Omaha
Sunday
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THE OMAHA DEC
iHE
' VOL. XXXVII NO. 32.
OMAIIA, SUNDAY. MORXIXO," JANUARY -26, 1008.
SINGLE (XrY FIVE CENTS.
: e
Agreement to Conference Eligibility Rules Puts Nebraska In Right With the Big Eight Schools
THOMAS, RACE HORSE ARTIST
SEBRASIA nOLDlXC ALOOF
Nebraska Lads Who Proved Themselves Worthy, on the Gridiron Last Season
Chicago Writer Tellt of Establithmenl
Athletio Board Thinks String it Tied
is Offer of Conference.
ELIGIBILITY RULES IN FAVOR
at Benton for Winter Work.
TRAINEE'S ART MAKES HORSES
. f . . -v.
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(Jena of Ike Track Work tke-Yra
) Has Come to
'I no-War , Co tract
Ten nn4
Hit "fern
Aretsjasl aed be Kesalt Is kewa
Wkea Tkey Iteaefc the
peedvrays.
A
4 greed To But Ball
Schodal.
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SFCHTKIG EECTIOn
PACKS 1 TO 4.
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LINCOLN. Jan. at. (Special.) Just what
v a the cause of the recent talk of Ne
: traska Joining the western conference con
! Crura to ba the subject of a good deal of
I sper.xila.Joa amonl tba athletes at the atate
! university what the outcome of the aglla
Con will be is mora widely discussed. The
thletic board held a meeting early In the
i veelr, Uut made no effort to debate the
: blatter. Infleed. it la whispered that until
i some correspondence! ha been earned on
' Vetween the leaders of the board and proni-
tote; members of the conference, no offl-
. cUU notice of the matter will be taken by
1 t ie Corr.huekera.
The whole eoheme la being viewed at
I resent with some suspicion. Just why the
conference collegea, afltr affeuting to
Ignore Nebraaka for so many yean, should
. auenly awake to the Importance of the
Comhuskers la a matter not wholly under
r.'-.nd as jet. Soma member of the Ath
. board have been ungracious enough to
i j "-st, that the conference) teame which
i been meeting Nebraaka In varioua
sports for aeveral aeaaona, have taken ad-
vantage of the defeotlon of Michigan to
t'xk an easy way out of the fright they
tiava yearly been experiencing on the era
ti stacking up against the Cornhuakera.
In other words, it la believed by aome that
thce colleges which have been trying to
force Nebraaka .to accept the conference
rules have taken this means to put the
thing up to the Comhuaker board eort of
"rave your faca If you must, but awallow
our rule at any rate" effect.
Just what action the board will take be
fore the conference hold Ita next meeting
la, however, no certain affair. None of
the member! of the board la attempting
to deny that much would be gained by
Joining the conference, but they lnalat that
Nebraaka muat be aure of aeveral thlnga
before it aurrendera Ita Independence. For
one thing, if Nebraaka should, by Joining,
be limited to five foot ball gamea yearly.
It would need aaaurance that ita due share
of the game ahould be played la Lincoln.
JWetofore much difficulty has been ex
perienced In Inducing Big Nine teams to
make the long trip to Nebraaka; but It la
painted out that the situation would be In
, nnwlan changed were the Cornhuakera
" within the fold. Inatead of out of It But
it la also a certainty tbat with only five
games, and the three or four blggeet onea
of them played on a foreign field, foot ball
would soon die at Nebraaka.
Eligibility Rales Approved.
The conciliatory attitude of the confer-
eiK-e haa resulted In one thing, however.
, Nebrs ska will next year live up to it he.-
legibility rulee decreed by the big nine,..
Announcement that the Comhuaker board
had provisionally agreed to tliia waa made
only last night by Manager Eager, on the
publication from Iowa City of the fart
that a two-year foot ball contract had
1-een tentatively agreed to by the Nebraaka
and Iowa boards. The proviso attached
to the agreement by the Cornhuakera I
that the big nine teams which have been
holding bark from signing contracts im
mediately get down to business. If the
t!re team which have been blocking the
game so far are willing to play without
mentioning training table, five games and
other eonfrrence rules which Nebraska re-
fjsea flatly to observe. Nebraska will come
off Ita high horse in the matter of elegi
bility rulrs. This means that Nebraska
will sacrlrke one man who might under
the old rules have played foot ball no
more.
