H
SOME SPORTS OF MIDWINTER
Pl ni of thfl Big Leagua Kapitoi Seem
EMJ to Discern.
TWO ; EIGHT-CLUB CIRCUITS IN SIGHT
Weaker CHltm Will He Dropped from
Tirelre-Clnfi Arrnmjemont nnil Old
National nnU American Ite-K -
tabllshed JVenr as Possible.
'The meeting of the big league managers
in Nsw York during the last week has re-
ulted In the commencement of a revolution
that Is likely to become widespread before
it retches a conclusion. Tbe fusion of
Brooklyn and Baltimore , which has been
hlnt d At for Bercral weeks , means consid
erably more than the strengthening of the
Trolley Dodgem and a slap at Freedman of
New York ; It will undoubtedly and unques
tionably result In the establishment ot the
two eight-club circuits. Some ot those who
claim to be on the insldo are free enough
to predict that It may take place before the
ecason of 1899 opens.
According to confidential Information that
has leaked out the magnates are working
up a scheme to control professional base
bull all over the country. The plan Is to
band together ilxteen of the largest cities
in the control ot the national agreement ,
these cities to be divided into two sections
of eight club * each. Tb premier
circuit will consist of Boston , New
York , Brooklyn , Philadelphia , Chicago ,
Cincinnati , Plttsburg and St. Louis. The
secondary bunch will be made up of Balti
more ; , Washington , Buffalo , Cleveland , Louis
ville , Indianapolis , Detroit and Milwaukee or
Kansas City. '
Tbe .plan seems perfectly feasible. By
transferring the Baltimore players to
Brooklyn one of the cities has been gotten
out of the way. Cleveland will undoubtedly
be willing to move to St. Louis. In fact
a clear Indication that this Is the next move
was given In the turning down ot Von der
'Aho in favor ot Muckenfuss. Loulsvlllo is
more than anxious to sell out for financial
reasons and all that the league needs do
is to buy the club up. That disposes of
three of tbo undesirable quartet and It only
remains to put another away. The Senators
are likely to be the Individuals picked upon ,
inasmuch as base ball has not been highly
profitable In the capital city of late.
Adrian C. Anson , tiho daddy of the base-
balllita , Is hankering to hold the man
agerial belm of the Browns next season.
An so has demonstrated that a yoke ot oxen ,
aided and abetted by a charge of dynamite
and a 13-inch persuader , would be in
adequate to keep him out ot the profession
In which he ba grown up. As to the ques
tion of whether he will succeed In making
the riffle , It seems likely that the answer
depends upon tbo solution ot tbe tangle In
which tbo Browns are now enmeshed. The
Grand Old Man Is said to have made his
preliminary advances to Chris Von der Abe.
who is not at present the ace In' the St.
Louts pack , but with tbo money that Anse
can command It may be that be will be able
to step In i under any management. Money
is tbe quality that will take In any negotiat
ions made In connection with the St. Lotus
franchise.
Jimmy Slagle , the hard hitting center
fielder of the Kansas City team , will not be
a Pirate next season after all , for ho figured
In a deal with Washington In which he
iandrd Jn the Capital City , while Seconc1
Baseman licit ? : of the Senators win don the
Pltuburg uniform next season. The occasion
for the transaction was the weakness exist
ing at tbo rittnburg second sack , which has
been the hole through which many a game
has crept alnce the days of Fred Dunlap , a
decade ago. Reltz Is one of the best second
bagmen the game ha's ever produced , and is
n excellent emergency .hitter , as he has al
ways hugged the 30 mark. As a consequence
of tbe deal the Senators will have an outer
garden that In all around work will not be
surpassed in tbe league. Selbach Is a wonder
in fielding and rounds to at the close of every
Boason with a stick average of about 32.0.
Freeman is a terrific slugger , and , as a con
sequence , of his work in thirty games , be
if/us thd second man in the league when it
came to making up the averages. The men
who accompanied the men In tbe deal were
Padden and O'Brien. The former is a good
inflelder and a poor batter , whlfe the latter
la an excellent emergency man.
It the minor cities will agree to tbe alx-
teen-club plan it is expected that a new
ironclad agreement , to hold good for ten
years , will be drawn up and signed by all [ 1
InUreitad. A national board of arbitration , ,
composed of representatives of both cir
cuits , would of course be a necessity and a
world's championship series between the two
pennant winners almost a certainty. In a
word , the magnates want to establish the
oM l * guo and American association cir
cuits as nearly ai possible , but under such
a compact that there will be no conflict , no
1 enmity and a total absence of anything
calculate- produce another base ball war.
Unleca the thing can be done with perfect
tarmony It will not go through. It has been
ecretly pointed out to all concerned thai
the national game Is In a bad tray and
heroic measures must be resorted to In order
to bring oank the old days ot prosperity.
One of tbe sensations connected with the
league meeting was tbe announcement that
John B. Day will succeed Andy Goose Freed-
nan as manager of tbe Giants. There seems
to be a little question that this means noth
ing moro nor less than that Freedman late
to be thrust entirely behind the tbrono o !
the New York club in answer to .the de
mands of the other club managements In the
league. Tbe latter have made it plainly
apparent that they did not believe that Now
York could over bo made a winner as long
as Freedman Is allowed to Indulge In bis
paretlc breaks. With tbe metropolis as a
loser , the other club owners looked into a
very dark financial future , the brunette hue
ot which Is expected to be scattered by tbe
restoration of Day. It was under the Day
dynasty that the New York club as an in.
vestment was In the June of Its financial and
artlitlc bloom. The Giants have won the
championship only twice In their history and
ach time Day was at the helm.
