Modern Athletics 1868

THE RISE AND PROGRESS OF MODERN ATHLETICS. 13 of the Rev. E. Arkwright, late of Merton College. At Cambridge the University sporhtsad already beenfounded in 1857, but annual meetings of the separate colleges were not frequent, as at the sister university, till1863. In 1857 we find annual sports at Trinity College, Dublbinu,t cannot discover theirexistence previous tothat date. Rugby improved on the " Crick Run" and " House Leaping," byinstituting regular sports in 1856, and an annual steeplechase in honour of "Tom Hughes" and "Tom Brown's School Days" in 1858. "Winchester be­ gan in 1857; and the two Metropolitan Public Schools, viz., Westminster and Charterhouse, oldopponents in the cricket-field, entered the arenasimultaneously in 1861. The modern athletic erain the metropolis commences at this time. The initiative in London, with e exception of the Honourable Artillery Company's sports, was un­ doubtedly taken bythe West London Rowing Club in the winter of 1861-62. This club instituted athletic meetings as a subsidiary sport during the rowing recess, at atime when such gatherings were quite unknown in the metro­ polis. It wassaid such meetings would never answer; that menwho trained hard throughout he rowing season required to rest inthe winter, and that incessant training all the year round was injurious. The first spectators came to jeer, but remained to applaud, and went away very strongly possessed in favour of athletics. These winter meetings have been held ever since with great success; and now there is no metropolitan rowing dub of note which has not followed in the footsteps of the West London. In June, 1863, theMincing Lane Club, now the cele­ brated London Athletic Club, was formed by several gentlemen connected withthe colonial trade. About this time and during the preceding years, fre­ quent desire was from time to time expressed through letters and suggestions in BelVs Life for the foundation of the Oxford andCambridge sports. But whether because there was then no easymeans of railway transit between Oxford and Cambridge, as the Bletchley junction route was not completed, or from other causes, nothing was settled till 1863. In that year some Oxford and Cam­ bridge sports had been arranged to come offaCt ambridge during Whitsun week; but in BelVs Life for May 10th, 1863, I find a letter from H. G. Kennedy, Esq., Hon.