Salt Lake Tribune | 1919-11-02 | Page 30 | Ray Preparing for Indoor Race Meets

RAY PREPARING FOR INDOOR RACE MEETS Speedy Chicago Track Star Undismayed at Two Defeats Administered by Mike Devanney. NEW YORK, Nov. 1. Undismayed by two defeats administered by Mike Devanney De-vanney in as many races at the fag end of the outdoor season, Joie Ray is mobilizing mo-bilizing his strength for an arduous campaign cam-paign on the board floor. Report has it that the Chicago track wizard intends to shelve his running shoes montlls before the revival of the Olympic games at Antwerp, Ant-werp, Belgium, but no verification as to when he intends to stop has been forthcoming forth-coming from the athlete. Kays first important engagement behind be-hind closed doors will be the national senior se-nior 1000 yards, in which he will defend his 1SI18 laurels against such good local middle distancers as Devanney, Japk Sellers, Homer Baker and possibly Eddie Ball, the former Ooerlih youth, who made Ray run at his fastest on Franklin field recently to annex the national mile crown in new championship ligures. Ray dofeate'd Devanney and Fall last year handily, covering the route In two minutes and fourteen seconds, which time equaled the late John Overton's 1S17 record. rec-ord. The dead marine made his figures on a Philadelphia board f.oor track, on which occasion he showed his heels to Ivan Meyers, a club mate of Ray's, and several other good men. Many close followers of athletics believe be-lieve Ray runs his best on tile board floor. They point to his great number of accomplishments ac-complishments in the three indoor seasons sea-sons to prove the argument. In that space of time he 'endeared himself to the hearts of the athletic populace by his many stirring victories over distances from 1000 yards to two miles. He holds the indoor record for one and a ha'f miles of I! minutes, 40 3-5 seconds, as well as the fastest time over the two-mile trail of 0 minutes, 11 2-5 seconds, both of which Ray made In the space ot twq months two years ago in the Madison Square Garden. The senior indoors may be held In Madison Square Garden or the Twenty-second Twenty-second regiment armory early next March. There is talk of transferring the meet to Brooklyn, but it is problematical. The championships usually draw well In New York City proper, whereas shifting tliem across the bridge might hurt the gate receipts. re-ceipts. Fire department regulations forced the committee two years ago to close the doors and keep out several hundred per- sons who wanted to" see the games. Ray is a good attraction in New York. He is very popular In the metropo'itan district. Years ago the fans used to flock in great numbers everywhere Mel Shep-pard, Shep-pard, George Bonhag and William Kramer were billed to compete. Then came Ted Meredith and Abel Kivtat, followed by Kolehmainen. and last, but not least, the invincible chap from the stock yards.' The special match race between Ray and Overton Over-ton two years ago threatened to eclips" the attendance In the Garden that saw the stirring duel fought out between Harry Milman and John B. Taylor, but inclement weather kept many away.