Well, Let's Make This One a Year the Boys Will Talk About Forever
SPORT IN OMAHA
LOOKS BACK OVER
GREATEST YEAR
Kourkes Win Pennant, Many
Big Events Are Held and
Fans Only Get Stung
One Time.
GREAT MOTOR CLASSIC
Stecher-Lewis Match, Great
Western Races, Western
Handicap All Big Events.
OMAHA HAS MANY CHAMPS
Glancing backward over the old
year before we give it a parting kick
in the slats and speed it on its way
into the dark recesses of the forgotten
past, one finds that 1916 was a pretty
ooa Ota year lor iiidiid luvua ui
port. 1 lie Kourkes won a pennant,
Omaha was fortunate enough to land
a number of big events, and only once
did the chaps who plunk down their
change at the box office fail to Ret
their money's worth.
The largest piece of good fortune
for the largest number of Omaha's
sport lovers was, of course, the suc
cessful pennant campaign of the
Omaha base ball club. For the first
time since 1907 the local team cap
tured the Western league pennant.
The Kourkes got away to a Hying
start shortly after the season opened
and they maintained their lead against
all opposition until the end. The
largest crowd in the history of the
Western league turned out for a double-header
between Omaha and Lin
coln at Rourke park the latter part of
August. It totaled almost 9,000 paid
admissions.
In the way of big sporting events
Omaha got more than its share. Not
.a city of corresponding size and pop
ulation entertained as many big events
as did Omaha during 1916.
Many Rare Treats.
A big automobile classic, the
Stecher-Lewis wrestling match, the
Western Handicap trap shooting
tournament, tne state goit tourna
ment, the Great Western circuit har
ness races, the big indoor athletic and
gymnastic meet, all were rare treats
for Omaha.
The automobile derby held on the
East Omaha oval went down in the
annals of automobile racing as one
of the greatest speedway classics
ever held in this country. No more
closely contested, exciting, thrilling
gasoline speed contest has ever been
held on United States soil. Dario
Resta, the famous English-Italian
pilot, won the championship event
after a gruelling contest with Smiling
Ralph Mulford, averaging over ninety-nine
miles an hour in the face of
a blistering sun in order to do it.
Ralph De Palma won the short race,
marking up a new competitive record
for fifty miles.
Three world's records were estab
lished on the Omaha track by three
of the speed demons entered in the
race. Ralph Mulford set up a new
mark of over 111 miles an hour for
a single lap on a speedway. Dario
Kcsta made a new record for five
miles and Eddie Rickenbacher estab
lished a new mark for twenty-five
miles.
Five days of Great Western cir
cuit racing were staged on the
Omaha Driving club's track for lovers
of harness stepping. Some of the
classiest pacers and trotters in the
country took part in the events and
no more interesting races to see were
held at any other point, not even on
the grand circuit. The grand circuit
races were a little faster, but the com
petition wasn't any closer and the
rivalry any keener and the races any
more thrilling. Three days of state
circuit racing was also held on the
Benson track in June.
The biggest wrestling event of the
year was held in Omaha on July 4
when Joe Steelier and Stranglcr Lew
is clashed. This is the one event
which didn't pay dividends from the
spectator's standpoint. It was a dis
appointing bout to watch as a result
of the tediously careful defensive tac-
Kontinuetl on Tag Two, Column Four.)
New Swimmers Put New
Life in Water Sports
Swimming prove to be a popular
sport of the year, both in college as
well as amateur ranks, and it gained
a larger following than ever with the
women. Record-breaking perform
ances were not quite so much in evi
dence as during the preceding year,
hut there were enough of these to
bring gratification.
Duke Kahanamoku of Honolulu
added several new marks to his al
ready formidable string, as also did
Lady Langer of the Los Angeles Ath
letic club. Herbert Vollmer of Colum
bia was another to loosen some of the
former marks, and. in addition, he
"as a decided aid In the Columbia
tram in the intercollegiate events.
Several new women's records were
also established, one for 100 yards by
Olga Dorfner, and another, a long
distance record, by Eileen Lee, while
Claire Galligan established an Ameri
can mile record for women.
