HP HE
GST- m
GOOD TR.UIT GUARDING
THOUSAND COLLEGIAN
ISE of the Neiu Enaland School of Coached of Whom "Mike" Murphy Is the
Dean, and How Its Members Have Discovered and Developed Athletic
Marvels.
THIRTY
MICHAEL C, MTJJREHX
Pack In Ffeoto, ,
(Cnrriltt. 1911. br lit New Tor Henlo Co. ill rlsbti rnorrmi
ON the Massachusetts athletic trust the track
and field destinies of more than thirty thou
nand collegians balunce. Another ten thou
sand or moro members of amateur clubs look
for their physical betterment, for personal or
mblte competition, to offsprlnKs of Uils organization
tht xlst without papers of Incorporation or any
thing more binding than the quietly announced slo
gan. "He' one of us." '
In an eastern district of the May Btnt, that a ro
bust man could cover In a dny'a walk, the athletic
trust was born thirty years ago. It Is still growing.
Its potency now draws to the headquarters of the
trust glories of athletic achievements from coast to
coast, and from Now Orleans to the Cnnndlnn lino.
Through Its agents the trunt's power ins been felt
abroad In Olympic and other gnnics.
Originally a one man power, with "Stocky" Mur
phy,, of those days the present "Mlko" Murphy ns
Tsar, It has never loosoned Its grip on the amateur
athletic situation. An aspiring coach may pass mus
ter without the "O. K." of tbo trust, but If ho tins It
there Is higher hope for tho future. To gain that
Barer falling Indorsement "Ho knows tho game" an
applicant must first weather tho chills of tho trust '
and warm the roasters that control It by "showing
something." That "something" Is real ability. But
betaf a New Rnglander gives the applicant an l
Jowanc of fifty percentage points before he Is put
to the test
It Just happens so" was an expert athletic advis
er's answer when the writer naked why that district
within forty-five minutes from Uoston produced the
world's foremost athletic coaches and (minora, Iltit
there's' a atory of loyalty (o tho deau of coaches,
Michael C. Murphy, of the ynlvoinlty of Pennsyl
vania, and of much bard work along ambitious lines
In the carrera of the chief figures.
' In the early eighties New England was the homo of
the professional athlete, and nearly every one of the
members of (he trust has been a money chaser with
bis own borrowed splkos. rrofesslonnl sprinters wero
more plentiful thoro than lu any other section of the
country, barring, possibly, portions of Pennsylvania.
For a decado .the sport thrived. But the specula
tive: interests eventually brought about It; decline. At
the height of the foot racing era for cash, "Stocky"
Murphy, 'Tooch" Donovan, now coach nt Harvard;
"Johnny" Mack, of Yale, and scores of others who do
not have any standing with the trust were active.
(Working In hayflelds for weeks to establish n resi
dence In some smnll town where hoso races with rival
fire companies wero tho leading attractions to tho
sport loving natives; driving a conl wagon and eventu
ally being Invited by somo "unknown" friend to get
off the sent and run against some nthleto with moro
backing than sprinting power; keeping right on run
ring and going over the high fenco enclosing somo
track after defeating the local sprinting Idol are ex
periences that some ( tho members of the trust have
forgotten lu the more dlgullled careers Hint opened to
them. .
On the Natli'k (Mass.)' Hook and Ladder team of
the early eighties wero "Mlko" Murphy. 'Tooch" Don
ovan, Keene FHspatrlck, ''Johnny" Mnek, "Sid" I'eel,
now trainer at Andover; "Sieve" Knrrell, conch at
the University of Ohio, and "Piper" Douovnn, fastest
of all professional sprinters when nt his best. That
team was a world's champion, l'roiu It Murphy went
to Yale as traluer, bringing with hlin as an assistant
'Tooch" Donovan.
Perseverance, coupled with (he hardest of work,
made this coterie of muscular New Knglandera valu
able from thrlr first nttempts ns conches. There Is
nut a man In the list who tins not trained harder nu
more conscientiously than a majority of present day
champions. In the professional ranks there was no
lonflng In (he camps. Near the town of Nnilek wns a
road house where several of (he money seekers trained
belween races. There tho dnlly routine wns a ten or
twelve mile walk before breakfast, more rond work
and outdoor exercise until noon. Then a light lunch
and a handicap meet In the afternoon.
