The Athletes and Athletic Sports of Scotland

C O N T E N T S . «*< INTRODUCTION, - - - -' - . 9 Greatness of the Greeks andRomans coincident with their love of Athletic Sports—Mental power dependent on bodily vigour—Luxuryand effeminacy fatal to national greatness—Our own Country is passing through the ordeal ofprosperity—Moral effects of athletic training— Increased need of physical exercise from increasing replacement of manual labour by machinery—Modern education too one-sided—Are our Scottish National Sports well calculated to improve us physically ?—Affir­ mative answer. CHAPTER I.—-STRONG MEN AND FEATS OF STRENGTH IN ALL AGES, - - - - 15 The idea that the human race is deteriorating physically erroneous—Strong men of ancient times and their feats : Samson, Milo, Polydamus, Maximinus —Eighteenth • Century strong men : Joyce, Eckeberg, (Eckeberg's feats explained), Topham, Maurice, Count of Saxony— Strong menof the present time ; weight lifting : G. W. Winship, John F. Lucas, Ambrose A. Butts, W. B. Curtis, Donald Dinnie, L. Leussing, David L. Dowd, Jefferson, Louis Cyr—Difficulty of deciding who is strongest—No man strongest all round—Feats with dumb-bells : D.innie, George Davidson, A. Pennell, Henry M'Cann,Sandow, C.Reppel, LouisCyr, CHAPTER 11.—PUTTING THESTONE, - - - 3 1 Three stylespractised : the Scottish tyle, theBraemar style, the Border style—Objections to different styles—Famous putters and their performances: first class, second class —Best performances out of Scotland, amateurand pro­ fessional. CHAPTER III.—THROWING THE HAMMER, - - 48 Styles of throwing : standing styles, pendulum style, figure- eight style, round the head or Scottish style, turning style —First class hammer throwers, Scottish style; second class—Best performances out of Scotland, amateur and professional.