The sun., 1916-08-27

Bridge track on July 8 Homer went to
the clubhouse for his bath and rub.
While o the rubbing table Homer en-
tered into some good natured joshing
with some Of the English athletes.
Tomorrow Il Independence Day"
laughed Homer. and I am going to
celebrate It by giving you Britishers a
good beating"
"Haw. haw. haw." laughed some Of
the British cracks In return. why. you
bloomin' Yankee. you cawn't beat one
side of Hill Of the Polytechnic 'Arriers.
He and Atkinson Of the Cambridge Uni
versity will be SO far ahead Of you 1T
the finish you won't be able to see EN-.
Win In. Enyiisl, 'sif mile championship.
You cawn't do IT,"
When the result Of the English half
mile championship WAS cabled across the
Atlantic the next day h 70 despatch read 4:
ord. II. Baker. New York A. c.. United
States. o A. q. Hill. Polytechnic
Harriers. second r. E. Atkinson. Cam
bridge University A. c., third L. j.
Henley. Brighton and County Harriers,
fourth"
Once moro Baker had demonstrated
tho fallibilty OF You Can't Do H."
Defeats Briton. Teuton and Swede.
Following the English championships
Baker went to Copenhagen. where he
won several races and hung UP four new
Danish records. Then he trekked to
Berlin. where he showed his heels TO the
Teuton cracks at both the half mile and
quarter mile. hanging up q German
record in the former event. He re-
pcated his successes In stockholm.
Sweden. and then took the boat for Scot
land. where at the annual games II the
Celtic y. G. in Glasgow he captured the
1000 yard event in figures that wiped
Out the Scottish record established by
Mel Sheppard several years previous.
Upon his return to the United States
q match race at $50 yards between Baker
and Ted Meredith was arranged to fea-
turs the fall games OF the New York a.
C. at Travers Island. The race was put
on with the intention OF giving Meredith
n chance to establish q new worlds
record.
But Baker conflded TO scnce OF his
cronies that II was to he himself and
not Meredith that was to win and topple
| old Father Time on his back. You may
be q great runner. Homer" they .nld
him, ''but there is nothin; on two feet
that can lick the phenomenal Meredith
II you think you can beat the great
| Meredith you better take another think
You can't do IT,"
But II seems all hat Is necessary 70
make Baker win Is to lean over his
shoulder and whisper in his ear. "You
can't do IT,"
Conquers Tcd Meredith.
Anyway. when the two great runners
came pounding down at h 70 tape ina,
memorable afternoon at Travers Island
It was the stalwart chest Of Baker tina,
tore the tape In victory. and II WI.
Bakers name and not Meredith's that
was emblazoned on the record books a:
the holder Of the new worlds $50 yard
record Of 1 80 2-5.
That afternoon at Travers Is!anf
Baker defeated the great Meredith ant
put the former worlds record of l :2l 2-b
Jointly held by Mel Sheppard and Eddie
Frick. into the discard.
II was shortly after his %conquerln.
Of Meredith that Baker pulled a tendon
In his right leg that put him out OF com
mission for three months. He returned
to the gam in February. 1915. only 4
again rupture his weakened muscle. Thu
experts told him his leg probably neveI
again would be able to Withstand tn
strain of competition and that he !nigh
as well bid farewell to th5 track AM
teld game. Then In the spring OF l?l'
Baker met with q motorcycle accidcn
and seriously injured his left knee.
Both Lego Weakened.
The accident left Baker with a bat
attack Of water on the knee. The doc
tors at hrst tried to cure II by bakinl
process, and that not being successful
they tried COMPRISING treatment. or
casing the leg In a plaster cast.
Baker had to wear the plaster cast TO
several months. The cast n the fac
that he was unable to exercise the liml
caused Bakers left leg to shrink till I
was three and . half inches smalls
than his right log about the thigh
Baker was told that his leg probabl!
never would regain its former visoE
When he announced that he was goinI
to try to come back In athletics tn
doctors told him II was useless to max
the attempt. Once more Homer wa
told "You can't do III"
Bat for the purpose OF strengtheniRI
the limb. Baker raj In race after rae
in 1915. He suffered defeat after de
feat and every champion knows no,
II rankles to be beaten by men VIII
never could turn the trick under othe
conditions. Osmsly and courageousl
} Baker kept at II. Each race saw hi
leg get stronger. and now II 10 onl
about an inch smaller than his right lsl
II last Sundays race At the Ecoentri
Firsmsn's meet can be taken - . cri
terion, Baker has shown that he %
come back and once more had convine
, a.-l~ ->.0ut>A thn sY0u can't do N