Norwich bulletin., 1909-03-12
Milwaukee Man Says Present Day
 Stars Fall Short in Comparison.


 The numerous Marathen races whicn are being run all over the United States has started some of the old timers digging up records and compar- ing walkers and runners of .25 years ago with those of today. There are few men better qualified to compare these athletes than Henry O. Messier, one of the old-tim pedestrians, now making Milwaukee his home and get ting out dope on such events. Messier who has walked and run in six-day races in al! parts of the United States and Canada during the past 25 years, who says he has covered a distance of over 5000 miles on the tanbark track during that time, defeating most of the best men In the world, says that in his opinion the present day runners and walkers do not class with the sprint CTS of the cid school.
 Hurst Could Beat Them All.
 q consider Len Hurst, the English man. who is now in New York, in a class by himself, and at 15 to p miles. or even a Marathon distance, Hurst can defeat such men at Longboat, Do rando, Hayes, Sidney Hatch and oth- CTS easy. At the present time do not believe that any of tle above men, who are looked upon as present day cham pions, could have defeated such men as George Cartwright of England, the worlds champion. at 50 miles, Peter Hegalman. Peter Golden of New York. Tom Howarth of Philadelphia, Gus Guerrero, the Mexican, John Hughes of New York. John Hanrahan of Bos- ton, J. J. Engleman of South Bend. Ind, or Dave Bennett of Canada. have run against these men in many races and with the exception of Han raEan l have defeated most of them, and also have met defeat at their hands. I have seen these men run 25 or 50 miles without stopping, not only for one evening. but to keep it up for six days in races Of four t. eight or 12 hours daily.
 Thirty years ago Norman Taylor. the veteran of the Civil war, when 50 years old, ran 20 miles In Madison Square Garden, New York, in one hour and 5S minutes. Taylor held the worlds record at that time. He now lives in Minneapolis. While in Chi cago recently I witnessed the Mara thon race between Dorando and Albert Corey, and while Dorando ran a sDlen did race and deserves all the credit that goes to the winner, he was pretty nearly all in at the finish, and if call ed upon to run the same distance for six nights in succession, as the old time pedestrians used to do, Dorando could not have done it. While he has Lil6 SpG6Q TUT sDIiAL EdtHs ilG l.ds ilOt the build for long endurance race. such as was in vogue a score of years ago. As for this man Corey, he is a very poor type of runner, in fact he had no endurance and he seemed to lack the courage that an athlete must have when called upon to test his ability against a trained runner like Dorando. Corey has claimed several records, but l doubt very much whether he would be able to hold his own against several men I could men, tiCn Corey must have known that he could not run the Marathon distance ithout stepping. and his excuse about a sprained ankle was a joke.
 Tn the old days the runners were always willing to take a chance. but now the runners want to be guaran- teed everything m sight, and have it paid to them before the race, the same as many of the champion boxers. If they have another international Mara thon race I hope the stars and stripes will be reprssented by men who have the courage. ever if th'4y have not the ability. I remember that during a six day race of eight hours daily at Man chester, N. H., the week of Feb. B. 1890, 15 of the best runners of this country took part Cartwright and myself ran 50 miles without a stop tlr first day. Cartwright ran 5s miles in elEHI " SN ucAhS NoA III SN place.
 RoweIPs Great Record.
 "We must look back to Charley Powell. the Englishman, who ran 100 miles in IS hours. 26 minutes and 30 seconds, and 150 miles in 24 hours on Feb. 27, 1882, at Madison Square Gar der, New York. This remarkable feat was performed on the first day of the six day so as you please race against such men as Johnny Hughes and oth- CTS Hughes made 15S miles in the first 24 hours. but Powell managed u lead by a few yards, and therefore holds the record. Both men ran them selves off their feet in that time and neither won the race, as at the end of the third day they were forced to re- tire. George Ldttlewood of England. who holds the 142 hour record of 623 miles, and James Alberts of Philadel- phia. who holds the American record of 621 miles, have never been touched at such distances. The old timers used to train from three to six months. while the present-day athletes train two or three weeks for contest. Tn records show for this as to the best two runners and 1t is all in favor of kI,o oIH-kfnHores