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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 24, 1916)
. ... . . i t 2 S THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: DECEMBER 24, 1916. Under the spreading chestnut tree the villag smithy rolled; The meat bill in his brawny hand had knocked the smithy cold There was an old roan from West Show Wlio nrver tombed lar or swore. Hi wife used to nay Hr'il beiir WRtchtna; een-h day Hit, wife had been married before! is m old nuwal from tiMhm Wk liked U watrb eerlmaien la SIM ke itrailnl Mi Ik hut At4 tptttt m peart 111, wife uaeds kin laoa, at the scsi AMERICAN LEAGUE SLOWERJAYS TUB Rotund Catcher Who Came Back Contends Ban's Loop Not as Fast Now. EIGHTH MRS. MOT MIKE DONLIN 'RONS Mike Donlin Becomes Sporting Promoter SOUTH ALUMNI ME SPEEDIEST i . , Take Tuck Out of Regulars and Win Game, Twenty-Seven to Twenty-One. FASTEST OF THE SEASON DARCY WILL SUB FOR JESSWILLARD Circumstances Now Indicate Australian Will Be Opponent of Georges Carpentier. SAYSSO LONG KID Hero of Many a Battle, in Prize Ring and Home, Must Start Over Again. ONE WIFE AFTER ANOTHER A BOXJFTGHT CLUB Former Base Ball ' Star Is Matchmaker for New Club in Havana, Cuba. , ti ' i -i lllllliliiiiii IS IN POSITION TO KNOW HE WANTS WELSH-KILBANE WOULD BE A GBEAT BOUT r uwsniiiitiemiriis i - l jp"-ijjii nmii.niiiiiimif.srrilpf 11 ''..r m f w v Tabby Spencer, '"the man who came back," contends that the Amer ican league ii not as fast today as it was in 1905, when he first broke in as a catcher (or the St. Louis Browns. Spencer, who staged a remarkable "comeback" with the Detroit Tigers last season, bases his argument on the difference in pitching and quotes no less an authority than Umpire Bill Dineen in support of his contention. If this is treason Ban Johnson may be depended upon to make the most of it. Undoubtedly Ban is not overjoyed to learn that one of his own hired men is advertising the fact that the American league has lost some speed. Spencer's opinion is mildly shock ing, coming as it does just after a sea son of American league triumphs. By comparison with the National league last season, the American stood out as the one major league. Tub's rating, therefore makes an awful "bum" of the National. Maybe that will gain Johnson's forgiveness. Is Position to Know.1 Spencer surely is in a position to back op his arguments. He was a fine catcher and hitter when he first joined the Browns, but the primrose path led downward for him. Tub ac quired a reputation as the American league's greatest packer of liquid re freshment He gained so much weight that the nickname he bears was af fixed to him and became so slow that he passed into the minors, where he spent several years in different leagues. , Two years ago Tub clambered on the wagons for keeps and made soch a fine record in the Pacific Coast league last summer that the Detroit club grabbed him in midseason. Spencer caught twenty-four games for the Tigers and hit over .300. Because of the fact that he was out of touch with American league ball for so many years, Tub it eminently qualified at a critic Had he remained in the league continuously he might not have noted gradual changes, but coming back . after a long absence he was struck with the difference in the pitching. , Improves With Age. . i The average ball player,, after ten years, would be inclined to overrate the company because of his own fad ing ability. Many critics believe Spencer is a better man today than he was in 1905, and some explain his views by assuming that he finds the league slower because he Is faster himself than in 1905. ., , ' Tub winds up and delivers at fol lows:' ' ' "I know you'll tfiink I'm stringing you, but I'm convinced that the nail played there now it not as good nor at fast as that played when I broke in with St: Louis in 1905. "I started an argument with Cobb about this same thing one day this fall and he told me that I was catch ing better ball now than when I broke in, and naturally I would think that the class of ball had deteriorated, since it was easier to get by now than it was in 1905. "Then 1 ran across Bill Dinean, now an umpire in the big show, but who was a pitcher with the Red Sox in 1905. I asked Bill what he thought about my side, of the argument, and he told me there wasn't a doubt in his mind that the ball of (hit day was faster than that of today. Now, his opinion most count for something, doesn' it? Look Over Old Pitchera. "Take the pitching of 1905. No mat ter what dub you Hacked up against, you met a good pitcher every day, and a mighty good onet that. Pick up one of the old guides and tee for yourself. The Athletics had Wad dell, Coakley. Bender and Plank; the Yanks had Chesbro, Orth, Griffith and Hogg: Detroit had Donovan, Mullin and Killian; Boston had Cy Young, Tannehill and Dineen. Then there