Nebraska Newspapers

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9 A
GRAND AMERICAN 'YANKEES WILL
HANDICAP TO BE LOSE TITLE AS
FULTON GETS ANOTHER
CHANCE TO PROVE RING
ABILITY WITH M'MAHON
Giants' Catching Corps Complete
THE) U.MAHA SUISUAl' BEE: FEBRUARY 10, 1918.
HELD AT CHICAGO
Biue Ribbon Trapshooting
Event Will Start First Week
in August This Year; Many
Added Prizes.
The 'nineteenth Grand American
landicap trapshooting tournament
the blue ribbon event of trapdom
will lake place over the traps of the
South Shore Country club, Chicago,
beginning on August 5 and concluding
on August 9.
The Grand American handicap tour
nament for years has been conducted
during the third or fourth week in
August and the advancement of the
dates to the first week in August will
make it necessary for a great number
of the state associations to schedule
their staU championship tournaments
earlier. -
The 1918 trapshooting classic will be
conducted along the same broad lines
as previous tournaments, with a num
ber of innovations which should make
the coming event the greatest scat-ter-gun
tournament ever staged.
Many Prizes for the Shooters.
There will be more prizes for the
shooters in this tournament than were
ever before given. In the past there
were fifty prizes no matter how many
gunners went to the traps. This time
there will be SO prizes for 350 en
trants; 80 prizes for 400 shooters; 90
prizes for 450 gunners, and 100 prizes
fc- 500, or more, contestants. Eighty
five per cent of the purse will be given
to the first 50 in case of 400 entrants;
80 per cent to the first 50 in case of
450 entrants, and 75 per cent of the
purse to the first 50 high guns in case
of 500 or more entrants.
Prize Money $15,000.
The Interstate Trapshooting asso
ciation will give $4,000 or more in
cash and trophies for the tournament
and guarantees the winner of the
i Grand American handicap event $500
. and a trophy: the second hieh eun
$400 and a trophy; the third high gun,
iJUU and a trophy; the fourth high
gun, $200 and a trophy; the fifth high
gun, $100 and a trophy. The chances
are that the shooter who lands in any
one ot these places will do better than
the guaranteed prize for last year, the
winner ot vhich drew down S800.
With the entrance fees of the shooters
the total amount of the purses will
aggregate more than $15,000.
' . The events on the program will be
tne same as last year opening with
tne soutn shore introductory at
IS yards on August 5; the national
championships at singles and doubles
targets and the Chicago overture on
August o, the preliminary handicap, on
August , the Grand American
handicap on August 8 and the con
solation handicap on August 9. The
usual yardage and women's trophies
will be awarded in the Grand Ameri
can. The division of prizes will be the
same in the preliminary and consola
tion handicaps as in the Grand Amer
ican. - -
There is a new ruling ort the con
solation handicap, as follows:
."Any entrant who participates in a
oivision or tne purse in the orelim
nary or Grand American handicaps
wan not De engmie tor tne consola
tion handicap."
There Will be no joker traps at this
year's Grand American, nor will there
be any special events for professional
shooters. The professionals will shoot
down the line with the amateurs in
the 18 yards event on the opening day,
and the professional with the highest
score will be regarded as the profes
sional champion of the year. There
will be the usual special event for fair
Dianas.
Central Furnitures
Defeat Nakens, 24 to 21
Walt Gartner's Central Furnitures
upset the dope last night at the
Creighton gym by defeating the
Nakens, the leaders of the Commdr
cial league, in a thrilling and hotly
contested preliminary game to the
Creighton-Funston clash. The con
test was fast and well played from
start to finish, with the Furnitures
having the edge on the Nakens.
Slepicka and Morrison put up stellar
exhibitions for the Central team, and
Bromly led the Nakens.
CENTRAL FURNITURES.
