The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-12-21
YOUNG bAPT|E OFF
ON CAMP A|GN

Post-Intelligencer of last Sunday has
the following to say of Norval Bap-
, tie, the young brother OF A. Baptie
of this city:
'NOrval Baptie, the worlds cham
piOn speed skater, who now lives in
Seattle. has left the city for his an
nual swing through the skating cen
tiers of Canada, the east and middle
west Few people in Seattle have
known that the champion in a local
resident, for he is a quiet unassum-
ing chap who talks. rarely of his
feats. Yet he has had a great career
upon the ice.
"Baptie was raised upon a farm !.
Bathgate, n. D., and began his skat-
ing career at the age Of 10 years. He
showed remarkable speed from the
lightning and matched against tn )
fastest men in the neighboring states
and managed to defeat every man
that he was pitted against When at
the age of 16 years he won from
Jack McCulloch, amateur champion
of the world, two exhibition races
at Bathgate and Neche, N. D., and
the following year defeated Thor
valid Thomson of Minneapolis, in
series of races at Bathgate. Thorn
sen was considered one of the fast
est men in America. This same year
Baptie won from John S. johnson.
the world renowned cyclist and skat-
er, at Fergus Falls, Mimi. The fol-
lowing year Baptie won from John
Nilsson, champion professional skat-
err of the world, at Bathgate in
two-mile match race, Baptie winning
by half lap. All of these races
were skated on indoor tracks.
"Baptie met his first defeat at
Montreal in the worlds championship
meet, February 2, 1899, losing only
by inches to Nilsson. This was Ban
ties first appearance on large track
John S. Johnson. Harley Davidson
and Thorwald Thomson also started
Nilsson won from Baptie at Montreal
on large track. February 3, 1900.
Baptie defeated Harley Davidson att
Toronto in February, 1900. On De-
cember %. 1899, Baptie lowered
Johnson's quarter-mile worlds rec
ord of 81 "a seconds to 281-3 sec
Onds, and Olaf Rudd's and Tim Don
ahoe's half-mile joint record of
1905 IS to 100 %.
ION December 20, 1899. Baptie |
lowered Donahoes mile record of I!
PIP "a to 2:0S at Lake Minneton-
ka. Mimi. In 1902 Baptie and Nilsson !
broke even at Bemidji, Mimi. Bap-
tie defeated Johnson at st. Paul, Du-
luth. Calumet and Milwaukee. In |
1908 Baptie beat Nilsson, McCulloch,
Davidson and Sinnerud at Saranac
lake, in five-mile race. Nilsson
backed out of a special race arranged |
at the same place. In 1905 Nilsson |
won the half and two-mile and Ba2-
tie won the mile at Saranac Lake |
Sinnerud was disqualified for foul
ing Baptie Two days later, in 1905, |
at Montreal. in the worlds champion
ship meet, Baptie beat Nilsson twice
straight. Nilsson was second. David
son third, Sinnerud fourth.
In 1906, at Pittsburg, Baptie low
cred the worlds fifty-yard record of
> 3-5 seconds to ) % seconds; also
Woods half mile record of 1:213 "a.
and Missions record of 1870 rs. on
the indoor track to lis Is
In 1907 Baptie won from McCul-
loch. Sinnerud and Bellefenule at
Saranac. Montreal and Pittsburg, e.
record in 80 is seconds at Pitts
a new quarter-mile indoor
burg.
I'm 1908 he defeated Morris Wood
at Cleveland.
Early in 1909 at Minneapolis he
met Nilsson twice. In the first races
each won race. At the second
two weeks later Baptie won
twice straight, breaking two worlds
indoor records, lowering half mile of
minute 1914 seconds to / minute
Is seconds. and the one mile Of 2
Al Y seconds to minutes
S5 seconds. winning by over 200 feet
in each race. +
"Baptie and Wood divided honors
1t Cleveland. Wood was disqualified
for fouling. Wood failed to appear
against Baptie at st. Paul later |,
"Baptie makes his headquarters
while in Seattle at Brown & Hulen's,
Chird avonuo and Madison ctroot ~