were Joss, Altrock, Rhoades, Smith, Doc White, Owen, Moore, Otto Hess, hi Walsh, Tom Hughes and a dozen others. . .... . "What have you now? Outside of the Red Sox there isn't a team in the American league that can show you a top-liner every day." Appraisal Board v Has Record Year During the year the annraisal com. mittee of the Omaha Real Estate board has become popular. For years the board has had an an praisement committee, but it did only a small business. During this year the committee decided to do some business worth while. Letters were sent to the banks, the business con cerna and corporations. The result was that the committee was called upon to make appraisements this year more than ever before and did a volume of business much greater than any similar committee of the board has done in the past. The public is beginning to realize that it can get service out of this committee and is learning to know wnere to look tor an appraisal com. mittee. The Real Estate board hopes to continue to build up this appraisal business trom year to year. Courts in Omaha have durinir the last year come to make use of this committee to some extent in getting appraisals, and administrators of es tates have taken advantage of its services. The committee consists of E. R. Benson, J. T. Tebbins, C. A. Grimmel, J. W. Rasp and Ed Garvin. Pi Way, Late of Yale, Wants an Early Start Pi Way. late of Yale, has asked to go. south with McGraw's first rook squad for the benefit to be derived from the training school. , Persistence, is tlx Cardinal VirtM la Advertising, . Kid McCoy's eighth marriage hat failed to take. The ex-pugilist, who is known as Norman Selby in private life", was sued in the supreme court for a divorce by Mrs. Edna Valentine Selby, who has found the going too fast for her in McCoy's latest bout with Kid Cupid. ' McCoy, who was once welterweight champion of the world, is now con ceded to hold the divorce champion ship at any weight. Altogether seven matrimonal training partners have caused him to take the count in the courts. One woman came back for a return match twice after she had won decisions over the Kid, but finally left the prize fighter to go on with hit record as an intermittent husband. According to Emil Fuchs, counsel for the current Mrs. Selby, who was the daughter of one of the Valentine brothers, wealthy mining men of South America, McCoy's recent du ties aa orderly with a National Guard regiment from New York un the bor der stimulated hit desire to keep on the move constantly. When he re turned last September, the lawyer's story went on, the Kid kept moving everywhere except toward hit own home, and Mrt. Selby, putting scouts on hit trial, became concinved hit er rand! were not concerned with saving hit country. Took Trunks and Punch. lhe detectivei teamed that the Kid had taken hit trunks and the famous "corkscrew punch" to the ! Hotel Seville, and they waited, to tee what else the Kid might install in hit tuite. Two days ago they were re warded, according to their reports, by observing "a doll-faced blonde with saucer-like eyes of blue" enter, and the detectives, breaking in, found tome evidence. The name of the co-respondent was not made known' and unless this di vorce it added to the Kid's other trophies and the identity of the sau cer eyes is made known congratula tions for any one would be decidedly bad form. In the Order of Appearance. Mrt. Selby met the expert on ringt prize and wedding when the was Mrt. Hein, wife of the vice contul for Honduras in this city, with whom she lived until the Kid's celebrated right tatooed her husband't eye. The- Heint were dining at an up town restaurant one evening in 1909 when McCoy passed and, to the hut band averred, hit athletic', figure drew a bow trom Mrt, ilein. Later, when Hein came back to the table after having stepped out few moments, be found he had made tactical blunder, for the Kid. executing a flank movement, was now in possession of hit chair and ac companying the orchestra on the celery. Afterward the Kid, not relish ing the husband t linking of his name with Mrs. Hein, dropped his fist into Mem t eye. Mrt. Hein obtained a divorce and in the summer of 1911 she became the pugilist's latest bride. Before her temporary liens on his affections were hold by but the Kid't "tcrapped" romances must be taken up in chro nological order to avoid confusion. He started out unpretentiously enough in 1894 wMi Lottie Piehler as bit bnde, but the drooped him the next year. Then came Charlotte braltn in 1897, whose romance wore out even more quickly. ' In the tame year he made a determined effort to ?et used to married life, taking Mrs. ulia Crotselman for hit bride, but he couldn't stand the strain, more than inree years. 