( t. g. t. t. p.f. t.f. pts.
siplek, I g 4 o 0 2 8
Bender, r. f 2 0 1 0 4
Morrison, e 6 0 0 l 12
Ralderfton, 1. f 0 0 0 0 0
Hawkins, r. g 0 l 0 0 0 0
Totali 12 0 1 3 24
NAKENS.
f. g. f. t. p.f. t.f. pt.
Hansen, r. t 1 0 0 0 2
Bromley, 1. f 4 2 0 0 10
Kronstedt, e. 2 3 0 0 7
iNordstrum, r. g 1 0 0 0 2
Richards, 1. g 0 0 2 0 0
Flxa, sub. 1 f 0 0 0 0 0
Filler, sub. r. 1 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 8 5 2
21
Referee: Bob Koran. Timer and scorer:
McCrea. Time of halves, 0 minutes. In
termission: 8 minutes.
Matty Orders All Reds to
Be Vaccinated; Safety First
John McGraw ordered his players
to have their tonsils removed. Christy
Mathewson has gone him one better
and has ordered his Reds to be vacci
nated before they report at Mont
gomery in March. It seems that Man
iged Matty, on a recent visit to Mont
gomery, found that there was a lot of
smallpox in the army camp there and
he will take no chances.
' Gardner One of Players
Mack Will Get From Sox
Catcher Forrest Cady, Thfrd Base-
man Larry Gardner and Outfielder
Clarence Walker are the three players
rumor picks to go from the Red Sox
to the Athletics in exchange for First
Baseman Stuffy Mclnnis. To succeed
Gardner on third it is the plan, ac
cording to the same rumor, that Mc
lnnis shall play third, with Dick Hob
litzel on first
Lee Magee Very Peevish
Over Huge Cut in Salary
The salary of Lee .Magee, who was
working under a hang-over Federal
eague contract given him by the
Wards that called for $8,300 or so a
cason $25,000 for three years was
cut by the St. Louis Browns to $3,000
for this year, according to report.
' l?gee is said to be quite angry about
it. He may even conclude that base
'jail is not worth while
SQUEEZE CHAMPS
Miller Huggins Not as Crazy
About Bunt Play as Dono
van, Who Used it 28
Times.
Under the Huggins administration
the Yankees are not likely to use the
squeeze play as frequently as they did
when their attack was directed by
"Wild Bill" Donovan. Miller James is
a slight believer in the squeeze as a
means of scoring, employing it only
six time,s last year and so winning
two games.
Hugh Bezdek, the Pirate chieftain,
likes the squeeze and his men worked
it successfully eight times during the
year. When Jimmy Callahan was the
Corsair commander" the Pittsburghs
got away with the play twice.
Pat Moran's rhillies worked the
squeeze on their topponenls twice and
so did Christy Mathewson s Reds
George Stallings' Braves used the play
once, but the Superbas, under Wilbert
Robinson; the Giants, under John Mc
Graw! and the Chicago Cubs, under
Fred Mitchell, had no use for this
scheme as a means ,0 acquiring runs
and never once tried it.
The only double squeeze of the year
in the National league was worked by
the Phillies at the Polo grounds in
the sixth inning on April 27 and be
came a- double squeeze because Jeff
Tesreau tumbled to the ground in
picking uo Georae Whitted's bunt.
Bancroft had scored by the time the
ball reached the New York pitcher
and Stock followed Davy home when
he saw Tesreau on the turf a wild
throw from a sitting posture making
Milton's voyage to the plate easier.
Huggins' Cardinals were the only
National league team to win games
with the squeze, gaining a victory
over the Pirates on July ,4 and one
over the Reds on September 9. On
the first named date Gonzales
squeezed Cruise in from third and on
the last named date Meadows did the
bunting and Gonzales the running. The
opposing batteries were Jacobs and
Schmidt and Toney and Wingo.