Next fall's Iowa game will be played In
Uncoln. the Cornhuakera Journeying to
loa City the ear following for the second
game provided for by the contract. This
Vran;einent ia contingent on the result
f the negotiations which are still pending
with Wisconsin relative to the game with
the Bulgers. Nebraaka wanta to play thla
game In Lincoln, and if Wisconsin agrees
to the arrangement the Iowa game will be
flayed at the home of the Hawkeyea. If
Wisconsin and the other conference teama
still Insist on the' observance of all confer
ence rules by Nebraaka the Cornhuskers
still resume then Interrupted negotiatlona
with Michigan, and other non-conference
colleges and. tell the big nine people to
seek other opponents. But the way Iowa
seems to have looked at the matter lndi-
tates that things are .to be happy all
around once more.
Basket Ball Trip Aaaareo
The banket )all season will stsrt in
earnest nex Friday, when the first of two
games with Missouri university will be
, , .... tv r.r,f,,,.w.
surprised even themselves by their brfl-
llant work In the gamea they played In
Kansas. last week, but the team wtll be
,-niU.h strengthened during the remainder
if the. aeason by the addition of aeveral
men who have riot been eligible so far.
The excellent material which haa been de
veloped to take the place of these veterans
lridicatea that the race for places ia to be
a tight one. and the team may ultimately
prove to be the airongeat ever turned out
at Nebraska. The work of Walsh at cen
ter since the departure of John Welter
elves htm first call on the Job for the
eat of the year, but he will have to
Ight hard to keep Paul Anthea, a lanky
Lincoln boy, out of the piece. None of the
nher places are cinched.
Manager Eager haa finally concluded the
arrangement of the northeastern trip the
asm Is to take next month. The gamea
will be played in the following order:
Minnesota. Februarr
Portage. Wis.. Marcn
Wisconsin university. March 1
St. Vincent cpllene. Chicago. March 4.
Mnrrls.m. 111.. March a.
Iowa university. March f. 4
i.rmnell. March, I.
Fehruary SI and 2-' Nebraska will play
'so games with Kansas in Uncoln. Both
tames between (he two teams laat week
fie won by Nebraska.
' Baa Ball Oat of Retirement.
Coupled with the announcement of the
Uasket ball schedule came news that glad
dened the hearts of that great horde of
fanatics a ho have been in gloomy retire-
iite-.it for many, many month. It waa the
has ball schedule. Besides being merely
that, it mi a good one. Here la how the
"ornhuskers will have to work to retrieve
4 doings laat spring, and regain their
lu-e in wektern college base ball:
May t-Hishlund I 'ark. at Tea Moines.
May 4 innnvll, at Grinnell.
May t I'nlversity of lost, at Iowa City.
My Open.
i . (Continued en ag Three.)
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11
RULES FOR HARNESS , RACERS
Bteaalal Coagreaa of the National
Trottla Aaaoelatlosi Has
Mack Before It.
NHW TORK, Jan. 2i The exact date of
the biennial congreea of the National
Trotting, association Is given aa February
VX at the Murray Hill hotel. All tracka In
membership with the National association
ars asked to make suggestiona ,of changes
In the existing rules, the same to be for
warded to the secretary on or before
February 7. The congreea will be the
twenty-fourth event in the history of the
association, and all changea made in the
present rules and all new legislation
enacted will be in force for the next two
yeara. . '
It la expected that a number of Important
questions will be brought betore the dele
gates, and If some of the proposed changes
are accepted and put' in the rules they will.
In the opinion or "these who ars making
the suggestions, greatly benefit the harness
turf. At fTie first annual meeting of the
Breeders' association in this city, last
November, a resolution was adopted against
the racing of 3-year-olds In fong races
than best two-ln-three, and since then the
general opinion of the breeders and the
turf press has been strongely lrt favor of
thla resolution.
The congress, therefore, will be asked to
make such changes in Rule 42. Section 11,
as will not permit any association to maKe
exceptions to that rule. The section re-
f erred to says that races for 2 and.S - year -
olds must be mile heats, best two in three,
where no distance or way of ' going ts j
specified, but aa each member has a right
to make hla own conditions for a race. It
is desired that this rule be made absolute.