The Yale university team succeeded
in capturing the intercollegiate hon
ors, while the water polo champion
ship went to the Princeton combina
tion. Walnut Hill Methodists
Win Over Former Stars
The Walnut Hill Methodist church
basket ball five won a victory over a
uintet composed of former stars at
the church, 19 to 12. Austin, with
four field goals in the last half, was
the star. Any team wishing games
with the Walnut Hill crew call Earl
Watson at Benson 588-J after 7
o'clock. The lineup:
W. II. M. OLD STARS.
Monlamie R.p tluvor
IVnlion 1. P llmlsnn
.RG.
LG.
Thompson
The Walnut Hill Methodist go to
Shenandoah, la., New Year's night to
play the l'rcsbytcrian Cubs at that
city.
Omaha Champions
of the Year 1916
Bnne Rll Armoom, rUw A: Murphy
Did It, Clan B; Kmjkwk, CUm C.
Banket Ball HrandriH, Trt-CUy Imtm
Omaha National Bank, rommrrrlaJ
Flint MtbotltnUi. Church Icmcuc
Hilli&rdn Al Cahn. W.
Bowline TM Nmlr , ' Individ ami cham
pion; tiarlow ColU, iemm champions; Wart-
chow and McCarthy, douhlra rtuunptoat:
Art Pederon, aU-tirntti r ham plon.
Cbtsa Howard Ohmao.
C'roMonntry Running- Bart Kane.
Foot Hall Nonpar riL-s Clara A; Athlrtlea,
rhu.it B; Thirtieth tftreet Merchant, Claa
I.
Golf Ralph Peter; women. Mr. E. H.
Sprariit.
(.jmn antic Prank . HI ha, Individ ml
r ham plon ; Umaha Catholic Sokola, team
champion.
Hand Ball C. 8. 1.1 nn.
Motorcycling Uirdl Lots.
Pocket Billiard Helnln Harsh.
tktrrer Caledonians.
Kquaah Spike Kennedy.
Tennis Ralph Powell, elry champion;
Howard tireen, Junior champion; Katharine
Krujr, women's r hum plon.
Trap Nhoo.li.ir A I Koyen.
Tug -of War Mwedoa.
Cue Contests Are
Dulled by Lack of
Good Competition
Billiards did not enjoy a particu
larly attractive year from the compet
itive standpoint. In professional bil
liards the supremacy of Willie Hoppe
was not threatened and lie was sel
dom called upon to play (or his ti
tle. A handicap professional tourna
ment was arranged in New York,
but Hoppe, even allowing handicaps
of 100 to 200 in 500 points, was not
pressed to win any of his matches. It
was in this tournament that he broke
the high-run record at 18.2 balkline
by clustering 308.
Hoppe defeated George Sutton in
an 18.2 championship at St. Louis
without being pressed closely. The
death of Firmin Cassignol robbed the
world of Hoppe's strongest opponent.
In the amateur ranks Edward W.
Gardner secured the national class A
title in a tournament which showed
rather mediocre billiards. Francis S.
Appleby won the amateur class B
tournament, with Edgar, T. Appleby
in second place, and these two were
graduated into the class A event. In
the class C division the championship
went to H. W. Hawley. J. Howard
Shoemaker was returned the victor
in the pocket billiard championship.
The three-cushion billiard cham
pionship has been buffeted about from
one player to another, no holder
seeming to have the ability to retain
the title for- a great length of time.
It was much the same way in pocket
billiards, following the tournament in
Chicago, which put a new emblem in
competition. Frank Taberski, the
present title holder, has been the
most successful in keeping a firm hold
on the championship.
Trapshooting Has
Appeal for Strong
Men of the Outdoors
That trapshooting has elements
which attract men who breathe and
live sport is evident by its naming
among its enthusiastic followers such
men as Honus Wagner of the Pitts
burgh National league team, "Big
Chief" Bender, the Indian rwirler;
"Christy" Matthewson, manager of
the Cincinnati Reds; Ty Cobb, the
Georgia flash: Lester German, who
forsook the New York Nationals to
become a professional "player" in the
"sport alluring," and many other base
ball celebrities.
On the other hand, we see John
Philip Sousa finding invigorating rec
reation in making dust of the furtive
"clay pigeon."
To the man or woman possessed
of a tender heart and who has no
pleasure in the destruction of living
I creatures trapshooting affords pleas
: ure without regret.
The "open" season for trapshoot-
ing is all of the calendar months and
i it may be enjoyed regardless of
j weather conditions.
