Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, December 30, 1917, Page 9, Image 9
THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: DECEMBER 30. 1917. y a LEONARD OFFERS TO f GIVE TWENTY POUNDS TO FIGHT M. O'DOWD Lightweight Champion Willing to Battle Mike at 154 v Pounds Just to Show St Paul Knockers That He Is No Slicker; Plestina Finds Himself at Last BY RINGSIDE. Chicago, Dec. 29. "If Mike O'Dowd, who now claims the middleweight championship, will make 154 pounds for me, I'll box him 10 rounds. This goes for him merely because he claims the championship. I have no desire to annex any more titles, but I certainly will never again battle a man who is smaller than lam." This was the statement made byO 3enny Leonard, lightweight cham pion, after his bout with Gene Del- mont in St. Paul recently. Leonard was crying mad at the time. The St. Paul crowd had "booed" him after the Delmont match because they insisted he outweighed Delmont from 10 to IS pounds. That was not true, but because of Del mont's short stature he looked like a midget beside the champion. Billy Gibson, Leonard's manager, following the articles of agreement to the letter, had the champion weigh in it 3 o'clock in the office of the boxing :ommission's physician. He thought ihat was all that was necessary. The commission, it seems, demands public weighing. The physician said Leonard weighed pounds. Delmont weighed 130J4 pounds, publicly. "It is distasteful to be treated as I wis in St Paul," said Leonard, "and I am through with that town. Please say for me, too, that Delmont is the last little fellow I will ever box. Mind you, this match was not of my picking at all We offered to box in St Paul and the promoters picked the man. I am sorry we tbok the thing on at all and I wouldn't have it happen again for 20 times what we received for the contest." Manager Gibson concurred fully in what Leonard said. He did not con sider they had been fairly treated in St Paul and w-s especially bitter about the announcement from the ringside that Leonard had not weighed in. This got the champion "in bad" with the crowd right off the reel and the crowd was with Delmont. That is the situation which brought about the offer to box O'Dowd. "Certainly that goes," said Gibson. "O'Dowd seems to be recognized as middleweight champion since he whipped Al McCoy and if he will do 154 pounds Ben wilt box him." Story of Plestina. The story of Marin Plestina, a Slav wrestler of Omaha, is the story of a man who found himself after many trial and tribulations. It is a real story of what sincere and painstaking training will do. . When Plestina was around Chicago several years ago he was nothing but a fat, chubby kid, with a decidedly red face that looked as if it might burst at any moment under the strain of one severe hold upon any portion of his anatomy. He could wrestle a little, but he could not stay. He was much too fat. Weighing about 245 pounds and sporting what Kid McCoy calls a "Budweisef tumor" at the waistline, Plestina was not an easy mark for any of them. But he had little en durance. Then he fell in with Mah mout and that famous old Bulgarian unburdened himself of a few words of wisdom for Plestina's benefit Comes to Omaha. Plestina went out to Omaha and placed himself in the hands of "Farm trw Burns. The latter is a great task master as a trainer. He knows in stantly when a man cheats in his work. So Plestina couldn't cheat. He had to train or be fired out by Burns. In a year it took much time to re move the ''tumor" already mentioned Plestina was a vastly different man. He was a well conditioned athlete. Today Plestina weighs 214 pounds, every ounce of it is worth something to him in an athletic way. The loss of more than 30 pounds of fat was just what he needed. His friends think he is a real champion and think he would have proved it recently in Omaha in his match with Joe Stecher, but i Nebraska referee spoiled it all. Because Plestina wouldn't give Stecher a hold, or something of that sort, the referee declared Stecher the winner. It was a raw deal, one of the very rawest in a game noted for such things. Plestina was standing on his feet at the time and not even one of, his shouldefs had scraped the rtat Brennan Fans Happy. Chicago admirers of Bill Brennan, the North Side lad who had to go east to get a reputation, are jubilant because of a recent victory scored by ', Brennan over Homer Smith, the Ben ton Harbor, Mich. heavyweight. Sam Langford said Smith is good enough to beat Fred Fulton, and since Brennan beat Smith, his ad mirers assert Bill is the leading can didate for Jess Willard's crown. One thing Brennan owns that is an asset to any scrapper is a punch. Just about two-thirds of his bouts have ended in a knockout,' and not ill of Brennan's victims have been "dubs." Brennati could not plant a knock out on Smith, tut he had the big Michigan man on the defensive throughout und slightly groggy at the finish. Smith is by no mens a novice in the ring game, although he lacks experience, and