The Issuing of a license to every driver
who participates In a race over the Na
tional tracka is being strangely urged by
horsemen, who believe a rule of thla kind
will greatly benefit the turf. This waa
tried just one season some years ago," but
It was repealed, although none of the
regular drivers objected to It.
Those who are backing the renewal of
the custom argue that every honest driver
should consider an official license a mark
of honor, while by this means every one
cannot get Into the sport at will. They
argue that the system of running tracks
in licensing every Jockey and trainer has
proved of Immense benefit, and it will
prove equally so to the harness turf.
Such licenses are required from all
drivers In European countries where there
are trotting racea. In fact, the American
harness turf is the only racing Institution
where anybody can enter a contest with
out an official permit from the turf au
thorities.
On the running tracks a jockey must pay
a fee of SX to secure a license for a year
but for the harness turf a small record in p
fee will be sufficient to Identify a man ar
a professional driver, to whom the loss of
hla license would surely prove an Incentive
I for honesty In all of hla racea. In th
I meantime.
,. .
thla practice would at once de
cide the question of amateur and profes
lonal drivers, a question which has been
frequently discussed and which haa causec
much dispute in the past.
Previous to the opening of each congress
the question of mors strict rules for the
registration and identification of horses
racing over the National's tracka comes up.
but nothing haa so "far been accomplished
to effectually fight this) great evil of the
harness turf. The existing rulrs are con
sidered strong enough to make the ap
pearance of ringers ever trotting tracks
aa Impossible as they are on running tracka
or in other countries, and what is needed is
a hearty and sincere co-operaUon between
the two ruling associations and the Trot-
ting Register association, which haa charge
of the rrgiatratlon of horses.
Strict enforcement of the rulea governing
th detalle of entriea for atakea and purse
racea, with the above mentioned co-operation
of the three trotting organisations,
will eradicate permanently the evil of
"ringing."
Amateur driving clubs in membership
with the National association have been
hankering for the adoption of the rule now
In force on the la.tu'.-J if the American,
namely, the granting of m.Utiee meetlnga
of ten days' dura'-V.'n each iieaeon. and
charting of sd ml '-,' A and for M her privi
leges without IncorriH g reco;dn or baaia
tor their horses.
The rule adopted by the last congress
allows only a three days' meeting each
ysar and the charging of admission at the
gate, but no other privileges of any kind.
While a uniformity of rules for both as
sociations ia heartily favored by horsemen
of all classes, yet a great majority of those
moat vitally Interested In the racing of
trotters Justly believe that (he course of
the American association does not serve
the best purer ses ul the sport and the
breeding Industry. .
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OAKLAND
COLLEGE MEN AND OLYMPIC
Educated Athletes Will Take Fart in
London Competition.
SOME WHO MAY LEAD IN TRIALS
Golfers Are Iaterestesl Beesste of the
Tearaaneat that Will Be Held
. ts the Deal Llaka at
tke Tlsae.
NEW TOEK, Jan. 25. Writh the opening
of the winter terms every college which
blda for athletic honors will - begin work,
not alone for the coming Indoor season, but
for the Olympic tryouta next June. Barred
by their respective faculties from compet
ing In the 1906 games at 'Athens, the track
and field men of the universities and other
Institutions of learning will, by reason of
the change of dates, have a chance to
compete in England. The chailcea are all
In favor of college men making up the ma
jority of the American contingent. These
athletes have been showing the beat form
right along in moat of the events that will
make up the Olympic program.
With the poaslbility of Ralph Rose, Matt
McGrath, T. C. Moffett, Dan Kelly and
Walter Dray being added to the team,
there Is assurance of great strength. Three
of these men made new world's records
ia(lt year, while each "bf them la credited
with the best performances of the year in
their special events. Rose 'broke all the
ahotputting records from the eight to the
twenty-eight-pound weights, and estab
lished himself in a position that no shot
putter haa occupied since the days of
George Gray.
Dray made a new world's record for the
pole vault of 12 feet Btt inches. There are
also several men making phenomenally
good time in the Jong distance events. In
which America was weak at Athene. There
la no dearth of material for the Olympic
team. It may be predicted that the Olym
pic team of 1908 - will outclass .any other
athletio team ever gotten together in
America.
Golfera Have a Share.
