New-York tribune., 1910-01-09
SCRATCH MAN WINS
COLLINS TAKES RACE.
Shoes Good Form an Lone
Race at KaUier Meet.
CHARLES CLIFTON

displaying oldtime form Tom Collins of
the lrish-American Athletic Club won the
three-n1ile handicap run from scratch at
the annual games of the Xavier Club. I'm
the 22d Regiment Arnory. last night. The
victory Of Collins was all the more I'M
presslVe from the fact that he defeated
george obermeyer, the other scratch man.
When this event was called small sized
army of ambitious distance runners re-
Sponded, and they were strung completely
around the track. There were about fifty
in all. The friends of Mike Ryan, who had
the limit of 10 yards. tipped him as sure
winner. The sturdy irish runner did show
the way for more than half the distance,
but then had TO drop back
The race practically resolved itself into a
struggle between Collins and Obermeyer.
Always setting the pace, Collins carly in
the contest proved to TIE satisfaction of
the spectators that il was his night. Only
once, shortly after passing the mile post,
Gid the National man challenge Collins,
and then the Irish athlete cut loose in {;
manner that soon had Obermeyer tiptoed
At two and n half miles Collins led by
fifty yards. and the margin over his rival
al the finish was more than half a lap.
Obermeyer got second. and II. l.. Scott, a
long-marker. came IN third. The time. 4:52
not bad. under the conditions.
The field in the three-quarters of a mile
handicap was even more unwieldy. no
less than sixty started 4. +. Kiviat was
on scratch, but he never succeeded in get
ting to the front. Matt Geiss, from The
en-yard mark, looked like a winner a lap
from home, but r. j. Egan caught him go
ing round the last turn and beat him TO
the tape by five yards. The winner had a
SlS-vard allowance <iXiatS time, taken
separately for the distance, was ) :f6, but
the winner reached the tape III 3 IL 20,
making even better time than the scratch
man.
The West Side Young Mems Christian
Association team Won a fine race in the
mic relay. and Edward Ritter ran fine
quarter His time in this novice event was
81 40 seconds.
The innovation of having a scratch man
ir every event was tried for the first time
in these games. This was at the sugges-
tion OF James F. Sullivan, who advanced
two good reasons. Under the new plan,
where the recognized scratch man a GER
tain distance does not enter the back
marker is placed on the post of honor and
the others brought back in proportion.
Mr. Sulivan's idea is that ofttimes the
back marker wins q heat or race we'll inside
lowed through failure to complete the fun
route. The secretary OF the Amateur Ath-
letic Union also contends that it is more
satisfactory TO the spectators TO see
scratch man. incidentally, the new ar
rangement made Thomas +. OBrien, the
Handicapped, work all the harder.
Sparkling diamonds offered as prizes in
the various events spurred the athletes on
to extra efforts. The crowd was also large,
all the available space being taken in the
balconies and the main floor. There was
also plenty of enthusiasm, the rootefs cut
ting loose in the relay race and the three
mile run.
The summary follows:
seyenty-yard dash Govics: final heau-Won
by T. I. Gareins, list Regiment; c. T. TONES,
fist Regiment. second; D. J. Ferris, Loughlin
Lyceum. third. Time, 0:0s.
seventy-yari dash thardicap: final heatt-Won
by r. J. Reynolds. Acorn 4. a. IA feep; John
J. ElIer. Irsh-Amer.can A. c. @ feeD. second;
@. +. Morrissey. Pa5tne 4. c. III feeD, third
Time 0:07 10.
lllrse-q quarter-nlie thaa 3icap)-Won by r.
J. Ecan. unattached % YARDS; Matt Geiss, un-
attached 40 yails). second r. s!lbernagel Mo
hawk A - 80 yards) third Time 3:l2 -.
300-yard run thandicapt-Won by ", y.
Koch, Pratt Institute ia yardsl; J. h.
Halier Irish American A. Q. 90 yardsl, sec
ond: Carl Walther, New York y. c. IS yards),
third. Time. O :33.
44o-yard run (novice Won by Edward