Brer.nan's victory over him places the Chicago scrapper pretty well up in the ranks of the heavies. Although he was eager to win, Smith is r.ot discouraged over his de feat by Brennaa and attributes it to Over anxiety, Which led him to train until he became stale. Smith believes 1 i nn K.!i- Cmno. l( .u. ae can Deat Brennan it given another Chance, and it IS Drobabit the men nay be rematched. Minnesota's Only Tank Star III; Gloom in Camp George Gibbs, the only veteran iwimmef the University of Minnesota had this year, has been compelled to ,ive up work because of the effects of in attack of diphtheria, which left aim too weak for competition. No other candidate has appeared who can fill Gibbs' place in'the dashes and dis tance swims, and Coach W. E. Foster expects to spend the next two months in whipping new material into shape. AWFUL TOUGH ON NEW YORK SPORT FANS! In Their Desperation They Sit Through Wrestling Tourna ments and Six-Day Bike Races. In their desperation they sit through wrestling tournaments and six-day bike races. With boxing on the shelf, the sport fans of New York appear to be in a bad way for enter tainment this winter. Some idea of their desperation is .'seen in the fact that wrestling and six-day bike rac ing have had them clamoring at the doors. When New York fans arc obliged to get all worked up over a six-day bike race it will be understood that they are in something of a plight. When worse comes to worse, the New York sport fan will attend a wrestling match and try to fake an in terest in the proceedings. This only happens, however, when the situation has become really acute. It would not be astonishing to hear just now that a croquet match had packed them in at Madison Square Garden. The fight game has moved out, and something or other must make an effort to replace it. It may be an awful strain on the New York fight fan, but now is the time for him to show that he is a dead game sport. He may have to train himself to show any excitement over the backgammon or hop-scotch championships, but if he's got it in him he'll do it.- Fight fans in New York are hoping that the game will be revived later in the winter. The membership scheme of attending fight shows has not had the most glorious success, and will likely pass away before long. Only a return of the real thing with legalized boxing can bring cheer to the sport fan's heart. In the meantime he must make the most of wrestling and other such maudlin entertainments. Huggins Uses the Right . - Methods With Athletes Huggins' ability to develop young players is not the least interesting ot his attributes. Rogers Hornsby, Frank Snyder, Walton Cruise, Bill Doak, Lea Meadows, Jack Smi.h, Mule Watson, Oscar Horstman and Marvin Goodwin all are products of Hug's ability to develop young play ers. The first half dozen of these represent a total cost price to the St. Louis club of less than $2,000. And way can Huggins develop young play ers where other fail? Several reasons. Chief among them is that Huggins wins their confidence right from the jump. He plays psychology to the limit. He makes them believe they can play ball and they do play. Huggins digs directly to the recruits' hearts. He appeals to their business sense, and when he gets through with that he puts them on their honor. In all his experience with them he has found but one to flagrantly violate the con fidence put in him. Sale of One Player May Mean Success in Minors "The sale of 'one ball player fre quently makes the season a success for a minor league club, when the loss of the money involved means ffailure," remarked a prominent Inter national league man. "Take the case of Newark and Walter Smallwood for example. Smallwood was the only player sold by the Newark club, the Yankees purchasing him. One of the condi tions of the transfer, however, was that in the event of Smallwood being drafted the deal was off. Smallwood reported to the Yankees, was caught in the draft and left to join the na tional army, so the Yankees did not have to pay the price decided upon. If Newark had realized the amount involved in this deal the club would have closed the season with a balance in the treasury. It got nothing and ended the campaign with a deficit." Ice Hockey On Program For Camp Dodge Soldiers John L. Griffith, director of athletics at Camp Dodge, announces that plans are progressing for building several ice rinks at the cantonment. As soon as the rinks are ready hockey teams will be formed for a series of league games. Picked up Along Base Ball Beat Don Carlos Ragan, farmer Rourke, is slat ed for the dlacard by the Boston Braves. Manager Stalling has asked for waivers en four players and Ragan is one of them. The Inflelder Fttzpatrlck. Ragan probably will hav no d""0"'1 ' eatchtng on with m other big league club, however, as base ball ulent , golnl to ,carC)J next ,uro. mer. Raean Is now visiting In Omaha. Dirty Dolly Gray, who used to catcb for Wichita In the Western league, has been sold to Milwaukee by the Fort Worth, Te., club. Dirty Dolly is soma catcher, or at least he was when In this loop. Jack Ptelster, who first gained fame on the Omaha club and went up to the Chi- 1 cago Cubs, la $3,000 richer as the result of j a suit won against tha Western Union. Pfelster alleged the Milwaukee club sent him a telegram offering him a position, but it was not delivered, with the result that he Jon the chance to Join the Brewers and was damaged accordingly. The Western league schedule meeting will bo held at Des Moines In February. At that time, the Dickerson loop powe.s will argue the matter of long and short seasons and deride whether hostilities shall start In April as uxual, or be delayed until May. 