The handicaps were mutually agreed upon and each
man pu( up his own money anil run for It ns If there
was not auolber chance for "eats" In Icht. When
some of this little group entered the college nthlellc
world as coaches they did not Instruct from n bttok or
give advice from an arm chair. They continued to
work and have been st it ever since.
In one of the largest of the Lnsfcin universities Is
coach who would not address student upon the
subject, but who could tell of one small da's vtmk
ths( he did as a professions! nthictc. led nnlW'
In Boston by a follower of the sprinters who was
faster on the "getaway" with coin 1 1 t-t 11 tin runner
himself, (his now famous coach vtent ,u the l'tim-tul
Hall market and worked from seven o'clock In t'
inonilng until noon as nn assistant handlci of side
pf beef. Ho needed the dotlnr that was promised,
bersuse that sftcrnnon he had nn engagement In s
IAS ysrd handicap In n town forty. odd miles a.t.
But the butcher had none for the day, null Instruc
tions tn have lhs( "young fellow Willi the sunburn,
arms" come around the next morning.
Travelling "Incog" precluded the chances for a
"touch" on iO f (he sporting men In llmton. st
that time more numerous than now. so this deter
mined athlete pleaded with a fireman on a (rata for
permission to "stoke" his way. And he won i tint
chance. Xbes he had tittle else to do but walk ln
4
I "
x
WILLIAM "F.
DONOVAN
Kctortat KiwsCft
Fbetcv
1 Want Pied" Insisted Chase;.
and one Hnlf miles to the fair grounds nnd borrow
spikes and trunks from nn awed ninnteur. Ho lln
lshed second from tho four ynrd murk, pocketed $75
and was lu tho market In Boston next morning to
earn another dollar. "Hiiinll wonder that men of tlint
spirit can succeed," commented n kindly collego In
structor, who, up to the tlnio of hearing that story of
sheer grit, "never had much use fur those runners
and Jumpers."
N "Alike" Murphy's Start.
Of the returns that have been written and the count
less stories told of "Mike" Murphy's stun ns a coach
(trainer they termed hi ill then), none ever gnve a ver
sion that was (old Ihe writer by the lute "Pal" Hurley,
of Worcester, Mass., one of the noblest of men and a
devotee of sports, who was In the thick of all contests
an a backer of professionals, n friend of amateurs In
nil lines and a veritable encyclopaedia of facts.
In those dnys of more than twenty years ugo, "Mike"
Finn, now a minor lenguo baseball manager and scout
for big league tennis, including tho Ulnnts. wns the
fleetest professional sprinter In the New Knglnnd sec
tion from which tho present nthlellc trust sprained,
One day ho displayed a letler from New Haven asking
111 n to act ns trainer and Instructor there, l'lnu
laughed derisively when lie rend the llgurcs. nnd then,
Jokingly lurnjiig to a group of nlliletes, said: "Let's
send 'Stocky' Murphy." Because Murphy wim not n
champion among them there were rounds of Jeers.
'Never mind that," retorted l-'liin, "that fellow hns
got a head on him that will get him more some day
limn our legs will." And thnt set .Murphy on his way
BERNARD
WEFERS
Ifclorlil Newt Co.
Fholo.
JOHN F.
MOAKLEY.
Chase. T got ft for you!" Is one thnt gives an Insight
to his tact. Of course, Chnse came back and was a
world beuter, nnd on pie, too.
Duo of the cnrdlnal points In Murphy's system of
conchlug Is his never falling system of getting thor
oughly nciitinlnted with every athlete In his care. Ho
Is the originator of the now generally accepted belief
that nn athlete Is only human. Under his system the
old Idea of nthleles being steamed and worked like
saved the day for the Amirlcuu team. Wefers was
the most consistent one hundred and one hundred
and twenty yard sprinter Ihe world hns over known.
He never had "off 'days.". More than thirty times
he covered one hundred yards In IMos. On the
solicitation of his fellow townsman "Patsy" Dono
vau, then manager of the St. Louis .National League
baseball team, Wefers tried, almost on his speed
alone, to be n big leaguer. But Wefers was quicker
than his malinger to recognize the difference between
running on n diamond and ou a track.
