11 A ;
HEAVYWEIGHT PUGS ARE
LONG ON NOISE, BUT VERY,
OH, VERY SHORT ON ACTION
Ted Lewis, a Real Fighter, Gets "Stick" on Knockout Vic
tory, But Achilles-In-His-Tent Wizard Gets ,
Column When He Refuses to Fight
At All. !
SHREWD CONNIE
PULLS SMARTEST
TRICK OF WINTER
Selling Few Stars He Had Only
Way Athletic Leader Could
Have Escaped Financial
Failure.
COACH HARPER
Three Base Ball Stars Join Holdouts
RESIGNS POST j
AT NOTRE DAME
- '
Hoosier Mentor Will ' Qdit
Coaching Game to Devote
Time to Stock Raising
on Kansas Farm. ,: ,
THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: FEBRUARY 17, 1918.
0
By RINGSIDER.
Chicago, Feb. 16. Heavyweight champions, in these more
or less parlous pugilistic days, do less fighting but garner to
themselves more space in the public prints than any other class
of performers in fistiana's realm. The statement, as the forensic
headliners are wont to remark, is made without fear of, success
ful contradiction.
Take the case of Jess Willard toO
give point to the argument. If Jess
had been forced to pay at space rates
for the publicity he has received since
he sent Jack Johnson into pugilistic
oblivion and mounted the throne of
the heavyweight kingdom his circus
would have been in hock long ago.
Yet Jess has had but one champion
ship battle since he became title
holder.
Looking at the argument from the
other side of the palings, note the
case of Benjamin Leonard, whose
brow is adorned with the lightweight
crown so long worn by Freddy
Welsh. Benny, it is true, has not
been entirely overlooked by the sport
scribes and has been the subject 6f
frequent dissertations. Since he won
the title, however, Leonard has en
gaged in a score of fights of greater
or less importance, yet he has not
received one-half the publicity Big Jess
has achieved by simply lurking in his
tent and allowing a flock of chal
lengers to trail him.
Lewis Barely Mentioned.
Compared with the heavyweight
title holder, how much has been heard
of the doings of Ted Lewis, who is
generally recognized as the welter
weight champion. Lewis gets a
"stick" of type when he fights a tough
battle, while Willard gets a column
when he declines to consider an offer.
In the middleweight division there
are several title claimants, yet the
tan who would depend on current
sports news to keep track of them
finds himself unable to learn a thing
about what 'hey are doing. The ban
tamweight champion and title con
tenders also receive a most pecunious
mode of publicity in comparison with
the length and number of tales chron
icling the doings of the heavyweight
champion.
Johnny Kilbane, the king of the
featherweights, has not had a fight
since Be.iny Leonard lulled him to
sleep in three rounds, but he still
clings to his title. Unless Johnny
tights pretty soon the boxing fans
will forget him, for he is receiving
less aftention from the sport writers
than the ''Mississippi Bubble" gets in
the financial column.
'Twas Ever Thus.
The condition discussed in the pre
ceding paragraph is by no means a
new one, although the position of Jess
Willard emphasizes it. It has been
ever thus. The heavyweight, fighting
or inactive, have held the center1 of
the pugilistic spotlight.
This has been demonstrated by the
columns that have been -written about
Bob Fitzsimnjons since that gallant
old warrior passed away, and the
other columns that are now being
written about John L. Sullivan, the
greatest champion of them all, who
died early this month. .
Just why this should be so, par
ticularly at the present time, is hard
to understand. Benny Leonard or
Johnny Kilbane or Mike Gibbons or
Pete Herman or any of the headliners
of the lighter weight division can
put up a more interesting batt(e
against almost any capable opponent
than any two heavyweights in the
works.
Despite the difference in the class
of fighting exhibited, however, the
heavyweights continue to crowd the
smaller battlers out of the limelight
and to monopolize the headliner in
the sporting journals.
New Boxing Field.
Down in what is known as the Tri
City district along the Mississippi
river in Illinois and Iowa, the boxing
game is undergoing a spell of pros
perity right now that stamps that
section as one of the pugilistic cen
i ters of the middle west. Rock Island,
I Ill.j and Davenyort, la., are taking
the lead in a revival of boxing, and
some mighty good scraps are being
staged in that vicinity.
