4
Thi rd SportsS PagellOraalh.
MEMPHIS FIGHT
PROMOTER FINDS
GOINC TOO FAST
Billy Haack Gives Up When
Fighters and Their Managers
Try to Steal Everything
in Sight.
By RINGSIDER.
Chicago, Oct. 12. Billy Haack
veteran referee and promoter of box
ing shows, has quit. He is out .of
boxing, and makes no bones about
hoping that he never will get back
into the game.
For several years Haack has run
boxing shows in Memphis, and he
declares that but for the sustaining
properties of a prorperous printing
business that he operated he would
have starved to death so long ago
that only the old-timers would re
member him. Bill also was a referee,
and because of a naturally pugna
cious disposition and a sharp sense of
right and wrong he got along pretty
well as a boxing official.
What finally pried Haack out of
the game, he asserts, was the sense
less kicks and constant bickerings
of boxers' managers, who seem to
think rubbing it into the promoters
to be the surest indication of their
own managerial abilities. Haack has
had some very interesting! expert'
ences as a promoter, and hs some
very positive ideas concerning pres
ent day managers. He frankly states
that there is not a manager in the
business who is willing to yield an
inch without expecting the promoter
to retreat four miles.
Refuse To Weigh In.
Down in Memphis they givedeci
sions in eight-round bouts and Haack
declares this proved the sticking
point in many matches. Few fighters
Tike to take a chance on a decision
and none of them want to make
weight. Haack declares every one of
them will insist on certain poundage
and then turn up overweight or re
fuse to have any dealings with the
scales whatsoever.
To illustrate the way most boxers
feel about the question of weight,
. Haack cites a battle in which Charley
White was matched with Joe Man
dot. White was a half pound over
weight and Mandot demanded the
forfeit. , White refused to fight at
all if he had to pay the forfeit and
Haack had to dig down in hi jeans
and settle with Mandot.
"Fight fans make funny kicks,"
said Haack. "One chronic deadbeat
complained to me one time that he
didn't see me before a certain fight
and had to rkmk down $3 to get in.
That gave me a big laugh especially
when I explained to him that inas
much as the fight was a financial fail
ure it had cost me about $200 to see
that particular battle. Arjd he still
grumbled after that about his three
simoleons." .
Boost for Welsh.
Haack has a nice boost for Fred
Welsh and his manager, Harry Pol
lok, as being among the squarest
men in the business.
"Welsh boxed Benny Palmer Jiere,
and I guaranteed the champion $800," I
Haack says. "It proved a bad night,
and the fight only drew about $700.
Welsh and Pollok immediately agreed
to accept $500 and go ahead with the
bout In addition to that Pollok's
railroad fares amounted to close to
$200. Would any other man, espe
cially a champion, have cut the price
like that? I should say not They
are what I call thorough sportsmen."
Haack tried to match Mike Gibbons
with Ben Rowlands and declares this
is the message he got back from the
St. Paul phantom:
"I will box for a guarantee or
$1,500 if you will allow me to pick my
opponent, or I will send my brother
.. Tom for $1,000 guarantee, there to be
no decision."
These and a few other things
drove Haack out of the game. The
path of the promoter, he says, certain
ly is paved with cobblestones.
Calls Downey Freak.
aftPackey McFarland, erstwhile pride
f the stockyards, thinks Bryan
Downey, the Ohio product, is a much
underrated scrapper. Packey thinks
calling Downey a "freak" boxer is ap
plying too extensive a term to the
Ohio battler. . . '
"It may I . all right to call Downey
a freak, in that he isn't much of a
boxer," said Packey. after seeing
Downey in action against Matt Wells,
the veteran Englishman, "but he isn't
a freak in the fighting line. He tears
right in from start to finish and
usually manages to carry an oppo
nent off his feet by sheer speed and
continuous hitting.
"Downey has a very fair left hand,
but he uses his right in a way of
which I never could approve.. It is
too much of the roundhouse type of
punch, and the fellow with a straight
er blow with his right is apt to take
a man's head off. A straight line is
shorter than a curve, and the lesson ts
obvious, but Downey hasnt realized
it yet J
"But the kid has some admirable
traits that offset most of his little
shortcomings. He is more . willing
than any fighter I have seen in a
long time, and he is game. Such
things make up for any particular
failing in other lines most always.
Winter Base Ball league
To Be Formed in Oakland
As soon as the Pacific Coast
league season closes a "winter
league" will be started in Oakland,
the teams made up of the pick of pro
fessionals. semi-Dros and amateurs.