Van der Beck , the Detroit magnate who
das made offers to buy tbe Cleveland and
Louisville players and franchise , seems to
bave decided to back out ot the transaction
entirely. When It was shown to be im
poislblo for him to secure the Spiders h
threw ont his defl to the Kentucklans am
was quickly called. He was expected to
ba on hand In New York to put up torn
portion of the $40,000 he offered , but he wa
missing quantity.
Mana'ger Selee of tbe Boston ! ls con
ilderlng a scheme to take a couple ot bal ' '
teams to the Philippines next winter. H
has figured out that twenty ot the bea
players could b put In fine winter condl
tlon at little or no cost by making tbe trl
at the close of the regular season.
FOR LOVERS OF GUN" AND ROD
Warm Weather Glvra the Hunters
Chance to Take th * Field
Ouee More.
The cold weather ot the last couple of
weeks baa bad a decidedly disastrous effect
upon the gunners and those who have wan
dered out upon the snow covered heaths inot
Douglas county have been very few in ra
ber. Tbe warmer weather has ted
the huntsmen and * good many go forth
today with doc * Bd UD1& * P"e ot the
fsct that the weather baa prevented Any
extensive pursuit of quail nnd mbblts the
Rsmo market during the last few weeks
has never been stocked better and the prices
for this class of game have bc n lower than
for several years past.
The Dupont Gun club WM to bave held a
special meeting InBilly Town eud's store
last Tuesday evening , but the meeting was
postponed. Tbe business that was to have
come up will bo nonsldtred at the annual
meeting to bo held In January.
The Douglas County Fish Protective ano-
clatlon will hold a meeting at Ed Krug's
house on next Tuesday evening. Some ways
and means are to be devised of raising
money to meet obligations Incurred during
the last season , among them being an Item
for the prosecution of the Illegal seiners
caught at Cut-Oft fake.
Do racy Burgess , Billy Townscnd , Henry
McDonald , Billy Brewer and Billy Hardln
are at Columbus today In attendance at a
shoot under the auspices ot the local gun
club. The particular feature of the day Is
to be a fifty live bird race between Burgees
and Burke of Elgin for a bet ot $100. The
main event on the regular program Is to be
a twenty-five live bird handicap. There
will bo a number of other events , both at
live bird * and-targets.
Gus Icken and Con Young have gone for a
few days' bunt on the prairies In mtddl *
Nebraska. j
-
According to a recent Issue ef the Ameri
can Soldier of Manila , hunting Is plentiful
In tbo Immediate vicinity ot that city. In
the mountains not ten miles off plenty ot
c-cr are to be found , while the marshes ,
which are still nearer the city , team with
ntpe , pigeon , mallard and teal , Tbe na
ves trap the duck and snipe utter night-
all with the aid of a rude jackllght , the
low of which so confuses the birds that a
et can be easily thrown over them. In the
oothlllfl mountain grouse are as plentiful
a quail upon Nebraska prairies.
BLATHER OF THE PUGILISTS
'oat ' Sharkey's Chance to Square Hlra-
sclt Comes When lie Meets
Kid MoCor Next Month.
Thomas Sharkey , pugilist , will hare ft'
hance In the near future to demonstrate to
ie sporting public whether he has de-
Ided to enroll himself In the society of
aklrs and shell men , of Whom Corbett
cems to bo presiding chairman , or whether
o Is a glovoraan on the square. When ,
nd also If , ho meets that smooth Hoosl-er
t the Lenox Athletic club In New York on
anuary 10 , he will have an opportunity of
learlng bis skirts of all suspicion that n
ad a hand In the disgraceful fiasco c m-
monly dubbed the Bharkey-Cort > ett fight. It
111 bo a case of Mr. Sharkey being tried In
lie balance.
To be cure , the same sort of test will
e applied to the Hoosler , upon whose per-
on more than a suspicion of faking already
ttadbes. His action in agreeing to a
rlvate set of articles previous to the pro-
xised bout with Corbett and making
nether for the benefit of the public , how-
vor ; stamps Mr. Smoothly McCoy as an in-
Ivldual who la ready to seize any oppor-
unlty where he may secure a. piece of the
urse without taking the chance of a knock-
ut. Consequently , even If , McCoy goes
lirough the Journey with the man-of-war's
man on the level , sporting critics will still
ook upon 'him as ready to do a bit of
aklng whenever the chance affords.
As a matter of fact , there are not a taw
f the elect who freely predict that toe
iroposed fight will never take placa it
Ibarkey shows a disposition to go through
he fight on the square. These skeptical
ndlvlduals believe that If the Indiana kid
neountcrs such a state of mind.In . Shar-
; ey _ the will straightway proceed to
withdraw as gracefully aa possible from the
match. Some such argumentative act as
esulted In the calling off of the Corbett-
IcCoy affair Is predicted , although the
pinion is as general that McCoy will not
attempt to put a period at the end of any
onversatlon between himself and
iharkey In the shape of a kick , as
le did in the case of Corbett at
bo Qllsey house in New York. Sbarkey
and Corbett are two differently constituted
ndlvlduals. The sailor lad , for example , la
'no gentleman , " according to the Pompa-
dour.