1 1 III 1901, however, they had man aged to live down the memories of their marriage and to took a fresh start The: second marriage ' rubbed off in the fall, but after a pleasant little vacation from each other's com pany they decided in the following tpnng to come back for more, Links Into Past, By thia time thev wen orAwin really tired of revamped honeymoons, nu uuauy in jwo Mrs. crotselman Selby obtained the third divorce that converted her married life with the fighter into a past performance. Then Indianola Arnold, an actress, filled a bne.'J!-l,f!l"ement " 'he Kid't wife. In 1905 Mrs. Edward C. Ellis, widow 2. .F tTrandsoti of the founder of the tint Locomotive Works, was starred in the role starred in it because her marriage with the Kid luted fur th. unprecedented run of five years. Firm of A. P. Tukey & Son Is First in New Building The first firm tn tnnv Int the 'First National bank building at Six- irenm ana rarnam streets was that of A. P. Tukey & Son. It has taken space on the sixth floor of the build ing just in front of the elevator. The Tukeys believe in moving in the dead of winter. In Februarv. 1QI5, thi. firm moved at 6 o'clock in the morn ing of a cold day. There was a reason. Fire .was eating the heart out of the old Board of Trade build ing at Sixteenth and Farnam streets, where their office was located. They saved what they could at 6 o'clock in the morning and by 9 o'clock had started negotiations to sell the ruins and the ground to the First National bank for a location for a new bank building. The deal bank built, and now this real estate nrm is moving back to the old loca tion where it spent a happy twenty cars. Prune Orchard Pays Dividends to Dutch When "Dutch" Leonard, star souinpaw 01 tne Boston Ked Sox, is through as a pitcher, it won't be necessary to play any benefits for the native Californian. He has invested in prune orchards. From some of his earlier investments he is already ui awing wwn a nice dividend. Bee Want Ads Produce Results. New York, Dec. 23. "Mike" Don lin, one-time leading slugger of the Giants, is filling a new role. He is a boxing promoter and he is trying to match "Freddie" Welsh and "Johnny" Kilbane for a forty-round bout at Ha vana, to be held some time in Febru ary. However, there is little chance of the match being made, for Welsh demands $50,000, win, lose or draw. Donlin is associated with Hugh Grant Browne and Charles Henshall, who, according to Donlin, are building a big athletic arena in Havana, ten minutes' ride from the heart of the city. He says it is a $3,000,000 propo sition and will be the scene of horse racing, automobile racing, boxing and base ball, Donlin further declares that the arena is rapidly nearing comple tion, and that the promoters have been promised that it will be com pleted early in January. . . "We expect to start playing base ball there about January 10, said "Mike." "We will have two Cuban teams and one American team'. We discussed this phase of the sporting program with 'Mike' Cantillon, and he thinks that his brother Joe will favor sending the Minneapolis team to Cuba to train for the American as sociation. The - Minneapolis club could engage in games with the two Cuban teams on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays, the three days that will be devoted to base ball, until about April 1, when the players could start for home, arriving in time to open .the American association season about April 15." Donlin had a long conference with Harry Pollok, Welsh's manager. Pol lok demanded $50,000 for Welsh's lend. Donlin declared this was prohibitive. "However, I intend to have another talk with Pollok," said Donlin, "and we mav be able to agree UDon terms for a forty-round championship bouf witn Kilbane. In the meantime 1 al ready have opened negotiations for a forty-round bout between Frank Moran and Fred Fulton; in fact, I have Morsn't verbal agreement to go to Havana to fight Fulton." Michigan Aggies'to Play Huskers, Notre Dame.'Northwestern East Lansing, Mich., Dec 23. Northwestern university and Syracuse university are on the foot ball sched ule of the Michigan Agricultural col lege ior 1917, which was completed today. The game with the' University of Michigan has been set for October 20, with the place of playing it to be decided later. The schedule follows: Ootober I Aim oollc At But Lanslns;. October is Kalamstoo college at East Lansing, October IS Ut.lven.tr of Michigan. Plan not decided. October 11 University of Nebraska at Bast Lansing. 