'TIs said the Western will not play mere '! MO game this year, and perhaps lest PHIL FANS FURIOUS AT SALE OF GREAT ALEX; BLACKLIST THREAT AS THEY SHOUT "UNFAIR" Trade of Star Battery to Cubs Rouses Peaceful Village and Baker's Resignation Is Demanded. Philadelphia, Dec 29. "We've got nothing left in Philadelphia to sell but the Liberty bell and the statue of William Penn," is the cry of local base ball fans. That's the way they feel in this town over, the sale of Grover Cleveland Alexander and William (Red) Killifer to the Cubs. "Martial law is declared here," said a prominent base ball editor, in dis cussing President William F. Baker's "boner" in selling one of the greatest batteries in the history of base ball. "Yes, martial law is on, for the citi zens of this peaceful village are walk ing around with knives in their teeth," added the B. . Philadelphia fans are up in arms and they are going to blacklist the National league team here next sea son. May Force Resignation. The sale of Alexander and Killifer is to Philadelphia what the sale of Matty and Bresnahan would Jiave been to New York fans 10 years ago. These Quakers are nice, quiet per sons as a rule, but they are riled now, and nothing but Baker's resignation from local base ball will save the Phil adelphia club. Local newspapers are supporting the fans in their fight against Baker. One of the leading evening papers printed the following: "You pop-eyed bugs who gather in the grandstand and bleachers of the Philadelphia National league base ball park pay the freight, you support the club, you furnish the salaries, you pay the dividends and if the sale of Alex ander and Killifer was a raw deal, you are to suffer. William F. Baker, presi dent of the club, says the trade is a splendid one. It is supposed the price paid was $75,000.75, the 75 cents rep resenting Prendergast and Dilhoefer, the players received in the barter. Now, you fans have your own ideas on this matter, so just sit down with pen in hand and let your views be know." Baker's excuse for the sale of Alex ander and Killifer is that he must re trench. The magnate claims the offer was altogether too tempting, from a business standpoint, to ignore. Then, again, Baker declared that, besides the profit from the sale, the Philadel phia club will benefit because it won't have to pay Alexander's $12,000 yearly salary. Baker's Salary $15,000, "But Baker gets a salary of $15,000 as president" is the Philly fan's come back. "Surely he is not worth $3,000 more than Alex," in fact, right now Baker is worth a bad nickel, in the es timation of the local base ball follow ers. Pat Moran, the manager, isn't say ing a word. He can't afford to. But the good-natured Irishman is up against it so hard that nothing but a miracle can keep his team in the race next year. He has a. few new players, coming for his . outfit next year, but chances are remote for land ing any real stars. " For catchers he has Eddie Burns, Jack Adams and Dilhoefer, His pitch ers are Rixey, Bender, Oeschger, Mayer, Lavender and Fittery, of last year, Prendergast from the Cubs; Davis, a right-hander from Louisville, and Woodward, a right-hander from New Haven. Luderus, Niehoff, Bancroft, Stock, Dugey and McGaffipan are the old infielders, with Brandell, the Univer sity of Michigan shortstop, and Pearce, who pl-yed a few games last year after being procured from Rich mond.among the new ones. Outfield Is Intact. The old outfield is -intact with Cra vath, Schulte, Paskert and Whitted still on the payroll. Mussel of Los Angeles and Fitzgerald were discov ered by Wade Killifer, Bill's brother, who is playing on the coast. "Bud" Weiser is back again after a sojourn in the grass belt, and is said to be a very much improved player. It may be that Baker figures he can succeed where Connie Mack, base ball's shrewdest manager, tried and failed. For three long, weary years the Athletics' part owner and man ager has discovered that the job was not an easy one. Connie has tried out hundreds of players from all leagues and every college, yet he hasn't the combination to offer in 1918 that can be considered even a first division prospect. It is whispered here that Baker is going to quit base ball and that Jim Gaffney is going to be the next owner of the Phillies. This change undoubt edly would be welcomed 'iy local fan dom, but whether or not Gaffney pur chases