Any large field is a hunting ground,
with the game a-plenty, for the clay
"birds" fly every day.
; This Busher Umps Obeys
Chief's Orders to Letter
Ever have a guy follow you around,
do everything you do, eat the same
I things, wear the same kind of clothes,
j imitate your little pet oddities, in fact
i become your animated shadow?
If you did. here's a parallel.
In 1911 Ban Johnson signed up
(Harry Collirlower, a Southern league
. umpire, to work in the American
j league and sent him to Boston with
' instructions to Billy Evans to break
, him in.
Evans met him at breakfast the
morning he arrived and the show
; began.
' Everything Evans ordered on the
; bill of fare Colliflower div'icated,
: every time R illy appeared wit ti a new
! shirt, Colliflower bought its mate. If
j Evans appeared with a new Panama,
i Colliflower bought one. If Billy or
dered chocolate soda, Colliflower
j couldn't see pinapple or orange.
t The climax came near llie end of
: the season when a foul tip broke
through Evans' mask, bruising his eye
and putting him out of the game for
l a few days.
I The day he returned a foul tip
crashed through Colliflower's mask
and he was laid up with a black lamp.
Later Evans told Ban Johnson
about it and pulled the biggest laugh
Ban ever let loose of.
i ' I told that fellow to do whatever
'you did, but didn't expect him to fol
low instructions so closely," flan
chuckled.
Hooks Wiltse Now is
Manager and Magnate
j George (Hooks) Wiltse will be
magnate as well as manager at Read
!ing in the New York State league next
! season. He has bought a half interest
j in the club from Dr. F. N. Tate of
I Albany, who has been sole owner,
i Wiltse will look after all business
j affairs from the Heading end, as well
las be playing manager.
1 Cleveland Sends Kid
To New Orleans Club
i lack Bradley, the University of Il
linois catcher who had a tryout with
Cleveland, will be sent to New Or
leans for next year.
WESTERN LEAGUE
HAS BAD SEASON
Omaha Is Only Club in Circuit
That Winds Up Year
Without Deficit.
AtfD 1917 IS UNCERTAIN
While the pennant race was moder
ately interesting and exciting and the
Omaha fan was well pleased with
the results, the other seven cities of
the Western league and the league it
self didn't fare very well during 1916.
And one could hardly call the pros
pects for 1917 glowing.
The Western league has gone
through three mighty hard years the
last three seasons, but the 1916 term
was an exceedingly tough one. With
the exception of Omaha every club
in the league dropped money and Fa
Rourke isn't likely to buy any war
brides with the dividends he paid
himself.
Attendance all over the circuit was
woefully poor. Not a club in the
league drew a total paid attendance of
100,000, a mark that should be reached
by any Class A club. Omaha drew
about 90,000 persons at home, but
Lincoln, which ranked second, barely
slid over the 60,000 mark.
Wichita Quits.
The Wichita elub toward the end
of the season was compelled to turn
its franchise over to the league be
cause of lack of attendance in the
Kansas jobbing town. John Savage
at Topeka announced at the conclu
sion of the season that he was through
with the Jayhawk capital. Jack Hol
land at St. Joseph, Ed .Hanlon at
Sioux City. Hugh Jones at Denver.
Frank Isbell at Des Moines, all lost
money. It was a very bad year finan
cially. The nsual internal Western league
row arose at the end of the year, Ed
Hanlon of Sioux City accusing Frank
Isbell of Des Moines of being a trouble-maker.
This little fuss, however,
has not assumed any serious propor
tions as yet.
The Western league as it stands to
day facing the new year is a very un
certain affair. Of what the Western
league will consist when April rolls
around is unknown. The magnates
don't even know themselves. John
Savage has said he will not continue
to operate a club in Topeka. The Sav
age franchise might be transferred to
Colorado Springs, which is open terri
tory, but the club owners fear the
city of millionaires will not support a
club any more properly than Topeka.
Really desirable territory is closed.
Topeka business men may make an
effort to retain the franchise, but at
the present time no one knows just
what disposition will be eventually
made.
Wichita is just as uncertain. The
old club directors are through; that
much is certain. Frank Isbell may
be able to take over the club and
operate it in Wichita. He may not.
And there the matter stands.
May Be Six Clubs.
The league may again be made a
six-club affair; it may continue as an
eight; nobody knows, not even the
magnates.