1 November s University of South Dakota at Baat Lancing. November i Northwestern vnlverstty at Bvanston, III November 17 Notre Dame at Routh Bend. November 14 Syracuse university at East Lansing. '; Christmas Shoot For Turkeys for Omaha Marksmen Scattertran marksmen who have palates adjusted to the delicious taste of choice turkey plan on capturing enough to provide Christmas dinner at the poultry shoot at the Omaha Gun club this afternoon, starting at 1MU. A number of choice turkeys, with an accompanying number of geese and oocks, will oe ottered at prixet to tne winning marksmen. The turkeys are the choice birds and Kav Kingsley, Henry McDonald, Bert Dixon, Doc Frye, Frank Ellison, Art Keeline and the rest of the sharks are going to have tome tough competition. It costs your weight in gold to buy turkeyt nowadays," quoth one merry marksman, as he cleaned up the old shotgun," and watch me collect." Benefit Card for John Gilsey Friday A benefit, at which most of the box ers and wrestlers living in Omaha will appear, will be held at Washington halt Friday for Johnny Gilsey, former western welterweight champion, who is down and out in Omaha owing to illness. Gilsey has been in Omaha eight months. During a large part of this time he has been confined to a hos pital with heart and nervous troubles. Gilsey was one of the best pugilists in the business before he became ill. He fought such top notchera aa Stan ley Ketchell. His last fight was With Art Magirl four years ago. He knocked Magirl out in the third round. George Medlock will be master of ceremonies at the benefit. Matrimnnv is Favorite Sport for Detroit Lads ) Three Detroit athletes who have achieved nation-wide fame are soon to marry. "limmy" Craig, one of the greatest halfbacks the University of Michi gan ever produced, is to wed .Miss Ruth Thrasher, a Cincinnati de butante. Neil "Shortv" MacMillan. former Michigan quarterback, soon will marry miss junana wooaoridge Moring, daughter of Guatav Zanger, of the ex clusive Grosse Pointe colony. James D. Standish, jr., the golfer, is to be married on January 20, to Miss Isabel Stroh of Detroit. Bee Want Ads Produce Results. Mire Mike Donlin, former idol of the base ball diamond, has become a sure enough promoter. He has be come identified with a combination which plans to produce base ball, boxing matches and horse racing in Havana, Cuba. It it said that a sta dium is now under construction in TINKER AND WILSON BUY COLUMBUS CLUB Former Cub Manager Arranges to Purchase Ohio City Asso ciation -Franchise. DEAL COMPLETED SOON .Columbus, O iDec 23. Joseph Tinker, formier manager of tiie Chi cago National league club, tonight ar ranged tp " buy the franchise -of the Columbus American . association league team for himself and Thomas Wilson of Chicago. ' : Tinker i announced that a partial fiayment had been made for the Co umbus franchise and that the deal would be completed before June 3. , Confers With Hickey. Immediately after completing the arrangements to buy the club Tinker left for Chicago, accompanied by Thomas Hickey, president of the American association, who attended the meeting here between Tinker and the Columbus owners. Tinker and Wilson will pay $65,000 to the Columbus magnates, it was an nounced. This will give Tinker the former Chicago manager and his as sociates control of 75 per cent of the club's stock. Thevother 25 per cent will be retained by the present own ers. ; ' ' . ',. :. There Are Batteries in Base Ball and in Autos When Joe Cantillon attended the American association meeting in In dianapolis recently, he was the guest of Jack Hendricks at the latter't home. Hendricks planned to take Can tillon for an early morning ride in his auto and sent his vounu son out to warm up the machine. The lad came in to the breakfast table and said: "Papa, the batteries are ready." "What's the idea?" asked Cantillon, "are we going to play a morning game?" Lee Magee is Keeping Himself in Good Shape Lee Magee, who is wintering in Cinrinnati ic lrpaftinor in fan, l,4nt and looks for a big season next year. Lee suffered a great deal from in- lliri last (Minn at rnm tim kiiin laid up with an injured leg for more man mrcc wccks. nc is noping ior better luck in 1917. , Th Hon 1b War. . W ro forward on foot Into a ration whtrt tho only vehicle aro tho lone lines of artillery caliiaoiM. oblong steel boieb filled with shells, which are hone draw, and the water oarta which are horse drawt, also. Tor the horse still has his part In war a bold one as It ever was. As he nan pass ovV rouirh around he Roes into areas where no motor vehicles exoept the armored motor cam called "tanks" may to. In the machinery of kllllnf he la still man's friend. He brines a touch ot life other than human Into that - dead world. Frederick Palmer In Collier's. DeiiMrtmeat Orders. Wsshlneton, Dec. 31. 