The year of 1906. with the Olympic games
at London, will be one of great interest in
international sport, and the golf prospects
appear to be unusually bright. As a part
of the Olympic games program the golf
competitions will be held over the much
discussed Deal links. Thus the golfers have
arranged fixture so that the. important
fixtures of the year. In an International
jense. will come almost In sequence. It
ail! be a rare opportunity to go over either
aa competitor or to see the play.
At St. Andrews, Scotland, the champion
ship meeting of the Women's 4iolt Union
of Great Britain will be held May IS and
following daya. At Sandwich, England
the amateur championship of Great Britain
la to b played May. 2S a,nd following daya
Then will come the Olympic Golf tourna
ment, June 1 to S, at Deal, which la ad-
iaoent to Sandwich, and at Prestwlck.
' Scotland, the open championship of Great
Britain will be held June 18 and following
days.
Some Intimation that American golfers
may fake part In the women's meeting at
St. Andrews must have been received by
the committee of the union, for at a recent
meeting of the organisation plans were uis
eusaed for team matches with the United
State.
thnaae la Rales.
A petition Is being circulated by II.
Chandler Egan of Chicago and Lrighton
Calkins of New York In regard to changing
the style of play for the national golf cham
pionahip. It la proposed to have eighteen
holes, medal play, aixty-four to qualify,
and the same number of holes the next
morning with thirty-two to qusllfy. Tho
same afternoon it la planned to have eight
een holes, match play. In the first round.
and then four rounda at thtrty.aix holes.
The idea Is to assemble a field of cham
pionship, quality.
Since the first championship under the
aubiiliee of the United States 4Jolf associ
ation "was held. In 1S95. a number of schemes
have been tried, some varying In the
method of qualifying, and that in 1902 be,
ing modeled after the British method of
all match play. While Brltlah players
have stuck religiously to eighteen holes
as the regulation distance. In thla country
the thlrty-alx hole route haa found many
adhewnta. who argue the longer round
doea much to eliminate luck aa the derid
ing factor.
Messrs. Cslklns ard Hgan have adopted
the course of soliciting the support of the
leading players of the country, and with
thla end In view petitions hsve been sent
to St. Louis, Rock Island. New York, Bos
ton. Philadelphia and Oik ago.
'')
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HIGH SCHOOL FOOT BALL TEAM TOU
POWERS SAYS NO: BLACKLIST
President of National Ass
Laughs at Harry Pallia
Oatbarat.
platloa
NEW, YORK, Jan. 3. Pat Powers, pres
ident of the National Association, aays:
"There la no base ball black list, and we
invite Harry Pulliam or any other person
to prove that the National Association is
trying to make use of such a weapon." ,
The clash between the National Commis
sion and the National Association is called
a "tempest In a teapot" by Mr. Powers.
He aays that the minors have never con
templated barring out playera who have
been reinstated by the commission. This
being the case, says Powers, there la nb
occasion for the minor league officials to
formally consider Pulliam's protest of an
injustice which has not been perpetrated.
While admitting that the ball players and
the press have beeq allowed to labor under
a wrong Impression for two months. Mr.
Powers contends that the National Com
mission has "hot - Kcta&'-'tuAf toward" -'he
National Association, and he l very bitter
In his denunciation of the "supreme court
of base ball" for the manner In which he
claims the rights of the minor leagues have
Been neglected.
"There la no occasion for Secretarv Far.
rell to reply to Pulliam"s tirade," said Mr.
Powers, "and I don't expect him to lower
his dignity by answering an unfounded
Charge. I do not consider that the National
Association has overstepped the rights H ts
supposed to possess under the terms of the
national agreement. I do not admit that
the commission has any right to prevent
oirr organisation from punishing minor
league offenders. We settle many casts in
our various league. The National Commis
sion Is practically a court of last resort
and has no business meddling in our affairs
unless appealed to.
"The situation at present Is becoming in
tolerable for us and in the near fture we
hope to effect leglalation and pass amend
ments to the agreement that Will prevent
these clashes of authority and unpleasant'
Incidents."
