While speaking of 'cross-country running, it is interesting to recall the greatest race of the kind that ever occurred in this country. It was in the early days of the sport, at the time when those athletic clubs which had teams of 'cross-country runners each wanted to be regarded as the best exponent of the sport. The race was a club run over a marked course, and was held at Fleetwood Park. The Suburban Harriers had made quite a reputation for themselves as 'cross-country runners, their star man being E. C. Carter. The Manhattan Athletic Club also had a team of 'cross-country men, and felt jealous of their rival's fame. They therefore brought over from Ireland a famous 'cross-country runner, who has since become well known in American sport, Thomas P. Conneff, and challenged the Suburban Harriers. They felt all the more confident of victory because their imported runner had defeated Carter in a four-mile race in Dublin a few months before.
The race started with about seventy competitors, but Carter and Conneff soon drew out of the bunch, and pulled rapidly away from the others. The spectators paid little attention to this crowd; their interest was centred in the duel between the two cracks. Conneff let Carter take the lead and set the pace, and he followed along at his heels. It was plain that he had made up his mind to dog his rival, and to depend upon a burst of speed at the finish to win. Carter, on the other hand, seems to have determined to outrun his opponent all the way, if possible—to lead him such a hard chase that there would be no speed left in him at the finish. Over the entire course the two men retained their respective distances and positions. The field was soon left far in the rear. At last they entered on the final mile around the Fleetwood track. Both men looked wearied by their hard run, but it was impossible to judge even then which must win in the end. They travelled half-way around the track, and then had to pass behind a low hillock, which hid them from the sight of the spectators. All were watching with the greatest excitement the spot where the track again came into view. Carter came out from behind the elevation trotting doggedly on. All looked for Conneff, but Conneff was not to be seen. The gap behind Carter widened, and Conneff came not. Ho had done his best; but he was not strong enough, and he had gone to pieces. He had dropped to the ground back of the hill, unable to move another step.
A big race, such as that, is most exciting; but just as much sport can be had by less able runners. Several of the colleges, notably Harvard and Yale, have hare and hounds in the fall—although I do not believe there were ever any inter-collegiate contests in that branch of sport. If the schools should take it up in New York or Boston, the men would soon find that these runs out into the country are worth the trouble, and full of living interest. Fancy trotting across Long Island, or through Westchester, or up the Hudson, or out beyond Cambridge, if you live in Boston, and through all that delightful Massachusetts country where the British first introduced 'cross-country running about 120 years ago.
Since writing about the scoring of games and the arrangement of tennis tournaments last week, I have been asked to tell of a good system of drawings. The easiest and fairest way is to write the name of every player on a separate slip of paper, and drop these into a hat. Shake the slips well, so that they will get thoroughly mixed, then draw them out one by one, writing down each name as it appears. The names, of course, are written down the page in a column, one under the other. If there are several men from the same club entered for the tournament, it is best to make the drawing from several hats, placing all the names of players from one club in the same hat. This prevents them from coming together in the early rounds of the tournament. The idea is to arrange the players in the first round so that they will form a group of 2, 4, 8, 16, or any power of 2. When there is an odd number of entries a preliminary round must be introduced, in which the extra players contest for a place in the first round.
This arranges matters so that in the preliminary round the number of matches played will always equal the number of extra entries. Perhaps the following diagram, which was gotten up by Dr. James Dwight, will make the question a little more clear:
| A | bye | } | ____ | |||||
| B | bye | } | } | |||||
| } | ||||||||
| C | } | ____ | } | ____ | ||||
| D | } | } | } | } | ||||
| } | ____ | } | } | |||||
| E | } | ____ | } | } | ||||
| F | } | } | } | Winner. | ||||
| } | ||||||||
| G | } | ____ | } | |||||
| H | } | } | ____ | } | ||||
| I | bye | } | } | ____ | } | |||
| } | ||||||||
| J | bye | } | ____ | } | ||||
| K | bye | } |
The byes, or positions in the first round, are usually given to those whose names come out of the hat first and last. If the number of byes is uneven, the odd one goes to the first.
The Interscholastic Tennis Tournament will no doubt be held this year during the first week of the single championships at Newport. This begins Tuesday, August 20th, and so the school-players will no doubt get on to the courts about Friday or Saturday following. From present indications the Interscholastics this year will be one of the important features of tournament week, and better players will represent the schools than ever before. More men have already entered than for any previous Newport interscholastic tournament, and several cracks have not yet been heard from.
As in matters of this kind generally, I believe that players should always be well supported by their adherents. As many scholars as possible should make it a point to be at Newport when the tournament is going on to cheer the scholastic players. If the tennis men feel that their own friends and classmates are as much interested in their individual work as if they were a football team or a baseball team, they will surely strive harder and accomplish more.
In spite of the fact that we are in the middle of the summer, with the track-athletic season several weeks behind us, the interest in the formation of a general interscholastic athletic association seems to be just as lively as ever. I judge this from the number of letters I receive every week. Some of these letters are short, approving the scheme, and hoping for its fulfilment; others are long, suggesting new ideas, or taking exception to theories that have already been advanced. All are interesting, and many have offered valuable suggestions. I should like to print some of these communications, and, no doubt, some time during the coming month the Department will be able to devote some space to that purpose.