Cliff Blankenship will have charge of
one team and already has lined up
several big leaguers. The Coast
League clubs will keep tab on the
play, in hopes of picking up some
talent for next year.
Hank 0'Day Says Pirates
Will Be Flag Contenders
Umpire Hank O'Day thinks well of
the Pittsburgh team as now made up.
He says it has the most likely looking
lot of youngsters' he ever saw and
that with a little more hitting it will
L jive them all a rub next year.
JIM BARNES IS
STAR OF PROS IN
TOURNEY PLAYS
Philadelphia Wizard Third at
Shawnee, First in Western
Open and Second at
Kilkare.
'Fair Sex Progresses in Sport
By International News Service.
New York, Oct 13. Now that the
professional golfers in the North have
had their last fling at the open tour
nament game, a glance back over the
records of the leaders reveals tne tact
that most of those who were promi
nent in 1916 have again accounted
for the major portion of the gold and
glory this year. Because of the fact
that a number of the important cham
pionships were indefinitely postponed
on account of the war, there has been
less opporlimity to size up the "pros."
Of course, the national open cham
pionship represents the main event
of the year, though last fall the first
annual event of the Professional Golf
ers' Association at Siwanoy was re
garded as a close second.
This year there was no national
open, no metropolitan open, while the
affair under the auspices of the pro
fessionals' association was so changed
as to be combined with a series of
so-called international team matches,
in which combinations representing
amateurs, home-bred professionals.
Scotch and English took part. The
medal play part of '.hat at Englewood
consisted of thirty-six holes, and it
remained for Will Macfarlane, the
Scot, from the Hudson River Country
club, to finish in the Lad. All he
got, however, was a medal, for the
proceeds, not only at Englewood, but
during the team matches at Baltusrol,
Garden City and Siwanoy were de
voted to relief funds.
So far as actual winnings are con
cerned big Jim Barnes, the White
marsh ,"oro.." unauestionably de
serves to be placed at the head of the
list. He didn't do much in the spring
in the south, nor in the patriotic
tournament over his home course,
but he got third money at Shawnee,
won the Western open- with a fine
score of 233, got second at Kilkare,
and only recently won the Philadel
phia open title. Last winter, in the
south, Barnes injured his foot when
his automobile ran over him, and this
seemed to handicap him off and on
throughout the past season. He's
playing in his best form now, how
ever, and if nothing goes wrong later
on in the south he may be able to
add to his winnings before the new
year.
Boston Pro. Stars.
Possible Mike Brady, the Boston
home-bred, deserves almost as much
notice as Barnes, for let it be said that
the Oakley "pro." began the season in
fine style by winning the North and
South title at Pinehurst. On that oc
casion he led a strong field. At Shaw
nee Brady got second money, finished
in the Western in a tie with Frank
y v y II I Rm0
ir v . . ..A vF Vj h
PENNANT WINNERS
IN MINOR LEAGUES
Twenty-two Circuits Start
v Season in Spring and Just
Half of That Number
Finish.
JESS WILLARD IN j
CLASS BY HIMSELF
Heavyweight Division of Tis-i
tiana is Composed Exclu
sively of One Man the
Champion.
The heavyweight class in Fistiana
may be said to consist of one man
Jess Willard. the champion. H
Twenty-two minor leagues started
the base ball season in this year of
war and one-half of them finished,
but not even all of this one-half pre-1 rejgns supreme. He is without a peer.
nciiicu an unuruKcu irum ai 111c
finish. ' hifts in circuit, split seasons
and reduced membership indicated
how hard was the going. Of the
twenty-two to originally face the bar-
Are women the equal of men in
sports? It begins to appear that they
not only are, but that many of them
are superior. Mrs. W. A. Cavin, the
well-known woman amateur golf
player, recently demonstrated the fact
that women are the equal of men in
that particular sport by defeating Je
rome D. I ravers, one ot the most re
markable fink artists the game has
vere produced.
Miss Lucy Freeman, a 19-year-old
Brooklyn girl, recently accomplished
what a score of men had attempted
and failed at the swim from Spuy
ten Duyvil to" the Battery in the Hud
son river. Miss Freeman covered fif
teen miles in 3:59:22.4. Little need
be said about Miss Molla Bjurstedt.
the marvelous Norwegian tennis
champion, who has swept all before
her on American tennis courts. Miss
Ruth Law, the famous little aviatress,
is another who holds a record no man
has yet been able to equal She flew
from Chicago to New York in an ob
solete type of airplane, making the
longest nonstop flight, ever made in
the United States.
