THE ONE-MILE WALK.

From Instantaneous Photographs of Phillips, the Harvard University Walker.

However, so long as mile-walking is an acknowledged feature of athletic meetings, we must recognize it—with a protest—and set down here a few hints as to how to go to work to cover the ground in the most approved fashion. The muscles that require the greatest development for walking are the abdominal and the fore-thigh muscles. Training should be begun, as soon as the snow is off the ground, by taking walks across country. Begin, of course, by taking short walks, in order to inaugurate a general hardening process, and each day, when you come to a good stretch of road, try two or three hundred yards of strict heel-and-toe walking, giving especial attention to acquiring the free and rolling motion of the hips. This motion is very clearly shown in illustration No. 3. To become a successful walker it is absolutely necessary to be loose and supple about the hips. The novice will notice pains about the abdomen at first, but he need not feel in any way alarmed. He has not caught cold. He has merely set some muscles to work that are not usually called upon to exert themselves under ordinary circumstances, and for a week or two they will feel sore and lame.

After a week of general unlimbering, the walks should be extended, and distances between five and ten miles should be covered. In all this walking the athlete must train himself to set his foot down straight, for walkers may not toe out. At the end of two or three weeks begin the alternate work as has been told of in the previous papers about the running events—that is, one day take a ten-mile walk at an easy gait, and the next day take a three-mile walk as fast as you can travel, and keep this up until you are ready to go on the track. But always rest on Sunday. One day's rest out of seven is imperative.

When work on the track begins, form is the principal thing to devote your attention to. Take long, slow walks around the cinder-path, putting the feet down straight and firmly, and devote all your energy to acquiring an easy stride, and, as far as possible, a long, swinging one. Work at the hip motion until you are master of it, and train yourself in the swinging of the arms until these become a means of assistance rather than an annoyance.

The only way to acquire speed in walking is to "sprint" (not a running sprint, but a walking sprint) from 100 to 200 yards. Here again alternate work should be done, that is, walk half or three-quarters of a mile and rest; then walk half a mile one day, and on the alternate days do short sprints several times, with rests in between. Don't try to go a mile at speed until you have been at work several months. After the first couple of weeks it may be well to take a trial half or quarter on time, but this should never be done oftener than once in a week or ten days. When you have gotten into condition at the end of four or five months, try a mile on time; but thereafter never attempt to go the full distance at speed more frequently than once in ten days or two weeks.

The costume for walking is the same as for running, except that the shoes have no spikes. The heels, too, are somewhat different, being built with a slight projection of the sole at the back, so as to make the constant pounding on the heels less severe. It seems almost needless to say here that walking differs from running in that one of the athlete's feet must be constantly on the ground; he must not lift the rear toe until the forward heel has struck, and the rear knee must lock. The illustrations show the rear knee locked in every instance. By speaking of the knee as "locked," is meant that the joint is closed.

In a race it is always well to take the lead, if possible, and walk your own mile. Before going into a contest the athlete ought to know pretty well how fast he can cover his distances, and he should disregard his competitors as much as circumstances will allow. Walking has fallen somewhat into disrepute of late, because unscrupulous athletes, proficient in the heel-and-toe method, can frequently run without apparently altering their form, and when the Judge of Walking is not at their very heels they travel rapidly but unfairly over the course. But this is not sport.

In the next issue of the Round Table will appear the last descriptive paper on track athletics of the series which has been running from time to time in this Department during the past winter. The subject will be the pole vault, and the illustrations have been made from instantaneous photographs of C. T. Buchholz, the inter-collegiate champion. All the articles and illustrations of this series, with many additional pictures, have been collected, and will be published early next month in a book to be called Track Athletics in Detail. This volume will be the first of a collection of books on all branches of amateur athletic sport, to be known as "Harper's Round Table Library of Sports."

The Pittsburg I.S.A.A. has done a very wise thing in limiting the entries for its games on June 6th to two representatives from each school. But even with such a restricted field I fear it will take the officials well into the night before they can get through, for the schedule includes fifteen events. Among these we have one circus feature—the hop, step, and jump. Four of the numbers on the card are to be bicycle-races. Through some process of reasoning, which I should be interested in having explained, the Pennsylvanians have adopted a scoring system of 3 points for first place, 1 for second, and 0 for third. I refer the Pittsburg I.S.A.A. officials to this Department in the issue of March 31st, where they will find a few paragraphs on the subject of scoring by points. I think they must acknowledge the arguments offered there to be just.

The notable feature of the Trinity School games, a week ago Friday, was Hipple's performance in the mile run. His time was 4 min. 48-2/5 sec. This breaks the scholastic record of 4 min. 55-4/5 sec., made by Tappin at the Poly. Prep. games last year, and is also better than Southwick's interscholastic record of 4 min. 52 sec.