AMATEUR BILLIARD TOURNEY
l.iederkrans
Great
Clab T!-ll Promote
Meelng; la "Vevr
York. NEW TORK. Jan. 25.-Steps-taken at the
Liederkrans club insure for this city within
the next few weeks on of the most Import
ant billiard tournaments ever held in this
country. It will be a series of games be
tween the world's best amateurs at" 18.2
balk line. points a game, and will occur
during the last week, of April at the Lieder
krans club. Negotiations for the big series
were begun some weeks ago at the sug
gestion of Count de Dree, president of the
French Billiard federation, who suggested
thst the Americans submit to his aasocla-
tion a set of condition, to be considered
jt r Z I deratin' ,
J. rerdinand Foggenburg. formerly the
m at dill- -hu mmls it (.,.!..
v. is... iiiint imliiicu dv ine National
Association of AfhateuY Billiard players to
draw up a set of rules that would be ac
ceptable to the experts of this country.
They were based upon the rules It used
here and proved acceptable to the federa
tion, with a few exceptions. The Frenchmen
desired the games at. be at 18.2 instead of
14.5 balk line, as suggested by the Ameri
cans, and they further auggeatc-d that the
balls be 61 1 mllimeters In diameter Instead
of the 2 Inches generally used for cham
pionship matches on this side of the water.
Aa this involves the use of billiard balls
only a trifle larger than the American
standard the desired changes were acceded
to at the laat meeting.
' The tournament will be open to the
world, but it is not anticipated that others I
than French and American players will
participate, a they outclass the amateur
of any other country. England and Hol
land, it ia said, have some fair players, but
they do not class with the leaders.
With regard to the selection of an "Ameri
can team, it waa decided to depart from
the usual method of inviting the leading
players In fat, or of a striifly open affair
In shlrh any player desirous of trying fir
the team may enter,' the strongest combi
nation to be disclosed shortly before the
opening cf the tournament by an elimina
tion trial, in rase the entry list proves to
be too unwieldly. By this method. .it is
hoped that, if there are any first-class
amateurs in the country who have devel
oped recently, they mill take part, thus
making the tram the strongest one possible.
An International commute will be ap
pointed to arrange for prises, which will
probably be furnished by the national as
sociation. Tue principal prise nill be a
championship cup, and there will be four
other troliKs.
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FORTUNE SMILED DIXON
Things Broke Well for . the Little
. Boxer Until1 HeviDrank.
CAREER OF LITTLE CHOCOLATE
tanght . McCarthy, Johnson, kelly
4 Other. RlvaU Oat of Condi
tion Crashed . by ' MrGova
era, He "Blew Hla Lack."
, NEW YORK. Jan. 25. Prise ring experts
who followed the career of the late George
Dixon. . holder of . the' featherweight cham
pionship for nine years., say1 that the little
boxer was extremely ducky In scoring many
of his moat notable' successes, for he had
more than one close call. . Twenty-one years
ago Dixon started on his puglistic career
in Boston with the "right people" behind
him." . Dr. A.' P. Ordway, Dave "Blanchard
and Captain A. W.. Cooke, who bad big
money and much experience In the pugil
istic game, took- hold of Dixon's Interests,
attended nearly all of his early battles and
saw to it that he got fair play. They were
the. men who engaged font O'Rourke to
train and handle Dixon' soon after the
colored boy demonstrated to them that he
was'nwrt than an ordinary fighter.
r There was one husky lad in the hub
whom Dixon could never put down for the
count, although he took four separate cracks
at htm. The youngster's name was Hank
Brennan, who worked at a trade all day
and had. neither time nor backing to get
In proper condition for his encounters with
Dixon: Little Brennan stood Dixon off in
a fourteen round draw on June 21, 1888. Then
In December of the same year he met Dixon
twice, two weeks separating the contests,
the first of nine rounds and the second
of fifteen resulting in draws.
Soon after that Brennan hooked up with
Dixon in a twenty-six round draw before
the Parnell club of Boston. Old time fight
experts who saw these four encounters will
tell you that If Brennan had been properly
trained- and handled he would have been
the featherweight champion of the world
instead of the colored wonder. That was
where Dixon's luck first manifested itself,
and It was still In evidence when he met
CaJ McCarthy, then the featherweight
champion, for the first time.
Seventy Rounds With McCarthy.
They fought seventy rounds In prlvste
In a Boston boxing club with two ounce
gloves that cut and stMng. There was a
notable crowd of sporting men at the ring
side, many of whom have" since passed
away. Among the New Yorkers who saw
the mill were James C. Kennedy, P. J.