The sport in Rock Island is in the
hands of capable officials, who see
that it is run in a business-like
manner. "Babe" Meanor . runs the
shows and Jack Tighe, a.i old-time
base ball man, is one of his main
backers.
Starting at Davenport.
At Davenport the sport is just be
ginning to open up after several dor
mant years. The last show in Daven
port was in 1907 when Packey Mc
Farland and Kid Herman, a brace of
Chicago scrappers, staged a 15-round
bout. This scrap aroused the ire of
the governor to such an extent that
he ordered out the militia to stop it.
The militiamen occupied ringside
seats but did not intefere, and Cap
tain Kulp, in charge of the company,
was afterwards courtmartialed.
Ben Hutchinson, however, is run
ning a new club at Davenport that is
organized under the membership plan.
The club is said to have the backing
of the authorities and to have reached
a membership of 2,500. The first bout
put on was between Johnny Noye of
Minneapolis and Charley Scully of
Chicago, a few nights ago, and it was
successful.
The revival of boxing in the Tri
City district may eventually take
some of the Chicago patronage away
from bouts at Racine and Milwaukee,
which have been the mecca of Chicago
fight fans for many years.
Les Mann Asks Furlough
From Army Y. M. C. A. Work
Leslie Mann, outfielder of the Chi
cago Cubs, who has been doing
Young Men's Christian association
athletic work with the soldiers at
Camp Logan in Texas, has formally
applied for release from this work, so
that he can rejoin the Cubs in time
to go to California with them on the
training trip. As Mann is not an en
listed man he expects no trouble in
getting his "furlough."
AMERICAN PIN
CLASSIC. OPENS
AT CINCINNATI
Mayor Makes Address of Wel
come, After Which Sitteen
Teams Start the Ball
Rolling.
Cincinnati, O., Feb. 16,The eight
eenth annual tournament of the Amer
ican Bowling. Congress was started
here tonight when 16 five-men teams,
made up of representatives of a num
ber of diversified Cincinnati indus
tries and associations, rolled the first
balls at the Hamilton county armory.
The play tonight was but the be
ginning of a period of three weeks of
bowling, during which time expert
bowlers from many states and from
some sections of Canada will make
Cincinnati their Mecca. Previous to
the bowling tonight, Mayor John Gal
vin delivered a short address of wel
come, while AugustJlerrmann, former
president of the American Bowling
Congress, answered for the bowlers
of Cincinnati, and William Agnew, of
Cleveland, president of the congress,
responded for the bowlers in general.
Among the first sixteen teams tonight
was the Forsch club, which claims to
be the oldest bowling organization in
existence, having been active in the
game for 32 years.
The tournament is not the largest
in point of number of teams entered
hat has been conducted by the Amer
ican Bowling Congress, but it is at
tracting attention by reason of the
unusually generous response from
bowling teams everywhere, despite
war conditions. The tournament com
mittee estimates that 50,000 bowlers
have already answered the call to the
colors, and that of these fully 1,500
have at various times participated in
the tournaments of the American
Bowling Congress. Yet, despite this
great decrease in the number of eli
gible bowlers, the entries for the Cin
cinnati tournament are but little be
low. those of previous years.
Six Hundred Teams.
Particularly gratifying is the entry
list from other cities. Five hundred
and eleven such teams entered and
141 teams entered from Cincinnati,
making the grand total of five-men
teams 652. One thousand four hun
dred and ninety four pairs entered
the doubles and 3,033 entered the
singles. Prize money to the amount
of $31,003 will be awarded.
The records that the bowlers will
shoot at this year are: Five men
teams, 3,061 made by Birk brothers,
Chicago, at Grand Rapids in 1917;
two-men teams, 1,346 made by G.
Satorius and W. Holzschub of Peoria,
at Grand Rapids in 1917; singles, 711,
made by W. H. Pierce, Pueblo, at
Peoria in 1915. Highest individual
score, 300 (perfect), made by W. J.
Knox, of Philadelphia, at Toledo, in
1913; best average in nine games,
2191-9, made by Ed Herman, of
Cleveland, at Toledo, in 1913; best
average in three games, 241 1-3, made
by Harry Maggley, of Vancouver. B.