In view of the possible contingencies that
may bo rammed In the three weeks before
he proposed fight takes place It would be
a bit premature to say anything about the
result of tha proposed go. It would be a
peculiar mitt battle more so even than a
level fight between Corbett and Sharkey
would have been. McCoy Is a past master
n the art of sidestepping and could hav
given Corbett leeeons In this element of the
luglllstic game at any time In the lattor'a
career. He Is par excellence an Inflghter ,
.he chief of the clan of this sort of scrap
pers. In the past he has succeeded In get-
ling away safely after landing a right and
oft. Whether this fashion of fighting will
overcome Sharkey's bull rushes , his punch [ i
and bis quite respectable science displayed
In the Corbett fiasco Is the question to be
decided. Sharkey will have the advantage
In weight and general build , while McCoy
will have a couple of inches benefit in alti
tude and no less than ilx Inches in reach.
The second most Important bit of news In
the world of the scrappers la the' reported
possibility of a fight between lied Robert
Fltzslmmons and Tommy Ryan for the mid
dleweight championship of the world. Ever
since Tommy has graduated from the welters
be has bad a hankering to separate the
champion from his middleweight laurels and
has made various and divers advances to
Red Robert. The Syracuse boxer recently
made Fltz an offer to go him twenty rounds
with the middleweight championship cre
dentials up as the main section of the pure * .
Deb , however , Is of a money making char
acter and made response to the effect that
he would engage In a finish fight-with the
ex-welter champion for a side bet of $10,000.
Ryan dubbed this announcement of the
CornUhman as an effort to creep out of a
tight place through a very small hole. In
sisting that $10,000 Is beyond his means and
Kltzslmmons knows It. Fltz now comes back
with a proposition that be will be willing to
wage glove war with Ryan for $2,500 a side ,
but Insists that the setto shall bo to a
finish. Ryan has not as yet made answer to
this latest pronunclamento from the cham
pion. Qlovemcn and their admirers would
like to see the matter of the middleweight
championship settled , for it le charged that
Fltz can never get under the limit of this
class , while Robert declares to the con
trary. With Fltz over the limit Ryan would
be against an almost Insurmountable propo
sition , for while unquestionably be Is one ot
the toughest bundles of bother for his pounds
In the ring , tie could hardly expect to send a
heavy man of Fltz's caliber to the floor.
Now that Red Robert has consented to
emerge from his pugilistic retirement In
order to take on Tommy Ryan , members of
the Society ot Qlfflng 400 would liketo see
him enter the ring with the winner of the
Sbarkey-McCoy setto. Stuffed glove critics
are Inclined to believe that the man-of-
war's-man and the Kid are the best heavy
weights In .the roped arena now , barring
Fitz. As Sbarkey appears to have laid away
his rough-and-tumble tactics and Is fighting
according to rules , the belief Is widespread
that he should bo given another chance to
cross arms with the Cornlihman should he
put a quietus on McCoy's career. Fltz
has all along declared that be was banded
the hot end ot a robbing game In his go
the'with ' Sharkey on the coast , but there la
some uncertainty about the matter , which
could be clfared up In another match bera
Iwctn the two , Red Robert has already
offered to fight McCoy , co that , If the latter
should win from the sailor , ho would be
oxpcctod to make a match with the Kid
oIn
Immediately.
Two of the greatest boxers at their -weight
that the old country has ever produced met
Inat London last week , when Billy Pllmmer
and Peddlar Palmer squared oft on ( he
reslned platform. They are fighters from
the ground up and scientists with the stuffed
mitt. In sending Pllmmer to the floor In
the seventeenth round Palmer but topped
oft a pact claim of superiority over bli
rival . , for he simply repeated the dose that
he administered to Pllmmer on November
! 6 , 1S96. At that time Pllmmer wa the
premier man In hU clui of all England ,
having but short time before received a
decision over George Dlxon in a four-round
go at the Madison Square garden In New
York. Palmer wrested his laureli from htm
by knocking him out In tha fourteenth
round of the fight. Palmer has also met
Olxon and the bout between these two lads
was one of the fastest erer put up on this
side of the waters. After tali go the
Englishman was looked upon a * e. wonder.
Since that time he has lowered the colon
ot Dave Sullivan and -Johnny Murphy. His
next match mabe with Billy Rocheford ,
the Ohlcagoan. The latter went to Eng
land a couple of months ago to meet htm ,
but the fight was postponed "on account of
Rocheford't Illness. The Windy City rep
resentative is till In London ana hop * to
b able to me * * Palmer ton * MB * in
February.
The bout between "MysUriou * " Billy
Smith and Waloott omething over ft week
ago seemed to demonstrate more than any
thing else that the old Barbadoes wonder
Is alatod for a trip to Hasbeenvllle which
is little more than a ratification of rumors
that have been prevalent for many moon * .
At the same time Smith took a mighty stride
toward the welterweight championship , for
critics affirm that never In his career has
he er r bofor * ut up such a treat fight.
He was Wftlcott'a superior In eolence , gen
eralship and aho la hoary hitting , which
was formerly the latter's strongest ault.
In ' the eleventh round of the twenty-round
journey Smith floored iWalcott twice and
' the Barbadoetlao was groggy and was eared
by the bell before Smith could put In th *
finishing punch. On points Smith won in a
walk.