Nearly all the clubs hold banquets
for the caddies at Christmas or some
other holiday and award prizes for
the vear's efficiency and Rood con-
-duct This is an excellent custom and
one that on the whole is thoroughly
enjoyed by the boys, but could not
oart of the money expended on these
Adams of Beverly for tenth and elev- entertainments be spent on prizes for
enth moneys, and the following week I a caddie tournament? Surely the corn
won the Kilkare tournament. Further j petitive spirit is worth while foster-
than this Bradv has shown in his ex
hibition matches, some of which have
been with Francis Ouimet, that he
is playing in old-time form.
It is probably unfortunate for
Jock Hutchison that there was no na
tional open title at stake this year.
When Brae Burn called off the nation
al open and Whitemarsh decided to
run a substitute in the form of a
patriotic event the majority of the
leading "pros." were on hand. There
was ho money at stake for the win
ners, though they all played the best
they knew hqw, and Hutchison led
the field by a wide margin. He, was
also third in the Western span. In
a Svay, Walter Hagen, the Rochester
home-bred, who won the metropolitan
and western open titles in 1916, has
shown a slight falling off this year.
Hagen, however, made a great try to
retain his western laurels, finishing
only two strokes behind Barnes. At
Shawnee Hagen got fifth money and
he also figured on the winning side
of a number of exhibition matches.
Nicholls Slips.
By the way Gil Nicholls started in
the spring it looked as if the Great
Neck "pro." might eclipse all others
throughout the 1917 season, for he
won five tournaments in the south.
Thereafter, however, Nicholls showed
less steadiness. He got seventh
money at Shawnee and tied for sixth,
seventh and eighth places with P.
O'Hara and James Donaldson in the
western open.
It has been suggested that a caddie
championship, open to boys through
out the United States, would be an.
ideal way to find those youngsters
who have the qualifications of first
class players. When it is remembered
that practically three-fourths of the
leading professionals began their
golfing careers as bag-toters a little
encouragement given to the caddies
in the way of playing opportunities
would not be amiss. There are many I
clubs which hold inter-club matches
for their boys, but, on the other hand,
some organizations frown on such
contests.
The suggestion is for a- tournament
toi be held on the plan of the Profes
sional Golfers' association event last
year at Siwanoy. Each individual
club could hold a caddie championship
solely for the boys of that district.
The event could be at thirty-six holes
medal play, scratch conditions, so
that the best caddie in the club would
be certain to win. Following this a
championship could be played on a
course to be selected, and only those
players who had won their club events
would be eligible to compete.
Little Expense.
The expense of such a competition
would not necessarily be very great,
as it would be sufficient to give prizes
to the winner and runnerup. The
event could be held under the direc
tion of the club professional or the
caddie master, and it might be amus
ing for the members to act as, caddies
for the boys on such an occasion. Or,
if such an affair were considered too
difficult to handle, why not have the
boys from each state" take part in a
championship, and the ultimate win
ners meet in northern, southern, east
ern and western sections, with the
four victors coming together in the
finals?
lug. and wno knows out tnat some
day one of these boys will be proudly
pointed to as a national title-holder,
who was encouraged to keep up his
game through the efforts of some of
the club members? ,
Consider Meek and Lowly
Whsn Passing Out Praise
Too much attention is being paid
these days to the White Sox and the
Giants. Nothing is being said about
the Athletics and the Pirates down at
the other end oi the parade. Think of
the heartbreaks and the gall and
wormwood in their cup! Picture, if
you can, the disappointed athletes,
forced to return to their several
homes at the close of the season with
nothing but 4,000 or 5,000 bones to
tide them over the winter I Think of
them sorrowfully, shooting pool and
rabbits and mournfully hoisting an
occasional scuttle of suds, now that
there is no danger of being fined for
breaking training! Half the world
doesn't know how the other half lives.
White Sox Scout Demands
Some of the Winners' Glory
While a lot of credit is being given
to Comiskey's pocketbtok, Row
land's mesmerism and all that, Danny
Long steps in to have a say about
who had a hand in winning the cham
pionship of the American league for
the White Sox. Danny, who has acted
as scout for Commy in the California
region for several years, points to the
fact that he sent Buck Weaver, Fred
McMullin, Swede Risberg, Claude
Williams and Byrd Lynn to the Chi
cago team. That evidence in his be
half is submitted without comment.
