OR|MkER AGAINST ABSTAlNER
MAN OF 65 TAKES UP CLERGY.
MANS CHALLENGE.
Ready to Cope With Him-Athletics
to Disprove That Teetotaler
Excels In Vigor.

PHILADELPHIA. March 2O-Can the
man who imbibes from twelve or fifteen
drinks every day vanquish on the athletic
field the man who is total abstainer?
Philip Cummings of 1871 South Sd stree
thinks he can.
To prove it he has accepted the sweep
Ing challenge made by Rev. DIR. l.. w
| Munhall, at the Methodist conference
Thursday, to meet any moderate drinker
four, in ten athletic events. Dr. MunhdI
Pdeclined to discuss the challenge last
night.
The challenger. DIR. MunhaIl. is sixty
four years old. The man who accepted
his invitation is sixty-five years. He is
anxiously waiting for Dr. Munhall to set
the day to determine their supremacy.
DR.. Munhall has been a total abstainer
all his life and a strong Temperance adj
vocate 1t was at pentecostal service
that DR.. Munhall told of the evil results
of the drinking habit and said that he
was ready to prove it by meeting any
moderate drinker in ten athletic events.
Athletic Stunts Proposed.
When Rev. Mr. Munhall issued the
challenge he specified the events of which
the meet was to consist They are:
Standing broad jump.
Running broad jump
Running, hop, skip and jump.
Putting ten-pound shot.
Throwing sixteen-pound hammer.
F1tty-yard dash.
Five-mile walk, heel and toe.
Five-mile swim. from Ocean Pier. Ocean
Grove, either up Or down the coast This
is to take place in July or August.
Handling iifty-pound durnbbell in yariou:
exercises.
north entrance of the city hall and going
to the campus in front of Princeton Thee.
logical Seminary and return a distance o,
eightyfour miles.
In accepting. Mr. Cummings makes
these reservations: That instead of the
dumbbell exercises, the bicyce race and
the swimming match, a running high
jump. pole vault and throwing of a fifty
pound weight be substituted He gives
as his reasons for these substitutions thai
the meet can then be run off in one day
Cummings Wants to Be Fair.
Mr. Cummings said last night at his
home:
Il do not think the doctor can object
to these substitutions. because they are
all included in the American champion
| ship sports. and. anyway. he has che
choice of seven of the events. He will he
under 20 disadvantage owing to age, for
l am one year older than he, being born
in 1874
When asked about his drinking he
caIo. nave Dceh q IHUV6TdCS QFlnRSr AT
my life. and am managing a liquor store.
Furthermore, to show my stand in the
case. l will take a drink before the meet,
IL one should take place. I may not win
all the events, but l know will take
some"
Mr.. Cummings said that he had been
interested in athletics all his life, and
that he hoped the doctor would agree TO
the meet. He is willing, he said, to meet
him at any place and at any time to ar
range the "details. his only wish being
that he could meet the clergyman
Mr.. Cummings Is not O. member of any
athletic club, but has obtained his ath-
letic prowess solely through his own
efforts and because he was always inter-
ested in keeping in the best physical con
dition. He was born in Ireland. where he
was farmer until he came to this coun-
try. He has worked In Baldwin's To-
connective works and was a bartender for
some years. He was also in the saloon
business for himself. He is a man of
powerful physique, and looks as If he
could give the athletic clergyman a hard
tussle.