A new star burst Into brilliancy la the
lightweight firmament a week Ago when
Bobby Dobbs , the Kentucky Senagamblan ,
received the decision over Dick Burge ot
England In a London prla ring. While
Dobbs got the go on a foul , the critics over
the pond w ra pleased with the way he acted
and say that he proved himself the better
man tf tb * two. Th * first halt a dozen
innings of the affair were rather tame , but
thereafter the Englishman WM wearied and
Dobbs waded Into blm with Shark * ? wal-
lope. Plnalry Burse's manager claimed a
foul In tbe eighth round , and when It was
disallowed refused to let his man continue
the fight. The decision is quite a feather
In the colored man's cap , for Burge Is quit *
a craok. He was bested but once before In
his career , that time by Lavlgne , the un
disputed lightweight ohamplon of the
world. Ae soon as Dobbs returns to this
country ho propose * to try to take on a go
with Lavlgne for the championship laurels.
Tom O'Rourke made a surprising state
ment the other nlgbt when be declared that
big Bob Armstrong , the colored pugilist , who
met Jeffries in a ten-round bout at the
Lenox 'club last summer , could whip any
heavyweight In the world , bar Sharkey.
"All Armstrong needs , " said O'Rourke ,
"Is something to eat Hitherto he has
starved himself almost to death. He has
been working with Sharkey lately' and has
improved so much that I am prepared to
bet $2,500 that be can beat any of tbe other
big fallows. He made a monkey of Jeffries ,
even though he hadn't had a square meal
in a month. I'm going to feed him a bit ,
teach him some wrinkles In boxing and then
cut him loose' . All he needs is confidence
and'grub. . "
Joe Choynskl , who has been declared to
be lame , halt , blind and pretty nearly everything -
thing else except dead within the past few
months , will be lined up against the big
Ohio giant , Ruhlln , In the Lenox Athletic club
on January 3. The bout was to have oc
curred on January 10 , but ne that date has
been selected as tbe time for the pulling off
ot the Sharkey-McCoy go the date was
advanced.
WITH HORSES AND HORSEMEN
Probable Modification of Rnles of the
National Trotting ; Association
the Interesting Feature.
While most western relnsmsn travel
around the tracks under the rules of the
American Trotting association , they will be
Interested in tbe special meeting ot the
National Trotting association that will probably -
ably be called as a consequence of the recent
meeting of tbe Board of Review of that body.
This interest will arise from the fact that
he National association will very probably
rescind certain objectionable and radical
rules which it adopted at its last session
and which the American association also
considered and absolutely refused to touch.
Tbr o important rules will be discussed at
be meeting If it Is held.
Tbe most unpopular rule passed by the
ast congress of the National Trotting asso
ciation is what Is called the anti-hobble
rule , the application of which was post
poned for one year , but which will come
nto operation next season unless repealed.
Secretaries ot associations are afraid that 11
the rule Is enforced owners of horses who
wear hobbles will only enter their nags on
American association tracks and that in self-
defense they will have to Join that nasocl
ntlon. The owners are naturally loud in
heir denunciation of the rule and the manu
facturers of the obnoxious straps are also
oud In their protests. On the other hand
t Is admitted that the use of hobbles Is dan.
gorous to life and limb of both driver and
lorse and of every other horse In the race ;
that many drivers of reputation , such as EC
Gcers , will not drive a horse which wears
hobbles , and that such a horse is valueless
na a roadster after his racing days are over
But the greatest argument of all Is that you
cannot Improve a breed of horses by me
chanical methods.
Another rule to be attacked Is the one
requiring all drivers to take out licenses
While this rule has been complied with by
the great body of the drivers , It has no
been enforced by the associations , and then
have been a few conspicuous Instances o
men who have refused to take out licenses
and yet have been permitted to drive , Th
rule Is a good one , but If associations wll
not enforce It It la better to remove 1
from the statute book. Prior to the las
session of the congress judges bad th
power to declare the last beat of a rac
void If they thought there was fraud In th
race. The last congress deprived them o
that power , but authorized them to expc
any person whom they thought bad no
trleJ to win. The experience of the las
season goes to show that judges will no
expel on suspicion , and It Is proposed t
again give them the power to call an extr
heat.
It Is also probable that the rule paste
two years ago against laying up heats wl
be modified. H Is a notorious fact that a
many of the leading tracks the rule ha
been strictly enforced one day and Ignore
the next. It Is a peculiarly worded rul
and la aa follows : "Every heat In a rac
i [ shall bo contested by every horse In tha
race , and an honest endeavor made by every
rt idcr and driver to win. ( This shall not l >
onstrued to mean that when a horse Is
opelcisly beaten , or from a bad start or
ot thor unavoidable causes the chances to
da are destroyed , the driver must force
Is horse to hi * utmost capacity , but to do
way as far AS possible with the pernicious
ractlc * of laying up heats. ) Should a
; der or driver bo found guilty ot laying up
heat , bo shall be fined , suspended or ex-
tiled. " It will bo seen at a glance that
10 application of this rule Is left com-
letely to the wisdom of the judges , and
hat Is just what the drivers complain of.
hey say , and say justly , that the average
mateur judge Is not capable of deciding
hen a horse is laid up for just and suf-
clent cause. The probability is that all
hree rules will be modified at a special
meeting ot tbe congress.
The yc r 1898 has been the tanner one for
ho greatest number ot trotting and pacing
orses that have , during the season , en-
ered the magic circle of the 2:20 : list. The
ecords show that about 750 horses have
ropped Into the 2:20 : list the part season ,
hecrers are In the lead as to numbers.
