The enterprise-recorder. (Madison, Fla.) 1908-1933, 1909-06-10


athletics ave realizing that the thing
4 being over done. Men who have
been connected with sport for a GEN
Grafton have turned away from these
contests with pity for the unfortunate
,contenders and disgust for the avarl-
iAous promoters, who seek quantity in
tlelr entry lists and care little about
the quality of the rank and file of the
starters. James E. Sullivan, presi-
dent OF the Amateur Athletic Union:
W. L. Jones, who has acted as ref
cree in most OF the recent contests
and John McHugh, who has had
charge Of the scoring, do not hesitate
in expressing the opinion that the
Marathon craze has gone Beyond rea-
sonable bounds and that many Of the
youths who have competed in them
have received injuries that will not
easily be overcome.
Physicians who have been called on
10 treat some Of the Marathon suf-
ferers have been amazed at the poor
physical condition of the boys who
we're allowed to compete and run till
they drop. DR.. Bushman, of St. Greg
orys hospital, spoke indignantly OF
the officials who allowed such youths
as Max Mooney, a weakly east side
boy, 10 run in such thing as a Mar
athon. Mooney, who is barely TWEEN
ty-One years old, competed in the
Brooklyn-Sea Gate race on Lincolns
birthday and tottered along far in the
uck. After making his way back
as far as Park row he collapsed, some
two hours after the end of the strug-
glel He was taken to the hospital
gaherlng from complete muscular ex-
haustion and his heart was badly at
iected
Strained Heart Badly.
In the same race E. Hamel strain
ed his heart so badly that his life was
despaired of for a time at the Swedish
hospital. Another youngster on the
same occasion, Sylvester Vigilante,
barely eighteen years old, dropped
unconscious in the road and was in
iured so badly by the strain that the
doctors at the Kings County hospital
where he was taken, said that he
might suffer from the effects for the
rest Of his life. These are only few
Instances, but almost every race that
has been run recently has had such
Uewsome features.
Those who promote the events do
not profit by past experience and lin
It the entries to tried men. 1t was
stated before a race on Washington's
birthday, that all the starters would
be examined by a physician previous
to the contest. How casually they
we're inspected however, was made
evident by the number of ooys who
collapsed along the route. Only two
we're taken to hospitals on this oc-
casion, but a score or more were
brought back to the starting point in
automobiles, and the amateur attend
ants had their hands full trying to
revive them WITH aromatic spirits
and liberal doses of sumulants.
Poor, III Fed Competitors.
The type of many of the starters is
well illustrated by the story an officer !
OF the Fourteenth regiment told in re- |
gard TO the race run Washington's !
birthday. "A boy" he said, came IN
here out of breath and said he wanted !
to enter the race. He said he had |
run all the way from Warren street,
out to South Brooklyn.
When | asked him If he had the dol
lar to pay for his entry fee he had
said no, so / told him he would have
to run all the way back Where some
OF these fellows get the necessary en-
trance money is a mystery to me-"
There are scores of youths from the
poorest quarters Of the city who look
Ill fed and anemic starting in every
one of these races. Nine-tenths OF
hem have had no training at all. At
rekpt race from Rye to New York
put more than one hun
ired Itarters there were not more
han half a dozen who had warm
'lothing or shoes that were not well
worm.
Probably the worst Marathon"
hat was ever run was out in Pitts
'urg recently, where four thousand
choolboys, under sixteen years OF
'ge, were allowed to compete in a
en- mile race. Mr.. Sullivan said that
t was absolutely cruel to permit
hese youngsters TO iniure themselves
'erhaps for life. Out in the same VI
Unity a Marathon race was run in
'lzzard and had 22S starters. Hugh