Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-30

we was famous old-time athlete,
but one OF the few who really
doesn't like publicity, so his
i i name shall not be mentioned
here.
Il do not believe" he said, that the
youngsters OF this generation have the
endurance OF former generations. How
can they have? They don't get the
natural daily exercise We used to get;
exercises which made for endurance.
stop ana figure it out. Thirty-five
years ago, there were no airplanes,
practically no automobiles and few tele-
phones. Roads were bad; many city
streets were unpaved. Distances were
infinitely greater.
The country boy didn't sit on a
tractor. He followed the pillow. If he
wanted to go to town, he didn't start
the Ford ne either hitched up the
horse, often first driving that animal
down from the pasture, or he walked
A walk of five or 10 miles over coun-
try road wasn't considered anything.
Later, both the country and city
boys rode bicycles, and if that was not
plenty of exercise, don't know any,
thing that was. I'd like to see an aver
&c youngster of today push bicycle
20 miles, up hill and down, over sandy,
rutted, country road. The country boy
OF my time would do that, and then
pick apples, or cut wood, or work In
the hay field the rest of the day.
Most of the things then done by
hand now are done by machinery. A
kid doesn't even take his girl rowing
any more. He buys an cupboard motor
The city boy won't walk block. He
takes subway or a taxi. The country
boy doesn't even have to start the
family car. He can take a bus. If
anybody takes walk, it is planned
effort for exercise and quite an event."
But how about records?" I asked.
boys are jumping farther running
faster, vaulting higher than ever
before"
Certainly" he answered. "why
not? Equipment is better Opportunity
is greater. We know more about
hygiene, diet. intensive training tracks.
shoes, methodsxand timing But even
with grades lowered, splendid roads, all
sorts of modern facilities, you don't
find much Of anybody except hitch
mixers walking, and they only walk UNI
til they catch ride. Even the hoboes
ride.
"The past Is years haven't given us
many distance runners better than AL
Shrubb, or j. F. Crowley, or Koleh-
mainen. The boxers of today tire in 10
and Is round bouts. They used to 60
anywhere from 20 to so rounds. And
don't tell me that the fighters today 60
faster. Who ever was faster than Peter
Jackson, Jim Corbett or Joe Cans over
any distance? At his best, Jeffries was
as fast as a middleweight"
Don't you think that older men ex-
ercise more now than they once did?"
inquired.
you mean golf" he asserted. But
the youngsters are playing it, too. In
the old days they would have been play
ing base ball, or, as said, riding BIZ
cycles, or taking some form of exercise
more building in energy. think that
golf takes more out of a player than
It puts back. 1t is mental strain. Old
as am, can get more tired playing
golf than playing tennis, and 1 don't
get the reaction out of it. When was
young, countrymen of rs and 80 still
went out to play on the town base ball
team. Now every village has its golf
course and men grow exhausted missing
puts.
mo. I think that the whole human
race has been keyed up, that it has
grown to depend more upon tight-strung
nerves; but do not believe that 1t has
gained In endurance.
1.-The pioneers and those Of us who
lived before science speeded up life to
the present extent and made its easier
had too have endurance. The boys of
today might beat the old-timers, as
they have beaten their records. In the
shorter runs. although, at that I'd like
to know what Wefers or Kraenlein
would have done under modern condi- |
tions, but I don't think they could out
last U.S."
Well. most Of the champion debaters
are Of the old school.
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