Donohue, Warren 'Lewis, Charley Johnston,
John B. McCormlck, Frank Stevenson,
1 Cm, Ti.thl UapHn flnvlln. I'nnlaln C2II1.-
Connor Jonn Jack Demy, Milt,
I Dwyer. Joe Coburn. Billy O'Brien. Harry
Hm j, Patterson. Billy Edwards.
1
Aaron, ' John Qulnn, Phil Casey,
i John Shanley, Jere Dunn. Bob Pinkerton,
George Eageman, Phil Lynch and Arthur
Moore all of tiiem dead and gone.
Cal McCarthy was an aggressive pugilist
in those days and he proceeded to fight
Dixon all over the ring for the first forty
rounds, after which he became tired and
exhausted from the fsst pace that he had
been Sitting. Time and again he had Dixon
In Queer street, but the little colored boy
hJJ all the luck with him and by dint of
sheer cleverness and physical endurance
managed to wriggle out of all unpleasant
predicaments. '
It was afkmt the forty-fifth round when
Dixon's legs became stUaand his handlers
found it a difficult task rubbing them
back into action between the rounds. So
weak were Dixon's legs after a while that
he waa afraid to sit down after eacS round,
so took his minute's rest in the corner
standing up with his long arms resting on
the ropes. Joe Early, who was McCarthy's
manager and leading second, soon noticed
the condition of Dixon snd quickly begged
McCarthy to put the colored boy down.
"Rush htm. Call Get him off his feet!
His legs are stiff and he won't be able to
get up!" plradr! Early, but McCarthy waj
either too headstrong or top tired, for lie
turned to Early' and growled:
"I'm doing the fighting, not you. Leave
n-.e alone!"
Early coaxed McCarthy, but McCarthy
would nut take a cliaure and kept at long
range, which Just suited Dixon. Early
finally lost patience and had some hot
words with McCarthy.
"If you don't do what I tell you,"
yelled Early, "I'll quit you!"
"Go to the devrl!" waa McCarthy's reply,
whereupon Early put oxi his overcoat.
(Continued on Page Four J
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JOE GANS IS WILLING AGAIN
Retirement Doesn't Appeal to Him as
strongly aa Doea tho
Prise Ring.
NEW YORK. Jan. 25. In an Interview In
this city Joe Gans aald: "I am back In the
ting. I have changed my mind about giv
ing up the championship. I thought for
a while that I would have to alt back and
take it easy because there wasn't anyone
for me to fight, but I see that Mc Far land
Is coming up and that Nelson haa beaten
somebody and wants to fight me again. So
here I am."
Are you tired of rest?" was asked.
Yes." said Gans. "I thought I'd like
it, but I find that I like the game a little
better. I'd rather fight than lay off. If
there Is only somebody for me to fight.
Jeffries and I have the same trouble. Jeff
can't get matches because be la so big and
strong. I can't get anyone to fight me In my
class because I have too much knowledge of
the game. I'm the only one left of the old
timers who Is still In good fighting shape.
"There aren't any great fighters now-a-
dayg. Why. when 1 was doing my hardest
fighting the fighters outclassed the boys
you see now. There aren't any McFaddens
or Hawkinses or Ernes or Walcotts 'or
Fltssommonses now. They've all gone by
and thero ain't any new ones In their class.
But there ain't any reason for me to atop
fighting as. long as I can get anyone to
fight. I'm still at my best. I never felt
any age yet. I never feel any stiffness or
any pains. My hands are good. -And I
know more than any of these new fellows.
You can gamble when I feel, age coming
along I'n not going to stay In the ring
and get beaten up like, some of these fel
lows. I won't need to.
"I have earned Pi,0CO In the past six
teen months, and I haven't thrown It
away. No liquor company Is behind me.
I've put my money In property, where It'll
always make a living for me. I've only
done one foolish thing. I thought I'd be
swell and have an auto like the rest of the
millionaires. It cost me a lot and if I
keep on running it into things I guess the
repair bills will put me down and out.
