The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-07-17
ATHLETE IS
VERY PROMINENT

FRANK ". irons, called by many one
of the greatest athletes of his size the
track world has ever known, reeled off
100 yards in ten seconds fiat the other
day and now looms up as a possible
record breaker. He will be a member
of the Chicago Athletic association
team in the 1O0-yard dash against the
New York Athletic and the Irish
American Athletic clubs in the three
cornered meet which is being arranged.
M. A. Delaney, athletic trainer for
the Q. A. A, after studying Irons
makeup carefully, concluded to with
draw him from the high jumps and to
rely on his running broad Jump and
his speed in the dashes for points for
the Cherry Circle. Faithful trainer
that he Is, Irons prepared himself and
last week he was taken to the Chicago
avenue play grounds by H. p. Raney,
r. G. Taylor and j. c. Ryan, three 9TH
err members of the team, and each held
a stop watch on him while he made a
100-yard trial. The course was meas
ured both before and after the race
and Irons reeled off the century in ten
seconds fat much to the surprise of
his teammates.
Say. / can do As right now If
that time was correct" said Irons,
when he looked at the three watches.
Two of the watches showed 10 and
one showed 81 AS. Irons was as much
surprised as were his three teammates.
He said he knew ne was not at his
best and besides he had not stretched
himself out even then. In competition
he was confident he could show a fast
err turn Of speed. With this good news,
Professor Delaney believes he sees a
chance to give Irons a mark close to
the record held by r. e. Walker, res
ident of South Africa. and who is the
only man that ever got below o SIS.
Wonderfully MuseIed.
Irons is wonderfully muscled young
man, getting most all of his force from
his thighs. He also seems to have an
advantage over many athletes in start
ing. He Is as quick as a panther and
the crack of the gun finds him at top
speed almost with the first strides
II had intended springing a surprise
on the public with Irons I'm the 100
yard dash, but now that his sensational
trial has become public there Ia no
need of trying to keep IT under cover
any longer" said Delaney. Il have all
along maintained that irons would
make a wonderful sprinter If he would
cut out high jumping, and he stook my
advice. Owing to his heavy thighs I
figured IT out that in taking off SO sud
denly in the high jump the muscles
were likely to become tangled or not
respond quickly enough and therefore
tie up. That has been the case in sew
eral instances and Irons feels now that
II is safer and better to cut out the
high jump You know he has a mark
of six feet, one inch, which he made
in the Olympian games. and consider
ing that this is ten inches higher than
his head. II is wonderful perform
ance He stands second to Holmes. the
colored athlete, who is almost twice
as tall as Irons
viii Beat the Mark.
Irons Olympian record for run
ming broad jump, which lie "a feet 6h
inches, is wonderful performance and
/ am confident that he will beat that
mark this year. You see, In the run
ming broad jump he develops speed and
the take-off Is not so severe as in the
high jump, when there is a sudden ex-
ertiop more severe than in broad Jump
ing. In the latter, Irons win get bis
distance exactly and then he may be
asked to make only one trial, while n
high jumping he may be asked to try
any number of times as the bar is
raised.
when Il comes to the big meetings
however, may put Irons In only the
broad jump and POSSIBLY the 10O-yard
dash. He may also so In the 220 in
some of the events as he is developing
more speed every day and he win be
the coming sprinter In my estimation
Furthermore he Is careful with himself
and makes study of the spirits. look
ing at all times to find something
which may develop a little more speed
or help him In his getaway, upon which
there seems to be chance for little
Improvement"
Irons is joint l.older OF the 5O-yard
indoor record OF :o5 as. along with
Victor Rice and Walter Eckersall OF
Chicago, w ID, Eaton of New York and
Richard Il. Murray Of St Louis.
Everett @. Brown, chairman Of the
athletic committee OF the G.. Al. Al. liz
confident that the two New York ath-
letic clubs win accept the challenge
from Chicago and stop Off hereon their
way to Seattle and compete with the
G. A. A.. In a three corflered match
Several favorable letters have been re-
ceived by Brown from the New York