8pec!al Teletram.) Milton R. Davis has been appointed post master of Richard, Calhoun county, la., vlco Robert L. Hott, resigned. Civil serrle examinations will bo held on Jsnuary It for rural mall oarrler at Allen and Dlller, Neb. The contract for painting1 the Omaha postorric has been awarded to O. U. Thomp son of Omaha, at SS.SfiS. Th following poetnfTlces wlU beoome In ternational money olflcea on January IS: Bellovue, Jackson, Marquette and Wallace, Neb. - I Lyons Defeats Wayne. Lyons, iNeb., Pec. SI. Special.) The. Lyons Aathletlc association team defeated tho Modern Woodmen of America team of Wayne here Tuesday night. SB to SI. Wayne played a busy game at all times, but the brilliant team work er th team spelled victory from th flrst minute ot piay. aia KoDtnn or Lyons led oft with a total of thirteen goals - Vera- Losea to Syrmease, ' Syracuse. Neb,, Dec. IS. (Special.) Last evening the York Young Men's Christian Assoclstlon basket bell team lost to the Ryracuee Athletic club, tt to U. Referee: n 1 bomum. Havana, which will be ready about the middle of January, when base ball will be staTted. Donlin expects to get some of the big league teams training in Florida to jump over to Havana and play exhibition games. Games with a city league club to be formed in Havana are also planned. Bowling Notes Prenidtrnt Strots and Secretary Locker of the MlddUwaU Bow l in j amoctation were In the lineup of the Dei Moinea team which took tn the recent Kweepatakea. Both were full of the last tournament newa and con versation and were bubbllnf over with ad vance dope on next season'! event, which will be held In their home burr. They pre dict an entry of lBO teami, which would make It aorae tournament. Bailor, the ralddleweat bowling champ ton who rolled with the Des Moines team in tfhi aweeptUakes. rolled a good average game, but did not do any of the sensational rolling the large crowd expected of him. Prank Mtddaugo who did Home sensa tional match game rolling during . the ewepata.kes, ' had juat returned from Ataaka, where he had been alnce last March. Frank hadn't rolled a ball alnce thia ttm?, but Omaha, bowlera will testify that It didn't aeem to make much difference, as he managed to- be juat wild enough to chalk up several too total! and carry away the dough. Fremont bowlera are boosting for the I state tournament to ,be held there next April. The bowling game U lively tnrougo. out the) atate and the Premontera are pre dicting a record breaking entry. The Women's Toggery team in the Metro politan Women's league should make tt In teresting for the A, B. Sweetshops this seaeon. They have a good lineup which has been practicing steadily since the first of the season. By winning the entire aeries while the Clara Belles were droDDins the odd one to i the Cory-McKensle team, the Home Res taurant wrecking crew went into or si place tn'the Booster league. Two or three of the weak teams In the Booster league have been adding players to bring them up to the league's standard. Ralph Sclple has been added to the lineup of th'e Raymond Furniture Co. team. The women's team representing the American State hank have three bowling coaches who ar lending their services with out compensation on account of their per sonal Interest lnthe team. They are Scipie, Eldson and Karlh. The Columbia knr Insurance team, Rad ford, 01 II ham, Bowers, Orlffln et al, have ceased hurling Challenges, which was their policy until things became too hot for them, i Ole Johnson tried to do the comeback In the sweepstakes and succeeded fairly well. He entered the singles and ciras out Aith a -'5a total. Ermle Chrlstensen, who was one of the, best local bowlers a few years ago, was an Interested spectator and scorer during the sweepstakes. t- The next big tournament to be held la the International, which will commence February 11 m Mini, 'apolla. President "Red" Ratekln of the Booster league appeared In the lineup Tuesday night. He rolled in hla old-time form. The Raymond Furniture and Luxus teams tied up on their third game in the Omaha league last week. On the roll-off both teams tried to donate the game to their op ponents, but Frank Jarosh accidentally picked up a spare, and the furniture men won oat. Al Krug Is still struggling for that come back. The sweepstakes live-men event was won by a Lincoln team, but even at that It was necessary for an Omaha bowler In their lineup to do the heavy scoring. However, the Capital City bowlera won the singles and all events all by themselves, so we will have to hang the jewelry on them for that. With Don Amadeft out of the lineup, the Corey-McKenile team won a series and from the Clara Belles at that. We thought It couldn't be done. "Cap" Holllday has discovered that It Is easy to roll lib with four strikes In a row for a starter. He did this very thing In two games last week. The recent it weeps takes tournament re sults easily displays the remarkable strides to the front the bowlers out tn the state have been making since their start In the game. At first they were weak and unable to stand a chance when competing agalnat their superiors from Omaha. But they stuck with It, oft times contributing their money to the pot which Omaha bowlers always grabbed. Now things have changed. Rome excellent talent has been developed, espe cially in T.lncoln, Fremont, Columbus, Wahoo, Orand