On tho theory that "It takes n great sprinter to
oinko one," Wefers' output should be n large oue.
There are two features that hamper Ihe currying
out of this. In the New Vorlt Athletic Club n ma
jority of tho athletes hnve been in other conches'
hands and nro practically matured in athletics. At
Columbia, where he has more than seveu thousand
students to drnw upon, conditions uro not conducive
to best results. Uoiug to the college Is one big event
In a man's life, and visiting New York for the first
time is nnolher, neither of which mnkes for best
athletic effort. This may not apply to natives who nre
students, but tho white lights nro burning every
night for nil.
"Pooch" Donovan, brother of "Piper" Donovan,
who wns credited with one hnudred yards in 3 os.
ns n professional, was himself a splinter of money
earning powers. Before being drawn to Harvard
Donovan coached many minor organizations nnd
military teams. At Worcester Academy he had in
nittl..a It.. ., Idltml 'I Vi, In f It ,r nH t It wnlflltoil shoes
i i i.. ... ..i ni w a cnarce Armor e. liunev. a nnv nr snort a nvn i-i
lV.VirM,S!.r'o?h,ti.h.err n1,,."""''!,l,y """lllloiu-r and thllt ,.,, ptll ,, , (iKrd. Light shoes for sprint ""'l high," as coaches say In referring to the length
racing and heavier ones for workouts are enniign. "" i'""; sijie was ennngeu
in.. . V.i..ii,,n-nrrt iimi moot f..w ve.irs nco. Minpietoly by Donovan, and upon advice that Douo-
Jaines K. Sullivan, then president of the Amateur van hammered into him daily Puffey became the
nir-n-ai iiuiiiicui uiiit'r iii me worm. 1'onovan
Is one of the keenest men In athletics. His own
temperament suggests action.
lu conditioning nthh'Jes Donovan hns nn ndvnntnge
over coaches whose personal experience has been in
track nnd held events only. "Pooch" played football
end can still ilou togs nnd speed around the ends In a
way that mnkes some of the younger fellows envious.
Instructor of nthleles In all brunches.
In a house presented to him by men who appre
ciated nil that ho has done for college ahlletlcs. espe
cially for the University of l'enusyl nnln. .Mlko" Mur
phy can now recall early dnys with the grim satisfac
tion of realising that he gained by hard work unap
pronched eminence lu Ills profession. He prescribes
the same kind of medicine fur ambitious nthleles. hue
he knows the doso best ndanted for each. As a nt.
Athletic Tnlon nnd referee of the games, asked
college authority what he considered the most strik
ing feature of the meet.
"The way that man Murphy handles his nthletes."
was the answer, "Did you notice thnt after being
1 , ..I.I ,1... , It Cllt lit tilt
j rultlng officer In the army of young nthleles Murphy r,1(1 H(nnd . Mrpi,v went to Ihe training qunr
Is supreme. Material, partially moulded. Is mined llf llW twll7 .n,nt , ,,m b(. training big col
over to - him annually because nthleles want him to ,,,,, om5 , i, vvnnts to."
put on Ihe finishing touches. The other coach Is no longer connected with Inter-
" ."t,M ,,- itiiiiii viiiii'iic i inn .Murpny ccllcttlnte sports
showed his rnre tnleut ns a miner, which In nthlellc In his ilrst ve
Mfiiiiiiice is uickiuu up a ltiii. ,iiiu uwen. a mem- .t.i
berof the oliili. wns playing tennis one nfiernuon when i-oMchlng. He mndo It plain to everv athlete who
.Murphy, In his methodical way, leaned over to watch r, ,m,icr him Hint a clean bodv nnd nmid had as
the movements of the players. The action of Oweu Mx ,,:u.ri,, success ns muscles. When members of
looked promising to Murphy. ,,, .,, , ,,,,,. i,roK p In nn earlier era
Mr. Owen, wjiy don t you be a sprinter?" he asked. nf conchlnc renllzeilShal their laws were being bet-
wane t lie pmyers were wiping oil perspiration be- .,,mi mornllv ns well us nhvslcallv turuliv's power
He played baseball professionally as n New England
leaguer. As a professional sprinter Donovan did not
possess the wonderful Sliced of Ills brother "Plrtor "
i his ilrst year out Murphy removed from college bin. ns many old lime followers of sprint racing often
ellcs nil the objectionable features of professional said, "inn can't bent that Donovan combination In a
ipers legs and roociis head.
