THE OMAHA StjNDAY BEE: NOVEMBER 18, 1917.
15 A
TEXAS PROMOTER
SLIPS ED SMITH
NEAT TRIMMING
Ed Is Offered Five Hundred and
Expenses to Referee Go in
Houston, But Never
Collects a Sou.
By RINGSIDER.
Chicago, Nov. 17. There are
Jnighty few men in the sports game
kny wiser or harder to bamboozle
than Ed VV. $mith. the veteran Chi
cago sports writer and referee. And
that is what makes it all the harder
,to understand how this came to hap
pen to Smith.
Smith's fame as a referee is by
no means local, so when a promoter
at Houston, Tex, lined up a wrestling
match between Strangler Lewis and
'Jrladek Zbyszko he sent for Ed to
Jf.ittie and officiate. He promised
fSniith his transportation and $500.
"That looks good to me, solilo
quized Ed. "I'll just take Mrs. Smith
along, visit New Orleans and blow a
part of that $500 having a nice little
outing."
Accordingly Ed arranged to take a
.week off, packed his grip and, with
"jMrs. Smith, boarded a southbound
rattler.
Thus far all this looks regular, but
here is where the sad part comes in.
Smith neglected to get his transpor
tation in advance and did not exact
any guarantee from the promoter that
!his fee as referee would be paid. He
just assumed that everything would
be on the level and that he would get
'fris monev when the match was over.
For some reason Zbyszko declined
to wrestle and Charley Cutler was
substituted. The substitution appar
lentlv killed the show, for when the
eager fans were all in and the money
XOunicU 11 was iuuiiu uidt int fcioo
(receipts were about $700. Lewis was
guaranteed $1,000 and demanded his
money before he would go on the
Tnar. The nromoter would not come
'across and there was no wrestling
fcout. .
Nary a Sou.
The wrestlers, of course, were left
tflat. but not nearly as Hat as bmitn
tfnr thfv cot a little expense money,
lEd did not get a nickel, not even his
fransnnrtatinn.
Ed proved he can absorb punish
ment, however, tor he went tnrougn
Iwith his original program and
treated himself and Mrs. Smith to a
' r- . . . i . c il- - ..Vi T
nne nine tour oi uic suuujr juuw.
will be some time, however, before he
goes refereeing without seeing the
color of the promoter's coin before he
Stsrts.
And it all goes to demonstrate that
(even the wisest of them fall some
time, and sometimes the wiser they
ere the harder they fall.
West to Be Treated.
Now that boxine has been interred
in New York through the repeal of
the Frawley law, fans who inhabit the
region lying west of Harlem are ex
pecting an opportunity to glimpse
Benny Leonard and some more of the
shining lights of pugilism in action;
With the came nulled from under
them in Gotham. Western fans rea
son that the boxers will have nothing
more profitable to do than to follow
Horace Greeley's advice and come
west.
Fans of the western states do not
criticise Leonard and the rest of the
topnotchers for staying in New York
' and the extreme east while the easy
monev was available. Leonard un
doubtedly has made more since he
attained the crown by staying in or
near New York than he could have
made bv barnstorming about the
country, and the same is true of others
of lesser note. Now that the game is
deceased in Gotham, however, the
fans toward the sunset side of the
continent expect the champions and
near champions to come their way.
With New York closed Wisconsin
looks like the best bet for the boxers-,
and some high-class bouts should be
staged in Milwaukee. Kacine and
other Wisconsin boxing centers. The
game there is conducted under sanc
tion of law and is supervised by a
very smooth-working boxing commis-
ticn.
Chicago is Lucky.
The fignt centers of Wisconsin arc
near enough to Chicago to draw con
siderable patronage from -the Windy
uy. L,nicago comriDuies us snare
o bouts held in Wisconsin as they are
now, and with a better class of scraps
would send more fans to the boxing
shows of the Badger state.
There are also several cities in Ohio
where boxing thrives and when the
middle west is farmed out the Pa
cific coast invites those who care to
dabble in the four-round game for
the very liberal purses offered.
