Rowing and Track Athletics (extract)

Track Athletics shoulders, and hips; by various movements of the legs and body, in short, athletes of all shapes and sizes utilize their various personal advan– tages, overcome their defects, and make of them– selves good jumpers. Nothing can compensate, of course, for lack of spring; and this, which is quite another thing from mere strength or muscle, can scarcely be acquired by training, but is born into an athlete, like the sprinter's speed or a viva– cious temperament. Given this "spring" and proper form, and almost anything is possible; and one continually sees stocky little men, like Rice of Harvard, tying at the same height with long-legged men, and heavy athletes, like Ker– nan, meeting slender, graceful jumpers on even terms. With the high jump is always associated the name of W. Bird Page. Even though his record has been broken, no high jumper has begun to acquire the widespread fame that came to him, and there are any number of persons to-day who have heard the name of Page and associate it with extraordinary performances in the high jump who would have to examine the books to find the name of the present holder of the world's record. Page was the first man to clear six feet, which was enough to make him famous, and he backed this up by such a series of consistent per– formances both here and abroad that when he