Norwich bulletin., 1913-08-13
STILL IN TRIM AT
 HALF CENTURY MARK
John D. Nolan Is Even Yet a Formid- able Proposition As Runner Maybe He'll Start at the Fair- Some of His Feats.

On his farm in the woods back of Taftville, probably four miles from the city and short two from Occum village John D. Nolan, the distance runner of many big victories, whose track career covered more than 20 years and who, at 50, is still a pretty good proposition physically. talked yesterday with the New London County Agricultural society's repre- sentative about his plans to run an exhibition at the fair in September just" he said. ito show them what a man who's turned the half century point can dO."
 He's worked 15 hours 8 day, some of the summer. on his little farm it's matter of IS acres, and he has four acres at his home, a mile away, 'besides-and the outdoor life has put him in prime condition, he says. for half mile, though he may not, after all, elect to go that far when. next month, he again puts on trunks and tries the track where, in bygone days, he made some of his best records. He weighs 154 pounds at present
 Some of his best friends, including certain old time sports of Taftville, Greeneville and Baltic, who saw him run his first race, in 1881, want him to go the half. He did it once. back in 1887, in 1.56 1-2. At that time the worlds record was 15S 1-2 It was
  tit of LittletOn, New Zealand in 1871. Since then Charlie Fitzpatrick, a Union college boy. has been the half in 1.53 2-5, and Maxcy Long. the middle distance champion. has gone in 153- Is. The men who have cut the miu- ute mark in the half have been two score or so in number since 1868.
 At Travers Island on July 19,'' said Nolan, Eddie Carter, the Englishman went one-f1fth of a mile on the cinder- path-they have beaGty-Of the New York Athletic club, and he did 1t in a minute and second. He's 90 years old and so am I. It may be that I can't better hts figures, but my i'm pression Is that I can. and at any rate I'm going to try.
 AS a general thing. I'm in good shape about all the time. It was 10 years ago that I went to the fair to run against Cute, the horse that goes without driver. I'd strained a. ten- don in my right leg. and Theodore Warrington (the then secretary of the society) thought I'd better not try But Dr. Cassidy and Dr. Tingley thought I was fit and I ran. and Cute wasn't quite fast enough for Nolan I was to go half while the horse went mile.
 The society, I hear. would like to get me to race Eddie Carter at the fair. but I don't think it could be ar ranged. He's an amateur well taken care of by the New York Athletic club. an organization of millionaires, and they, I believe, want him to be an amateur to the end of his days. I'm a professional. I always did run for money. Carter never did. He couldn't very well meet me. I'm going to try to beat his record for fifth of a mile. The other day l ran 200 yards in 30 seconds with all my clothes on.
 Garter is a fine fellow and an old friend of mine. l went to his wedding. He's worth about $25.000, and he made it all through the prestige he got as a member of the New York Athletic club"
 Nolan knew all the old timers at the mile and up. Ha trained Tommy Conneff, the doughty little Irishman, who for many years following 1887 was 8 card at athletic meets all over the country. Tommy went the mile in 4.15 4-5. The best ever done at that distance was 4.12 3-4 by ". c. George, an Englishman in 1886. Conneff went to the Philippines as a sergeant in the United States army and died there six months ago.