Bill Donovan's Yankees worked the
squeeze seven more times last season
than did all the eight National Jeague
teams. Thev eot awav wirh tlft ti-iri-
28 times, winnincr three crampc
the play and saving themselves one
shutout. The triumphs were over
Washington, on April 19; over Boston,
on June 20, and over Detroit, on July
22. the three opposing batteries being
Johnson and Ainsmith, Leonard, and
Thomas and Ehmke and Stanage.
Maisel and Miller collaborated in the
squeeze play that defeated the Sena
tors. Nupamaker and Pipp were the
ncrocs in tne triumph over the Red
Sox and Marsans and Pfpp starred
when the Tigers were beaten.
Urban Shocker was the batsman in
four of the Yankees' 28 successful
squeeze plays, Lee Magee in four.
Leslie Nunamaker in three, Fritz Mai
sel in three, Roger Peckinpaugh in
three, Huehev Hitrh. in tV.r a.
mando .Marsans in two, Elmer Miller
in two, Norman Cullop in one, Al
Walters in one;' Walter Alexander in
one and Joe Gedeon in one.
The teams the Yankees of 1917
worked nhe squeeze acainsi ,!.!. n..
rimh'.eihttiine?; Washi"gtn. seven
times, Boston, four times; Philadel
phia, three times: Chicae-o th;
times; Cleveland, twice, and St. T.r,;
once. '
In two fjf the
pulled by Pitcher Shaker he Tun ted
OritS WTUld ohraVC bn his ird
strike-on June 25 and September 11
against Philadelphia. Mac& batteries
?" theirdates were Schaer and Ha-
vjr auu xoyes ana Meyer.
Browns Take Over Two War
Contracts From the Yanks
Ine St. Louis Grnwnt. - -I
two war-time contrary ,t,. i
?h, v, Unch itfive PIavers from
?a Ya,nees- JhW reminders of
federal league days are held by Joe
Gedeon and Les Nunamaker and are
,Z7u Tt i. "uuut ipo'wu a year
each. They have one more season to
I UI1.
New Orleans Sells Hiorjins
Ana bigns Kitchens in Place
mew uriean- innnn... .1 .
Sij r H,88'ns f'nay has been
SOld to ' Chattanonor ..-n
be Mike Finn's, first string catcher,
was fol owed by one that Frank Kit-
Younger Brother of Chief
Johnson Will Get a Trial
A youneer brother r, ru;t "ur:
nebago Johnson, the Indian pitcher
with the San Francisco Seals, may
be given a trial by Manager Jerry
Downs this soi-intr. Tf 1, ul
will make three Indians on the Seals,
the other two being the Chief and
Lasey Smith.
Beatrice Licks Geneva
in Basket Bail Wrangle
Beatrice. Neb.. FK ?.'C:.i
The Beatrice basket ball team won
from Geneva at the high school gym
j0-, I's starred -for the locals
and :ichoIas for the Geneva five A
large number of fans witnessed the
contest.
Craighead Wins Putting
(uontest at Burgess-Nash
W. D. Craicrhcad
hole putting contest at the Burgess
. ash company yesterday afternoon.
ne snot a oy lor the 36 holes.
Jack Boyle, who played at the Or
pheum last week, took part in the
competition.
Scuthpaw Hurler to Get
Another Chance to Sho v
Roy. the southpaw who was
with Salt 'Lake for awhile in 1917, is
to get another trial in the Coast
league, this time with the Sacramento
club. He has been pitching independ
ent bay in California this winter and
showing much class.
Amateur Directors Will '
Meet at City Hall Tuesday
Directors of the Omaha Amateur
Base Ball association will hold their
first meeting of the. new year at the
City hall Tuesday night. Plans for
the approaching season will be dis-
r I ? i-r Xet? catcher-manager of
he Mobile Gulls, had been signed to
take Higgins' place with the Pels
? '
Jk , A. ... J I y s j-, V
ilf l ' ' na- ''WT'
'1 J 'V'N
pi ip
All the catchers upon whom the
New York Giants will depend for aid
in bringing another flag to the big
town have sent in their contracts.
