The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-01
CURRENT SPORTS

CURRENT DPUKTS The New York police force is harbor of refuge for champion athletes Simon P. Gillis. the New York Athletic clubs glantweight man, has put in an appi- cation for a job in the police department, and unless he pulls back at the last min Ute he may soon be pounding the pave along with Martin Sheridan. John Elan agan and Jack Eller.
 During the coming spring and summer ' America will be the happy hunting ground of athletes of all kinds and colors A ! team from South Africa, headed by R. E. Walker is planning a campaign and now news comes from the other side of the world that the record holding sprint CTS, Hottentots and Zulus, are to have set of rivals A bunch of Hawaiian athletes also propose to collect a few American trophies.
 A Honolulu club accepted the invitation | of San Francisco athletic organization to visit this country. As it is not prob able that they would make such a long journey just to compete in few western games, it is thought that the trip will be an extended one. embracing most of the cities in the west and middle west and perhaps the east.
 Athletics have found a firm foothold in Hawaii. but almost nothing is known il this country of the calibre of the men mixed up in the track and field game there. Last year En Sue, Chinaman, was reported to have run 100 yards in 2-5 seconds, the same time made by Walker in his recent record breaking race The performance, however, was never verified and consequently Is not to be found in the record books. The chances are though that En Sue is ten-second man, and. as these are not to be found | on every street corner, his coming will be looked forward to with interest The Irish-American Athletic club must get new track captain. Lawson Robert i son, the 19S-pound sprinter, who is now directing the Winged Fist team. an- nounces that he is obliged by business to relinqulsh his duties. This is the third time Robbie has refused reelection but on the former occasions he has been coaxed into reconsidering.
 President Conway and hts associate di- rectors in the big cluo would sooner lose any official in the club than Robertson. For five years he has filled the position of track and field captain to the queens taste. So loath are the Irsh-Americans | to hair fc are purposely delaying the annual cleo tion-generally held in January-hoping that something will turn up in the mean i time to alter Robertson's decision.
 Bert D. Collyer, the racing editor of the Los Angeles Examiner, has just delivered little sermon on the Evil of Race Bet ting" in the course of which he says: "Of the many letters that daily find their way to the desk none is so numerous as those of inqury sent to me by the 'sys- tenn players or those who contemplate playing the races from information that 1 might possess.
 'The more pertinent of these beg for special or inside information concern ing this or that horse, racing secrets Of this or that stable.
 ''The first thing that I wish to impress upon the reader is that the position oi handcapper, turf expert or whatever you may choose to call it, is absolutely the most thanl<less of any that 1 know of You are continually between two fires You are either openly or subtly accused of hiding a good thing or you know noth- ing.
 ! .ci,,;no fine +o ona'e rareopal fr;ands is a business sedulously to be avoided by the successful handicapper because yor are always accused of having put then off the winner of their own fancy, whil, in case of success you are bored to death until execration eventually is the lot
 'lf you fail to name the winner of ar important event or rather, should say give the loser, you are deluged with in sulting letters and post cards Right hert my dearest exhortation the best ano
 most honest tip that I have ever giver or ever shall give, is-Don't bet. Look a
 the booknaSers, what they were anC are. and how they live, although they
 will trutbfuly tell you that the game i'
 not half what it was"
 Fervor for long-distance races ha, spread all over the world. Recently the,
 held one in far-off Uganda. It was iron
 Entebbe to Kampula.
 Although the staple dlet or the nallVe'
 is bananas and potatoes, the men showed
 great staying power over long distances
 and it was hoped that the Olympic tim'
 might be beaten This was not so how ever, as l..e winner took three hours ant
 three minutes over the couse, being close ly followed home by the second and thirt
 men.
 When. however, it is considered tha they were untrained, that they flnishet fresh enough to leap and run about, tha the cyclists merely patrolled the road ant did not pace the runners, that the rac' took place in the hottest part of the da.
 and was partly over road wet with ;
 recent shower, no one will deny the men ability. It is amusing to note that thre' of the rusners carried umbrellas. and tha the winner on finishing danced about saying that he was very fine fellov and knew how to run well.
 VAUDEVILLE TURN