Concerning Records.

The writing of this article was brought about by reading a book on "Physical Exercise," published by Wood, a noted general athlete, in 1867. It contained a compendium of records which included those of all general athletes, and still more, of running horses, balooning and locomotive racing. These records, some of which are of a most startling and extraordnary nature we have made a bouquet of; and that leads the way to a little talk about records in general.

In 1867 athletics did not begin to have the prominence in American life that they have hell since. There were no great athletic clubs - as we look at them to-day - few if any cinder paths, no good stop watches, and no accredited timers. How are we to wonder, then, that all sorts of unreliable and preposterous records were accepted as good, on the word of half a dozen interested "sports?" Read, for instance, these gems of the collection mentioned above, which after all is a very incomplete one:

RUNNING: - 100 yds; 9 sec., by Seward, in England.

One mile; with four separate starts, 15 min., between each, in 3 min. 52 sec. by Westhall, in England.

Five miles; 24 min. 57 sec., by Wm. Jackson, better known as "the American Deer," in England.

Twenty-one miles; 1 hour and 59 min. by Westhall, in England.

JUMPING: - 29 feet 7 inches, in one running jump, by Howard Chester in England.

Standing jump; 12 ft., 5 inches, by Norman Bortles.

LIFTING: - 2737 1-2 lbs., by Ambrose A. Butts of Ohio.

HORSE RUNNING: - It is said that a horse named "Firetail" in 1772, ran a mile in 1 min. 4 sec.

It is also said that "Flying Childers" ran 1-2 mile in 20 sec. His stride or leap was measured and found to be a trifle over thirty feet. He was never known to cover less that 25 ft. at every stride.

"Eclipse" ran a mile in 1 min. in 1741 in Ire and.

In 1786 Mr. Hull's "Quibble" ran 23 miles upon the Newmarket Course or Flat, in 57 min. 10 sec.

In 1831, Geo. Osbaldston performed the most wonderful feat of riding two hundred miles in 8 hours, 39 min. using 28 horses.

SAILING VESSELS: - The "Flying Scud" made 460 miles in 24 hours.

SPEED OF LOCOMOTIVES: - An engine with 6 cars, on the N. Y. Central, ran 14 miles in 11 min. 7 sec.

A train, over the Pennsylvania Central, ran 10 miles in 7m. 30 sec.

BALLOONING: - Banmistle, in 1855, sailed from Adrian, Michigan, to Clarrion County, Penn., a distance of 350 miles, in four hours.

SKATING: - One mile in 1 min. 50 sec., by Wm. Clark. This is said to have been beaten by Donheur of Newburg, he having performed the mile in 1 min. and 52 1-2 sec.; 30 miles in 1 hour, by George Seward.

BILLIARDS: - Best time in a game of 1500 points, 2 hours, 40 min., by Joseph Dion.

PIGEON SHOOTING: - October, 1863, John Taylor killed 98 birds out of 100. This great feat was accomplished with 50 double birds, 18 yds. rise, 100 yds. boundary. This is the best pigeon shooting upon record in any part of the world.

The English athletes of those days were vastly superior to our own, and yet their peculiarities of measuring, starting, timing, etc., make their records amusing reading enough; for instance, the tremendous jumping feats mentioned above were probably accomplished by throwing weights from the hands. To-day the most careful scrutiny is expended on a new athletic record, and until it has been accepted by the Spirit of the Times as correct, it is generally looked upon with suspicious eyes. The perfection of rules of measuring, starting and timing, make the present records all over the world uniform, and establish them as final when they are made. However, it can be seen that the present records are pushed down so close that only in bicycling, where new ones are merely set up to be knocked down again, is there a probability of an important change in the immediate future.Even the fastest runner can hardly hope to beat 10 seconds in the 100 yards, without a flying-start, though many cracks, including our own Baker, are said to have done it in nine and a fraction. The following American amateur records, taken from Spirit's revised list, shows what we are coming to and what we probably shall cling to for some time: -

RUNNING: - 100 yards, 10 seconds, Baker.

220 yards, 22 seconds, Baker.

440 yards, 47 3 4 seconds, Baker.

half-mile, 1 min. 55 2-5 sec., Myers.

mile, 4 min. 21 2-5 sec., George.

WALKING: - One mile, 6 min. 29 3-5 sec., Murray.

JUMPING: - High, 6 ft. 1-2 in., Page.

Standing high, 5 ft. 1 1-4 in., Soren.

Running broad 23 ft. 3in., Ford.

Standing broad, 10 ft. 9 3-4 in., Ford.

POLE VAULT: - High, 11 ft. 1-2 inch. Baxter.

BYCYCLE: - Two miles, 5 min. 21 3-5 sec., Rowe.

HAMMER: - 99 ft. 1in., Condon.

SHOT: - 43 ft., Lambrecht.

It is unfortunate that the latest records of balloons in hurricanes and racing locomotives are not at our disposal, but since jumping off bridges, running through whirl-pools in barrels, and eating quails are henceforth to be graven on tablets, perhaps some day reliable records of even these strange things may be officially preserved.