Island and Schuyler. Omaha teams which play these teams on their home drive now buy round trip tickets, to be sure of having enough money to get home en, and the results In the recent sweepstakes show what the sharks from these burgs can do away from home, Lincoln won three first out of four chances with Wahoo bowl era in their lineup. Schuyler and Fremont were away up in the prise lists with good scores. The Improvement of the out In the atato bowlers will do much toward increas ing the entry in the coming state tourna ment. Schuyler boasts of a bowling team having five brothers In tho- lineup. It is a good one, too. Thia team was entered In the sweep stakes, although only three of the Van Dusen brothers were In the lineup. Baker was out of the C O. C. Billiard Parlors lineup Thursday alght, consequently., they refused to play for any dough. With the Huntington league in the field, several well known B class rollers are again actively participating In the game. The Women's league has taken another step forward In the game and from now on the foul line rule will be in force. If a player goes over the Una they will hear about It. Many will be en hand Monday night to hear the fowls (fouls 1 called. With the application of the foul line rule, seeral of the women will have to shorten ther run they take, or shorten their delivery. The Home Restaurants and a Lincoln all star team will roll a series this afternoon Alumni, 27; South High, 21.' Paul Shields, ably assisted by B. Nixon, came to the rescue of the Alumni last evening in their annual game with the South High school. Captain Lyman Corr and his fast Packer five had he number of the ?xaduates until Shields entered the ray in the second half. Shields and Nixon coupled together in some team work that netted seven baskets and a lead for the Alumni of six points at the finish. The school team led the fight through the entire first halt. Better basket shooting gave them a lead of U to 8. Corr shot the first basket, a difficult fling over the shoulder. Soon after the opening ot the sec ond hall Shields and Nixon designed a orand ot team work that was brii liant. The big former Nebraska cen- ter began the offense by dribbling across the floor under his own has ket. ending the flash of form by foss mg without effort through the bas ket. Nixon's aggressiveness, along with the splendid guarding of Mc Bride and Cohn, sealed all trouble that might have come from the high school. ' Ray Wilson played a tremend&usly fast game despite his extreme size. Along with Captain Corr, he was a tireless worker. Wayne Emigh playod a splendid game at guard. The lineup: , SOUTH HIGH. ALUMNI. Graham R. F.lL. O.. Lyman Wilson L. F. R. G M. Cohn Corr C. C :. Nixon Kmlgh R. G. L, F A. Cohn Etter L. G.R-F McBrlde Substitutes: Shields for A. Cohn, Hunter for Kmlgh. Field goals: Graham (2), Wil son (4), Corr 3, Lyman, Nixon 6), Shields (, McBrlde (2). Froe throws: Corr (3, McBrlde (2), A. Cohn. Fouls: Alumni. 10; South High, 6. Score first half: South High. 13; Alumni, 8. Referee: Ritchie, Omaha. Time of periods: Twenty minutes. Final score: South High, 21; Alumni, 27. President Gives Turkeys to White . House Employes Washington; -Dec. 23. President Wilson's Christmas celebration be gan today. Turkeys were distributed to all married White House employes, while by express and mail gifts for the president arrived from all parts ol the United States. In addition to presents sent Mr. Wilson by personal friends, he re ceived remembrances from admirers unknown to him personally. There was holly and mistletoe by the barrel and books of many descriptions. . The president has no engagement before Tuesday and plans to spend to morrow and Monday .quietly with members of his family. The large Christmas tree for the children at the White House was put in place today. 1 . Navy Department Holds on To Oil Land Reservations Washington, Dec. 23. Efforts of a joint congressional committee to agree on legislation for the relief of claimants to lands in California naval oil preserves came to an abrupt end today when the Navy department, through Secretary Daniels, refused to yield to any compromise proposals. The attitude of the navy imperils the mineral lands conservation bill which had been before congress for several years and in the opinion of committee members will prevent ac tion at this session. The disagreement with the navy has been over the Phelan amendment, which would grant relief to private claimants of California oil lands af fected by government withdrawals of 1909. . Two weeks ago a subcommittee of each house was appointed, with Sena tor Pittman as chairman, and with Representatives of the Navy and In terior departments co-operating. To day it abandoned its work when it received from Secretary Daniels flat rejection of compromise proposals suggested by the committee and the