The Truth about the Pole Vault Matter.

In view of the fact that the New York papers have most industriously circulated an utterly false and preposterous story concerning an alleged discourtesy of at Harvard athlete at the intercollegiate games which occurred at the Berkeley Oval, May 25, it is but just that a true statement of the case be made in these columns. The story as it appears in the New York papers, is something as follows:

Shearman, Yale's representative in the pole vault, broke his pole; and as Leavitt, Harvard's representative, refused to lend his pole, Shearman was obliged to take one so heavy that he could not do his best and lost the event. This act of Leavitt's, the story declares, is the more discourteous because at the games a year ago, when the positions of the two men were reversed, Shearman very kindly lent his pole to Leavitt.

To those who know Leavitt it is not necessary to say that there is not a word of truth in the above. The real facts are these: Shearman had at the games a pole which he had neglected to test beforehand, and when he came to use it he found that it was too heavy. He thought that Leavitt's pole would suit him better, and requested the loan of it. Leavitt is a much lighter man than Shearman, and there was considerable question whether the pole would endure the additional strain; it was therefore perfectly natural that Leavitt should be unwilling to lend his pole. The case was brought before the measurers, who decided, but not unanimously, to allow Shearman to borrow Leavitt's pole. After Leavitt had won the event handily, breaking the record, the measurers declared themselves much relieved that their decision had not affected the result. As to the Yale men's statement that Shearman lent Leavitt a pole last year, it is only necessary to state that Leavitt was sick and did not compete in the intercollegiate meeting in 1888.

Considerable astonishment is felt out here that such a story should have been started. In the first place there could have been no act of discourtesy in Leavitt's refusing to lend his pole. Mr. Lathrop shows published opinions of Ford, Baxter and other New York athletes, doubting the justice of the decision by which Shearman was allowed to use Leavitt's pole. If there was any discourtesy shown it must have been by the one who made so embarrassing a request. Leavitt and Shearman are good friends and all Harvard athletes are surprised that anything ever has been said about the matter at all, and doubly surprised that the affair should have been so misrepresented, especially after Shearman had actually used Leavitt's pole. There is a disposition to regard the whole thing as having its origin in the oriental imagination of some New York reporter.