the club, it will be a wise move on Baker's part to hie himself and his interests to some other village. Lajoie Boosts Toronto As Big League Ball Town "Toronto, as a base ball city, is good enough for any league," says Napoleon Lajoie, who managed the champion Maple Leaf team this year. "We played to great crowds in Toronto last season in spite of the fact that the city has been terrifical ly hit by the war, worse than any other city on this side of the Atlantic ocean. "The war did not keep our at tendance down, and if we could play in a strong league next year we would be sure to repeat But I doubt if the International league will open. There are several club owners in that circuit who do not feel like go ing down into their pockets again. Toronto ought to be in the American league in place of Washington." Cuban Ball Players To Invade the U. S, If the draft makes inroads on ball teams, it is said that there will be wholesale invasion of America by Cuban ball players who will seek places en major and minor league teams. Cuba has declared war against Germany, but has not formed a conscripted army, and its citizens would be permitted to play base ball in the United States without Interference. Cuba has more and better ball players than any country outside of the United States and is in a position to fill the gaps on teams caused by tha &rri Earl Caddock in Kakhi 0 X X X X Nx pi i A EARL 1 imi r x f rx v I s x jy- ;s V. : . ,: BOXING IS MOST PRIMITIVE Fighters Enter Ring to Ruin Opponent; Foot Ball's End Same, But Aim Different OF AMERICAN MAJOR SPORTS In1 its essence, boxing is our most primitive sport It is conducted on the frank hypothesis that it is often possible and desirable for one man of given weight to temporarily wreck the train of thoughts of another gen tleman of, equal poundage. This, to be sure, is not presented as the mis sion of boxing to a threatening state legislature. Let the bewhiskered lawmakers turn their backs and you and I have little use for anyone except the baby with the knockout punch. Of course we can't remember their names over night. They make us yawn. They simply won't do. Benny Leonard need never worry over our personal support so long as he can connect with that narcotic right. Foot Ball Is Different. Foot ball is not like 'prize fighting. Foot ball presumes only to move an oval, inflated pigskin from one end of the field to another. If at times it is necessary to use force as it often is in the promotion of successful play, it must be remembered that strength is prerequisite in all forms of athletic exercise. This does not include auction pinochle. But foot ball does not aim to maim. It is fair and above board, and many of our real nard pugilists, who talk out of the side of their mouths, could probably endure one foot ball period of 12 minutes. At the end of that time he would inquire how the grandstand happened to tall on him. A rude prize fighter goes into the ring attired in a pair of tights dec orated with the nag of the United States. The recent paucity of flags was caused by. the second and third rate boxers, who have them stitched to their battling trunks. ARMY CALL STOPS BRILLIANT FUTURE Cadore, First Season Out in Big League, Shows Great Promise, But Uncle Sam Interferes. One of those upon whom the burden of war has fallen hardest is Sergeant Leon J. Cadore, late of the Brooklyn Dodgers. When he was called to arms this en terprising young man had just finished his first season in the big show. He was just entering upon what was almost sure to be a successful career, when it was cut at the bud by the beckoning hand of Uncle Sam. There are few, pitchers in the game who can look back and point to a bet ter first season than Cadore's. He won 13 games and lost as many with a team that finished seventh, a team that was crippled most all the season, and in which the germ of dissatisfaction had played havoc. During the 1917 campaign, Caddy twirled six games against the Phila delphia and Pittsburgh teams and won them all But against the New York and Cin cinnati clubs he pitched six games and lost them all. While but shows how uncertain are the ways of the game. His record against seven opposing teams follows: Won. Lost. Philadelphia t 0 Pittsburgh a 0 Cincinnati 0 4 New York 0 i Boston 1 St. Louis 1 S Chicago I S V f xV X xM XX !, x Xs, CADDOCK f ' Aside from the tights and the flag the boxer appears as nature delivered him, barring a pair of tin ears which he accomplished himself. He is then ready to receive and give whatever punishment is necessary for the oc casion," and the average spectator trusts it is much. On his stomach, jaw, nose and eyes his opponent strikes, if possible, with a five-ounce padded glove,. It is a brutalizing spectacle and often inspires a ring sider to screech: "Why don't you kiss him?" A foot ball player does not aim to give or receive punishment. He is in terested only in moving the ball for ward for the honor of dear old Prince hard and to protect the box of bon bons he bet his girl that dear old