Dreyfuss Convinced That
Money Won't Buy Winner
Money doesn't always make a ball
team. President Dreyfuss says he
spent $63,000 for players for his Pi
rates and they finished with a record
worse than any made in nearly thirty
years. It was in 1890 or thereabouts
that the Pirates won but twenty-three
games and lost U3. -
Former Card Shows Speed
In Independent Circles
Pitcher Ray Gardinier, who may get
another trial with the St. Louis Car
dinals in the spring, is pitching for an
independent team at his home in
Rochester, N. Y., and one of his re
cent performances was a one-hit
game. v
What Ho! Athlete Wants
To Be a State Senator
Virgil (Red) Day, who pitched
for Atlanta in the Southern
league the last season, aspires to
something higher. He has an
nounced himself as a candidate for
state senator from the Arkansas
district in which he lives. Day, at
his home in Harmony, Ark., is a
nchool teacher and lawyer and he
thinks he can use his talents in the
legislature to the advantage of his
constituents.
BRITTON TO BOX
BENNY LEONARD
Lightweight Champion to
Tackle Welterweight Star,
But Weights Will Be
' About Even.
Rube Marquard Hangs Up
Neat Ricord of Victories
Rube Marquard wound up the Na
tional league season with a record of
( nineteen games won all season. Pretty
good, considering the standing of the
Brooklyn team.
Jack Britton will meet Benny
Leonard on October 19. Britton never
carries much extra weight and is in
good condition. He grew out of the
lightweight class, but has always been
able to fight at the, welter limit, 142
pounds. Britton had an eye on the
lightweight championship when
Packey McFarland was flirting with
that title. Packey was more inclined
to take on weight. When he fought
Britton in Madison Square gardSn he
was actually a middleweight, while
Britton scaled a little under the wel
terweight: class limit. So Britton has
some excuse for being outboxed' by
the cleverest glove tosser in the
world.
Britton has been defending the
welterweight title and making the
weight for many bouts. He is bigger
than when he first became champion,
but in spite of his long career in the
ring should be able to take off a few
pounds even now and fight at 139
with6ut weakening himself. Britton
never dissipated, so he has always
been in very fair condition. If Leon
ard can beat Jack Britton at 139
pounds he will be doing a good piece
of work. Britton has had a, world of
experience, and he- is one of the
cleverest boxers in the welter class.
The dozen or so of fights in which
he at least held clever Kid Lewis
level prove he is the man to make
Benny Leonard extend himself.
Britton always fights. He plans to
make a fresh start toward recovering
his welter crown by using Benny as
a steplader.
The trend of events indicates that
Charley White will be Leonard's first
opponent in a bout where the light
weight championship will be attached.
Negotiations have been opened for
a bout between White and Leonard,
to be held in Connecticut during the
Christmas holiday, with the title at
stake.
Oakland Outfielder Has
His Bad Luck in Bunches
Billy Lane, Oakland outfielder, has
been having a lot of hard luck. The
Boston Braves drafted him and then
canceled his chance to get in the big
show, and on top of that he was taken
ill with malaria. Lane is reparded as
about the fastest man in the Coast
League, but his hitting has been light
this season, about .240 being his
mark.
Detroit Hurler Confined
To Hospital on tho Coast
Johnny Couch, former San Fran
cisco pitcher and later with De
troit, is in a hospital at Palo Alto.
Cal., suffering from appendicitis. He
believes his illness due to an injury
suffered while with Detroit.
Jack Corbstt Puts in Bid
For Job of Boss at Mobile
Amontr the aoplicants for manager
of the Mobile team of the Southern
leatue is Tack Corbett. who this ls
season led the pennaf,-winnin,r Co
lumbia team of the South Atlantic
league.
rier tne mows began to tail early
The Virginia league disbanded May
15. Two weeks later the North
Carolina gave up the ghost and three
days later the Georgia-Alabama sur
rendered. June 6 saw the end of the
Central Texas, and the Fourth of
July saw two more the Dixie
league and the Northern 'association
in the discard. The Three-I lasted
until July 8 and the Northwestern
kept roing a wrek longer than that.
The Central association managed to
hold on until August 7.
The Western league split its sea
son in July and thus was able to stir
some new interest and kept going.
Even the strong Texas league found
it necesai.ry to drop two of its eight
clubs. Only five leagues, in fact,
finished the season with the club
membership as lined up at the start
They were the Pacific Coast, which
does not close until October 28, The
American association, the Interna
tional league, the Southern associa
tion and the Eastern league.