Several months ago Billy Gibson
opened, negotiations with Pacific coast
promoters and said he intended bring
ing Leonard west. At that time the
money was coming in too fast in New
York to make" it advisable for Leon
ard to travel, however, and the trip
never was started. Gibson is expected
to revive his barnstorming tour now
that boxing in New York is a dead
issue. There is a lot of easy money
in the west waiting for Leonard to
come and get it. And what Leonard
does not take will be waiting for
other less notable scrappers.
Besides the desire to see the east
ern cracks in action, western fans
also have several scrappers out here
who they would like to see in action
against topnotchers. There are light
weights, bantams, middleweights, wel
terweights and even heavyweights in
the middle west and on the Pacific
coast that are judged competent to
give the boys from the Atlantic sea
board a battle.
Jones on Job.
Tom Jones is starting to build up
a formidable stable of boxers and
expects to again be piloting a world's
champion before long.
Tom has taken Bryan Downey, the
Columbus welterweight, as the latest
' addition to his string, and picks Dow
ney to relieve Ted Lewis of the wel
terweight crown the first time these
two come together Jones also has
Sailor Solly Friedman, a lightweight
of Chicago, and says he will have him
ready to tackle Benny Leonard in a
?ew months.
Now if Tom could find a heavy
weight who could take the measure of
r;j Willard his cup of happiness
Wfiuld just about slop over.
With Yale, Harvard and Princeton
out of it. Walter Camp is going to
have tough picking for the All-Ameri-caii
foot ball team this year,
Joe Finds Managing
Wrestler is No Cinch
Joe Stecher has discovered that
a successful wrestler does not al
ways make a successful manager
and has tired of trying to conduct
his own business affairs, 'tis said in
reports from Dodge.
Joe Coffey, veteran wrestling
impressario of Chicago, who has
been mixed up wi'h mat affairs in
the Windy City for many years, is
said to be the man Stecher has
chosen to become his manager.
After the Stecher-Plestina match
in Omaha Labor day, Stecher and
Joe Hetmanek, who had served as
Stecher's business agent ever since
Joe won the championship, parted,
and Stecher announced he would
handle his own business.
SPORT TO RESUME
NORMAL LEVEL IN
ANOTHER SEASON
Panicky Feeling Which Fol
lowed Declaration of War
Expected to Be Relieved
Within the Year.
Zbyszko As He Looked for :
Few Minutes He Wore Khaki
CROWD OF 10,000
AIM FOR FUNSTON
DODGE GRID GAME
Omaha Committee Hopes to
Add $20,000 to Army Ath
letic Fund; to Improve
Creighton Field.
A crowd of 10,000 and total receipts
of $20,000 is the aim of the Omaha
committee making preparation for
the foot ball clash between teams
representing Camp Funston and
Camp Dodge at Creighton field De
cember 1. !
The committee, headed by Vincent
C. Hascall, is making extensive plans
for this game. Creighton field will
be almost completely remodeled. It
is expected improvements to the field
for this game alone will total more
than $1,000.
Seats are to be erected on all sides
of the field. A huge grandstand seat
ing 3,000 will be erected on the east
side of the field and bleachers seat
ing l.'OOO each will be built on the
north and south sides. Additional
grandstand will be added to the
stands on the west side of the field.
The total seating capacity will be
9,000.
Prices will be reasonable. Even
though the game will no doubt be the
greatest ever seen in the Missouri
valley and all the receipts will go
into the army athletic fund, prices
of admission will be no -more than
at valley university games. They
will be much lower than charged at
big foot ball games in the east.
The game will be the first big foot
ball conflict in Omaha since Ne
braska and Minnesota met at Rourke
park a decade ago and the Omaha
committee has high hopes that
Omaha foot ball fans will do them
selves proud in attending the event.!
Commercial Lads
Laugh at Proposed
Post-Season Game
Commercial High players are dis
posed to ridicule Coach Stewart's sug
gestion that Omaha Central High
play West Point for the state title.
Having played Central and West
Point the Commercial lads feel com
petent to judge the respective merits
of both teams.
"Central high would beat West
Point at least 30 points. West Point
is not in Omaha's class at all," said
Paul bhanahan, halfback for Commer
:ial high. t
Gun Club to Hold Big
, Turkey Shoot Sunday
The Omaha Gun club will hold its
regular shoot on the grounds at the
east end of the Douglas street bridge
Sunday afternoon, the change being
that this will be a turkey shoot for
turkeys, geese and ducks. A scheme
has been devised whereby new shoot
ers will have a chance at the poultry.
