Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-10

| there is no doubt but that the visit Oh
the oxford team will result in greatly in
creased consideration of this form of re-
| lay contest in other countries which are
| interested in the Olympic games When
| Frank +. Ellis started this relay car
nivai. way back in 1886 he had no idea
to what proportions it would grow. nor
had those who afterward became asso-
.. ciated with him in it. like Messrs. Geye-
lin and Madeira. and it is probable that
its history of growth in other countries,
where already it is gaining foothold,
will he quite the same 1t was not even
necessary for the development of inter
est that this particular race in which the
oxford team figured should have been SO
tremendously exciting and interesting.
hut that fact will do much to circulate
the story of these games.
Just few lines here to those who did
not have the pleasure of seeing the race.
|>it was four-mile event. each Individual
went off without particular incident.
save as demonstrating that the race
would eventually be between Penn and
oxford for the runners representing
these two institutions had by this time
put commanding distance between
themselves and the other two contest
ants, Cornell and Penn State. The men
who were to run the third mile We're
Madeira of Penn and Taber of oxford
laber was formerly Brown University
man and one wQh tied Jones at the In
tercoilegiates two years ago. Madeira
Is the son of the big game hunter. and,
as plucky and consistent . runner as can
be found but it was hardly expected that
he would quite hold Taber Those who
were to run the final mile were jackson.
the Oxford captain. and the Olympic
champion. matched against McCurdy the
tWo-mile intercollegiate champion. and a
man who Is known among the Pennsyl
ranians. as well as others. as a mighty
bard one to defeat when the pinch comes.
For all this. the feeling was THAT Madeira
would hardly be able to do more than
hold Taber and jackson at a mile with
his wonderful sprint would have some
thing the better OF McCurdy Madeira
logged Eaber for three-quarters of a mile
and then as they went around the back
curve. Madeira came up and they raced
for the straight
1t was a splendid piece of work on the
Pennsylranian' part. for he picked up
and passed Taber, and, more than that,
came so strongly as to pass over to Nc
Curdy a lead of nearly fourteen yards as
an aid against the oxford captain. Jack
son, the oxford captain had shown some
signs of anxiety during the last two re-
lays. keeping his eyes off the track as
much as possible, and when he saw his
teammate raber falter and lose nearly
fifteen yards 1t was quite manifest, as he
seized the baton from Taber. that he did
not like the looks of affairs. Here pos
sibly McCurdy may have made a mistake
for instead of holding the portion Of that
lead for the first eighth of mile at
least he permitted the English captain to
get II all back in a dash of something
like nifty yards, SO that as they turned
INTO the first straight Jackson was at
McCurdys heels. From that point on
they ran the race almost stride for stride
with the exception that they did not keep
step as some of the others, had done, ow-
ing to the longer stride of Jackson. At
any rate. he was at McCurdy's shoulder
for the first three laps. occasionally
pressing a little to pass if McCurdy was
willing. but McCurdy always answered
When they started on the fourth lap. the
interest and excitement was intense
jackson made an endeavor to pass on
the first curve, but McCurdy stretched
out so that they went into the straight in
the same relative positions BY this time
they had begun to run and with a little
over an eighth of a mile to go both were
sprinting. Together they went down to
the back curve, rounded out side by side,
and at the last turn Jackson forged ahead
a little. They then rushed for the tape
at pace that seemed almost impossible
for milers a the end of a race, but both
held and about twelve yards from the
tape jackson threw his last effort as he
did at the .Oyympics into reaching the
Curdy.
The latter. however. instantly respond
ed by another almost superhuman effort
50 that as the two flashed across the
finish. with roaring crowd of thousands
choking the sides Jackson had only the
thickness of his body for a v-.n. and in
another two yards McCurdy was well
ahead, but ii was too late. jackson had
won by foot one of the most exciting
races that has ever been run in this
country.
Now 10 the question of schoolboys
ct these relays. ii was recognized b.,
many OF the authorities vino had these
Pennsylvania. races in charge some years
ago. that wheL they asked schooiboys TO
run fun quarter miles there was some
danger of overstrain and in many of
these events the distance has been made
an eighth of a mile / am inclined to
thinkthat even that is too much. and this
was certainly demonstrated by some of
the boys OF the track in the races of
1914. Of course there are boys mature
enough to stand distance track racing
out there We're several on the cinder
paths that day whose distance had much
better have been fifty yards or hundred
than one-eighth Of a mile. We must not
put the spur to these immature hearts
too young. If We do. ii is going to
make trouble afterward Nature meant
these boys to do active work, shors runs
strain on the heart, and DR.. Mckenzie
and Mr.. Ellis should study over this
somewhat difficult problem and see that
il is solved.
One of the most important bodies in
foot ball and one not fully appreciated
by the public is the central board of Off
Gals. of which DIR James A. Rabbit of
Hayerford is chairman. This committee
consists of eight OF the rules commit
tee and associates with its body three of
the best officials Their meeting for. CON
sidering various points was held at the
Bellevue Stratford in Philadelphia the
evening before the open relay races.
Some idea of the work that falls to this
board can be gathered from the fact that
this central board makes practically all
the appointments Of officials for the
games. arranges for substtutions, gives
a corrected standard of fees, considers
any difficulties regarding the officials ex-
penses and plans for the development of
new and competent officials to take the
place of those on the retired list Finally
this year il was essential that it should
discuss the duties of the fourth official,
rather complicated problem likely to be
solved however. by making him an as
sistant to such officials as the referee
NAV direct, after consultation, before the
game.
n,onrrivbta3 hr nti~ p Unn1 Inc 1o1x.