Pennant winners in the twenty-two
leagues t iat started the season and
ran their courses, brief or to the end
of the arranged schedules, follow:
CLASS A A.
Ugu. HIT Winr. 1IU Vlnner.
American A'nIndlnpoll. I.oiilivlll.
Interntlnnl. Toronto. Buffalo.
TacKlo Cot. Scmon itlll on. Lorn An(eli.
CLASS A.
Southern Ana'n.Atlanta. NuihvllU.
We Urn L'fUO. tM Mnlnei. Omaha.
CLASS B.
Cantral leu. Oranl Rapid. Pay ton,
Baitarn loatua.Ncw Havan. New Londoa.
Now York Biata.Wllkenbar ,. Byracuia.
Northweatarn. Oraat Valla. Bpokana,
Taxaa '-nfltue. Palla. Waco.
Thrao-I loaf uePorla. Peoria.
CLASS C
Northern Aaa'n.Kot awarded. Farro.
South Atlantic. Columbia. Auiuita.
Vlrilnla leu, Newport Newt. Newport New.
CLASS D.
Blue Ridie. Hateritown. Chamberebart.
Central Aaa'a. Maralialltow ikMarahalltOw.
Central Texas, Ennle. Temple.
Dixie league. Moultrie. pothaa.
Oa.-Alabama. Annleton. Roma...
North carollna-Durham, Charlotta.
Weatera Aaa'a. MoAleater. Oaotaoa.
Jack Ness Must Be Kicking ,
Himself These Autumn Days
Talking about players who shared
in world's series glory and pelf, won
der how Jac, Ness, who might have
been in on it if he hadn't acted up,
feels as he goes about his day's work.
San Francisco Picks Up
Youth From the Sandlots
The San Francisco club hss taken
on for trial Andy Phillips, a San
Jose boy, who has been pitching
good ball in California independent
circles.
much less a superior. The more ona
sees of Willard's "rivals" in action the
more emphatic becomes the convic
tion that the championship crown is'
worn not only by the man most
worthy of bearing it, but that he is
practically without serious competi
tion for the honor. In weight only do
Willard's "rivals" qualify for the dis
tinction of membership in his division.
In "class" that indescribable but still;
very concrete factor and ability Jess
stands alone.
The heavyweight brigade may bo
divided into hree or more classes
Three anyway. First and foremost
is Champion Willard. Next comes;
Fred Fulton. After that may bej
grouped in one herogenous mass the!
Carl Morrisses, Frank Morans, Gun-
boat Smiths, Jim Coffeys, Bill Bren-j
nans, Bearcat McMahons and the-rest1
of them. , ,
Willard outclasses providing, of
course, he can still get in the shape
he was in when he fought Jack JohnJ
son and Moran Fulton as far as Ful
ton outclasses Morris, Moran. Smith
and the others. In spite of his vic-j
tory over Morris, which at best watt
anything but a masterly triumph, but!
which victory was to determine Wil
lard's next opponent, Fulton does not;
measure up to the champion's stand
ard. He will have to improve greatlyj
over his past performances before he(
can be classed or rated a formidable
foe. i
Yet while Fulton may not be Wil
laid's eqnal he is superior to the other
nwn in his class. He may not be
good enough to determine the cham-;
rtun, but ne certainly seems to be(
ihr master of any other man that
might be named.
Let Us Tailor
Your New Suit
Don't pay $30 for the very same
suit or overcoat we are tailoring
to order for $15. Over 600 styles
to select from. '
N. W. Corner 15th and Haraay Sts.
Ji
lib
TAR Y Tl
ml
w
D
istn
1917
The Governor's Own "Lucky Seventh" Have
Arranged a Bivouac and Camp Fire
Everybody Invited. Come and Bring Your Friends
NO ADMISSION CHARGE
A. O. U. W. Military Band Crossman Fife and Drum Corps
Plan to Spend
An Evening
With the
Lucky Seventh
Returned Canadian soldiers of the
first contingent will talk of life in
the trenches. Very interesting and
vivid.
Hear the Inside
of Army Life
First Hand.
See It Portrayed
Good Speaking-Good Music-Big Rally
and a spectacular windup long to be remembered.
There are sixty-four chances left to join the Omaha Battalion of the
LUCKY SEVENTH. Your enlistment will make it sixty-three. There are
100 reasons why you should.
THE
LUCKY SEVENTH
1612 Farnam St.
ssSSSSssflSSBS