Yaton would win. Pads and More Pads. Consequently he appears clad in a pair of 10-pound moleskin trousers and a jersey, beneath which are shoul der and chest pads, stomach pads, hip pads, shin pads and elbow pads, while his knees, ankles and wrists are bound with heavy tape. On his head he wears a heavy leather helmet and over his nose a rubber guard. He wears heavy shoes with out sticking sharp leather cleats, though no method has been found to make them sharp enough to penetrate a rub ber nose guard. But America is in ventive. The foot ball player, thus attired, is ready for anything, and, if possible, his opponents do not disappoint him. He usually mislays his wind in the first period and the visiting team is always ready to deprive him of the re mainder of his health in the other three spasms. But in its essence boxing is our most primitive sport FITZ'S SIGN STILL ADORNSOLD SHOP "Bob Fitzsimmons, Black smith," Is Sign Over Estab lishment on Main Street of Timaru, New Zealand. While the memory of the late Bob Fitzsimmons will hardly be erased from the mind of the sporting public for a long time in the United States, it is also being kept fresh in the minds of the people who inhabit the antipodes. A citizen of New York walking down the main street of Timaru, New Zealand, would per haps be startled to read the sign "Bob Fitzsimmons, Blacksmith," above one of the structures that line that thoroughfare. According to an account from New Zealand, the proprietor of this black smith shop, an old Irishman, has for J years conducted the place, and will not remove the sign which Fitz put up when he started in business at that same spot. Timaru is the place where Fitz broke into the boxing game. Jem Mace, the departed, who was former ly champion of England, put Fitzsim mons on wnile the Mace fistic com bination was showing in the town He whipped all his opponents, and from that night on proved himself a fighter with a knockout punch. He was amateur middleweight champion of Australia back in the early '80s. There has always been some doubt about Fitz's age. Parson Charles E. Davies went t England to look up Fitz's birth record at Helston, Corn wall, England, and found that he was a. son of a village policeman and wife, who were highly respected in the town. DICKENSON HITS BUMPS IN ROAD ON SEARCH FOR NEW WESTERN TERRITORY Western League Prexie Finds Oklahoma and Illinois Cities Not So Coy As They Were Earlier in the Month; Old Man Optimism Bobs Into View; Hang Crepe on Lincoln. ' All is not smooth sailing on the base ball sea for the West ern league. ' ' When the Western moguls staged their merry little confab at St Joseph the first of this month, it was agreed the Western loop should pluck two more cities from the fertile and unten anted fields of Oklahoma or Illinois and President Dickerson, was dispatched on a gumshoeing tour to these states. SPORT CARNIVAL FOR NEW YEAR'S DAY ATY.M.C.A. Junior and Senior Competitions to Be Staged, as Well as Floor Fray and Swimming Exhibition.. Omaha "Y" ' athletes are on their toes for the annual indoor champion ship meet which will be staged at the Young Men's Christian association gymnasium New Year's day. Events for juniors and seniors are scheduled. The juniors will clash in the morning and the seniors at night. The night program also calls for a number of entertaining features. Open house will be held all day at the "Y." Championships are to be awarded in all events. First, second and third place ribbons will be given. In addi tion, the three athletes making the highest total of points will be given special recognition. , The junior program of competition calls for running high jump, spring board jump, standing broad jump, run ning high dive, two-lap race on track and a special relay. The senior program calls for a two lap race on track, running high jump, spring board jump, three standing board jumps, running high dive and a special relay. As a feature event, the readers in the Commercial and Church basket ball leagues will clash. A number of crack "Y" swimmers also will give an exhibition. TOLL OFMfH THINS RANKS OF ALL ATHLETICS (Continued From Pat On.) of England and America, who died at Portland, Ore., and Frank Gotch. the retired heavyweight champion of the world and a man of marvelous skill on the mat. Other branches of sport suffered less heavily. October and November saw twelve foot ball players pass along the great trail as a result of injuries received on the gridiron, but they were all amateur, interscholastic or school boy players. Henry Holt gieve, former world's champion weight lifter, died early in the year, as did Joe Lindley, former world's cham pion bike rider. CARD FANS BEGIN TO BOAR ABOUT HORNSBY r8 The methods of frenzied finance which are being adopted by club own ers in the major leagues are already causing much unrest among base ball fans which will have a serious affect on the game next summer. The lat est blast from the fans comes from SU Louis, where they will present a petition to President Branch Rickey warning him that if he sells Rogers Hornsby to the Cubs they will not go near the National league park. It is expected that the petition will have more than 50,000 names when present to Rickey. 