Ten years ago a 2:30 : trotter was fast enough
o go to the races with. Now , unless a horse
can beat 2:20 : three times , he Is not worth
ny account In the Grand circuit meeting
r at the largo associated tracks ho must
able to go three beats better than 2:14. :
The showing , this year , la a wonderful one
when It Is remembered that but a few years
go the 2:20 : Hat contained the names of Ites
ban 300 2:20 : trotters. It Is small wonder
iat Great Britain and all Europe send buy-
rs ot trotters to th markets of the United
tatcs. Breeders of trotting horses are
reatly encouraged by the present state ot
.ffalrs in the trotting world and con-
Idently expect a profitable business for the
lext ten years or moro , If not a continuous
nd over increasing demand for tbe monarch
f an horses the American trotter.
Through the brilliant achievements ot
resent day 2:10 : trpttlng champions , those of
he past years are but pleasant memories ,
r r entirely forgotten. Ralph Wllkes ,
: OG % : Nightingale , 2:08 : ; ! ? ale Alto , 2:08 : % ;
Bosslo Wilton , 2:09Vi : ! Altao , 2:09 : % : Ellard ,
:09 : % ; Ethel Downes , 2:10 : , and Pamllco ,
:10 : , have all gene to the world where good
torsos go after their earthly careers are
nded , but Jay Eye Se . 2:10 : , and the peer
ess Maud S , 2:08 : % , still remain in the
and of the living , glorious representatives
of the old high wheel sulky. Jay Eye See
will attain his majority next spring , while
be great chestnut mare will be 25 years old ,
wh n the daisies again open their eyes.
Much has been said about the American
horses that are being shipped to Europe ,
> ut few horsemen are aware that qulto a
number are being exported to South , Africa.
The latter are all of excellent breeding.
WHEELING GOSSIP ,
Madison Square 9ho4r , IA. . W. Poli
tics and Other Interesting
Matters.
The six-day btoyclo race In Madison
Square Garden is a fruitful text for news
paper moralizing on the degeneracy of btcy-
le sport. H IB condemned as a brutalizing
jxhlbltlon , a useless test of endurance , n
> erverelon of sport to Mammon. But the
irtttcs overlook the fact that while crlticls-
ng the show they boomed it with columns
of details and contributed to ibe success ot
what they now condemn. Th * almighty
dollar is an essential ingredient of every
show , good or bad. It is a uectssary Cle
ment In college foot ball , in "sclea''flc" '
boxing matches , as well as In cycling con-
ests. In this respaitr .be show 'as a
great success. Tbe promoters divided tbout
125,000 , Miller pocketed J2.600 , and the
rafn'ers sums ranging from $1.000 down to
100. As a ' 'tournament of sclonco" it
was not wholly without lessons. Miller
and Lawson demonstrated that they could
ride while asleep ; Waller broke four scant-
Ings without breaking his "slats ; " an
other blackened the eyes of his trainer as
diversion. Other scientific points of
minor Importance were brought out and
he onlooklng scientists made happy. So
were the promoters and the winners.
League politics is growing warm. It is
announced that Potter is out of the race
'or ' re-election to the presidency. Right on
.he heels of the announcement Pennsyl
vania selected a delegation solid for Keenan.
Keenan appears without a competitor in the
race. The rest of "the " slated ticket , as pub-
slhcd in this column last week , remains
unchanged. The question of dropping race
control Is receiving serious consideration.
The probabilities are In favor of dlscontlnu-
ng control , for the reason that league con
trol is so weakened that its continuance
would be folly. Members of the racing
board admit as much , though they hope by
some means to regain it. The New York
Times says tbe west will support it at the
assembly , but that the eastern vote will be
sufficient to relinquish control. The best
proof of the approaching end of race con-
: rol by the league is furnished by Chairman
J tlott's latest bulletin. The wonderful docu
ment teems with the dollar mark from be
ginning to end , and tbe foreigners' distorted
ideas ot this country's wealth receives anf1
other verification ot the popular fallacy ,
after a perusal of the budget. Five thou
sand dollars in fines is imposed on promi
nent amateur and professional riders who
took part In the races held In Madison
Square Garden , New York City , during the
past week. The board surely doesn't ex
pect to collect all this money , but the men
transgressed the rules , and Albert Mott
didn't do a thing to them. How many rac
Ing men are losing sleep over this latest
move of the tearless chairman has not been
discovered yet , but In the years to come
Mr. Mott will be able to tell bow he nearly
made a lot of money for the league , just
as the little boy who rushed breathlessly
Into his home one day and told bis mother
how he nearly had a horse that was feeding
In a pasture near by , because Its owner
bad told him It was his If he could catch it.
The report of tbe captain of tbe Falrmount
Park Guards , Philadelphia , as to the num
ber of bicycles that entered the park in
1898 rather confirms the report ot the Penn
sylvania state railway commissioner as to
the falling off in the popularity of the wheel
This does not necessarily mean that the
sport Is on a permanent decline , but more
likely Is evidence that those who took It up
as a fad have begun to drop out of the
ranks. September ot this year shows a fallIng -
Ing off of 23,388 , as compared with Sep
tember , 1897 ; October , a falling off ot 28,132
and November , 33,234. This last nearly
halves the number ot wheels of November
1897 , 64,525.