I ween acts.
"IV returned Owen. "Why. I couldn't run n lick."
But Murphy Insisted, nnd from thai seeming guess
work selection of a future great was developnl John
Owen, the first ninnietir sprinter to cover one hnmlrci
yards under (en seconds. Owen's time was IM S oc
onds. While (raining the American team at Travers Is!
ami In ISPo for the International games with Kng
hind's best athletes, "Mike" Murphy received as pupil
"Steve" Chase, of Dartmouth College, a hustler whoso
records still adorn athletic almanacs. Chase reported
just In time for the exenlni: meal and confessed (hat
he was hungry. After all ihe other athletes had left
Hie training table. Chase lingered, plnally "Mike"
Murphy asked, "Wlua's the mailer? Are von still
hungry! ' '! want pie." Insisted Chase. "We don't
race. "Piper s le"s and
1'roui Donovan's home, Nat Irk. Keene Pltznntrleic
migrated Into the Hold of professional coaches. He
was nnolher protege of "Mike" Murphy, nnd when
Murphy left the Detroit Athletic Club to take op
duties nt Yale It wns Fiizpalrlck, nnotlier sprinter.
cnuie to be recognized. And then came all these sue- wno took charge of the Michigan nthletes. On Mur-
cesses nt Yale nnd Pennsylvania which the public nt phy's move from New Iluven I'itzpnlrlck ngain fol-
laige knows of. probably without r.ivtug a thought to lowed In the path of the veteran coach and became
the calibre of the man who made It possible for alh- Yale's man behind the athletes. I.nfer nt Michigan
letes to be hard lighters nnd gentlemen through it alL JTupafrlok put that university on the athletic map
" , - i" ".' ucti-iopiiiciu oi imcK ana Held
Loyalty in the Trust.
This leads up to Ihe loyalty to "Mike" Murphy that
other members of the trust have shown. By being
the pioneer In the clean-cut system of professional
coaching. Murphy became the man to whom all seek
ers for trainers or coaches looked for advice. Nat
urally enough, he remembered ids comrades of pro
feanonnl fcot racing days. To Ihose he considered
tillnucd, for the handling of thousands of growing
young nwn he gave no advice excepting, "I could not
athletes and careful conditioning
that "Uurry lp" Yost coached.
of football teams
h ue it here." snid Ihe trainer as he walked aay to gle yon a recommendation until you showed me that
laugh In fcelltude.
In a Hash Murphy rcatlrod what few of the old
s';ool of trainers ever would. Chsse hail undoubtedly
been ontlng pie In New Hampshire and btvaklng
li cords on It. titling tit the kitchen. Murphy gut a ittt'gi)
cut of apple pie nnd reiunitsl to the dining room.
Ct'iise had disappeared, but on the club house veran
da there nnsa common, m Murphy hurr:l there and
mv member of that condemn athletic comlnuattou
imploring Chase to stay, but that insistent cuiig ath
lete hud nlrrililv putOis baggage aboard the 'bus run
ning to the railroad station ami was Importuning the
tit si er I i uurry.
The s(Mvtacle of the world's greatest nthlellc coach
running down the roadway with a piece of pie deftly
balanced on a plate, all the time calling, "Here It ).,
, you could handle yourself. Knowing aNnit athletics
is not everything a coach ought to possess."
Thus the nthlellc trust becomes a character buiblj
Ins JhHluc'gcr in the nation.
"Ilcrnlo" Wefers. who as coach nt Columbia nnd
the New Yolk Athletic club probably Is brought
Into contact with more vo.ing men than nny other
roach In the country, was developed by Murphy.