general land office. Important Irrigation Suit to Be Tried at Lead Lead, S. D., Dec. 22. (Special.) Judge James McNanny on January 5 will hear one of the most important law suits that has come up before the circuit court in years. The snit j was brought up a year ago by Joseph ; look ana otners ana involved Hun dreds of persons, as well as the Homestake company. The turning of the waters of Spearfish out of its true channel, and the resultant lack of ir rigation waters to farmers along the old route, is the complaint in the ac tion. With many of the parties water rights have been held for thirty years and more, and these parties have been brought into the suit, who will es tablish in , court title to such claims. In this respect it is estimated the case will take up a month or more. Attorneys Hayes and Heffron of Deadwood will represent the plaintiffs and Kellar and Stanley of Lead and Martin and Mason of Deadwood the defendants. New York, Dec. 23 That Les Darcy will be substituted in place of Jess Willard against Georges Car pentier looks highly probable now. Tex Rickard is fast becoming con vinced that a match between the gi gantic young champion and the young French idol would be a mistake in every way. Sporting men are prac tically unanimous in predicting that the champion would be altogether too big for Georges, and Rickard. who always tries to please, is ready to sign Darcy as soon as the latter makes his appearance on the scene. Rickard always consults the public taete, which is the one reason for his tremendous success as a promoter. He listens to the public and then gives it what it thinks it wants. Other promoters put on bouts of their own choosing, and then proceed to try and make the public like them, which is ! nara ining to oo Rickard has never been wrong on the drawing power of a match. The Nelson-Gans match, his first venture as a fight promoter, broke the rec ord for gate receipts for lightweights. The Jeffries-Johnson affair more than doubled any previous gate receipts, and the Willard-Moran bout outdrew all other ten-round contests. The last two bouts did not result in great con tests, but that was not Rickard's fault. There was a great demand for the matches, and Rickard merely gave the public what it asked for. Disastrous Aftermath.. So far every match Rickard has staged has broken a record, and if the Willard-Carpentier affair , goes through there is no doubt that it will break all records for no-decision bouts, but the aftermath is likely to be disastrous. Since Rickard means to continue as a promoter of boxing at the Madison Square Garden it would be foolish for him to risk los ing the popularity that materially helped to make his matches success ful financially. Rickard was not scored on account of. the Jeffries flivver and tne Moran fiasco, because there was a genuine demand for those battles. There is no demand Jor a Willard-Carpenticr bout. It was never even surmised that such a match was possible until a few weeks ago when Rickard first informed various sporting writers of his plans after binding them to- se crecy., ' . Demand for Darcy. There is a great demand, of course, to see the famous Frenchman in ac tion, and there also is a great de mand to see the equally famous Les Darcy show his form. Circumstances have miraculously arisen which make it possible to stage these two in the one ring, and it would be flying in the face of fortune to pass it up in favor of a match that no one wants, j , The demands of Willard's man agers are absurdly high, which is another reason for substituting Darcy. The Australian would come much cheaper and he would be sure to pack the Garden at the highest prices. Willard could do no more than that. It is unfortunate for Willard, but his great size really is a detriment in one way. His great bulk spoils every match that might be arranged, and for that reason he is not as val uable to a promoter as a moderate sized champion would be. For exhi bition purposes and that is all a short, no-decision bout can be called he is not a great success. He proved to be a great card with Moran. be cause it was his first bout aa cham pion and ring followers were curious to see the man who defeated John son. Having seen, .they were satis fied that he is a real champion, and that no one is likely to beat him, but there is no particular desire to see him maul a man almost 100 pounds lighter than himself. Wyckoff Buys Taxicabs With World's Series Kale Weldon Wyckoflf, a member of the Boston Red Sox pitching staff, is the owner and .manager of the leading taxicab service of his home in Will iamsport, Pa. It is said that since the close Of the big series the number of cabs in the service has been ma terially increased. K A MPRDV M XMAS and A HAPPY NEW YEAR to all is the with of 16th ajul Howarel Sta, Pboo Douglas 84. ) r ay Master. I on tne upaaaa aiieya