The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1914-08-14
RACE AND "REMINISCENCES
The Uncertainty of Sprinters as We
Have Known Them

proper word to use in connection with
prior word was given out that a race
was on. A few on the inside collect
ed at the spot where the course was
laid, and the gathering of even small
crowd upon public street, especially
when business is a trifle stagnant,
draws others. In this instance a first
L gradual coming together to COM
mon center. Those who came late in
| quired as to the excitment, and all
| that could be learned was that foot
race was in the wind. How it was
framed up, the object, the stakes could
not be ascertained. The one or two
who was supposed to know remained
|superciliously mum. However, it was
enough to know there was to be trial
of speed. That supplied mild interest
to kill few minutes of time. The
contestants were young man named
Marcelles, from Penticton, and one
| Smith, of rather mature years in his
time a speedy sprinter, up to all the
tricks of the game, and we'll known
in this part of the county, where he
| has taken part in races for a number
of years. Both men on the track
| were as lank as greyhounds and look
ed fit to run. Betting was very light,
| and a dollar seemed to be the limit
of the ventures on chance. The ap-
| parent Indifference of the contestants
did not indicate that there was any
thing of value at stake After trott-
ing over the track several times and
poising for the benefit of the assembly
| they broke cover in very bad start
in which the Canadian had the best
of it, and he kept the lead until the
finish. The finish was quick enough,
as so yards is a short distance, and a
| tortoise would soon cover it.
Now, if there is any one sport in
which crookedness enters more large
y than another it is professional foot
| racing. Indeed, foot racing profess
sionally is discredited everywhere,
and no one but blooming greenhorn
can be found to back a man in the
professional ranks nowadays. There
have been more foot races thrown
| than ever run out on the square, and
many man has parted with his wad
through putting too much confidence
in the word of a slippery sprinter. In
Witnessing this race mentioned men,
ory harked back to one of the most
brazen throw downs in the history of
foot racing in the northwest. The in
cident occurred in the early days of
Spokane Falls. At that time stakes
| Tor sporting events were generally de-
| posted in the old Review office, and
| the writer had an opportunity to get
in on the inside of the ways of pro-
fessional sports.
One day man named Cusand If
cur memory is not at fault as to the
| name, blew into the Falls. At that
time Cusand had a national reputa-
| ton as a 100-yard sprinter, with few
equals and no superiors. Ordinary
runners mad no show against him on
earth. The only man in Spokane who
knew Cusand was Billy Edwards, fore
man of the mechanical department of
! the Review. OF course Cusand was
broke. Edwards and ye editor pro-
/ ivded for his wants like good Sam
, aritans. After shaving, and cleaning
up and a few days rest Cusand was
| quite presentable, and he got an idea
| there might be pot of money hitch
as he could outrun anything on two
feet it would be like robbing a baby
OF an ice cream cone. There were
several fairly fast amateur sprinters
in the Falls at that time, with an
overweening ambition to make rec
| ord, and a feeling that they could
beat anything that ever stepped in
! spiked shoes. Hence there was no
trouble getting up a match, as Gus
and looked easy and his identity re-
mained a secret. A fairly stiff purse
was raised, as a purse could be raised
in those days in a few minutes for
any kind of sport, and a match made
for a 100-yard dash, a distance that
was a walkaway for Cusand. One of
the terms of the match was that Gus
and was to start lying down. That
was considered a great handicap by
those who were not on. However, it
was really an advantage for he had
holes in the ground for his toes and
| fingers. He could crouch to the earth
and in that position was as a tightly
wound spring. The leverage the holes
gave him was enormous. At the sig
nal to go he would spring from the
ground like a shot from a catapult
and he struck on his feet going with
q dozen feet start. He made the jump
many times while training, for he
trained earnestly and methodically.
Edwards had had experience with pro-
Ifessional runners, and we had heard
things about them not flattering as
to their reliability, and every day the
question was put to him fairly. as
this race on the square?" Now, mark