It is still somewhat a moot point whether Lane's jump ought to be received as a genuine performance, as it has been averred with vehemence, and denied with equal vehemence, that there was a fall in the ground. In truth, however, it is very difficult indeed, when it comes to an inch or two, to judge between one jump and another, as a little wind more or less behind the jumper, or a slight drop in the ground, may make a good deal of difference. It is seldom, also, that the run for the jump is on perfectly level ground, as it is impossible to place the jumping ground, with its prepared surface and hollowed pit, in the middle of the levelled running path. For several years, therefore, and we might almost say up to the present day, the question must remain undecided as to which of the pair was the best of all jumpers. Their performance was never even approached for several years. In 1878 the Universities turned out simultaneously a pair of fine jumpers, C. W. M. Kemp of Oxford, one of a very well-known athletic family, and E. Baddeley of Cambridge. At the Oxford and Cambridge meeting, Kemp, who was a light-weight, wiry, and of more than medium height, beat Baddeley by a few inches, winning with 22 ft. 2 3/4 in.

Kemp was, we think, not quite so good, but more certain than his opponent, and always jumped with great coolness and judgment, never failing when fit to get a good jerk in mid-air and fling his legs well out in front of him. At the championship meeting, in the same year, Baddeley turned the tables on his opponent, winning with the fine jump of 22 ft. 8 in. on perfectly level ground. Baddeley was a very tall, heavy man, weighing over 13 stone, strongly and loosely built, and was also the hammer-throwing champion in 1878 and 1882. He occasionally made a poor show at long jumping, through failing to jump sufficiently high and skimming too near the ground. As he had a great natural spring in his muscles, it suited him better to leap a trifle higher than his lighter opponent Kemp. Lockton, who made his mark also as a sprinter and hurdler, was another magnificent long-jumper, having time after time done over 22 feet in public. When a lad of seventeen at school he entered for the long-jump championship, and as Davies, who was also entered, did not put in an appearance, Lockton was indulged with a walk over. In 1875, 1879, and 1880 he also won this championship, on the two latter occasions clearing over 22 feet.

Indeed, Lockton, from the time he was eighteen, was always good for 22 feet; and cleared within an inch or two of this distance at his school sports, when still at school.

Long jump.

Locktondid not figure prominently at sports after 1880, and since his time it is hardly too much to say that most of the best long-jumpers have been Irishmen or Scotchmen. Parsons, of Edinburgh University, who was, as we have described, a light-weight of medium height, not only cleared 6 ft. 0 1/4 in. at the championship at Lillie Bridge in 1883, but on the same day won the long-jump championship with 23 ft. 0 1/4 in. The weather was fine and warm, but as he was neither aided by wind nor drop in the ground, the double performance on the same day marks him as a marvellous jumper. Parsons, like Kemp, jumped always with great judgment, never taking off short of the line, and throwing his legs well out in front of him.

In 1881 P. Davin won the English championship at the Aston Grounds, Birmingham, with a jump of 22 ft. 11 in., but was aided by a decided drop in the ground. Davin's long jumping was like his high jumping; he had a remarkable natural spring in his muscles and jumped well into the air with perfect grace and no twisting of the back or jerk of the body. Two years later he is credited with having, at Portarlington, in Ireland, covered 23 ft. 2 in., just half an inch more than Lane's, jump of 1874, and there does net seem to be any fair reason for disputing the record. In 1882 the championship again fell to an Irishman, T. M. Malone, who was a slighter man than Davin, but jumped in exactly the same style. Malone, who was also a fine sprinter, has since earned a great reputation as a professional runner in Australia. Since then an Irishman, J. Purcell, has won our championship, jumping in exactly the same style, being able to clear over 22 feet. In fact there is no doubt that there is an Irish style of long jumping which most of the English jumpers are physically unable to imitate.

Experience may almost be said to show that in natural 'springiness' the Celtic muscle is superior to the English.

Quite recently all previous performances at long jumping have been eclipsed by those of the Oxonian, C. B. Fry. Fry, who is a marvellous all-round athlete, obtained a 'triple blue,' that is to say, represented his University at cricket, football, and athletics. He has several times jumped over 23 feet either at the Iffley Road Ground at Oxford, or at the Queen's Club. His best performances are 23 ft. 6 1/2 in. (a world's record), made at Oxford in March 1893, and 23 ft 5 in., made at the Queen's Club at the Inter-'Varsity gathering of 1892. Both the places upon which these performances have been made have admirably prepared jumping-grounds, and in each of them the ground is 'banked up' very slightly just before the 'take-off.' A distinguished ex-champion jumper has expressed his opinion that the slight rise in the approach to the 'take-off' gives a material assistance to the jumper, but even if this be so (and I consider it doubtful). Fry's superiority to his predecessors can hardly be questioned.