Bill Rariden, the Hoosier farmer, who
flirted with the Feds before joining
the McGraw clan, was the first of the
Wielding
4knTJ.
By FRED S. HUNTER.
IT IS with pardonable pride that this
merry little knocker calls to mind
the prophecy made Friday that Jack
Curley would make capital out of the
result of the Caddock-Zbyszko match.
True, Zbyszko lost on a referee's de
cision, but what, will some one pray
tell us, and why, is a referee's de
cision in a wrestling match? Curley
won't even have to put up an argu
ment when he personally conducts
Mr. Zbyszko back to the Great Jay
Way and resumes pursuit oj the un
attached jitneys along that bush
league avenue.
Another Atrocity.
WOE be unto the deadhead who fol
lows the major league races.
War tax will be 10 cents instead of 8,
according to rulings of the magnates,
so as to avoid the penny shortage.
Even 2 cents is a lefthanded rap in
the teeth to the pass fiend.
Tommy Goes Up. ' "
tJAVING walloped the daylights out
of Dodge and Funston, Tommy
Mills, like Alexander, seeks more
worlds to conquer. Tomrrfy offers o
play any six teams in the world put
together now.
'
Correct Division.
TITR. LAWSON, who writes such
nifty heads over the telegraph
items, suggests that it be $10 war tax
and $1 admission to wrestling matches
after this.
Sports, Play Important Part in Work of.
Uncle Sam's Soldier Lads Across the'Pond
Athletics by Entire Regiments
Iron Out Kinks Acquired
by Long Trip Over
seas. Paris, Jan. 2. (By Mail.) Base
ball, foot ball and the usual field and
track events are being pushed into the
background among the American
troops in France. They are still play
ed and as popular as ever, but there
is not room enough for all of the
men who want to play.
To meet this need, mass athletics
has been invented by a group of the
Young Men's Christian association
workers. Not only whole companies,
but entire regiments, take part and
enter into competition with other
companies and regiments.
The army heads demand that every
man shall be given a chance to take
part in the sports. This was impossi
ble with the other sports as compara
tively few men may play at a time
and considerable practice is required
to makfe a good team.
Direct to Fields.
It will come as a surprise to many
to know that the American troops
landing in France are now marched
directly fror. the transports to ath
letic fields, where they are put
through inter-regimental contests.
These games iron out the kinks ac
quired on shipboard. Chauncey P.
Hylbert, who was present when the
first games were played, gives a de
tailed account of them as follows;-
The great convoy had come into
port. The official inspections and ex
aminations had been made and visits
had been paid. The ships were lined
up along the docks. Great gangways
and smoke-grty ladders were lying
ready for use.
The decks were jammed with Amer
ican soldiers anxious to land and for
the joy of unrestricted freedom of
bodily movement. A naval officer, ac
companied by several soldiers, came
aboard. There were a few minutej of
parley and simultaneously the bands
or. each ship began to play.
Down the fore and aft gangplanks
marched he men as on parade. Fol
lowing its own band, each- company
took up its allotted space in a great
level field .i short way from the docks.
The schedule for the first hour called
for 1,440 men.
There they stood in columns of files,
20 men to a file, eight files to a com
pany. Between companv files was a
lane six feet wide.
receivers to send in his contract.
George Gibson, the veteran backstop,
who began his big league career ages
ago with the Pittsburgh Pirates, was
next to fall in line. Lew McCarty,
who is the first-string catcher of the
Plumbing Trade Suffers Distinct
Loss When Commy Enters Base Ball
m
Old Roman Finds Tinkering: With Lead Pipes Not to Liking:,
So He Crosses Father by Becoming Ball Player
.and Later Millionaire. '
The plumbing trade suffered a distinct loss and base ball
was the gainer when Charles Albert Comiskey abandoned his
kit of tools and took up the bat arid glove as implements of his
profession. ,
When Comiskey was a' lad his father
determined he should learn a trade,
and put him to work as a plumber's
helper. During his leisure hours,
which were few and far between, the
boy Comiskey disported himself on
the sand lots of his native town in
Illinois and won a local reputation as
a ball player.