The Interest In cycling is evidenced by the
number of spaces that have been taken to
the cycle show at Madison Square Garden
New York City , next month. Two-thlrds o
the area devoted to the exhibition have been
contracted for and it is said only a half
hundred on tbe ground floor remain unsold
For these more than enough Inquiries hav
been sent to insure the eale of tbe balance
Many of the principal manufacturers o
wheels have secured space and so have tbe
makers ot accessories and parts. Horseless
carriages will form a considerable part of
the exhibition.
A young Englishman named Albert Towner
announces that he has determined to under
take the task , in which Teddy Edwards
] failed , ot riding 365 connecutlvo centuries ,
beginning on January 1 next. Towner says
that he shall not vary his route , but Intends -
tends to ride from London to Brighton and
back each day for a year.
CHESS.
Garno recently completed in the State
Correspondence tourney between Lee Edwards -
wards ot Lincoln and Nelson Hald of Danne-
brog. Notes by KJwards :
\Vhlte-Hnld. Ulack-Kdwards.
1 1' to K 4. 1-1' to K 4.
2-IC Kt to 13 3. 2-1' to Q 3.
3-1' to Q 4. 3-1' takes I' .
4-Q tnkes P. 4-Q let to B 1
& -K K to Kt 5. 6-l to Q 2.
G-H takes Kt. 6-P takes U ( a ) .
7-Castles. 7-1' to Q U 4.
8-q td 11 3. 8-U to K 2.
9 1' to Q Kt 3 ( b ) . 8 Kt to K B I.
10-Q Kt to Q 2. 10-Castles.
11-11 to Kt 2. 11 Kt to K sq.
12-Q K to Q sq ( C ) . 32-Q to Kt MI.
13-Kt to H 4. 13-Q to Kt 6 ( d ) .
14-Q to K 3. 11-Q H to Kt 6 te ) .
15-1' to K H 3. 15-11 tnkes Kt.
16-1' takes 11. 1G-1' to K U 3.
17 K to 11 sq ( f ) . 17-K to It sq.
18-H to K Kt sq. IS n to K 11 2.
1Q to Q 3. 19-Q to Kt 2.
20 Kt to K 3. Zq II to q sq.
21-Kt to 11 6. 21-q to q sci ( K ) .
22-H to 1C Kt 3. 22-11 to K U sq.
23-1' to q II 4. 20-q to K 3 ( hj.
21-q U to K Kt sq. 21-1' to K Kt 3.
25-1' to K 11 4. 25-Kt to Kt
2G-Kt to 11 C. 26 11 (1C ( B 2) ) to Q 2.
27-B to q II sq ( I ) . 27-Kt to K n 4.
S K to Kt 4. 2S-B takes Kt.
29 B takes B. 29 1' to q B 3 ( ? )
0-1' to 1C Ii i. 30-1' to q 4.
1-P to 1C B 6. 31 P tnkes 1C P.
2 P tnkes q. 32 R takes q.
3-P takes K P. 33-P to 1C 11 4.
4 It to 1C E. 34-K to 1C sq. I
35-R ( Kt sq ) to K q 35-U to q 3.
3G-P to K 7. SG-Kt to B 3.
37 U to 1C 6. 37 R tukes II.
S-R takes R. SS Kt to Kt 5.
S9-B to B 8. 39 Kt takes V ( eh , )
0-1C to Kt 2. 40-Kt to K 5.
1 R takes q B P. 41-1C to Kt sq.
2-R to q B 7. 42 K to B 2.
3-R takes q R P. 43 P to K R 3.
4 R to q 7. , 44-Kt to K B 3.
45-R to q Kt 7. 45 Kt to Kt sq.
5-P to q R 4. 46-P to 1C Kt 4 ,
7 P takes P. 47 P tnkos P.
4S-R to Kt B. 48-Kt tnkes P.
9-B takes Kt. 49 1C takes B.
50-1' tnkes P. BO K to 1C 3-
61 P to Kt 4. 61-R to q Kt s < q.
42-P to Kt 6. 62-Realgns.
( a ) S P takes B : Made to get away
rein t bo. rook , but leaves the pawns In a
weak position for the end game , as the re-
ult of the game shows.
( b ) 9 P to Q Kt 3 : A good move , which
renders Black's open Kt's file valueless , as
veil as posting his bishop In a strong posl-
lou. Q takes K Kt P , led to complications ,
which would have destroyed White's at-
ack.
ack.c
( c ) 12 Q R to Q sq : White has every
pteco In play and well posted , while Black Is
cramped , *
( d ) 13 Q to Kt 6 : This sally of the queen
est tlmo and gained nothing.
( e ) 14 Q B to Kt 5 : Almost the only
move to stem the attack.
( f ) 17 K to R Sq : K to R 3 was slightly
tronger.
( K ) 21 Q to Q B sq : Had White placed
his king at R 3 , Black could not have gained
a move here.
( h ) 23 Q tp K 3 : White's attack seems
about neutralized now.
( ! ) 27 B to q B sq : A very strong at-
acklng and defensive move.
( ? ) Here black missed his way. R to K
sq to prevent the advance of the K B pawn
was the proper defense. White finishes up
n artistic style. The game was very well
played by Mr. Hald.