"I see Nelson wants to fight me. I'll take
on Nelson or McFarland, weigh In at 133
pounds ringside, and split the purse 75 and
IS. McFarland told me In Chicago he
wouldn't think of fightin me for another
year, as he wants .more experience. I'd
like to fight Nelson. I want to knock him
out and settle all disputes. He gave me
a hard fight at Goldfield. Nelson Is an
exception. He's a Joe Grim, only he know
more than Grim. He can't be knocked out
with one punch. It's dead easy to hit him
on the Jaw. I hit him as hard as I knew
how at Goldfield, but even when I dropped
him he got up strong. You can't reach his
body, because he's always covered with
his arms and elbows. He's so slow that he
can't hit a clever boxer himself. I always
had plenty of time to block or atep aside
when I saw his punches start. But he's a
wonder at taking It. I beat him up as
hard as I knew how for eleven rounds.
Then I said to myself: This fellow can't
be knocked out In a hurry. I guess I'll
have to do something else or Ml whip my
self hitting him.'
"You know wearing yourself out punch
ing a fellow like Nelson Is Just as bad as
getting a lot of punishment. When you're
tired you might as well be weak from tak
ing the beating. When you're tired you're
all In. anyway, even If you haven't been
hit. So I began making N'elton do all the
work. I'd take a step and make him take
three or four. He was always coming In.
Then In the clinches I'd le-t him push me I
around while I rested. He has all sorts of
dirty tricks. Ho fixed his hair up bo rue
way so it pricked and rut like wire
"After the eleventh round I stalied and
took rrly time. In the sixteenth I hit Nel
son on the head snd, broke a bone In lay
right hand. It hurt so I couldn't uso it. I
bent over and rubbed my knee and began
to lln
was
limp, so he'd think It v.aa my leg that
hurt. In my corntr my scor.da
worked on my leg and I didn't even let
them know my Land was gone. I didn't
hit a blow with it until the twenty-seventh
Just k(pt Jabbing Nelson s ..-. Then I
walloped" l.lm ilh the right. The pain was
getting dull.
"I played Nelson's own game and set
tled down to wearing him out. At last,
in the fnrty-flrrt round. I saw that he
waa all In. Ono eye was closed tight and
he had to turn hjs head to see me. 1
heard after ard lie told Nolan In his
corner that ha couldn't stand It any longer
and Nolan told him to foul me. He came
out and clinched. He hit at my stomach,
pulled his hand back and hit lower. I
saw what he waa trying to do and I said.
What do you mean?" and Just then, he
landed the foul blow and I went down.
I'll fight Kelson again any time"
A. L. Thomas, whom not a few people
regard the best all round horseman In
this country, taking Into account know
ledge of blood lines and how to combine
them; the rearing and education of colts.
Including their speed development; the
rare and management of stallions and
brood mares, the training and racing of
aged horses, tie art of "balancing" trot
ters and pacers of all age, and finally tho
driving of races In the best of company
has a wonderfully complete establishment
at Benson, Neb., for winter tratning, eajr
Henry TenEyck In the.Chloago Tribune.
It Is on the site of the one time famous
Keystone Stock farm, where ContraltJ,
The Merchant, and other noted trotter
were bred. A year ago the farm was sold
to a real estate company, laid .out In a
park, and cfit, up for country homes.
Thomas, who was thHi lessee of the farm,
bought the old home place, and It makes
Ideal winter training quartern. The real
estate people laid out five miles of boule
vard, most of It treated with crude. olL
These oiled roads ars neither dusty In
dry weather nor muddy when It rains.
and as they usually follow the ridges and
are swept clesr hy the. wind what snow
falls !n winter they would be hard to Im
prove for Jogging purposes. Up to date
there has been practically no snow, and
until a fortnight ago the weather a as that
of Indian summer, with the result that
the horses are further eloiuj by four weeks
than they were a year ago. Of the twenty-nine
horses in active training nut one
has been sick.
Bnllda New Bars.
Untif thla year Thomas had stabling ,
enough for the horses he carried over, but '
through buying several, at the November
auction In New York and having others
tudned over to him there It became neces
sary to rush to completion a new barn,
and Just now the finishing touches are
being put on an up to date blacksmith
shop. Scientific shoeing and foot leveling,
especially In the training season. Is of the
utmost Importance in the preparation of
campaigning trotters and' pacers aa well,
as colts, and every large modern training
stable has Its expert blacksmith.