The next few weeks will be crowded with interesting events to all lovers of interscholastic sport, and we may count on hearing of smashed records from every quarter. In a little over two weeks the New York and Long Island I.S.A.A.'s will be holding their field meetings, and then will come the Inter-City games; and then, before we know it, it will be time for the National meet. Before that, however, all the interscholastic associations in the East will have held their games, and perhaps we shall be able to form some kind of opinion as to where the national championship will go. It looks now as if it would go to Boston, but this is only a very rough guess, and I do not offer it in any way as a prophecy—but merely as a suspicion.

No trophy has been provided yet for this National championship. It is very important that there should be one, and the graduates of the schools ought to bestir themselves to collect a sufficient sum of money for the purchase of a suitable cup. I am very much afraid, however, that there is no single graduate with enough enthusiasm for the welfare of school sport to devote his time and energy toward persuading others to subscribe for a trophy, and even if there were he would have such a limited time in which to exercise his efforts that he would doubtless not be able to obtain a large enough subscription for his purpose. The cup which shall represent the National Interscholastic Championship ought to be as good as any of its kind, and ought to be put up for a number of years—say ten—and each year the name of the winning league should be inscribed upon it, the trophy to finally go to that association having its name upon it the greatest number of times. Further, I think that if such a cup were offered by the graduates, the National Association ought to award each year to the winning league a miniature cup of the same pattern, as a special evidence of that year's victory.

It would be far more to the interest of sport to have a valuable trophy of this kind to be contested for by the leagues, with small tokens only for individual prizes. Let the contest be among the league teams rather than among the individuals of the associations.

The tennis season is likewise upon us. Next Saturday will see the Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Columbia interscholastic tournaments in full swing. There will also be an interscholastic tournament in Chicago, and it is possible that the winner may go to Newport for the championships.

The baseball season of the New England League began last Friday, and although it is too early yet to tell much about the various teams, it looks as if there would be some pretty good ball put up this season. Both C. H. & L. and Hopkinson's, who tied last year for first place, have strong nines. Lochman, who was the best catcher in the league last year, will take first base this season, and let Columbus go behind the bat. John Clarkson is to pitch, and his brother will play third. Both are brothers of the well-known professional pitcher, and ought to have baseball blood in their veins. Saul, captain of last year's victorious football eleven, is going into the field, and is counted on to do some batting.

For Hopkinson's, Captain Dickson will hold his old position of short-stop. Stillman is to pitch, and Carlton, who played half-back on the eleven, will catch him. Hallowell, also a member of last year's eleven, will look after left field. New men mostly will be tried for the other positions.

It seems necessary to repeat that no answers can be given in these columns to anonymous correspondents.

J. E. Downing, Locust Valley, N. Y.—In training for any kind of athletic event it is best not to eat sweets or pastry of any kind; but the most important thing is to take your meals at regular hours, and not to eat between meals.

The Graduate.

This Department is conducted in the interest of stamp and coin collectors, and the Editor will be pleased to answer any question on these subjects so far as possible. Correspondents should address Editor Stamp Department.

About six months ago a 10c. Baltimore stamp on bluish paper was shown in Boston. This unique copy was badly damaged, and when offered at auction a short time ago failed to realize the reserve price of $1500 which was placed on it. The great find of St. Louis stamps in Louisville, Ky., last winter, stimulated every owner of old correspondence in that city to overhauling the same. Some good stamps were found, among them a 10c. Baltimore on white paper. This stamp has been sold to a New York collector for $4500, the largest price ever paid for a single stamp. The New Haven envelope sold for $2000, and one of the largest dealers in New York has since offered $3000 for it, or for a duplicate equally as good, but without success.

The Canadian 15c. now current has been withdrawn, and probably will not be reprinted. Collectors here, looking over their duplicates, find that they have very few copies. It will probably be scarce and advance rapidly in value.

England is about to issue stamps surcharged O. W. for the use of the officials in the "Office Works" department. As but few copies will be used, these stamps will be much sought after.

Z.—The 1872 U.S. 12c. is worth 60c.; the 24c. is worth $2; the 40 centavos Costa Rica official, $1.

C. Broodstone.—There is no duty on stamps imported into the U.S. I cannot give names of societies, officers, etc.

Normal, Ill.—Your coin is a Spanish half-dollar. They were largely used in this country before the war, and hence are quite common.

H. M. C.—The Continental note is a curiosity, but has very little monetary value. Most of the notes can be bought of dealers at 10c. to 25c. each.

Philatus.