9 74 yt A'4 O SEND OUT S. O. S. At that time, base ball prospects in Oklahoma and Illinois were slim The Western association had been torpedoed and was sinking fast. The Central league was floundering -:on the rocks and its S. O. S. calls for aid were unanswered. - Peoria, Bloomington and Rockford' in Illinois, and Oklahoma City and Tulsa, in Oklahoma, were directing flirtatious glances at the Western magnates and the latter flirted back and Dickerson started on his jour ney. But now, alas for the Western moguls, the Oklahoma and Illinois villages are not so coy. Apparently they have recalled mamma's sage ad vice not to flirt with strangers. . J Suspect Double. Down in Oklahoma, the petroleum wonders have a hunch that they. art being double crossed. Dickerson first visited Oklahoma City and Tuss and these villages gave out the word that their admittance to the West ern league had been practically set tled. " : ; , It is probable the oil towns in their enthusiasm became a little bit ex cited and previous and they ijist thought it was practically settled. But when Dickerson bobbed up over . in Illinois, the Sooners became peevish and decided Dickie had been kidding them. So the Oklahomans .lave started talk of reviving the Western associa- s tion. The Western 'association; is Class D. The D stands for dead, the Western associction is so ' dead all the pulmotors manufactured wouldn't revive it But the Oklahomans haven't discovered this. As in every base ball league optimism prevails especially at this time of the year, when, they aren't losing, money every day. 1 So the Oklahomans are kicking a bit. . Bloomington Lies Down. ' Now for Illinois. Bloomington offi cially has given up hope. Blooming ton was climbing toward altitudes too far in the air. anyhow. It is a Class B town and has no business trying to put on Class A sirs. ; When the Bloomington gents got to figuring it up they could see more money going out than coming in, so they are trying to stir up the deceased Central. They may succeed. If they do the Western will be unable to break into Peoria or Rockford. - ! It is said, too, that Peoria has cooled in its attitude toward the Western and will stick to the ship if there ia a chance to resuscitate the. Central. . ' Kidding Themselves. i Thus is Mr. Dickerson encounting little irregularities in the road he is traveling. To our way of thinking, the Oklahoma and Illinois parties sre kidding themselves when they hope to pull their respective leagues through next year. Their own cities may deliver the patronage and thus the iron men, but the other towns upon which they depend will sink to the bottom of the shaft, long before Independence day rolls .round. The Western has a good chance to last until August anyway and things may, break better after that. ., So in the long run it is a good guess that Oklahoma City and Tulsa and Peoria and Rockford and, perhaps, Bloomington, alt will be clamoring for those vitcant berths in the Western league. But their benighted optimism may so delay the clamoring that the Western will have to shake a nifty leg to get away to any kind of a start in the soring. '11 The Western, however, will start, Oklahoma or no Oklhoma and Illi nois or no Illinois. The Dickerson loop will start with six clubs if neces sary, or even with only four. But it will start. , - 5 Ducky on His Way. Ducky Holmes down -at Lincoln, has packed his suit case, thrown in the extra necktie and a couple1 of collars and gone calling. Ducky is looking for a place to light. . Lincoln is out of the question. The Links almost passed out of i the picture last summer and Ducky, had to go into the baby's bank to pay' ths league dues." Now that Ducky is in distress" the Lincoln business interests refused to aid, averring that professional base ball is a private enterprise, is not a matter of civic pride and does not do the town any good. . -. J Oh, My No. ! Of course not. If a town boasts a professional base ball town, it is a live one. If it doesn't, set it down among the cut and bleeding.. Its-last spark of life was snuffed out when the ball team blew. , So Holmes is looking for a place to check his suit case and his ball club, such as it is. Sioux City is cast ing cagey glances at Ducky and Holmes may find that city a harbor of refuge. At any rate Holmes has joined Hughle Jones and Jack, Hot land and it has become the "wander ing trio" instead of the "vagabond duo." As things stand now the Western league will line up in the spring in one of the following ways: . Omaha. Omaha. Ds Moines. St. Joseph. Sioux CUT. Jopiin. Wichita. Oklahoma City. Tulsa. Omaha. Des Molnv. St. Joseph. Jopltn. Wlohll Peoria. Rockford. Bloomlnston. Des Moines, fit. Joseph. Sioux City, Jopltn. . , Wichita. Peoria. "; . ' Rockford (or BloomtnttMtY Omaha. 1 Des Motnes. St. Joseph. 8Io City. . Wichita, Jod'Ih,