It required only a little plumbing to
convince Charles Comiskey that his
was another' field. Se he quit his
plumbing job and the one he held
with an amateur aggregation and
joined the Milwaukee base ball club
as a third baseman. He was 17 year
old and his salary was $60, a month.
It was with this club that the man
who in after years was to become such
a commanding figure in the sport won
early fame and started him up the lad
der of future successes..
Today Charles Comiskey, owner of
the world champion Chicago White
Sox and a leading business man in
the Windy City, is one of the pillars,
The men looked about curiously
and with interest. This certainly start
ed differently from any drill they had
had so far experienced. Across the
field 200 yards away stood a line of
stakes; each company's flag being at
tached to the stake directly in front
of it.
The first man in each file was stand
ing behind a rope pegged down in a
small ditch. Six feet beyond and par
allel to it stretched another rope. The
men became more and more curious
as they took in these details. A small
group of Young Men's Christian as
sociation men and officers were con
sulting together in the midst of the
field. Suddenly a whistle blew and the
little central groups scattered to all
corners of the field. The commanding
officer of each company took his
place across the six-foot shallow
trench opposite his men.
An order ranpr out: ,
"Firt man in eacl. file toe the rope.
On command do a standing broad
jump across the trench; advance three
steps from where you land and about
face. Next man in each file do like
wise, falling in behind the first man.
Each man clearing the ditch counts
one point for his company."
No. 1 in each file looke'd nervously
down the line at the other unfortunate
No. Is. They certainly were the goats
this time.
"Toe the rope!" rang out the order.
"One two three jump!"
The line of men sprang upward and
outward, landing with anxious care.
Every one had cleared the ditch.
"No. 21" came the order, and the
second man in each file did likewise.
Four men landed in the ditch, much
to their embarrassment.
The officers were busily keeping
score. One thousand and eight men out
of 1,440, or 71 per cent, cleared the
ditch. Another set of orders was
given and the men found themselves
formed again in their original posi
tions facing the line of company
flags.
Point System.
A short space before the officer
stood a long line of men holding a
rope at arm's length over their heads!
The men were ordered to startsprint
ing in the present formation until an
other whistle blew 30 seconds later.
All the men who were beyond the
rope, which was dropped to waist
height at the whistle, (counted one
point for their companies, those be
hind the rope failed to score. If any
man could outsprint the man in file
ahead of him, he was to do so, passing
Giants, was the last of the catchers
to come into the fold. McCarty was
out of the game for some time last
season with a broken leg, but man
aged to be in good shape for the
world series.
of organized base ball. He has
amassed a fortune.
Comiskey park, named after him, is
one of the finest grounds devoted to
base ball in the world. It is the home
of the White Sox, and last autumn
was the scene of some of the world
series battles between, his club and
the Giants.
Comiskey was a tall, rangy youth,
fast on his feet and possessed a sound
base ball head. It was not long before
he tried his hand at pitching with
such success that he got an offer from
the Elgin (111.) club and one year in
the late 70s he won every game in
which he participated.
Comiskey's fame among the minor
clubs spread slowly following his suc
cess at Elgin and in 1878 he joined the
Dubuque team of the Northwestern
league, where he played for four years.
In 1881 he entered the American asso
ciation, joining the then famous St.
Louis Browns, owned by Chris von der
Ahe, a popular character of the dia
mond in those days. Comiskey's stock
had soared in the meantime.
Sammies Find Enjoyment
Mass Games Planned by
Army Directors of
Y. M. C. A.
in
ton the left. When the race was fin
ished they were to line up in files by
the company flags.