In a letter to this column from Lee
3d wards of Lincoln the writer remarks :
'Wo are going to got Harry N. Plllsbury
icro for two nights , one to give a slmul-
ancous chess , and possibly checkers , across-
the-board exhibition , and the other to give
a simultaneous blindfold exhibition of chess
only. "
It is expected th'at it will be possible to
announce a problem-solving tournament In
: ho near future. Members of the Nebraska
ess association have offered tokens for
excellence In this direction and others may
be added. The plan will bo to offer a scries
of problems , one each week , with a credit
allowance for each one solved In proportion
to Its difficulty. The solver who has the
argeat number ot points to bis credit at
ihe conclusion of the series will naturally
declared the winner. This Is somewhat
of a pioneer effort along tins line nnd com
munications are Invited from those who
would desire to enter such a contest No
admlslEon fee will bo necessary to its suc
cess.
Question * and Anmveri.
OMAHA. Dec. 16. To the Sportltg. Editor
of The Bee : In a crlbbage game A plays
three spot , B plays three spot , C plays four
spot , D plays four spot A plays five spot.
Does A count a run on his five spot play ?
How many points ? V. B. Squire.
Ans. A does not count a run.
BELLWOOD. Neb. . Dec. 15. To the Sport
ing Editor of The Bee : What was the larg
est attendance at the World's fair held in
Chicago in 1893 any one day ? George S.
Gould.
Ans. Chicago day , 758,000.
Overcome evil with good. Overcome your
coughs and colds with Onr Minute Cough
Cure , It Is so good children cry for it. It
cures croup , bronchitis , pneumonia , grippe
and all throat nnd ! unz ( llseuses.
Reflection * of a HncUelor.
New York Prpss : No jjlrl over 20 can give
any good excuse for falling In Jove.
No woman ever rando home happy for her
husband and kept a parrot.
Life to a woman Is a series ot surprises ;
to a man it Is a scries of shocks.
Probably it never had occurred to tbe king
that Daniel tnlcht eat the lions.
During the first five years of his married
life 1 a man works hardest keeping things
away from his wife. During the next five
his ' wlfn works hardest keeping things away
from the neighbors.
Great ( amera Sale.
Wo are overstocked nnd
liavo decided to make a
Great Sacrifice Sale for the
Holiday Trade , which will
put the price of cameras
within the reach of all.
Get a Camera and make a pic
ture of the Christmas Tree or
Party.
NOTE THE PRICES OF A * EW OF TIIEM-
No. 1 3V6x3 Camera and complete developing nnd printing outfit ,
with plates , all for $3.60 : cntucra nlona sold for $3.00.
No. 2 4x5 Gem Folding , with best achromatic Icuse , put up In s neat
carrying case , $4.03. ' '
No. 8 4x5 folding with bat nchrotnntlc Icuse , pneumaticrenlra ; '
* hutter , carryInjr case , best In market 50.25. < >
No. 4 BEST OF ALI -A 4x8 Camera with rapid rectilinear ( double J |
lentie , pneumatic release shutter , bulb and tube , equal to any camera ; ' .
listed at $20.00 ; sale price $12.60.
Now is Your Chance to Get a Camera Cheap
OI HN BVB.NINOS.
The Robert Dempster Co. ,
C1IUISTMAS COTILLONS.
Cnoh Gnent Mnut Send Anonymotnlr
Gift to the HuBtei * .
A Christmas cotillon , planned br a well
known society woman , who la ever devising
sorno new May ot entertaining frequently
Invited guests , will bo given on the night ot
December 26 , relates the New York Herald.
Her Invitations , Kent out about ten days
before the date ot the event , will request
early replies , and also state that each guest
Is required to forward the hostess a small
gift , which must bo comic In variety and as
inexpensive as can be purchased , 25 cents
being the limit In price. There must bo no
deviation In the nature nnd value of the
gifts , or this part of the program will fall
very flat. These gifts are to be sent anofly-
mously , after acceptances of Invitations h.tvo
been mailed , and not later than two days
before tbo cotillon. In the meantime the
hostess will make , or have made , several
stockings from glazed or paper muslin In
two colors , blue and pink or blue and while
or pink and white. A tiny pronged tag ,
such as Is used for marking prices on goods
In shops , will bo fastened to each stocking ,
and then both acts will bo numbered to
correspond. Of course It Is understood that
of those stockings these of one color are for
the men guests , those of the other color for
the women.
As fast as the gifts arrive they will be
placed each in a stocking , without any dis
crimination ; indeed , so far as Is possible ,
they will be "stockinged" etlll in their
wrapping papers , so that the hostess her
self will not know how they arc really dis
tributed until the cotillon begins.
As each gift is stowed nwqy Its stocking
will bo gartered with a gay ribbon tied In a
bow , which will also confine a sprig of mis
tletoe and hoUy. No two garters will be
alike , but this will not form a great ob
stacle , slnco there are hundreds of pretty
ribbons as different from each other as pos
sible. And here It may bo stated that the
hostess bought half a yard moro of ach
kind than she needed for a garter.The
reason for this apparent waste , and also for
the variety of her choice , will appear later.
At odd times , or possibly at ono sitting ,
as many clotbosplnes as there- are stockings
will be gilded and put aside to thoroughly
dry. They will be of tbe kind that work
with a spring , and those with very stiff
springs -will bo tbe chosen ones.
On the evening of the cotillon a gilded
clothesline will be stretched across ono end
of the ball or dancing room , and on it will
be fastened , haphazard , with the glided
clothespins , all of the well filled muslin
stockings. They will make a brave showIng -
Ing , too , as they are really attractive in
appearance. Aside from this they are , even
on sight , provocative of good-natured curi
osity and promoters of great merriment.
