The Sports World in 1894
Oct 6th, 2015 by bachmann
Sporting periodicals began sprouting up in the latter half of the 19th century in direct response to an increased participation in both amateur and professional level sports. The growth in sports in America during the 19th century was spurred on by many factors, such as increased leisure time, improvements in the standard of living, as well as the overall shifting populations, mostly from the emancipated African Americans and the large influx of immigrants from Europe. Sports during this period (and even afterwards) offered a pseudo-safe haven for the disenfranchised members of society, allowing participants the ability to circumvent or rise above some of challenges of discrimination, societal mores, and other prejudices through merit and achievement. Beyond the growing working class and immigrants, there were other factors contributing to the rise of sports in America. Daily newspapers, cheaper printing methods, and telegraphy, all helped to disseminate and publicize national sporting news. Some of the sports we recognize today, baseball, football, boxing, track and field were starting to see a steady increase in event attendances. Even an occasional horse race, with an acclaimed thoroughbred, might be big news and attract some fifty thousand people. America’s first sporting magazine appeared in the second decade of the nineteenth century, but the large majority were established and published by the end of the century. In this rare pocket booklet from 1894, the Boston publisher Franklin K. Lanpher offered an annual sporting manual that recognized the great achievements in sports, cited official records, documented current rules, and offered other anecdotal information.
Some advice is given to the burgeoning athlete:
If one exercises till he is fatigued, he will
tear down and not build up. The muscles are
strengthened by moderate exertions and not
violent and fitful ones…Where the most heat is,
there is the most reduction. Fleshy persons
should keep the fattest parts of body covered
the most when exercising. Also wear a heavy
sweater. If feeling thirsty, gargle the throat
with cool water for a minute or two. Then
slowly drink a little.
In 1894, boxing was widely recognized as the premier world sporting event. This manual notes the achievements of prominent pugilist, George Dixon, who was the first black world boxing champion in any weight class, as well as another black boxer, Peter Jackson, who fought champion James Corbett to a 61 round draw.
Jewish cyclist, Arthur Augustus Zimmerman, was considered one of the world’s greatest sprinting cyclist and became the winner of the first world championship in 1893.
In addition to many familiar sports, such as cycling, baseball, horse racing, rowing, and track and field, the manual also provides records for ocean steamships, trains, ice polo, bowling, and walking.
Some interesting nuggets:
- Champion pedestrian C. A. Harriman was credited with holding the record for “walking without a rest” with 121 miles, 385 yards.
- The system of scoring for football adopted in 1883. Scoring —Goal by touch-down, 6; goal from field-kick, 5; touch-down falling goal, 4; safety by opponents, 2.
- The largest turnstile count was at the New York-Chicago game, at N. Y., June 30,1891 — 22,289. The smallest attendance was at Pittsburg, on September 26, 1890, when 23 people paid to see the game between the Pittsburg and Boston League teams.
- Rope Climbing record —22 ft., by B. Stanford, from New York Athletic Club
- Throwing Base Ball —369 ft. 2 in., by G. G. Russell, Aliens, Cambridge, June 9, 1893
- Description:
- The Champion pocket sporting manual. Boston, Mass. : F.K. Lanpher & Co.
- Persistent Link:
- http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:FHCL:9545784
- Repository:
- Widener Library
- Institution:
- Harvard University