A committee has been selected to do
the handicapping. The Adams trophy,
in which considerable interest has
been manifested by the members, will
be shot for all Sunday afternoon.
Tuesday evening the members of
the club will meet at the Nebraska
Awning company offices', Twelfth and
Farnam streets, when directors will be
selected.
Benny Leonard to Fight
Kirk Before Denver Club
"Denver,. Colo., Nov. 17. A permit
for the boxing match between Benny
Leonard, lightweight champion, and
Sailor Kirk of Denver for Thanksgiv
ing eve here was granted by Dewey
C. Bailey, city manager of safety, de
spite several protests filed against the
exhibition.
Mr. Bailey said among the protests
only 6ne was from a clergyman and
he considered Leonard s trip, through
the west a patriotic affair, inasmuch
as Leonard is a lieutenant in the
United States army, has been granted
permission for the trip by army au
thorities and part of the proceeds are
to be devoted to patriotic causes.
Mack Wheat Runs Indoor
Base Ball Game at St. Joe
Mack Wheat, second string catcher
of the Brooklyn Dodgers, has gone
into "business" in St. Joseph, Mo.,
where he has opened an automatic
base ball game for the winter.
Hal Chase Tries to Sell
Oil Stock to His Friends
Hal Chase has interested himself
in an oil venture in Kentucky and is
trying to sell stock in the concerri to
his friends among the fans. He tells
them there's millions in it.
By JACk VEIOCK.
New York, Nov. 17. After a year
of war, if peace does not come before
that time, the United States should
drift back to its normal level as
lover of sports.
This is the opinion of a good many
men well up in different branches of
sports, particularly base ball.
When the realization of what war
reallly meant dawned on the people
of these great United States of ours
there was a tendency toward that
panicky feeling; which comes with
the knowledge of a bigundrtaking
and ijj cost.
People everywhere were inclined to
lean toward retrenchments up and
down the line. Manipulators boosted
prices m nearly every direction an&
a good many folks predicted that
sports, particularly professional
sports, were doomed to take an in
definite rest.
But a returned confidence is al
ready, felt up and down the sports
Rialto. Base ball men in the major
leagues have agreed that a discontin
uance of the great national pastime
is not demanded, and they are plan
ning to go ahead just as they have
for the last 15 or 20 years, govern
ing their activities according to the
conditions under which they will have
to operate.
Majors Must Continue.
Base ball in the major leagues must
be kept alive, they say, and since
government officials, from President
Wilson down, have recommended a
continuance in the various branches
of sports, they feel that they have
the government behind them.
An instance which illustrates the
panicky condition' brought about
when war was declared can be found
in the action' of many colleges in
calling off foot ball schedules and de
ciding to discontinue all varsity
sports. Yet the colleges came back to
foot ball this fall, and they are going
to carry on sports, only along a
greater line than ever before. It is
sports for all now, instead of sports
for a highly developed few.
In Canada, shortly after England
entered the war in 1914, sports suf
fered for a time. But within a year
they came back as strong as ever,
and Toronto furnishes several illus
trations of this fact.
Toronto was the best paying town
in the International league this year,
and a sports writer from the big
Canadian city recently ottered the in
formation that sports are just as live
ly in all branches now as they were
before the war commenced and this
despite the fact that between 50,000
and 75,000 of the flower of Toronto's
young manhood has crossed the water
to fight with the English and thou
sands of other Canadians in France.
Sports in all branches stand out dis
tinctly along three lines:
First of all, they offer healthful
recreation for those who indulge in
them.
Second, they are the natural outlet
for pent-up energy, and last, but not
least, they afford amusement and en
tertainment for millions of people,
young and old.
The nation cannot sit down and
brood, day in and day out, over the
war or its horrors. It must continue
on a constructive plan and along nor
mal lines, and sports count most
heavily in this direction.
Canada, came back to her own in
sports after a single year of depres
sion. The United States can and
should do the same.
Omaha Gun Cfub Seeks
New Quarters; May Buy
The Omaha Gun club must seek
new quarters.
The grounds just across the muddy
Missouri which have been used by the
gunners are to be platted for sale
and the gun club must move.