In bis -training operations Thorn aa is)
assisted by hla son, Henry a young; man
who naturally Is a good rolnsman, and
their Joint opinion of the twenty-nine
nags being handled every day Is that it ts
aa promising a lot as one establishment
ever held. There are but four pacers In
the bunch via: Nathan Straus, 2.03 Vi.
Stein, 8.0 ; Bonanza, 2.07 . and Clover
Patch, a 3 year old filly by Dan Patch.
l.ESfef dam Midi, 2.11, by Electrician.
2.24 '4. Thla filly paced a mile last sum
mer in 2.28, a quarter In -.3. and Thomas (
says she is one of the fastest pacers for
the work she has had he ever saw, and
certainly one of the most frlctlonless. He
drove he an eighth to cart over track at
Cuba, N. Y., last November In :1, and will
carr her along with the expectation of
seeing her a pacing queen some day.
Trlnmph of Trainer's Art.
The three aged pacers all were given
their records by Thomaa, and his rejuv
enation of Nathan Straus was a triumph
of the trainer's art. Stein Is expected to
lower hla mark this year, and Bonsnza
has one record no other pacer Is likely to
get that of coming second In. the Cham
ber of Commerce purse three consecutive
seasons, the horses which best him being
Walter Direct, Ardelle and Reproachless.
In the following department the aged
horses are a select lot. as follows:
Dale Axworthy, trial 2:14 4; grandani
Elloree. 2:0S". by Axtell, 2:12.
Bonnie Russell. 2:104.
Axtellay. 2:14U.' . " . ,
Carl Wilkes, pacing record 2:0DV. but
now a trotter, at which gait he haa a trial
of 2:144.
Sir Thomas (3) 2:30, now 4, by Moko;
dam Conjrrezia by Antevolo.
Sately Princess (3), 2:2ti, r.ow 4,
by Sately Lad,. 2:24; dam Derby Prin
cess, 2.08 by Charles Derby, 2:20.
Tontine, aged . gelding, trial 2:14, by
Norval; dam by Wilkes Boy.
Cravella, aged mare by Oro Wilkes.
2:11; dam Vixen (dam of 3) by Nutwood,.
2:18.-
Julla Chimes. ''aged mare by Chimes;
dam Org by Spynx, 2:02 .
Dale Axworthy, which heads the list.
Is a young stallion over which the people
who have seen him perform have thrills
every time his name Is mentioned. He is
owned In New York state, and hla great
turn of speed and extra good way of go
ing have Impressed the critics. He Is a
truly made horse, a good looker, and at
Lexington last fall when ahown on the
homestretch made even the Kentucklans
admire him. It would be hard to Improve
his breeding, especially In the maternal
line, lis dame being by a great racehorse
and sire, while his grandani, In addition
to being' one of the l.andsomest marea
that ever looked - through, a bridle, was)
high class as a raccborse, both to wagon
and sulky.
Skows Well as n Colt.
She also as a phenonmcnon as a colt,
taking a record better than 2:30 as a 2
year old while in foal, reducing her mark
every season she raced until it stood at
2:0i. She rafsed several foals while in
training and waa a great card for her
sire. Axtell. himself the best 3 year old
trotter ever seen If his record of 2:12 t
high wheels at that age Is properly esti
mated. As Dale Axworthy's sire Is a son
of Ax teh, the blood of that horse Is
doubled up through extra good lines In the
horse Thomas Is training, and from what
he already haa accomplished It is fair to
assume he will be a factor in the grand
circuit green clftsaca next summer.
Bonnie Itusseil Is a fast horse thst has
been laine for some yesrs, although trained
every season. Geers and Jack Curry
had him in 10 and 1907. Thomas taking
the horse in the middle of last season's
campaign. If be races sound Bonnie Rus
sell is aar.gerous in ins fiaan. having a
terrific flight of speed. Of the others Is
tho aged division It may be said that fcl'i
Thomas mas a faat filly laat summer an
was given a 2:30 record merely, as a pnr
caution. Thomas spoke highly last sum
mer when at Wheaton of Carl Wilkes, and
n general principles It la safe to assume
tiiat those abich have no records or faat
trials are able to beat 2:20 when In order,
otherwlae they would not be trained.
The 2 year old trotters In the Thomas
string certainly are gems In the wa;