In one respect 1916, as far as the
Western league is concerned, held its
own. As large a number of Western
athletes graduated into faster com
pany this year as any previous year.
Almost a score of players have been
sent to bigger leagues. Some of them,
however, have already been sent back
Umaha sends the largest number oi
players to superior leagues. Eight
Rourkes went to major or Class AA
clubs. They are Catchers Krueger
and Marshall, Pitchers North and
OToole, First Baseman Miller, Short
stop Kilduff and' Outfielders Smith
and Thompson. Krueger went to the
Giants. Marshall returned to St. t'aul,
but the Saints have already shipped
Bobby to Beaumont in the Texas
league. He is the only advancing
Rourke to be sent back again already.
Lou North goes to the St. Louis Car
dinals, while Marty OToole returns
to Columbus. Columbus also grabbed
Ray Miller on the draft. Kilduff goes
to the Giants with Krueger, while
Earl Smith is a Chicago Cub and
Shag Thompson was recalled by Con
nie Mack.
( Denver Sends Three.
Denver sent three men to the major
leagues. Pitcher Clarence Mitchell to
Cincinnati before the season started.
Johnny Kelleher to Brooklyn and Ben
Dyer to Detroit Kelleher has been
returned by the Dodgers after a short
trial.
Lincoln sent East and Stevenson
to the St. Louis Browns. East has al
ready been returned.
Pitcher Lambeth went to Cleveland
from Topeka and made good from
the jump. Tony Defatc, the flashy
Kaw shortstop, goes to the Cardinals.
Lefty Thomas, who went to Wash
ington from Des Moines, made good
last fall. Shortstop Hartford goes to
the Chicago White Sox from the
Boosters and Paul Musser was drafted
by Indianapolis. The White Sox took
two men from St Joseph, Jourdan,
first baseman, and Kirkham, outfield
er. Kirkham, however, has already
been returned. The White Sox also
tried to get Catcher Gray, but Gray
got the national commission to de
clare him a free agent. Topeka sent
Pitcher Hall to Kansas City. Sioux
City sent Callahan to the Tacihic
Coast league.
Thus the Western league did hold
its own in the number of players it
serit to the big show, but in other
respects it fell behind.
Chicago Theatrical
Man to Assist Frazee
Larry Garver, a Chicago theatrical
man, has been appointed secretary of
the Boston club of the American
league. Garver has been associated
with H. H. Frazee, one of the new
owners of the Boston club, for several
years. He also has served as an as
sistant secretary to the Chicago
Americans. '
Bohemian Cechie Eleven
Holds Its Annual Dance
The Bohemian Cechie soccer foot
hall eleven held its annual all-night
Hanre at Tel Jed Sokol hall, Thir
- teenlh and Martha streets, last night.
, The Bohemian players were last in
! the league standin - this year, but they
topped the percentage column on their
dance last night. Over a hundred per
sons attended.
SPOR TS SECTION of
The Omaha
Sunday
FREDDIE BEELL TO
WRESTLE IN OMAHA
Famous Veteran Will Meet
Marin Plestina in This City
Some Time This Month.
WAS WORLD'S CHAMP ONCE
Freddie Beell, the diminutive Wis
consin grappler, who used to charm
the mat fans around Omaha a dccaite
ago, and who is today the ranking
veteran of the wrestling game, is
going to try to show Omahans that
he has lost none of his old-time skill
and cunning, Beell is going to wrestle
Marin Plestina, the big Omaha Aus
trian who has been creating such a
disturbance in wrestling ranks of late
in this city, some time in January.
Beell, in point of service, is the old
est wrestler in the game. When Fann
er Burns quit Beell took the ranking
position. And yet Beell is not yet
old in years. He is only 38. But he
has been wrestling twenty years and
for the most part of that time he
has been one of the greatest in the
business.
Beell is a little fellow, he only
shades five feet by four inches, but
he's a wizard for speed and he knows
every trick of the game. Excepting
probably Gotch and Burns, Beell pos
sesses more science than any other
grappler.
Ten years ago Beell appeared a
number of times in Omaha. He had
one of his famous jousts with Farmer
Burns in this city. He has always
been a favorite.
Was World's Champ.
For two weeks Beell was the
world's champion. He won the honor
from Frank Gotch when he threw
Gotch the first fall and the lowan
was injured and could not continue.
