The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-02-12
TALKING
ITOvER
BY JOE WILLIAMS

NEW YORK, Feb. 12.--Your cor
~ respondent is back on the
home grounds today on account
that he can not stand warm
weather. Overnight ice-robed Lake
Placid turned tropical, and this
was most discouraging to a tender
foot who had devoted fortnight
TO getting accustomed to igloos,
zero temperature and hot brandies.
Looked at from a New York angle
1t was a vicious caprice on the part
Of old Ma nature, and am wonder
ing just what will do with those
long wooden underpants, those ear
NUTS and those electrical glove
warmers, Perhaps I can turn them
over to Commander Richard Byrd
at cut rates.
AT any rate cut or otherwise. Lake
Rlacid was. a desolate place Thursday,
Wnen the thermometer begins to rise and
INC rec starts 70 melt the pleasant Essex
SSSS9sunty resort Is lust another flag station.
Wnere Miami Beach has only sun 20 sell
s s1e upstate village Is practically insoivent
The sudden cnange came at an inop-
perfume time. too; A lot of special trains
70 experience ar Arctic fush along with a
glimpse Of the bobbers and the skiers v no
aIe UP there competing in the third winter
A local Chamber Of Commerce was en-
bsrIasSed TO point Of incoherency. One
blame conditions on the al Smith state
ment which indicates that the great COM
moner no longer is interested in the presi-
oencY. unless he can get the nomination
and along with 1t the necessary number
Another faction was inclined to attach.
an UNPLEASANT significance TO the presence
OF MAYOR Jimmy Walker. author OF the
December as Yon Did IN sy boTg S 1
was more like Nav than December. or even
FEBRUARY; and while Mr. Walker was re-
eelved with studied courtesy it was OBJ
vious 10 all that the reception at no time
echieRed the emotion Of love.
hER. WALKER appeared to be
1V1 intently interested in the 60
ing's-on at the ski hill where thirty
three young gents of various ma
tionalities shot down a long snow
carpeted slide on bed Stats far out
into space, like strange two-legged
birds.
They we're trying to see how far
they could go before they came
down and how formful they could
do it, In this sport, form is as i'm
portant as distance. You can out
jump the other fellow and still lose
If you fail to stand up or finish off
in a naturally graceful manner.
Mr. Walker watched seven or eight of
general recon o the he caRsad RaT bordef
and then asked, What do they do for an
encorsg". The mayor Is hard to please;
the four man bobrun championship had
TO be postponed because of a persistent
rain which transformed the chute into
1t more suitable for rowing than bobbing.
got my first load of skiing Thursday
and It's all right II you like that sort of
amount of fun for the individual who is
Jumping Is 2 grand show, and It must
the choice between facing a Dempsey left
hook and leaping out into bleak nothing
ness with not so much as pillow in the
easy one to make.
TINE ski hill at Lake Placid meas
IL ures approximately 300 feet
over all. The upper hill, wooden
incline, resembling a Coney Island
device, is 100 feet long. The skier
stands at the top of this. And at
word from the starter he Shoves off,
approaching the take-off, which
marks the end of the upper hill and
the beginning of the lower hill. He
assumes a crouching position.
The moment he reaches the take-off he
gives a mighty lunge and flies out into
the great open spaces, circling his arms
to give added impetus to the flight.
A good average jump is about ITS feet,
point where The skier left, the take-of
and landed in the downward slant of the
lower hill There is something uncom-
monty beautiful and breathtaking about
sight Of a human futtering through the
clouds at great height and over such
Thursday was a dreary day with rain
falling from frowning skies and the snow
melting away to ankle-deep slush, yet
the horse shoe stands at the foot of the
jump and the spidery wooden Seats which
climbed up each side of the run were
pretty well filled with spectators.
all about. 1t didn't matter. The spec
tacle was enough, and at frequent iner-
walls roars Of applause rolled across the
mountains. You could close your eyes
and we'll imagine yourself at Yankee sta
dunn with the Babe busting one. 1t was
warm enough. anyhow.