"Did he say race?" whispered one
man to the file leader. The man
nodded silently. Again the whistle
sounded and the wild race began. Pic
ture 1,440 men sprinting simultaneous
ly down a field, mud flying, erms
gyrating, tongues hanging out as they
neared the goal.
The rope suddenly dropped, divid
ing the forces nearly in two. Seven
hundred and eighty-four, or 56 per
cent, were ahead of the rope. The
men, panting and laughing, formed
their files once more. This was pretty
good fun for war maneuvers. What
under the sun was coming next?
Company Soccer.
Apparently a variation was about to
be introduced. There came a Young
Men's Christian association man over
topped by a net bag in which were
16 inflated soccer balls. The Young
Men's Christian association man ex
.plaincd the next event. It was called
"company soccer." The men were di
vided into eight equal teams of 175
men each. On four large fields they
were to play soccer against each other
for 30 minutes. Four balls went to
each field, one side trying to kick
them over the goal line (one point) or
through the regular goal posts (three
points) at one end of the field and
the other team at the other end.
In two and one-half minutes there
was the greatest scrimmage you ever
saw. Get in mind a field on which 350
men are all trying to get as many
boots at four foot balls as they can.
And multiply that by the four fields
that were in simultaneous use. The
umpires and score keepers had an
even more lively time of it than the
players. As fast as a goal was scored
the ball was thrown into the melee
again at the center of the field. So
fast wis the scoring that the referee
lost exact count. One team kicked
well over 70 goals inside of 30 min
utes. Again the whistles hlcw and the
men formed files again.V Everybody
had had a good time, and was in a bip
sweat. No one was hurt and every
one was happy. The men put on their
coats and marched off to their quarters.
Challenger of Willard to Meet Man Who Once Laid Cham
pion Low; Dempsey Uncorks Big League Stuff
in Joust With Smith; Offered $2,500
for Billy Miske.
t BY RINGSIDER.
Chicago, Feb. 10. Fred Fulton, aspirant for Jess Wil
lard's crown, is going to have a chance to prove his ability when
he meets Tom McMahon of Pittsburgh, in a 15-round argument
at Denver tomorrow night. The bout will be a test that may;
serve to rehabilitiate Fulton as a champion contender.
1 O wot wrnK.T.v vwnww
BENCH MANAGER
NOW SUPREME IN
MAJOR LEAGUES
Last Playing Manager Goes by
Boards When Black Jack
Barry
Answers Call of
His Country.
By JACK VEIOCK.
New York, Feb. 9. There mav not
be a playinj manager in the major
leagues this year.
Last season Jack Barry, of the Red
Sox, was the only manager in ie big
show who got into the game, but
there is little chance, apparently, that
Black Jack will pilot the Sox this
year, and Harry Frazee is said to be
in favor of a bench pilot.
When Christy Mathewson took the
reins at Cincinnati he announced that
he might attempt to pitch in regular
turn for the Reds. So far he has not
done so, and although he is said to
have a longing to get back into the
game there seems to be little chance
that he will try to come back.
Some years ago club owners all
wanted playing managers. They did
not think it worth while to hire a
manager to sit on the bench. Then
came such managers a McGraw and
Mack, who directed the workings of
their teams from the shelter of the
dugouts on the coaching boxes, and
they were so successful that club
owners in other cities began to lean
toward bench-warmmg bosses for
their players.
National All Bench.
With the signing of Jack Hendricks
to manage the Cards the National
league is solid with bench managers.
Hendricks, McGraw. Moran, Mathew
son, Mitchell, Stallings, Robinson and
Bezdek make up the managerial array
in the old league, and every one will
manage from the bench. In the
American league Griffith, Rowland,
Mack, Jennings, Huggins, Fohl and
Jones are bench managers, and if
Frazee signs a bench pilot it will be
unanimous for the strategists who
work from the long tirnber.