It is hoped to find five or 10 acres
near Omaha suitable for gun club
purposes. The club may have to pur
chase a site and in case it does
will erect a new club house, install
new traps and perhaps even put in
a putting green for golf enthusiasts.
Illinois-Bred Pacer Has
Earmarks of Real Winner
The Illinois bred pacer, Directum
J., which this season took a record
of 2:Q5'4 and then was sold to one of
Tom Murphy s patrons, looks like
one of the best things in sight for the
1918 campaign, as Murphy worked
him in 2:02'4 during the Lexington
meeting the last half in 1:00. Murphy
tries all additions to his string to their
limit before naming them in import
ant events, and it is seldom he has
one finish back of the money.
Buckeye Husky Wrestles
Marin Plestina Flowers
p fry n n
k WjXJn If
CADDOCK TO MEET ZBYSZKO;
MATCH WILL BE IN OMAHA
AS SOON AS EARL IS WELL
Carl Marfisi Completes Negotiations for Championship
Bout; Will be Caddock's First Important Start Since
He Acquired Title; Date Still Undecided
Owing to Champion's Illness.
That's All, Sherlock; Reason for
Husker Defeat at Michigan Is Out
i -
Two Explanations Tell Why Stewart's Men Were Walloped at
Arin Arbor, Although There Is a Suspicion the Wol
verine Eleven and One Hurryup Yost May
Have Had Something to Do With It.
OMAHA GRAPPLER
DISTURBS QUIET
OF CHI MAT MEN
Marin Plestina, Omaha wrestler,
had a match at Canton, O., the other
night. Herman Gessler of Akron, O.,
was the victim; The Omaha grap
pler toppled Gessler over in 24 min
utes for the first trip and 25 minutes
the second time.
Townsend Quintet Opens
Season With Bennington
The Townsend basket ball five of
Omaha opens its season Tuesday
when Manager Don Moore leads his
quintet to Bennington for a game with
the team at that point.
East Goes Crazy Over Omaha Lad
Playing on Newport Naval Eleven
Jimmy Gardiner, former Omaha high school and Nebraska university
foot ball player, ia being called "one of the best line plungers the game
ever knew" in the east where Jimmy, now in the service of Uncle Sam, is
playing fullback on Cupid Black's Newport training school eleven.
This is the team which cleaned up on Percy Haughton's eleven from
Camp Devens, and later trounced Brown, 35 to 0. The navy team con
tains such players as Cupid Black of Yale, Charlie Barrett of Cornell, Tim
Callahan of Yale, Edward of Notre Dame and Sweetland of Dartmouth.
Eastern crimes declare it is the greatest foot ball eleven ever abscm
bled. Gardiner is the regular fullback and starts all of the games.
Mew York and other eastern critics call him one of the stars of the
team.
Gardiner's success is quite a boost for Nebraska foot ball, for Nebraska
has turned out dozens of gridiron men far superior to Gardiner.
Two explanations for the defeat of the Cornhuskers in that
fatal game with Michigan on Ferry field at Ann Arbor have
come to Omaha gridiron fans.
William B. Young of Omaha, actuary' of the North
American Life Insurance company, saw the game at Ann Arbor.
Young is a Michigan grad, but when he left for Ann Arbor he
fully expected to see his alma mater go down to defeat.
O "I talked to some of the Michigan
men after the Kame." said Young.
r'They told me Nebraska had one of
the greatest teams ot individual stars
that had ever played at Ann Arbor.
But they said that after 10 minutes
of play they knew every move Ne
braska intended to make. Nebraska's
nystem of signals was so simple, they
(iaid, that they solved the play as soon
as the quarterback called the signal
jlnd the result is they got the man
with the ball before he could get
started."
No Mudcleets.
The other explanation comes from
Lincoln and Lincoln sources say this
comes direct from the players. It is
that the Cornhuskers went into that
name without any mudcleets. Ferry
lietd was a sea of mud. It had been
raining all week and was raining at
game time, but the Huskers were
t;ent into the game without mudcleets.
Michigan, of course, was equipped.
