Local Boy

Until young Bob Mathias (rhymes with defy us) came along, the folks in Tulare, Calif, (pop. 12,000) never had much to shout about.* When Bob became Olympic decathlon champ at 17, they let off a roar heard all over the county, gave him a noisy welcome when he came home from London. Last week, at a cost of $40,000, Tulare played host to the 1949 A.A.U. decathlon meet just so townspeople could watch Bob defend his title.

With the eyes of Tulare upon him (plus the extra pressure of knowing he had to win after all the fuss on his account), 18-year-old Bob Mathias at first lagged in points in the stiffest test of all-around skill known to sport--discus, javelin-throw, shotput, high jump, broad jump, pole vault, high hurdles and flat races of 100, 400, and 1,500 meters. He didn't let it ruffle him. When he was not actually competing, rangy (6 ft. 3 in.) Bob relaxed on a blanket, now and then waved to his mother up in the stands. At the end of the first night's competition, Mathias was trailing Irving ("Moon") Mondschein of

New York's Pioneer Club by 89 points, and Tulare watched, silent and worried. It roared alive when Bob took a lead next night. He kept in front, and Tulare went home happy and hoarse. Order of finish: Mathias (7,552 points), Mondschein (7,045), Bill Albans of North Carolina U. (6,715). Young Bob, also a crack baseball and football man who will enter Stanford next fall, had come closest yet to the A.A.U. record (7,880) set by 37-year-old Glenn Morris in 1936.

-But the name of the county, with a slight disguise, is widely known. Rabbit fever, identified in Tulare County, was named tularemia.

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