Uniformity is a great thing in any branch of human endeavor, and the sooner we can attain to it in interscholastic sport the farther advanced we shall be. The formation of a general interscholastic league, such as I spoke of last week, will be of great service in that very direction; for the greater a.s.sociation would adopt a definite programme, and all of the schools holding membership would have to accept it, and would no doubt be delighted to do so. I am glad to say that the suggestion of forming a general league has been favorably received by many enthusiasts in interscholastic sport, and, so far as I know, has been unfavorably commented on by no one. I have received, already, several letters endorsing the scheme, and the only point so far on which my correspondents differ is concerning the best place to hold the annual meeting. Until representatives from all sections are heard from, however, it will be impossible to say what the preponderance of opinion really is. Mr. Evert Wendell is heartily in favor of the formation of a joint league. In his letter he says that such a thing would increase the interest in the subject everywhere, and would prove a great success.
Continuing, he writes: "The only part of it of which I disapprove is the holding of the meeting in a distinctly college town. The interests of so widely representative an interscholastic meeting must be so diverse that it would be unwise, for many reasons, to hold it in a town identified only with one of them. New York would be the most central place for it, and, to my mind, the most advisable choice. The best tracks are here, the best-known officials are here, and the greatest number of spectators would doubtless be gathered here. The Inter-collegiate a.s.sociation has chosen New York as the most central and representative place in which to hold its annual meeting, and the localities of the various a.s.sociations which you propose to have const.i.tute members of the new-school athletic body would in general be drawn from about the same parts of the country as the colleges in the other organization. So have the meeting, by all means, but have it in New York."
For the fifth time since 1889 the Hartford Public High-School won the championship of the Connecticut High-School A.A. at the games held in Charter Oak Park, Hartford, June 8th. They scored 38-1/3 points out of a possible 112, their nearest rival, the Hotchkiss School of Lakeville, being just ten points behind them. Some very good performances were made, and eight records were broken, and if it had not been for a strong wind blowing up the track the time in the sprints might in many cases have been better. In spite of the breeze, however, the three trial heats of the 100 were run in 10-4/5 sec., 10-3/5 sec., and 10-3/5 sec., respectively, and the final was made by Conner in 10-1/2 sec. He ran a strong race, finishing a yard ahead of Dyer, his school-mate, with Davenport third. Ingraham, unfortunately, had to be put back a yard at the line for a false start, and could not overcome the handicap. Dyer turned the tables on Conner in the 220, finishing ahead of him. It was a pretty race, all the contestants running in one heat, the track being sixty yards wide. Luce proved a disappointment for the Hartford High-School in the quarter by going to pieces in the last half of the race after earning a good lead at the start. Consequently Foster pa.s.sed him, and took first easily in 53-1/2 sec. Luce has done better than 52 in practice, and may learn from his experience of last week not to take any chances with his diet on the eve of a race.
The half-mile run was one of the most exciting events of the day. The runners kept bunched at first, but soon Ba.s.sett, Kearney, and Lawrence plunged ahead of the field, each one struggling for the lead. Ba.s.sett and Lawrence ran almost abreast until within fifty yards of the finish, when the latter was taken with a cramp in the leg, which forced him to third place, behind Kearney, while Ba.s.sett crossed the line in 2 m.
7-1/5 sec. This time would certainly have been bettered but for Lawrence"s misfortune, for both he and the winner have done better in practice. I was surprised at Chapman"s defeat in the mile, for I think he could have won if he had shown more "sand." He led until within sixty yards of the finish, when Buckingham pa.s.sed him. Then he gave up, and straggled in second. The high hurdles made a pretty race for two Hartford High-School men--Field and Cady. Field is a most graceful runner, and he sc.r.a.ped the sticks in fine form, with Cady snapping along barely a yard behind. The time was comparatively poor, but I dare say this was largely due to Cady"s weakness, he having dislocated his shoulder a few weeks before the race. He is a brother of the Yale sprinter, and from present appearances I believe he will do better than his senior when he gets the advantage of college methods and training.
The improvement over his last year"s style is marked. He came in third in the low hurdles, with Field again in the lead.
[Ill.u.s.tration: F. G. BECK, HILLHOUSE HIGH-SCHOOL, NEW HAVEN.]
The fifteen starters in the bicycle event kept well bunched until a collision scattered the crowd and spoiled things for four of the riders.
The remainder bunched again and pedalled along pretty evenly, until Steele, Rutz, and Baker forged ahead in the stretch and finished in that order. The time, 5 min. 18-2/5 sec., is excellent. Another unusually good performance at the Connecticut games was Butler"s winning of the walk in 7 min. 17-3/5 sec. He forged ahead at the start with such a rapid gait that I felt certain he must give out before he could cover half the distance, but he kept it up, and finished strong fully a hundred yards ahead of Tichbourne. Sturtevant and Beck carried off the honors in the field events, the former winning both the pole vault and the high jump, breaking the record in each case. He is only seventeen years old, but he is a promising man. He won the vault at 9 feet 6 inches without ever touching the bar; then he had it raised to 9 feet 8-1/2 inches, and cleared it at the first trial. He could have gone higher, but was reserving his force for the jumps. In the high, he repeated his performance of the vault by winning first at 5 feet 4-1/2 inches, then by having the bar raised to 5 feet 8 inches and clearing it at the first attempt. In taking both the hammer and the shot Beck did excellent work, as our table of records will show. Both weights were 16 pounds, and I feel confident that he can make a better put in the shot when not competing in so many events.