Froemke, the Michigan man who
recovered Schcllenberg's fumble and
'.printed the length of the field for
u touchdown, is not a fast man, say
the Nebraska players and they say
Schellenberg or McMahon or Cook
could have run him down if they had
not slipped hopelessly about in the
mud because of the lack of mud
cleets. It might also be mentioned that
Michigan has one of the best elevens
in the country, which may have had
something to do with it, and Hurryup
Yost doesn't have to give ground to
any coach in the country and in these
modern days the coach is about half
the battle.
BIG ELEVENS TO
RESTJHIS WEEK
No Games for Nebraska and
Creighton This Week; High
School Conflicts Only Are
Scheduled.
Eari Caddock, world's champion wrestler, will wrestle hi?
first big match since he won the title from Joe Stecher here last
April, in.Omaha.
Arrangements have been completed by Carl Marfisi, well
known Omaha sportsman, for a match between Earl Caddock
and Waldevk Zbyszko, to be held in the city. The date of the
bout will be selected as soon as Caddock's physical condition
justifies his participation in a titular clash.
V Marhsi entered into neeotiationJ
with Jack Curley. Zbyszko man
ager, as soon as Waldeck was ex
empted from army service. Curley at
first demanded a $5,000 guarantee with
the privilege of a percentage of the
gate, but Marfisi greeted this demand
with a large guffaw and offered Curley
a flat guarantee of $3,000, or a per
centage without a guarantee. Curley
accepted the terms.
Caddock also has accepted terms.
Marfisi originally hoped to stage
the match Thanksgiving day, but Cad
dock was suddenly taken ill again
and rushed to Rochester, Minn., for
an operation. This, of course, neces
sitated cancellation of any matches
for the immediate future.
Hope for Early Bout.
Earl, however, has promised MaN
11 si he will tackle Zbyszko as soon as
his physicians permit. It is believed
the operation at Rochester will make
this possible within a few weeks and
that the bout will be staged before
the first of the year.
Caddock has taken part in a num
ber of matches sjnee he won the title
from Joe Stecher, but this will be his
first real big one. Zbyszko is one of
the first four or five wrestlers in the
country and a real championship con
tender. He has been cleaning up in
the east and Curley, his manager, is
confident he will be the next champ.
Zbyszko was drafted by Uncle Sam
and served a few days at Camp
Devens, but finally obtained his dis
charge. The match will be the first Marfisi
will have promoted in Omaha. Here
tofore Carl has been Gene Melady's
assistant and financial man, but this
time Carl will go it alone on the
promoting end.
Marin Plestina Violates All
Rules of Windy City Wrest
ling by Offering to Meet
Anybody,
Marin tlestina, Omaha heavy
weight wrestler, is disturbing the
peace and calm of .Chicago wrestling
circles.
Plestina bustled into Chicago the
other day, informed that city that he
was ready and willing to wrestle any
bonecrusher in the world and posted
$1,000 regular money to prove that
he meant business.
He also said something about
throwing Joe Stecher 22 times a
night, standing on a thin dime or in
a 24-foot ring, and for money, mar
bles or chalk.
Plestina is likely to get in bad in
Chicago. Windy City wrestlers usually
object to tota strangers interfering
in their select circles and any wrestler
who really wants to wrestle is strict
ly taboo. They'll probably be so all
wrought up that they won't speak to
Marin on the street.
Diplomatic John McGraw
Wishes Hug Well in N. Y
John McGraw, diplomatic and
courteous, paid Miller Huggins some
fine compliments upon the latter's ap
pointment as manager of the Yankees.
McGraw doesn't mean to yield his po
sition as king of the walk in base ball
in New York, but he realizes that if
Huggins can make the Yankees a win
ner it will benefit both clubs in the
metropolis. McGraw says he would
like nothing better than to play the
Yankees in the world's series next
fall, which may be an indication of
how he feels about his own chances
for the coming season.
Iowa Supplies Ambulance
Unit With Gridiron Suits
The University of Iowa has sup
plied its ambulance unit in the train
ing camp at Allentown, Pa., with foot
ball uniforms and other athletic equip
ment. The university authorities re
port that the "big American game"
has come into great popularity among
the college men in the camp and Iowa
feels that it has to maintain its pig
skin prestige no matter where it may
be represented. The Iowans recently
defeated Purdue in one of the camp
games.
Dave Shean May Be Held
As Matty's Lieutenant
All major clubs hatfc waived on
Dave Shean, but he may still stick
around the big show. The latest re
port from Cincinnati is that he is to
be made a sort of assistant manager
to Christy Mathewson. A good idea.