C, at St. Louis, in 1911; best high
five-men score for one game, 1,102,
made by Birk brothers of Chicago, at
Grand Rapids, in 1917; national
championship in all events, 1,972, by
Ed Herman, of Cleveland, at Toledo,
in 1917.
Three Seek Tourney.
St. Louis, Detroit and Toledo are
the principal contestants for the 1919
tournament. The session of the dele
gates of the congress will be held
from February 20 to 22 and this will
be followed on February 23 by a
meeting of the delegates to the
United States Relief association for
formal organization.
Directly following the tournament
of the American Bowling Congress
the woman's National Bowling as
sociation will hold a two-day cham
pionship tournament with 32 teams
from a number of cities entered.
There also will be about 60 two-women
teams and more than 100 in
dividual contestants.
Former Golf Champ is
Lieutenant at Camp Dodge
Robert A. Gardner, intercollegiate
pole vault champion of America in
1912 and national amateur golf cham
pion in 1915, is a lieutenant in the
338th field artillery at Camp Dodge.
"Bob" Gardner began his athletic
career as a pole vaulter at Yale. In
1912 he cleared the bar at 13 feet 1
inch in a field meet at Philadelphia.
That mark was beaten a week later
when Mark S. Wright went 13 feet
24 inches in a meet at Cambridge,
Mass.
' Gardner is a member of the Hins
dale Golf club at Clarendon Hills, 111.
He won the national amateur cham
pionship in 1915 on the course of the
Detroit -Country club from a field of
138 entries, defeating J. G. Anderson
in the finals 5 up and 4 to play.
As an added attraction that year
Gardner, paired with Chick Evans,
played an 18-hole match against Jerry
Trayers and Francis Ouimet. Gard
ner and Evans won, 2 up.
McFarland is Candidate
For Commission in Army
Packey McFarland, the noted Chi
cago boxer, wants to become a com
missioned officer in the army instead
of a boxing instructor at Camp Tay
lor. McFarland is anxious to see serv
ice in France and is soon to be ex
amined for a commission.
Three of the biggest stars in the
major leagues have joined the 1918
holdouts. The salary question is the
main reason the boys are holding out,
although Alexander also demands a
bonus of $10,000 for signing "with the
Cubs. Lee Magee, traded to the St.
Louis Browns by the Yankees, is
being panned for a fare-thee-well by
St. Louis fans because he is backward
about signing a contract with the
Browns calling for a salary of ap
proximately $3,000. This is a cut of
more than $5,000 from the amount
Magee received with the Brooklyn
REILLY WANTS
SERVICE STARS
IN KAYSEE MEET
Kansas City, Feb. 16. Dr. J. A.
Reilly, physical director of the Kan
sas City Athletic club, recently left
for Camp Funston, Kan., cantonment
of the 89th division of the national
army, to confer with Captain Paul
Withington, director of the intra
mural sports at that camp and to try
to induce the authorities there to
send a big team of track athlefs to
compete in the annual indoor track
and field meet of the Young Men
Christian association to be held in
Convention hall here March 2.
Dr. Reilly is also trying to induce
the authorities at Camp Grant, 111.,
to issue a furlough to Jo G. Loomis,
famous sprinter and former repre
sentative of the Chicago Athletic as
sociation. Loomis enlisted as a pri
vate shortly after returning from
France, where he served as ambu
lance driver for about six months on
the Verdun front. Dr. Reilly plans
to match Loomis with Mahl, the best
sprinter of St. Louis.
The athletic director of the local
association is also negotiating with
authorities at the Great Lakes naval
training station in an effort to induce
them to enter a team of star athletes
in the local meet. He is also consider
ing the possibility of a match be
tween track teams of Camp Funston
and Camp Dodge, la., as an added
feature of . the Kansas City Athletic
club carnivah
Famous Stars to Represent
Navy in Detroit Tank Meet
Great Lakes, 111., Feb. 16. Perry Mc
Gillvary and "Buddy" Wallen, two
of the country's leading natators, will
sport the blue of the Great Lakes
Naval Training station in Detroit
February 22 when the Detroit Ath
letic club stages the 100, 220 and 150
yard back stroke events in the Cen
tral Amateur Athletic union swim
ming championships. There is every
indication that the jackies may add
10 points to their total in the cen
tral standing. They are now ranked
behind the Chicago Athletic asso
ciation and Illinois Athletic club,
with 13.