Gotch, however, recaptured the title
two weeks later when he triumphed
over Beell at Kansas City.
About six months ago Plestina chal
lenged Beell to combat, but IScell
didn't care about tackling the Oma
han at that time. Plestina repeated
his defi, but Beell answered nay, nay.
Then Beell ran for sheriff in his
home county in Wisconsin and got
licked. So he decided to return toi
wrestling and for the last two months
has been in strict raitning. Now he
feels he can take a chance with Plestina
and a week ago challenged the big
Austrian to a match. Plestina wasted
no time in accepting and he is now
in negotiation with Beell as to the
date of the match. Beell has agreed
to come to Omaha so it is only neces
sary now to decide upon the time.
The Plestina-Beell match will be
the first wrestling match of the win
ter season in Omaha.
Ministers Promise
To Clean Up in the
Volley Ball League
That team of ministers gives prom
ise of cleaning up the Young Men's
Christian association volley ball
league. The ministers started play-
! .L. var anH have he-
verv nrofieient at it. They
compete against teams composed of among the speed enthusiasts that Lon
printers, merchants and lawyers and , don is only a stopping place for Eddie
doctors. Games are played every and that his real destination is Wol-
Tuesday and Thursday noon al the
Y at 1: 10. hollowing arc inc inein
hr nf the four teams:
Ministers Rev. Titus Lowe, Rev.
John Calvert, Rev. H. B. Sprer, Rev.
Charles E. Cobbey, Rev. Albert F.
Ernst, Rev. Fred Clark, Rev. J. F.
Poucher, Rev. High, Bishop Homer
C. Stuntz.
Printers E. H. Hoel, Mr. Weexon,
H. E. Milliken, E. L. Potter. A. G.
Kittell, G. A. Davidson. Leo Wilson.
Merchants H. G. Daniel, G. W.
Long. Frank li. Palmer, A. L. Hav
ens, R. E. Gilmorc, G. M. Wallace.
Paul Havens, J. P. Kepler.
Lawyers and Doctors Dr. H. B.
I emere. lohn I. Neelev. I. L. Kaley,
TV W F. Milrov. Dr. C. T. Wren,
John E. Qutnn, Ray Abbott, Dr. J. A.
Henslee.
M3ttV MclntVre PUIIS
Bone that tnqs we i
nM-time Detroit olavcrs still rrca
with a laugh, a play lhat Malty Mc
Intyre once pulled when he was with
the Tigers. Mclntyre was on first
and Detroit runners also occupied sec
ond and third.
All at once Mclntyre dashed for
second. In an instant all was in an
uproar. The Detroit coachers tore
their hair. Tiger runners dashed
back and forth and the opposing team
started to take advantage of the
break.
In the excitement thev threw the
ball away and all three Tigers scored.
"There," exclaimed Mclntyre. "see
what I did. 1 knew they'd iret mixed
up on that play. A plain three runs,
eh?"
Indiana Uni Will Have
New Concrete Stadium
A concrete stadium with a seating
capacity ot more man m.uuii ana cosi-
ing the neighborhood of $50,000 is to
be erected at Indiana university.
F. O Stiehm. athletic director:
George M. Cook of Indianapolis, Har-;
: M. Scholler of Crawfordsvillc,
Hrank L. Jones ot Indianapolis ann
Ralph V. Stollitt, alumni secretary
have been appointed to carry out the
stadium plan. They propose lo visit
other universities in the west in
search of ideas.
OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 31, 1916.
MOST SENSATIONAL CHAMP OF YEAR Charles
(Chick) Evans, the young Chicagoan, who performed the
unprecedented achievement of capturing both the ama
teur and open golf titles.
Elf k I I i v " i'tll ivti m$i I
CHAJ2JB5 (CHICK EVANS.
BARON EDDIE RICK
SAILS FOR LONDON
Said to Be Making Voyage
Across Pond in Search of
Snnbeam Eacer. .
WOULD MAKE HIM W1NNEE
Baron Edward von Rickenbacher.
more familiarly known as "Baron
Rick," "Eddie Rick," "the Swiss 6pecd
king" and "Rick," Omaha's own on
the automobile speedway, has sailed
for London.