The sentiment of the club owners
as displayed by their selection of
bench managers indicates that the
pilot who'bosses his teamront the
bench is most successful, lhe bench
managers of the big show today are,
without exception, veterans in years
or experience, or both. They are for
the most part older than any of their
players and they are better able to
handle their men.
The man of mature years from
38 or so on past the 40-year mark
commands the respect of younger
players and gets results where a
younger man would fail.
Davis Retires.
Harry Davis has retired after a
quarter of a century on the diamond.
The famous captain and' coach of
the Athletics recently notified Connie
Mack that his steel and scrap iron
business has grown to such propor
tions that he can no longer devotet
his time to the sport of the greens
ward. So he is through.
As a player Davis was a star in his
prime. As l coach of young players
he was invaluable to Connie Mack.
Though he did not get much of the
credit for the youngsters developed
in the Mackian camp, he was largely
responsible for the bringing out of
many of them. He was Mack's right
hand bower and the Philadelphia
club, forced now to build up a new
machine, is going to miss him.
NEW RECOES IN
BOWLERS' MEET
AT MINNEAPOLIS
Minneapolis, Minn.. Feb. 9. The
Schmidts No. 1, St. Paul, tonight took
the lead in the five-men event in the
International Bowling association's
tourney, their score of 2,920 being the
second highest ever recorded in the
I. B. A. In their first game ths
Schmidts missed a 1,000 score by one
pin. They wound up with counts of
963 and 966. In 1915 the Doris quin
tet ot bt. J'aul made 3.0U4.
The Garrys of Winnipeg went into
eighth place with 2,727.
A new record for the International
Bowling association was made by
George Wilke and C. Wolf of Minne
apolis who rolled 1,309 in the doubles,
In 1911 C. Vandertunk and II. Martin
of St. Paul made 1,308.
Second position in this event today
went to J. Stasch and Fritz Reimer,
Minneapolis, who got 1,257 pins. R.
Saunders and B. B Hull, Minneapolis,
landed in the fourth berth with their
count of 1,206.
The day's play also brought out a
new leader for the singles, Jake
Buehler, Minneapolis, going ahead
with a total of 656. Ben Gilbertson
and G. F. Paschen, both of St. Paul,
tied for third with 635 each. James
Farland, Minneapolis, tied for fourth
place with 633 pins, with Joe Erne of
St. Paul.
Brewers -and Phils Both
Strong for Rankin Johnson
There seems to be some mixup. in
the case of Pitcher Rankin Johnson.
It was reported recently that this
pitcher, who jumped the Fort Worth
club a year ago, would return to or
ganized ball and play with Milwau
kee, but now comes a report that he
is to get a trial with the Phillies.
McMahon, of course, is not a widelj
known heavyweight and nobobdy ever
expects he will be a champion of any
larger territory than his own particu
lar realm at Pittsburgh. He does not
come anywhere near ranking as a
"leading" heavyweight scrapper.
Rut away back in those days when
Jess Willard had to fight for a liv
ing Tom succeeded in walloping the
subsequent champion. The bout was
held in a "hush" village in the middle
west and McMahon stretched the
generous length and bulk of Big Jess
flat upon the canvas.
Now, F ulton long has given the
world to understand that he desires
fo joust with Jess for the title. What
more logical requirement could Fred
fulfill than to wallop the chap who
beat the champion. k
It is true beyond gainsaying that
Willard was not a champion when
McMahon licked him. By the same
token Fulton is not a champion now
and McMahon is just as much of a
stepping stone to the title for Fulton
as he was for Willard. The question
is, will Fulton stumble as did Willard.
Since Billy Miske gained a popular
verdict over Fulton he has not been
regarded so formidably as he. was
before the Miske bout. Particularly
has Williard used Fulton's showing
against Miske as an argument -or an
excuse for not rushing headlong into
a bout with the Minnesota lime
slinger. Perhaps if Fulton gets a
clean-cut verdict over McMahon in
the Denver bout Jess may .once more
incline his tar to a match with Frgd.