McGillivray, who holds several rec
ords, will perform in the 100-yard
swim and the 150-yard back stroke.
He has few equals at the hundred
and also ranks with the leaders in
the other event. Wallen is Chicago's
long distance swim' champion. For
the last two years he has won the
Chicago river marathon from pad
dling stars of the middle west. He
is carded to perform in the 100 and
220.
The men will be accompanied by
Yeoman Harry Hazelburst, who
coached the water team of the Ham
ilton club of Chicago before he en
listed. He is in charge of swimming
classes at Great Lakes.
Herman Laubis, formerly of the
Missouri Athletic club of St. Louis,
will compete if the quarantine is
lifted on his barracks in time. Lau
bis is known for his accomplishments
in the Mississippi river marathon.
Rudolph in Class Four;
Wife and Two Children
The Boston National League club
sent out inquiries to all its players
after the fashion of the army ques
tionnaire. Dick Rudolph was among
the first to answer. He stated his
home address as West Nyack, N. Y.,
business raising chickens for market,
and that he had been placed in class
four for the draft because of wife and
two children dependent on him.
Woman Swimming Champ Is
Made Coach at California
Pretty Ruth Wayson Stacker,
champion woman swimmer of the
Hawaiian islands, has been appointed
swimming coach for the University of
California. Miss Stacker holds the
record in Hawaii for the 30, 50, 100
and 440-yard swims, and is also the
holder of the American record for 30
Federals, the Yankees, and last year
with the Browns, who carried over
the Yankee contract. There is no rea
son why Magee should accept a $5,000
cut in salary, and probably he will
not, although the season of 1917 was
a poor one for the former Fed star,
Magee has saved and invested his
money wisely, and will no doubt re
tire from the game before he accepts
the cut.
Grover Cleveland Alexander, who
figured recently in the sensational
deal between the Chicago Cubs and
the Phillies, joined the holdouts early.
Alex declared that if he plays with the
HARVARD ALONE
STANDS AGAINST
WARTIMESP0RT
Dean Briggs' Assertion About
Athletics Needs Explanation,
in View of Other Stands
Taken.
Harvard will foster no more inter
collegiate athletics until the war ends
because it does not "believe in any di
vided allegiance between preparations
for war and athletics."
The United States naval .academy,
having nothing to do except to "pre
pare men to become officers in the
navy," plans a wider campaign of
sports for the coming year.
The United States military acad
emy, training young men to lead Am
erican soldiers, makes no cut in its
sport curriculum. It continues to
find time for athletics and to fit teams
for competition against strong foes.
Thomas B. Appleget, secretary of
the publicity committee of Brown uni
versity, in announcing the 1918 foot
ball schedule for the Brunonians,
says: "Brown university, in keeping
with the wishes of the government,
has decided to continue athletics as
a valuable part of physical prepared
ness, in spite of the fact that the ath
letic season of the academic year 1917
18 alone will result in a loss of $10,
000." Dean LeBaron Briggs of Harvard
lays stress on the fact that a large
majority of Cambridge athletes have
enlisted or are "preparing to enlist."
Friend Appleget says: "Practically
every athlete of any prominence at
the university has enlisted. Places on
the various teams are given to as
large a number of men as possible,
most of whom are without previous
experience. Brown believes that the
bei efits of wartime athletics should
be open to all able-bodied students,"
Somehow or other, Dean Briggs'
statement seems to need a postscript
telling the real reason for Harvard's
abolishing athletics during the war.
0'Dowd-Greb Ring GO is
Expected to Draw $15,000
St. Paul, Minn., Feb. 16. Promot
ers of the ten-round battle between
Harry Greb, the Pittsburgh middle
weight, and Mike O'Dowd, claimant
of the championship, to be decided
here February 25, expect the contest
will draw close to $15,000. The match
will be staged at night.
It probably will be the last big
match for the boxers, as they are
slated to join the army in the next
call. Although O'Dowd has received
no official word, members of the
draft board have assured him that
he will be among those who arc or
dered to Camp Dndge between Feb
ruary 23 and 28. Greb will return
to Pittsburgh after the contest to
await the decision of the draft
board.