There are several major league man
agers who could use such a lieutenant
to advantage, if they were game
enough to admit it.
Old-Time Diamond Star
. Breaks Into Racing Game
Mike Mitchell, former outfielder
with the Cincinnati Reds and else
where, is a bookmaker at the Latonia
track, near Cincinnati. He always did
have a weakness tor horse racing and
Nebraska and Omaha foot ball fans
must content themselves with high
school foot ball this week. No uni
versity or college games are carded.
The Cornhuskers spend this week in
rest before tackling the powerful
Syracuse eleven Thanksgiving. Creigh
ton also takes a rest before clashing
with Wyoming university on turkey
day.
There is no rest ahead for Central
High, however. Mulligan's men face
one of the toughest teams on their
schedule. They battle the heavy Nor
folk team which held Lincoln to a
low score. Central High is expected
to emerge victorious from this con
flict, but Mulligan's men will have to
show their best to turn the trick.
South High also is scheduled to play
this week. The Packcrtown lads
have a date with University Place
Thursday. The game will be played
at University Place.
Wilbur Cooper Makes Neat
Record With Pirate Crew
Just how good a pitcher Wilbur
Cooper of the Pirates is is illustrated
by the fact that the star of the Smoky
City team's staff turned in seventeen
victories this year.
As he is charged with eleven de
feats, he has an average of .608. com
piling this mark while pitching for a
team that finished in last place with
an average of .331. Cooper alone won
nearly a third of the Pirates' vic
tories for them and would have made
an even more impressive record had
his support been better.
Only five pitchers in the National
league won more games this year
than Cooper did. They are.Schupp,
Sallee, Alexander, Toney and Vaughn,
and with the exception of Vauhan
all were on first division clubs., Cooper
ably fills Al Mamaux's shoes' as the
best of Pirate pitching corps.
Hempstead Favors Earlier
Start and Earlier Finish
President Haft-y Hempstead of the
New York Nationals is said to favor
the 140-game schedule, but he wants
an early start and an early closing.
He thinks about September IS would
be the right time for ending the base
ball season and this would permit the
Giants to wind up the world's series
next fall before October 1. Secretary
John B. Foster of the club, however,
is inclined to disagree with his chief.
Foster argues that the Giants play
their best ball late in September and
that Polo grounds crowds also are
good in the late fall.
Tigers and Giants May
Play in Spring, After AH
Though it was announced from De
troit that there would be no exhibi
tion series next spring between the
Tigers and Giants, such as was played
last spring, it seems that John Mc
Graw, now that Comiskey has decid
ed not to play, wants to tackle the
Tigers again, and a series may yet be
arranged. The series last spring went
big and had it not been for the un
fortunate row between Ty Cobb and
Charley Herzog would have been vot
ed a success.
News Notes of Interest
to Western League Fans
The latest Western league gossip
is that Frank Isbell, disappointed at his
Wichita venture, will become Jack
Holland's partner at St. Joseph. Irzy
would manage the team and Holland
take care of the finances. Holland's
return to St. Joseph is practically a
cinch as Jack has announced he will
sticU to the Mizzou village despite
his seeming unpopularity there.
Tex Jones, veteran first sacker; is
a prospective purchaser of the Wich
ita franchise, report says. Jones re
cently became little short of a mil
lionaire owing to fortunate ventures
in oil. Wichita is his home town so
the chances are there is an element
of truth to the report. Jones recently
bought $10,000 worth of Liberty
bonds, which is going some for a
ball player.
The Central asociation has a grouch
against the Western. Be it remem
bered, the Central aviated in the mid
dle of the summer. Western league
clubs signed a few of the Central
stars. lies Moines, for instance, got
Payne, Higgins, Shanley and Murphy.
Now Des Moines has reserved these
players. So has the Central associa
tion. President Ford of the latter
league believes the Western should
pay for these athletes if it intends
to keep thiem. The Western, having
obtained -them for nothing, is disin
clined to see the justice of this view.
President Dickerson, in Indiana,
submitted to an interview in which
he insisted tlu Western league is
solid as a rock. This, you will note,
was given out in Indiana. It couldn't
have beenlone out here: the West-
finally got in the inside of that game. ' ern league is about as solid as an
eggshell and we know it and Dick
erson knows it. Dickerson also said
the Western league made money. Oh,
my, yes.
