| Show I I WALKER AUER W THE REl RElA REAL WONDER IN SPORTS IN A WONDER YEAR Little South African Runner Runner Run Run- I ner Has Twice Done Dash in Nine Two t BY WILLIAM VILLIAM P. P NEW YORK Jan S. S a great year for athletic records was IOOS 1908 It I shines forth in this respect on all sides of the tho square In politics in finance inthe in inthe inthe the the tragic C things of life new marks were set fet but hut in the great universal I field fied of sport records s were made matIe that caused nil all lJ other achievements to droop j as tho tha weeping willow willa I Aside isido from aJ all doubt of tho carpers I as to what is the tho single sporting effort I of oi 1908 that sticks out like a lighthouse Ji e eIS is the tho wonderful work of little HUlo Bobby Walker of South Africa who twice reached the 9 0 2 5 2 mark for the yard dash This Thil young youn gentleman was a sore shock hock to the American Olympic team tam tamI I at London when he lie carried off the meter event which thy the had concluded was as good as ns wrapped up and c cx ex expressed pressed to Uncle Sam charges charses prepaid So be great reat was the surprise at nt alker's victory in this event c that even the Englishmen who wanted anted everything e they didn't win in to go 0 to some somA other I country than the tho United States were skeptical about his ability to repeat But he did Immediately after tho Olympic meet was concluded ho went to Abergavenny Aberga- Aberga venny in Wales Vales and made mado tho the yards in 9 5 2 5 seconds second Record Was Wan Doubted er Over here that record was 18 doubted for forno forno forno no other reason than thau tho the fact that and ambitious sprinters printers had bf hEen en many man many years rears trying to cl clip Q off otT a fifth of a a. second of tho 9 0 4 4 and the three men who had fi figured red as 9 0 3 o performers were met with more or less doubt Dan Kelly Keny the bo boy blacksmith of ot I Spokane woke up the athletic world ono one day in June 1906 with a ft 9 0 5 3 mark The performance was held up investigated investigated in esti gated and probed until finally the tho A. A A. A i U. U committee put it on the records as of of- fda But Dan didn't repeat repent He Ho never or came near that extraordinary mark again Jimmy Rector nector of of- Jamestown university university sity sit went out later and also did 9 0 J 5 3 and people sat up and said baid Well maybe hell he'll repeat But he ho He lie failed to equal that mark either cither at Philadelphia in the tryouts or at the Olympic games ames in London last July It rt It was believed the nine and three three- fifth of a second phenomenon was ex cx- exploded when Walker who had captured the meter dash dash- event in in the stadium sta sta- dilim di went to a set et of games in AbergaVenny Aber- Aber Abergavenny enny and did the yards in 9 0 2 25 Walker Repeated Doubters have ha been worrying ever over since sinco about this performance and gravely grave grave- ly IT v saying in that it was a a. run a dying gasp etc but Mr rr Walker whose name narno ou ought ht to be Flyer Fler went out in Johannesburg South Africa a few days daj's a ago o and did the once more in 9 D 05 5 2 5 seconds Duffy a Gun Boater Beater Now that's some running Arthur Duffy once remarked that the Johannesburg Johannesburg Johannes Johannes- bur burg track runs down hill It may But the tho good natured Arthur who was the first I 9 5 3 seconds man on the records was a notorious gun n beater Arthur was in the tho a air r as the gun un was ITa shot every time he ho tried the yards Ho told me that while his back vas was turned to tho the starter in every overy instance when he competed he be seemed to have a sixth sense that tipped him off as tho the tri trigger trigger trig trig- ger er erVas was Vas about to be pulled Whatever it was that tipped him ho he certainly got ot awa away with the goods and the tho record And dont don't over forget when hen there is a dearth of records in the tho athletic field I our dear old Limerick chum John Fanna Flan Finn na nagan an Whenever er John hears of a fellow coming omin close to him him- himon on the hammer I throw he just takes a half hours hour's practice practice tice goes into competition and sends tho the ball anywhere ho likes Dont Don't ever or tr try to mea measure John Your tape wont won't hold out |