Opportunity to Serve
Occasion for Gladness
In a letter to the parishioners of
Trinity cathedral Dean J. O. Tancock
notes his full appreciation of his
seven years' stay among thenr and
says concerning his departure for
France with the Nebraska base hos
pital unit: ,
"I want to tell you how very glad
I am of this opportunity of going to
France in the service of my country
my country in a threefold sense
England is my birthplace, Canada my
boyhood's home and the United
States of America is the land of my
adoption, hence you see how proud I
am that in this opportunity I am
serving our people the great English-speaking
race."
Holke Gets $1,000 Hike
In Pay Check by Muggsy
First Baseman Walter Holke of the
New York Giants was one player who
got a big boost in salary from his
club for this year. It was based on
the good work he did in his first full
season, for John McGraw is not the
manager who fails to recognize the
worth of a player to his team. Holke's
increase is said to have been an even
; 1,000 over hu 'J7 contract.
Chicago team next season he must be
paid a salary of $12,000 a year and a
bonus of $10,000 for signing. If the
former Phillie star is successful in
getting the salary and bonus he and
his battery mate, Killifer, will have
cost President Weeghman of the
Cubs close to $100,000.
Roger Hornsby, star shortstop of
the St. Louis Cardinals, demands a
salary of $10,000 a year. Hornsby
was the first holdout of the year. At
the close of the last season he in
formed the management of the Car
dinals that he would not play in 1918
unless he received the increase.
Camp Upton Officers Must
Receive Boxing Instruction
Attendance at boxing at Camp Up
ton, Yaphank, N. Y., to which officers
and noncommissioned officers have
been assigned, has been made com
pulsory in an order issued by the
camp commander, according to report
made to the War department commis
sion on training camp activities by
Captain Frank Click, athletic director
at the camp. Officers from the four
infantry regiments stationed at the
camp have been detailed to receive
instruction.
Plank Has Pitched to
More Than 50,000 Batters
During the 17 years that Eddie
Plank, the veteran southpaw, has been
"putting 'em over" he. has face! 51,
874 batsmen. They made 3,874
hits of of his offerings for a com
bined batting average of .243. Plank
leads all lefthanders in the history of
the game in the amount of work he
has done and in effectiveness. In
only five games during his entire ca
reer was he touched up for runs that
ran into double figures.
Ever "Shop" for
Shirt Comfort?
I f not, it's well worth trying. Because there is such a thing as true shirt comfort'1
and it can be bought!
The shirt you have on now does it feel "pully" across the shoulders? Do
you feel like your collar was too high ?
Yes. Then you were more interested in buying just a shirt than in buying real
comfort plus a shirt, when you paid for the garment you now have on.
Beau Brummel Shirts
snap with style of course. The patterns are bright and "nifty" and every .
little detail is just right for appearance. That is to be expected certainly. .
But that unseen thing real comfort is built into these shirts. You cannot
see it but you can feel it, the moment you put one on your back.
Come here and buy one Beau Brummel Shirt just one. Wear it get the feel
of a really perfect fitting shirt. Then decide whether you want "just a shirt"
or another Beau Brummel.
BurgesstNash Gomr&ny:
"EVERYBODY STORE"
By JACK VEIOCK.
New York, Feb. 16. Is Connie
Mack the wise bird, after all?
Did he pull off a smart piece of
business base ball when he sold the
last of his stars?
In Philadelphia the bugs have been
slinging anvils at Connie ever since
he let Bush, Schang, Strunk and Mc
Innis get away. The scribes have
been predicting that Mack's team will
play to more empty seats this season
than any niAjor league club in his
tory. Other base ball critics have
said this and that, and there hasn't
been a bouquet in the whole wave of
comment.
But a well-versed base ball man,
who knows practically all there is to
know about the business end of a ball
club, remarked recently that Mack
pulled the wisest stuff that has been
pulled all winter. Why? Well, here
are a few reasons.
Unpopular Anyway. '
In the first place the Athletics
have been unpopular in Philly ever
since they started to decline. They
have not drawn flies, and Mack has
not made any money at home.
In the second place several of the
stars Mack sold were dissatisfied
with conditions and demanded much
larger salaries than he could rightly
afford to play.
Again the Mackmen lost seven or
eight players to the various branches
of the service, and Mack saw eighth
place staring him in the face thjs
year with little or no chance to finish
a bit higher.