In !SP, a ran honed youth from Laurence, Mass,
wl;h a letirr of Introduction to "Mike" Murphy,
J.id the American athletes nt Trnvers Island it
As Wefers sail he was greeted v,i:li "rube" talk by
his team males, fit-irphy knew In a dat's ob-erva".
flea that Wefers ,iad the stuff in him" nml despite
criticism kept at work on him. On the d ,v of
the meet it was Wefers' victories In the dasl.Q that
Prom nn lu
"'"SMtVS,WAVS '"VlMvMMSM
.
"Jack" Moakley. of Cornell.
l'ltzpntrtck Is very discreet In speech nnd In train
ing. He never overworks nthletes, but when he give-;
orders, there Is no one to doubt whether he really
means what svs. In taking up the responsibilities
attendant upon coaching Princeton. Pltzpatrick did
so with the full confidence of the alumni. "He may
not do wonders In one year or two. but eventual!)
there mil be a system nt Old Nassau that will count
for som-tliing lu the Intercollegiate metis." declared
a prominent alumnus. He had in mm, I Fil.patrlck's
reend at Michigan, one Item in that lis! of achieve
ments being especially conspicuous the development
oi .lotui t.nrreis ns one of the greatest all around ath
letes and football players Xf recent vears
At Cornell there have been many student debates
in the Omttorns on the O n-silo,, whether "Old Man"
toiiriney, .rowing fame, or "Jack" Moakley his
Hon.- more to bring the Itha.-aiis into the front YanKS
f the o,v.,.ge world of sports. Moakley Is a South
Loston 1-n. vtho nbhed f.t racing lo-e and was a
'cry cr,,,itab:e middle distance runner, but never
'ro:n::i."t a, a professional. nc had that admiration
.. r .m:.,o Murphy which seems to crow up with all
.... ...... n.wt,, imii.K-u . section.
MVVVlSVVwWM,
JOHN H.
Mack.
Plctorlit (Mil U.
Photo.
Next, "Genesis of Football and Its Wildfire Spread."
stnic(or in public playgrounds he blossr med Into 4
largest dower of a great gathering of athletic "posJ
when he put Cornell ni ine top year arter year i
leader In cross country and other distance niniJnj.
When Moakley was asked to what method h
trlbuted the success of Cornelllans In ,'istancs rl
ning. ue promptly answered, v ny, me very loca:
of lthncn tends to make young men ragged. Climbl
those hills is the best Kina or training.
But thei-e's more than that to the Cornell system, J
the big hub in the wheel Is Moakley. He his i i
tlnctlve plan. All the yenr round .his cross comj
runnei-s nre Deing groomea. uuring a anal rpeet I
lthncn a few months ago nn official from Ne vj
who was on Cornell field for the first time was ml
titled to see half a dozen men Jogging out of Unci
house and awny from the grounds.
'"What are those fellows doing?" he asked.
those nre some of the cross country runners gett
ready for next full," volunteered a native.
And while the intercollegiate cross country eta
plonships are being decided next fan likely ns notthl
will be a group of young wearers of the red a
white plodding over the hills of Ithaca In a prellmlii
workout for the distance runs of wiz.
Monkley's athletic sensation of the recent colls
year was John Paul Jones, the mile runner, trbo
tabllshed a new world's amateur record of 4m. 15 21
lowering by one fifth of a second a mark nude
Thomas P. Conneff In 1805. Of Jones It has been si
that he was advised never to run because of t
dency to frailness. But once In Ithaca the build
up process began and Jones was strengthened
cross country running that started with the slowest
jogs. To-day Jones can run the last quartet o
gruelling mile race at a pace that would make t c
quarter miler who picked him up at the three-quit
pole cave In before reaching the tape.
The Murphy system was established at Tale si
"johnny" .Muck stepped in, but no conch outside
trust could have taken un the work and carried It
along the original lines as well as Mack hat ii
He Is one of the professional sprinters who came i
after -Murphy's time, but he bad the same little
trict schooling in athletics.
.Mack was a sprinter who believed that a hnodi
ynrd nice wns never over uutll the tape had bj
breasted. Although an adept at starting, on sevj
occasions, owing partially to an injured tendon, il
wns a trifle slow In getting in motion. Then sota
the men in front considered the race already won.
that last nerve pulling, muscle piercing fifty n
Mack would bound to the front and make a rare
tlie tape thnt usually brought Mm Inside the moi
That same kind of spirit Is credited to Yale, wJ
uccounts lor the present snoir of confidence in Mad
methods.
