The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-08-04
Today's Sports l PAr0de
-GuaItlerI Photo
BY HENRY McLEMORE

10 an ola SpeakeRsy card which l had forgotten to weed out of my wallet, and which was sprinkled with enough gilt lettering to impress German policemen, I was in the American dressing room when our boys came in after running one, two, and four in the 100 meters final.
 Reporters are not supposed to set foot in Olympic dressing rooms, which are buried deep in the stone and steel of the stadium and arc accessible only to those few who have enough official credentials to pass the half dozen sentries who guard q half dozen grilled iron doors.
 I decided on the desperate meas. ure of Q speakeasy card. It worked beautifully. Brass-hatted "9chupos" who had treated me 50 roughly on- ly few minutes before bowed de- ferentially and passed me on.
 Jake Weber, the old Fordham trainer, was working over the three steeplechasers - Glenn Dawson, Joe McCluskey and Harold Manning = when walked in. They wanted to know how America did in the 100. meters, for the dressing room Is so remote that not even the roar of a hundred thousand persons reaches 1t. Even as l told them, owens, Metcalfe and Wykoff burst through the door.
 One look at Owens and you didn't have to be told he was the winner. His laurel wreath still was on hlS head, his gold medal was in his hand, and q two.foot grin split tis face. And tucked under his arm was the little memorial oak tree that gees with victory. Manning, DaW. son and McClusl;ey and this reporter rushed to congratulate him.
 '"Thanks," he said, "but don't for. get Ralph and Frank. They ran beautiful races"
 Jesse looked around and called to Metcaifc.
 Ralph, saw pictures of the finish before I came up," he said, "and, boy, were you catching me at the finishl You mustn't have been moro than half Q yard behind-and were you boilingl And Frank you were there close, too."
 Wykoff yanked at 6 shoe and laughed, q little bitterly, I thought; "'Fourth-place Wykoff,' that's me. was fourth in 1928 and damn if 1t doesn't seem I ought to improve"
 Metcalfe spoke up.
 "You would have had third place if I hadn't been in the lane next to you. I had c hell of time catch. ing you and when I did, 1t must have been about 20 yards from home, you slowed up Q bit."
 Maybe you're right" the Cali- fornia veteran answered. When you went past me I quit running my own race and strengthened up and tried to dig too hard. Then that Dutchman went by. Well, anyway. I did better than I hoped to when started training last spring"
 Owens still stood in q corner Oi the room, the wreath ori his head, Q smile on his face, and the tree under his arm.
 asked him what he planned to do with the tree.
 I'm gonna give this one to Ohio State," he said, land when l get my other two, I'm gonna give them to two high schools I went to In Cleveland, Fairmond and Tech"
 "Its shame you are entered in only three events, Jesse" laughed Wykoff, flor, a few more trees and you'd be able to plant a hedge around your house."
 In winning the 100 meters Owens ran four heats of l0.3, 10.2, l0.4, and lO.3. respectively, which is just as astounding as if 6 golfer shot four consecutive rounds of 60 or better in a championship. Yet, he was dis appointed in his running, especially with his final heat.
 "That final was the sorriest one he said, land I know the reason why. I was frightened up. l just couldn't help 1t. The fact that was going for the Olympic cham. pionship just made me shaky all over. But I won't be that way again. From now on I'll be loose and easy and I ought to do a lot better in the POO meters"
 He said 1t withou ta hint of bragg ging. It was the same when he said he would give the other two trees (which are still to be won) to his old high school. He knows he's good. But he doesn't know 1t hall as we'll as the thousands who saw him drift along the track to the top victory of the games.