Sees Chance to Win.
Mack got to figuring, very likely,
that he would do well to get rid of
his dissatisfied players while he could
command a big market price for them.
He saw a chance to clean up, in one
deal, practically twice as much money
as he stood to lose on the season. .
With no rent to pay at Shibe park,
overhead expenses small and the
chance to hold a young ball club to
salaries averaging $3,000, Mack saw
a chance to make some money on the
year through player sales, and he
took it.
Even with the stars he disposed of
Mack could not have built up a win
ner. Base batl men in general agree
to this. And if some other teams in
the American league have good years
he stands a chance to make a , little
dough on the road. Figuring that he
would lose money at home, Mack
probably had a hunch that he could
break nearly even on the season's
business and have what he got for
his stars in reserve.
Should he break even this year he
will have that trusty $60,000 intact.
Not a bad year, what?
Advance Price of Newspapers.
Rochester, N. Y., Feb. 16. "Roches
ter's three afternoon newspapers, the
Post-Exprtfss, Union and Advertiser,
and Evening Times, today announced
an advance in price to 2 cents, ef
fective Monday.
Every Beau Bnunmd Shirt Hat The Features
Notre Dame, Ind., Feb. 16.t Pr.f stf
dent Dr. John Cavanaugh "of Nqtra
Dame has announced the resignation
of Athletic Director Jesse C. Harper, ,
to take effect with the completion of
athletic schedules arranged for the
present scholastic year. ... ::':
Last March Coach Harper signed a-
contract binding him to supervise ath'r j,
letics at Notre Dame until the spfi,nfj
of 1920, but that agreement has-been'1'
mutually annulled to allow him to.aoJ! "
cept a more atfractive business prppo-i?,
sition. He has purchased half interes
in a eattle ranch in western Kansas, .
and with the closing of school in Jtrn'e1-
will devote his entire time. to stoctf''
raising. i.
Will Quit Coaching. , T :
Harper is leaving the coachjngjr
ganie for gobd, and of his owrt yoiif
tion. He has been desiring to seur-j
his release at Notre Damei since.'ljis
return from Kansas, where' he' sSnt ?
three months last summer,; biit He
Notre Dame faculty, thbugh not w1sh-
ing to stand in his way, has been wfffl
to surrender hi j. valuable services.'. '
It was thought for a time" : Rarp'V ' '
mignt oe induced' to return to xvptre;3
Dame each fall during the 'foot
t.'M'P
season, but that plan did
feasible, because September, October',,,
and November are the busiest motions'
of the year in the business Hafpe
is about to undertake. Coach Harper
expresses deep regret at leaving Njptrti
Dame. He said: - , ia '-jii'j
"I regret very much that I find iibjrt
advisable to resign my position as;di-.ae
rector oi athletics at Notre Dareku"!
Never have I had ?uch pleasant a4S ,-.,
qiations, and if I were to con,t.inueinirI)
athletic work I would rather be. cpsjfiod
nected with the, Universjty. of .iqtj0
Dame than with any universjtjfT j,tfa
know of. ,. ' '! -jt'otO
Hesitated to Leave Nptre Dame,
"Even though I have an, unusually o
good opportunity to go into';the ca$if,ns
business, a business I have beentft-vj-j
terested in for the last "six- year'tit
took me some time to mak.e upgnyttr
mind to ask the university to releaes'tj
me from my contract, which ruiis. ftitrij
til 1920." .,: ; :ff
Harper has already arranged art-ung
posing foot ball schedule. fqr nextlfrA
By the time he leaves in June he wllji.:
have everything in readiness for hjsfn
successor next September. No
has been chosen by the Notre Daiugon
authorities to take his place. . "
Big Three to Resume Sport
Activities is Forecasted
New Haven, Conn., Feb. 16. Re
sumption of intercollegiate -PttrtSH
was forecasted tonight at the end of
a conference held here.betVeen Dean
Briggs of Harvard, Dean McLenabaq
of Princeton and Professor Corwij)r.y
who represents the Yatc fatuity '.,v.
sports. It was reported that the sejri&ef
of the conference I was favorable, lo;)
intercollegiate sports on a simple aim, .
inexpensive scale.
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