The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-08-03
lkansas City Times. ]

NfAduSdS CltN lines
Inc sun beat down with ,%violen,
NJ that stood deep in the dust in
the great olNmpian stadium. The day
grew hotter and hotter. but lot one
of that crowd dared leave his place,
Tor fear of losing il. Now and then
one of the %perspiring spectators took
Il drink of some cooling liquid which,
he carried with him. h heat and
the dust had no effect on the spirits
of these men. for cries and shouts of
announcement burst from them as
some athlete planted a good blow on
his adNcrsary's jaw, or q fleet runner
crossed the tape exhausted.
Now and then cries of scorn could
he heard as some poor wretch VEN
tured an unfair blow. or gave up
without a gallant struggle, and he
skunk away into the gathering twi-
light, never to return. Gradually. as
tho twilight deepened, Nh" crowd be-
gan to move toward the gates. and
when the last event had been finished
they rushed for their tents that sur
rounded the great stadium, The first
daN of the great Olrnpian games
was over.
These ancient Olympian games be
gan in Greece long before the year
a." r. C., after which their regular
wv Aii'il't was uSeu lbI cAI,ltSSlHs
the date of the year. They grew out
"f the religious festival devoted to
III" god Zeus. The games MAY pos
slhlN have begun as a local feast. hut
these rose to importance in the reign
of the despots throushout Greece,
whey Nh" ~ariStocrats woro prevented
from carrying on the pleasant little
nastlme of numbering n another
and We're forced to seek some less
CORY a YOnSaInanf 'TlnS- locfa1 oil
through classical history, and were
great events in Greece.
They We're carried on in times of
War as we'll as in peaceful times. and
a truce was declared so that athletes
from the Camp of the enemy might
take part in the contests The Greeks
recognized The advisahilitv of train
ing their bodies to maintain their
health and strength. and all the Young
nastic exercise. But their system of
training was somewhat diffo rent from
that Of to-day, NJ il is safe to say
mat one Of the flet unnor of modern
days could have defeated one of the
old Olympian victors.
For the old Greeks missed the real
secret of training. and believed that
the more strong nulriment a man
could take. the stronger he would
w lIt qua fllltN t1i91 pN dtl.
letes is universally spoken of as far
exceeding the quantity eaten by ordin-
airy men, no to speak Of its heavier
quality. y certain promeus, who
Won ten ctorie in long races at
various games. was he" first who
thought of eating meat in his train
ing, This discovery Of Dromeus was
utilized ever after to a great degree,
and as Il result the old runner must
have heen rather sluggish.
The old Greeks We're not blessed
with stop watches. SO it is hard To de
t"rlnlne the time they made i'm their
races. They merely ran to see who
could win. not against time. But. as
the course was over soft sand. and
IS the vases piotur" them rushing
along in ~spreadeagle fashion. with
their arms outstretchoI like the sail
of a windmill. to aid the motion of
rh"ir bodies. as historians have ex-
Planned. their time must have heen
rather poor. Some historians even
mention the runners shouting as they
started off on their race.
In the olympian games the run
ming. which had originally been tn"
only competitions. tame first. The
distance was once up the course. and
seems 10 lave been about 90 yards.
After the Year go Il. c. races of dou-
bile the course and longer races of
about 1000 Yards We're added: races
in arrlor We're a still later addition
and came at the end of the sports.
This probably is the origin of our
three-lessed races and obstacle races.
Among all these varieties hurdle
races we're unknown: the broad jump
vas assigned a special race and con-
sldereti NorF important.
The races seem Ia have been MAIN
u 2 test of STAYING power. as mon
Who Ton the sprint and long races
ais" We're considered wizards. \
spartan named l-adas dice as he
crossed thu taph a victor of a long
race. and this endurance was looked
upon as q wonderful feat. Of course
mis- death may hIye been due TO oyer
training or heart disease.
The races We're ram in heats of four.
ami it tn I" was an odd man over.
the owner of he last lot drawn could
sit down till the winners of the heat
We're declared, and then run against
fhr4n With ONT n previous fatigue.
- II "+s easy for the last man. The
Limitations of each heat tn four com
petithrs arose from their not wearing
%c"'"rs, or clothes either for that mat.
ter. and So not being easily distin-
gu'shahle. The runner Uern walked