If the Western league wants any
territory next year, it has all of Ok
lahoma. President Bell of the West
ern association has admitted that that
league has taken the big brodie and
that its territory, is open. The West
ern now can gobble up Oklahoma
City and Tulsa and kiss Hutchinson
and Denver farewell.
Joplin fans are all heated up be
cause their franchise is threatened.
They say they will buy out John
Savage in order to retain the :lub.
Such advance talk is an old story
in base ball, but when it comes to
putting up the change, the large chat
ter is always subdued and the move
ment toward the pants pockewhere
the bank roll is buried is always a few
days late.
The Western league may not have
had a good season, but apparently
President Emerson W. Dickerson
did. Dickerson is now sporting an
automobile.
Thanksgiving Rifle Shoot
Expected to Break Records
Entries for the annual Thanksgiv
ing turkey handicap shoot, to be
staged on. the East Omaha range
next Sunday by the Omaha Rifle club,
will break all records, according to
officers of that organization. More
than 40 marksmen have signed up
to participate. A number of interest
ing events have been planned, ac
cording to Secretary E. Kay Allen..
Cross-Country Run ,
And Volley Tourney
Planned by Y.M.0.A,
A cross-country run and a business
men's volley call tournament con
stitute the Thanksgiving program at
the Omaha Young Men's Christian
association.
The cross-country run is an annual
evenr. inis win be tne uttn turkey
day race. Any amateur runner in
Omaha is eligible to take part. A
number of the local endurance men
have entered the event and are prac
ticing every day.
The distance of the run probably
will be in the neighborhood of three
miles and it will be run over the
streets of the city.
The business men's volley ball
event is a new stunt. Volley ball has
been growing in popularity at the
"Y" and a number of teams play at
noon each day, Teams led by E. L.
Potter and George Long are leading
the field right now and are ranking
favorites to capture the turkey dav
tourney.
i i
Duffy Lewis Gets Orders
to Don Sailor's Jacket
Outfielder Duffy Lewis of the Red
W wlin n1ietff aa. a naw venman
has been assigned to office work at
Mare Island navy, yard, near San
Francisco. He didn't have to report
for duty until the close of the Pacific
Coast league season and he didn't miss
any games of the last strenuous week
in San Francisco and Oakland. The
ordinary fan mav not be ud an navv
nomenclature and therefore in doubt
as to what a yeoman is. The diction
ary says he is a petty officer who per
forms clerical duties. Sometimes he
goes to sea and sometimes he work
union hours around a navv yard.
Rennv Kauff Is Slicker:
Referees Grid Battle
...animal luiuuiiaaiuu uijuica lii a y
prevent Benny Kauff and his team
mates from cavorting on base ball
diamonds after the close of the sea
son, but Benny is one of the resource
ful ones. He is acting as a referee or
umpire or something like that with a
professional foot ball team in Ohio
and his fame as a ball player i3 prov
ing a good boost for attendance at
the foot ball games. Jim Thorpe, by
the way, is coaching an independent
foot ball team at Canton, O.
Johnny Tillman to Give
Share of Purse to Red Cross
Johnny Tillman, the "Philadelphia
boxer, is the originator of a scheme
to help out Uncle Sam that other box
ers might copy with credit. Tillman
is the sole support of a widowed
mother and sisters. For this reason
he cannot get into the big fight him
self. Visiting the Philadelphia office
of the American Red Cross the other
day, he pledged himself to contribute
to the organization 5 per cent of
every purse he receives during the
continuation of the war.
Cooper Passes Up South
To Sell Life Insuranco
Southnaw Wilber Cooner of the
Pirates is making his home in Pitts
burgh this winter and is selling in
surance. Last winter he spent his
time in Florida and expected to go
south again this winter, but the offer
made l.im by n insurance company
was so good he decided to take it
and he is saH to be making good at
the new game.
Hoblitzel Takes Place of
Brother at Dentist's Chair
brother, who was a dentist in Cincin
nati, has joined the United States
army, and Dick has taken over his
practice, thus disposing of the report
that Dick himself would go into the
array. - "-"" ' :-N j