Although Eddie's visit to the old
country is shrouded in something
i closely akin to mystery, it is reported
verhampton. the town where the la
mous h.iiKlisli sunneam racing crea
tions are manufactured.
ll is well known that Rick and
"Leopard Bill" Weightman, Rick's
new backer, have had some corre
spondence with Louis Coatalen, the
Sunbeam engineer, regarding two new
distance annibilalors. and it is be
lieved when the intrepid baron returns
to this country he will bring two
Sunbeams with him.
Two Sunbeams were campaigned
in America this year. Joseph Chris
tiaens piloted one, while the late
Frank Galvin and l.ouis Chevrolet
drove the other. Roth cars hit the
boards at a 110-mile clip. And if Rick
! ran eet hold of two new cars they
' should show even greater speed.
Racing fans hope Eddie gets a Sun-
1 beam to pilot. This year, driving a
icar which was inferior in the way of
ranke,, ,hir(1 ainollg ,
drivers and won $'4,(KKI in prize
money. What then, the fans ask.
would Eddie do if he had a car that
could set llie pace? Manv speed en
thusiasts believe Eddie Rick is the
greatest driver in the world and with
a fast car wonld clean up even more
than Resta did in 1915 and 1916.
All-Star Soccer Team
To Battle Caledonians
When the weather becomes suf
Calcdonians. soccer champions of
ficifntly mild tn permit the game, the
Omaha, will clash with an all-star
eleven to be called (he Internationals.
The Internationals will consist of
crack players on all the other Omaha
teams and as some of them are stars
of first magnitude, the brush is ex
pected to be something of a thriller.
. n,,inA i
THOrpeian UUIIltet IS
I nnlinn fnr a Pnnflirt
LOOKing I0r a UOnillCX
The Thorpeian Athletic club basket
ball quintet is looking for combat, but
sisis it is unahlr to find an oppon
ent. So the Thorpeians wish to defi
the Young Men's Hebrew association
or any other team of its class in the
city. Call Max Kaplan at Douglas
871A
Bee
BIG DOINGS ATT
NEW YEAR'S NIGHT
Open House, with Gymnasium
and Swimming Exhibitions,
Will Be Held.
WEX START AT 7 O'CLOCK
Open house, with attractions in
both the gymnasium and the swim
ming pool, wjll be the rule New Year's
night at the Young Men's Christian
association.
The gymnasium stunts will start
at 7 o'clock and continue until 9. The
second, which will be entirely differ
ent from the first, starts at 9 o'clock.
A mass dumb bell drill led by R. H.
Hagar is the opening event in the
gymnasium exhibition. Following
three boys' relay races led by J. W.
Colton will be staged. C. F. White
more will lead the mass drill. H. D.
Frankfurt, J. W. Colton and C. E.
Seelry will lead groups of fencers,
tumblers and wrestlers respectively,
after which the program will be con
cluded with a number of pyramids
and gymnastics
Pete Wendell and his corps of
trained seals have a number of fancy
stunts for the pool. Wendell will be
assisted by William Wcsllund, Doug
las Melcher, Adolph Anderson, Ray
mond Talbot, Basil Cummins, E. E.
Benson, Jack Yates and W. P. Wood
cock. Races, diving and stunts are
included in the program. Wendell
has one trick he calls the submarines
U-53 and the Deutsrhand attacked by
enemy torpedoes. Some nifty dives
have also been lined up, including the
Yacka-Hula dive and the Gertrude
Hoffman favorite.
Northwestern Fails to
Land an Eastern Game
Northwestern university has failed
to land a foot ball game with Dart
mouth next fall. Northwestern, run-
erup in the "big nine" championship
race last fall, was willing to play a
return game at Dartmouth in 1918 if
the easterners would play in Chicago
November 17, but the Dartmouth au
thorities decided that the date would
not fit their schedule.
Hoosicr Captain Gets
Appointment to Point
Russell G. Hathaway of Dugger.
nd.. captain of the 1917 Indiana
university foot ball team, has received
an appointment to West Point to
enter the military academy as soon
as he completes his course at the state
university. Hathaway is the son of
Jasper M. Hathaway, a coal miner. He
is working his way through school.
American Pays $200 for
Pennant, National $100
A pennant in the American league
is worth twice as much as one in the
National. The parent league appro
priated only $100 to buy a flag for Eb
bets, while, the American league voted
$200 for the Boston gonfalon.
SPORT ON HIGH
PLANE DURING
THE LAST YEAR
Oreat Advances Are Made in
Practically All Branches De
spite Lack of Interna
tional Flavor.