"Tommy" Keene, at Syracuse, and Frank M.
nnly, at Massachusetts Institute of Technoloer.
others of the Bay State group of successful coacj
Keene wns n professional sprinter who competed hi
and in the Shettleld handicap lu England with lal
measures cf success. Knnaly s personal dabble
competition was as a distance runner, and henai
to a few years ago one of America's best. As om
the younger members of the trust Kanaly Is growl
rapidly in power.
Frank Gormley, a Boston man, Is at the head of
loung Men's Gymnastic Club, of New Orleans,
lending organization In the South In athletics.
coach there lie handles hundreds of athletes from
Southern colleges. "Joe" Riley, another man ft
the Hub, Is couch of the Kansas City Athletic ii
cintion.
The city of Worcester, in which "Mike" MurpbJ
known to every one who ever had even the allgli
touch of the athletic fever, has a little group of coit
that have been remarkably successful. J.
Powers, one time holder of the all round aim:
championship, has concued Notre Dame Dolrera
and Holy Cross. He Is now at .Worcester Acadij
"lorn Holland, one of the old guard of professw
loot runners and a pupil In the Murphy scnooi,
been a winner at Northwestern University la
cngo, at Notre Dame and nt Holy Cross College.
Martin Delnnev. brother of "Jere." a profess!
disftinco runner of note and a skilled conch at Eisj
and Iowa University. Is himself deep into atnletid
the Middle .West, being In charge of the track Ifj
or cuicago Athletic Association and many con?,
during the summer months. Uue O'Connor brett
'"Chnrlic" nnd "Eddie," both clever and fleet 11 i:
tour sprinters and both fast up to the half mile, ti
made the rounds of the minor colleges of o" H
lauu.
"Nothintr But Praise."
When the nttentlon of James E. Sullivnn, Ih
figure in the Amnteur Athletic Union, sndbjw
of his jiosltion n man who has always been ident:.
with Intercollegiate sports, was called lo lieitlu
irust ne said: ...
"If Ihnt U fl trime It la t-hrt onlw one In the WOfW
there Is uothiug but praise for. A fine body ' 1
lu that list. 1 tell you! Why, every one of tbeB
been n worker from hnvtiofwl Their moral IddBM
has been so grent that l know personally at 1J
Scire nt futltnra whn hnt a n, thit men bite
made out of their boys by the training they bi
under some of these coaches.
'"Yes. thev nre all round conches, not aperi
Ynle has grent pole vnulters because athletes oh
groups, a sort of follow the leader style. '
bert and others were at Yale they were looted up"'
younger nthletes, and the lalter aimed to ween
tlclent pole vnulters. Thnt accounts for the pre'1'
of Yale noint winners In thnt event ia recent V
Ab Harvard there wns a time when fa?t quarter5-'
came forward yenr after year; at Dartinonin, '"
ill,. Iha r.,t,-.,itr ftf rl,tiaA Mnu nthr crelt
Cornell has been without a peer as a develop-'
distance runners. r
"When Dartmouth College scoured nil Nw
lor a concn wno naa not been contraeieu -
til tier ertlliti.n ft nieinltnl- nf the Athletic tOffl
asked me lo recommend a conch. 1 had xt"
mind, but conditions surrounding others bnw
Issue down to Harry L. Hlllman. 1 told my
engage him, not with the Idea of having biaj
n n-l,tntit.r Indnt in o t-n.i r nr ttViV bllt
thought iiiways In mind bf bulldlnj? T the Mf
,. ..... ..... ..... . ...j ur "lite '
sauj luni, tLiiimau naa Deen conciieo i. .
.,,.) I....1 l..A L-A., tnrieiit Of I"
1 . . . .." '. . tn toe 07
in snori. I sniu luai ne CHine urntt-i a
i..... .i kin in vourl"1
any man available. Remarkably strance tbjll
all the Interest in athletics, the fnct t"ai " si
lead In the doveloprntflt of college at V 'tea esw j
...... . Si . ,. ,t..in,h nlU.d I'l
inni one utue spotsiviat a mans iuui.it-- -a
cover on a wall mm has rO er been noted "