It is to be regretted that the Springfield High-School decided not to enter any team at the Western Ma.s.sachusetts I.S.A.A. games, held on Pratt Field. Amherst; but the meeting was most successful, and Monson Academy again left the field a victor. The success of the Monson athletes was entirely due to their careful training, and to the systematic way and the earnestness with which the men went into every event. I have heard many plaints to the effect that Monson"s annual victory in the shot and hammer was always due to the fact that her representatives in these events were larger men than the other schools could produce. That excuse cannot hold this year, for both O"Connor of Holyoke H.-S., and Clark of Amherst H.-S., were giants alongside of Austin, the Monson shot champion. Considering this was the Chicopee High-School"s first year in the a.s.sociation, her representatives did remarkably well in spite of the fact that they finished fourth. Amherst High made the lowest score, with only 6 points to her credit, while Chicopee got 25, and Westfield, next ahead of Chicopee, only scored 27.
The winning score of Monson was 53 points.
THE GRADUATE.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] 12 lbs.
[2] 16 lbs.
ADVERTIs.e.m.e.nTS.
Highest of all in Leavening Power.--Latest U. S. Gov"t Report.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Royal Baking Powder]
The _Interscholastic Sport_ Department of HARPER"S ROUND TABLE will be as full of matter interesting to its present readers during the summer months as it is now. Many will go to distant summer resorts where there may be no newsdealer. To insure the prompt receipt of the paper each week, send the accompanying coupon bearing your name and address with 50 cents for 13 weeks, or $2.00 for one year.
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[Ill.u.s.tration: BICYCLING]
This Department is conducted in the interest of Bicyclers, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on the subject. Our maps and tours contain much valuable data kindly supplied from the official maps and road-books of the League of American Wheelmen.
Recognizing the value of the work being done by the L. A. W., the Editor will be pleased to furnish subscribers with membership blanks and information so far as possible.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Copyright, 1895, by Harper & Brothers.]
The only other really good ride on Long Island out of Brooklyn, besides the one given in last week"s issue to Babylon, is over the same route as already described to Jamaica, and from thence as on the Babylon route, on through Hollis and Holliswood Park. Just beyond Holliswood Park the fork is reached whose right leads to Babylon, and whose left runs out over the plank-road to Jericho, and thence up along the north sh.o.r.e of Long Island. There are almost no hills along the entire route until the rider gets up to the north sh.o.r.e at and beyond Huntington. On taking the left fork, after pa.s.sing Holliswood Park, the rider gets into Queens, continues on through Floral Park, Hyde Park, and Mineola straight out to Jericho, on a remarkably good road for Long Island, and a creditable road for any country. Jericho is practically the end of this plank-road.
After leaving Jamaica and pa.s.sing by the toll-gate, the rider may to advantage take to the side paths, for these will give him considerable help; but complaints against bicyclists have grown so numerous of late, and there is so much danger that severe legislation will be pushed against bicyclists, that every one is urged never to ride on side paths or sidewalks within the limits of a village or a thickly populated town.
There are several roads which may be taken out of Jericho. One of these is to turn right from Jericho and go on southward to Hicksville (and turn at the bottom of the hill), about a mile beyond, near the edge of the plain. Take the left fork and continue on this until the railroad is crossed. After crossing the railroad turn left and keep to this road until the railroad is again crossed, when a turn to the right should be made at the next fork, and the rider will soon run into Farmingdale.
Running through Farmingdale, and turning sharp to the right at the next crossroads, the wheelman crosses the tracks and runs to the Holycross Mission-House, two miles away, turns sharp to the right a little beyond, and runs into Amityville, three miles further on. The road is good, and the side paths may be taken here to advantage also. After leaving Amityville, cross the railroad, and turn to the left to the sh.o.r.e road on the south sh.o.r.e of Long Island. A turn to the left carries the rider into Babylon, and he may here rest, and run back to Brooklyn by the route described last week.
Another run, and the one marked on the map accompanying the Department this week, is to continue on from Jericho until the turning to the right is reached, and then the wheelman can run up to the north sh.o.r.e, through Huntington to Northport. There should be a turn made to the left at Jericho, and, after a short distance, a turn to the right, thence crossing the railroad track after pa.s.sing Locust Grove and running into Syosset. The road is somewhat hilly there, though not bad. On pa.s.sing the station the wheelman should turn right and take the next turn to the left. It will bring him into Cold Spring. Turning right from here and taking the main road he runs on three miles into Huntington over a somewhat hilly road; thence the route is direct to Centreport and Northport, a little over five miles further on, and the rider may then keep on along the north sh.o.r.e as far as he likes. Huntington, however, makes thirty three or four miles, which is enough for an ordinary bicyclist, who would naturally return by train, or, if the return route be made in the same day, sixty-five to seventy miles would be covered.
If the return trip be made, it is possible to take a pleasant run out to Glen Cove by keeping to the road after pa.s.sing (going west) Cold Spring.
The run then will be through Laurelton, Oyster Bay, Bayville, Locust Valley, into Glen Cove, and the road can then be followed without difficulty. From Glen Cove it is somewhat hilly. There is a pretty run through Greenville, Roslyn, back to plank road at Mineola. This return detour adds three or four miles, but makes a variety in the road.
NOTE.--Map of New York city asphalted sheets in No. 809. Map of route from New York to Tarrytown in No. 810. New York to Stamford, Connecticut, in No. 811. New York to Staten Island in No. 812. New Jersey from Hoboken to Pine Brook in No. 813. Brooklyn in No. 814.
Brooklyn to Babylon, 815.
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE CAMERA CLUB]