SOME BIO ACHIEVEMENTS
Chick Evans Startles Golfing
World by Capturing Both
Championships,
PROMISE FOR THE FUTURE
Glancing hack over the season of
1916 in the field of sport, one is im
pressed not so much with notable per
formances as with the high level
which was attained in so many en
deavors. To be sure there were here
and there accomplishments which
claim special attention, such as the
victory of Chick Evans in both the
national amateur and national open
golf championships, an honor never
before falling to the lot of any golfer
in this country and with only one
rival in the annals of the game
abroad; the remarkable time made
by the trotting sensation of the year,
Lee Axwonhy, and the record for
consecutive base ball victories estab
lished by the Giants. A few other sim
ilar instances might be named, but
taken in a larger sense the season has
been one which saw the field in nearly
every branch of , sport approaching
more closely than in the past the
standard set by the champions, and
bearing this in mind it is, perhaps, not
amiss to consider that the victories
themselves carry even greater credit
International flavor has once more
been lacking, but in a measure it has
worked more to the betterment of
conditions in this country than to the
contrary, for an opportunity has been
offered for introspection, a quality too
often lacking amid the glamour which
attends preparation and competition
in international contests. The lack of
such events has permitted of natural
and sound development, with every
endeavor aimed toward strengthen
ing the foundation upon which ovr
sport is established. Nearly all gov
erning bodies have taken this view,
and the encouragement which has
been accorded to the youth of the
land is manifest in the accomplish
ments of the last year.
One attainment, perhaps the most
weighty as regards its bearing on the
future, has been the tightening of the
lines which surround the amateur
athletes. This puzzling question,
which has been a bone of contention
for years, is now nearer solution than
ever before, and the spirit of reform
seems to have entered every sport
with the same compellij force, until
the line which separates the amateur
from the professional is quite clearly
defined. This is primarily the result
of the meeting called in New York
last winter for consideration of the
amateur question. The product is the
best definition of an amateur that has
ever been determined. Under the in
fluence of such a rule, even though
not universally adopted, sport has
flourished in a surprising degree and
it has bidden new recruits m every
field. Heretofore it has too often
been the case that those of lesser
ability have been discouraged from
wide participation because the high
places were held by men who had
grown to know them as their own,
and many of them were tight-rope
walking the narrow line which was
the division between amateur and
professional.
Seldom has a season held greater
promise for the future than the one
just passing, because of the wide par
ticipation which has been encouraged.
There is hardly a line in which the
interest has not multiplied, with new
recruits on every hand. Golf, taking
it as an example, has developed so
rapidly that it has almost outgrown
its accommodations. Every club has
its waiting list, and he may count him
self fortunate who attains full-fledged
membership within a year. Every
public course has been so flooded with
players that congestion was inevitable.
(Continued en Vrngn Two, Column Five.)
Commerce High is
Winner Over Genoa
High School Quint
The Omaha High School of Com
merce basket ball five defeated the
Genoa ( N'eb.) High school quintet
by the score of 20 to 17.
The first half ended with the score
12 to 10 in Genoa's favor, but the
Omahans came back strong and
played their opponents off their feet
in tne nnai penou.
Brown and Macfarland were the
main point getters for the business
school, while Anderson and White
performed in a stellar manner for
Genoa. Lineup:
nrowii Wlllard
Murfarland R-G Bftnfr
rvpk C Nftlson
Nlrholaon Whlto
Mlllberg R.F Anderson
Hubfi: Johnnon for Hillbera.
Goal from field: Brown (4). Nicholson.
Mscfarland (4), Johnson. Bensor (2), White,
Anderson 14).
Free throws: White J).
Fred Mitchell to Have
46 Cublets to Pick From
Whatever Manager Fred Mitchell
may think of the quality of his Cubs
he can't complain of quantity. It is
announced there are forty-six players
on Weeghman's list, indicating that
Tinker, after all, left something.
Mitchell's first announcement was
that at least sixteen of the alleged
Cubs will have to go as soon as deals
can be arranged.
Athletes Who Tour to
Hawaii Make Some Coin
The team of ball players taken to
Honolulu by Charley Swain has re
turned to San Francisco, all in good
health and with their pockets well
lined. Out of a score of games
played the tourists lost but one contest.