Following his Denver scrap Fulton
win again engage ina uuui, vi w
siderable importance, when he meets
Frank Moran at New Orleans Febru
ary 22. This in 'a sense is also a test
of Fred's qualifications for' a title
bout. , a.
Dempsey Comes Clean. '. f
Jack Dempsey, the Pacific coast
heavyweight, assuredly came through
in his first appearance before a middle
western audience. The handy way in
which he disposed of Homer Smith,
the Michigan mastodon, convinced
everyone who saw tht scrap that .the
lad from the Sunset Shore is a pretty
nifty workman in the ring. He is a
neculiar combination. Contrary to the
general run of fighters who are clever
and fast, this -bird cart hit. He is
fiendish with his slashes. He throws
every ounce of his weight into his
punches, but possesses the knack, pi
not swinging himself off his balance
when he let go. Missing, he is',, in
control of himself fr the next move.
Dempsey uncorked some real big
league stuff in his bout with Smith
even if the fight did end Jess than
two minutes after it began. He now
must be reckoned as one of the really
dangerous big men of the ring. Ha
should give Fred Fulton a smashing
fight and is liable te topple over any
man he hits. And smashing in the
way he does he is apt to. hit most any
body who faces him.
Offered Coin for Miske.
It is not generally known, but' it i
a fact, that Maxey Blumenthal, one of
the country's best judges of a young
fighter, once offered $2,500 for a(con
tract with Billy Miske.- This was at
a time, too, w,hen Miske was just be
ginning to bound to tne front f earl
Smith, Miske's townsmart, who had
the contract, declined the offer.
"A good fighter is a better invest
ment than a two-year-old horse," said
Blumenthal. And Maxey, having seen
the turf game from every angle, is in
a good position to know.
Miske was a little fellow at the time
in comparison with the heavyweights,
and he isn't- much bigger right now.
But he was the type of a fighting man
Blumenthal likes and his judgment
was borne out by Tommy Walsh and
Nate Lewis, whose ideas carry a great
ileal of weight -with the big book
maker. In view of Miske's excellent show
ing with Tred Fulton all of this is in
teresting. It brings un the fact. too.
that most of the big men have their
troubles when it comes to fighting
shorter and smaller fellowsi Just look
at the havoc Jack Dillon created
among the large battlers when he had
old wallop working.
Little Fellows Annoy.
Small men often do welhazainsl
bigger men in other divisions. '
Battling Levinsky always thoueht he
was big enough for any of them and
he never weighed more than 170
pounds M his best fighting weieht.
Soldier Bartfield cave Mike Gihhnne
the best battle the "Phantom" ever
had. and the soldier was little more
than a welter.
Miske, then weighing less than 17S
pounds, gave Carl Morris a whaling.
Benny Leonard, when training for
Frankie Burns, actually sent for Pal
Moore, a bantatn, to act as his spar
ring partner. "He gives me more
speed than any one I ever worked
with," saiJ the lightweight champion, i
All told it looks as if most of the
big men are puzzled and worried
when the target it: front of thera is
small.
'
Outside Teams Ask Dates
For Uiriirmtnn T,.nMA..
vi i lu.iniivjivi. luuuiey
Outside teams from several cities
near Omaha have asked for dates for
Dad Huntington's fourth annual
handicap pin tournament which will
be staged at the Omaha alleys start
ing February 16. Teams from Wizner,
S P., Colome, S. D., Sioux Falls, Des
Moines, Carroll, la., Manning. Ja.,
Logan. Ia., West Side, la., Onawa, '
la., Fremont, Lincoln, Plattsmouth.
Columbus, Wahoo and Schuyler have
asked for dates. x
A special night for women will -be
a feature of the tourney. February
20 is the night set aside for the fair
bowlers. They will compete on "a
0 per cent handicap basis.