There will be ono or two little dances be
fore the distribution of tbe stockings , which
will occur about 11 o'clock , so as to give
everybody plenty ot time to search for his
partner , whom ho must find by the number
on his stocking. There will be nq escap
ing partners. The law of corresponding
numbers will bo inflexible , and a man must
dance with his mothcr-ln-law if he finds
that the number on her stocking Is ft du-1
pltcato of tbo ono on his.
When all the stockings are mated as to
numbers , though they are bound to be nils-
mated In color , the garters will be loosened ,
tbo contents withdrawn , Inspected and com
pared and then used as favors for this
particular cotillon , which will be danced at
midnight. When Christmas falls upon some
other day than Sunday the cotillon will
usher It in.
Stockings and garters will bo fastened
with the clothespins , to the left sides of
coats anu "bodlces. At tbo end of this co
tillon supper will bo served and will con
sist of traditional Christmas dishes , dain
ties and drinks , and while , In the main ,
conventionalities will be observed , decorous
merriment will be allowed and Christmas
quips and Jests will make the rounds ot the
table.
Sniplclonn Clrcnnmtoneea.
Washington Star : "It looks kinder queer ,
Mallndy , " said the now millionaire to his
wlfa after 'tho cucst had departed , "that tbo
Strong Drink is Death
DR. CHAftCOT'S TONIC TABLETS
ro tbo only positively gnarantcrd remedy for tha
Ifrluk Habit. Nervoiunpss ami Mtlaucliolr caused
b/Mronif drink.
WK tilVAHAKTF.n FOVB BOXKA
to euro any can wltn -
n poaltlro n-rllirrt eunr-
ntrn or refund tlio inonry , find to destroy U *
apixtlte Mr Intoilcatlng liquors.
THE TABLETS CAN BH OIVEN WITHOUT
KNOWLEDGE OF THE PATIENT.
STRONG DRINK and .
f 10 00 w e will null ton tour [ 4 ] boics nnd posl-
tire written cnitrnntr lo cine or refund
Meyorn , Dillon UrtiK Co. , Sole
loth anil Fnrnuui , Ouiuhn. Neb.
count wouldn't take his coat oft at dinner
like the rest of us don't it ? "
"Maybo ho didn't have no shirt , " eug
Rested the lady. "I've seen fellers fixed ufl
thataway In the shows. "
ChrlHtninx , iinh < ' M Mitctjr-Elffuti
Harper's Bazar.
A year ngo , a little yoar.
But , oh ! It Bcem ? full ten years long-
Slnco ono she lovctl was here was hero ,
And with her snnft the Christmas soup ,
The Christmas SOUK ot mirth and cheer ,
One year UKO , ono weary your.
Alone she sits and thinks of him ,
The year's last minds nro sinking low ,
The empty room Is strangely dim
Save for the candles' yellow glow.
Almost ono ( ancles ghosts about ; 0
The sparkling Yule-tldo stars are out |
She sings , with what a quaverlnu note >
Her grieving thoughts are far away ,
A rob Is trembling In her throat.
How shall she sliiK this song today ?
Old memories at her heart-strings clutch *
One's native land may ask too , much !
And yet , there may bo tender ghost *
That meal from snores contiguous
To waves that sweep from our own consist
And wistfully yearn over us ;
Such shadowy friends , so close they stand >
Ono almost fuels the vanished hand.
And many a heart this Chrlstmas-tld *
Keeps vlpll , for its door ones gone. i
A lonely hearth , a chair beside 1) )
The embers once that redly shone.
And many a heart must mourn Its fat * .
This Christmas , eighteen ninety-eight.
Yiiln Veracity.
Detroit Journal : Fired with zeal to emu
late a great and good man , Alfred cut down
the cherry tree with his little hatchet.
Then ho went Into the house and Informed
his stern parent that ho could not toll a
lie.
lie."Do
"Do you think I shall be the father of my
country ? " Alfred now asked , anxiously.
"Thero is no certainty about it , my son , "
replied the old man , with stmunlng cyos.
"Times have changed In 150 years. The
boy who cannot tell n llo Is assured ot no th
ing except that ho can't very well bo a pain *
less dentist. "
Thus wo sco 'that opportunity IB a large
element in success.
Slic Iliul llir ItrnNitnii.
Chicago Post : " \VJiy If. . It , " they asked ,
"
"thait vou sued him Instead of horsewhipping -
ping him ? "
"Vou may well ask that. " replied tha
burlesque star who had been slandered. ' "At
first I looked at it lust as you do , but my
manager finally convinced me of my error.
There Is moro Immediate lurvcrtlRlng in a
horsewhipping than there Is In a suit , but ho
pointed out that a lawsuit could bo spread
out over several vcars and therefore in tba
long run gives better results. "
IlrlNlmxznr the Second.
Detroit Journal ; "But think of your
health ! " urged the physician. / "Head tha
handwriting on the wall ! "
The merchant prluco buried his face and
wept. '
"Long ago , " ho exclaimed , bitterly , "t
mado.it an Inviolable rule of my business
not to read anything unless it was typ
written or printed ! "
And business is business.
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feotlons of the Liver , Kldncyn , Bladder , Bowels and the Generative Or
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Prices of Belts Only S8 and SIO
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I symptom blanks , books and II teroture. Consultation FREH.
Sold Rooms 20 and 21 Douglas Blk
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( OPEN EVERY EVENING AND ALL DAY SUNDAY ) .
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