Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, December 26, 1915, Page 35

HAPPEN TO QIT OUT TOMNIGHT- Judgments HILE the merry magnates are patting themselves upon the back, congreatulating them- selves that competition is no more and harkening in their dreams to the sweet and musical click of the turnstile, Mr. A. Fan, the moat important figure In basc ball, appears in the center of the stage and indulges in a little Christmas joy for himself. For the fan can foresee an improvement in the brand of basc ball which will be served him when balmy and gentle April comes around. Federal league players -into Organized Base Ball should, and mn all probability will, result in a vast improvement in the playing. - And that improvement should occur all along the line rrom the r to the class D minor loops. In the first Diace the major league clubs will be plrengthened by the addition of the Fed- eral league stars to their ranks. Fol lowing this those players who last sea- #on held down jobs in the the Keds, but will no ve quite fast| enough to hold their own with the| smalier number of positions to fill, will drop to the class AA circuits. In turn the weaker members of the class AA cir- cuits will be passed along to the class A loops and so on. Thus all of the circuits will obtain players of more promounced abllity than they had last year. In the | second place the brand of ball should im- | prove because the players will be called upon to exert themselves to their utmost to hold their jobs. Players who loat and Play horse—a practice very prevalent last Year—will find themselves parted from their jobs because the magnates are now in a position to discipline such pursuits. All in all, peace bids well to act as a successful tonic for professional base ball. Since the advent of the Federal league and the subsequent battle of the dollars between the warring magnates the heads of Organized Base Ball were severely criticised for permitting financial mat- | ters to enter too largely in the business of base ball. But out of the confusion of the last week looms a clear testimonlal that sportsmanship and loyalty is a vir- tue possessed by American league club owners. That is the decision of the league to stand by Charley Somers in that mag- nate's time of need. Mr. Somers may yet be compelled to give up his ball club the committee of bankers that has hifn in its power insists, but there Is this satisfaction that his fellow club owners will make every effort to put him back on his feet as far as his base ball inter- | ests are concerned. Truly, it is only| right that the Américan league should stand by Somers, for it was Somers who, without the slightest hesitation, spent a | fortune to assist other club owners and | enabled many a faltering club to weather | the atorm, but It must be admitted there | appears-to be some regard for falthful- mess and loyalty among the American leaguers. Lincoln'tes appear to be filled with a fecling of apprehension regarding the future duccess of the University of Ne- braska foot ball team because Jumbo Stichm is leaving 1he institution. It ap- bears to us the Lincolnites are yelling | “woll" beforc they are hurt. Without casting any reflections on the ability of r. Stienm it would seem a very compe- tent woach to succeed him could be curlly obtained. If Mr. Stiehm's succes- | sor is as fortunate In getting material | a8 Stiehm has been during his five years of service at Nebraska, little fear | need be felt, for even an ordnary coach | could turn out championship elevens with men like Owen and Ernie Frank, Jerry Warner, Shonka, Vic emrh Potter, Dick Chamberlain to build an attack around. When the detalls of the peace treaty were published no mention of the sum Harry Sinclair was to receive was made and it looked like the ol magnate was left outside the fold. But now it seems Mr. Sinclair owns all the stars of the Federal league and will gather in his bit by placing them on the auction ulock. Mr. Gaffney of Boston says the solu- tion to the umpire question Is to schedule the umps at the start of the year just as the clubs are scheduled, and then make them st'ck to the schedule. Perhaps, but it would seem a more suc- cessful solution would be to employ some real umpires. Jack Holland will not desert the West- ern league in its time of need. The St Joseph magnate will remain with the Drummers instead of going to Kansas City. The Western probably woula not exist if Holland should transfer hig af- fections. The Browns and Cubs, according to the peace agreergent, can carry s Ay ag fjfty athletes If they so wish. This ap- rs Lo be a gross injusti How can the Browns and Cubs get along with only fifty players? Wics#ta declarés it will have a bet- ter season next year than#ast. If that is true Wichita will about lead the league in attendance next year, The entrance of the | majors and | Hulligan, | Rutherford and Guy | I DIDNT GO HOME FER SUPPER - SENT MAGGIE A NOTE SAYIN' I WOZ \NVITED OUT TO DINE ! YANKS TO TRAIN AT MACON New York Club Will Go to Georgia | Camp Which Has Turned Out Many Champ Nines, | WEATHER IS THE BEST EVER Unable to secure accommodations in Florida, the Yanks have decided to train next spring at Macon, Ga., whence so many world’s champlon teams have started thelr conquering careers that a loser is not permitted to play a return engagement Famous ax Training Center. It was at Macon that the Athletics pre- | pared for two of their most successful seasons; at Macon that George Stallings whipped the Braves into shape for the 1914 campaign; at Macon that Stallings trained the Yankees of 1910, the only Yankee outfit snce the Griffith regim which had even an outside chance to win an American leaguo pennant Stallings = passing up Macon next spring In favor of Miami, but only be- cause the Boston club has been offered such financial Inducements to train in Florida. He still considers Ma€on the most desirable spring rendezvous in the country, not only because of the rare sa- lubriousness of its weather during the conditioning period, but because of its splendid strategic position. A club training at Macon next spring will be too far removed from the Florida ities to indulge in any interleague series against the Dodgers, the Cuba, the Phil- les or the Braves, but in every other re- spect will be far more advantaxeously situated than if it were in almost any other city in the southeast. | Atlanta, for Instance, with its Southern Teague club, {8 only two hours away: Columbus, Ga., and Athens, where the University of Georgia develops a very fair ball team each vear, are equally easy of access. And when it comes time to break camp there is a choice of two fine routes back to the north. Probable Path Outlined. One would lead through the same terri- tory covered by the Yanks last spring; years. Following the laiter trafl, the Yanks would play at Atlanta, Birming- ham, Chattanooga and Knoxville before striking over to Richmond and Baltimore, to say nothing of a number of smaller towns which see majcr league clubs so seldom that they probably would richly reward any stray visitor. There is rea- son to believe that this is the path the club will take. Major league managers never have spoken save in praise of Macon's weather, but heretofore the town has not been a popular one in base ball circles because of a depressing lack of good hotels. With- in the last year, however, a modern hos- telry, twelve stories high, with Turkish baths and steam rooms and all that sort of thing, has been erected, and there the Yanks will be quartered during the month they probably will spend in Macon. Moran and Dahlen and Bransfield to Be Made Umpires It has been reported from time to time by such recognized authorities as John Evers, H. Zimmerman and J. J. Me- Graw that the Natlonal league umpiring could be improved upon. Now comes news that President John K. Tener of the National league has taken up the im- portant task of bolstering up that de- partment of his organization. Mr. satisfaction that he regarded the applica- tions of Charley Moran, former St. Louls National league catcher; Kitty Bransfleld, for many years a star first baseman, and Bill Dahlen, former leader of the Brook- Iyn Nationals. center of National league training activ- | the other through Southern league coun- | try, which the Yanks have not tapped in | Tener indicated that it was with | Copy! 4 News P 5. Patent Office. DUDE -JONES INDISTED ON ME .9 SHE'LL DELIE REFEREE 6OES IN FOR ART Charley White Judges Prize Fights and Then Goes Out to Collect 0ld Masters. | R ALSO DIPS INTO POLITICS All three of them had ringside seats | at a recent fight in New York. One, & born New Yorker, had brought the man from Herkimer county and the other from the fashionable section of Fifth avenue as his guests to a boxing club. Nelther of | the visitors had ever witnessed a boxing | match, | When the main bout was announced the man from Fifth avenue evinced an un- usal Interest in the refree. | “What is this to be—some sort of & | foke?" he asked of his ho | “Joke; what do you mean— “Why the referee.” he sald. | a regular referee. He ian't the same man that was refereeing a while ago. 1 know | that fellow. He's my art commissioner— bought most of my collection for me.” | “No," spoke up the man from Herki- | mer. “You must be wrong. I know that man is not a referee, but he lsn't an art | agent, either. He's the member of the democratic state committee who makes a | visit up to our country every summer on political business. 1've seen him there | lots of times. | “You fellows must be blinded by the smoke,” laughed the host. “That's Char- ley White, the best known boxing referee | | in America. He is not an art commis- | stoner and he 1s not the politician that | goes to Herkimer." “If you don’'t think he is,” the guests spoke up in unison, “you can win a little supper from ui Who Loses Bett Through the ald of a newspaper man the trio met Charley White after the bout was over and they are still in doubt as to who shall pay for the meal. Charley White s not only the best | known referee in this country and the cnly American who ever refereed at the National Sporting club in London, but he is also an active worker for the demo- cratic state committee and is one of the best judges of pictures in New York. “You didn’t think 1 made my living out of refereeing?’ he asked the man who had never known him in his other roles. “There was a time when it might have been all right, but I would hate to depend upon the refereeing of boxing matches nowadays for my livelihood.” At an art exhibition there is nothing all the technical thoroughness of a Eu- ropean critic. Among those who know, it is said that Charley White is one of the best appraisers of paintings, both as to financial and artistic worth, in this coun- try. He has acted as the purchasing agent for the greater part of many of the best Individual collections in New York. | Any time there is a sale of fine paintings you can rest assured that Charley White will be present. If there is a bargsin in sight some big collector will reap the benefit of his astuteness. He gets a com- mission for making these purchases and occasionally he steps out and buys an old master on his own hook for speculative purposes. HERZOG WINS ONE FIGHT FROM CINCY DIRECTORS Buck Herzog seems to have won one point in his content! ns with the board of directors—the number of exhibition games to be played by the Reds between Alex- andria and Cincinnati has been cut down almost to nothing, so far as wandering jumps and performances on horrible grounds are concerned. The club is to play where college team at Lafayette, | La., is place where there is an excellent | tield, sojourn a few days in New Orleans, and, when stopping off at Memphis for & cup of coffee take on the Memphians. How Steve Evans squelched a windy | politiclan at a banquet and made base | ball the order of the evening is told in & story by Ed Konetchy. Evans was visit- | ing Koney at the latter's home in Wis- consin along with other ball players and | the diamond athletes were invited to & banquet given by some lodge or order. Though the ball players were the prin- cipal curiosities, & state senator, who was a candidate for governor, was the prin- cipal speaker, He was wound up and | stayed on his feet so long that every- body almost went to sleep. When the senator sat down the poli- tical {ssue was canned and the toastmas- ter invited Steve to talk base ball. He began by relating some yarns of the world tour. Finally he pulled that one about Jim Thorpe grabbing the Panama off an Englishman's head and running tor a touchdown. The senator was peeved because the limelight had been switched away from him and at this point he Interrupted Steve with a remark calculated to make the oulflelder sit down. |Steve Evans Show# How to Put Skids Under Windy Politicians Steve never batted an eye. He glanced at the senator, took a long drink of water from the speakers' table, smiled at the interrupter and said | "“This affair reminds me of a story about Bunny Hearn, one of McGraw's pitchers on the trip around the world Bunny s a left-hander and a deliberate speaker. From the day that McGraw backed him into his first dress sult he was the soclal feature of the trip. “We were In San Franclsco and were invited to a banquet tendered by some Frisco highbrows. 1 asked Hearn was he going, but he was cagey. We had been playing a lot of banquets, where we were invited simply to exploig some local cele- brity, “ll go If I's & regular feed,” sald Bunny, ‘but I'll be dinged if I'l g0 to one of them places where they lnvite you to boost thelr own game, learn you to like olives and eat with yer fork for the privilege of having ‘em talk you to death for three hours.’ " Then Evens winked at the boys and sat down. The senator ‘stayed put’ dur- ing the remainder of the evening., ht, 1915, International rvice. Registered U. | DAID THAT EMPTY- HEADED SOCIETY DININ' ATHIS HOUSE - [ suggestive of the prize ring about him | and he discusses the various pictures with | HERE'S DE SADDIETY " GENT NOW! < L VE Tow Cowler, the English heavywelght ( and protege of Jim Corbett, after a few disastrous encounters in the ring, is still pegging away and is matched for sev- | eral bouts with some of the leading big men. Cowler's record so far shows twenty knockouts in thirty-two fights and of these nineteen were in succession fol- lowing his fifteen-round win over Bob Scanlon in London. | DAY - | DENT ANOTE YO ME WIFE DAYIN' | WUZ COIN' TO EAT AT YOUR HOUSE ! e O Moran and Gunboat Smith both hold decisions over Cowler, who fought In Australia after leaving England and finally drifted to Canada and then to Tacoma, where Jim Corbett took him under his wing. In Australia Cowler ne- cured three knockouts to his credit. In his first fights in New York Cowler did not show to advantage, but he has been coming on lately, and if the statement that he Is but 23 years of age Is true he has a brilllant future before him. FOOT BALL PAYS FOR THORPE Indian Jim Charges $250 a Game and Plays Regularly on Satur- days and Sundays. HAS NEVER SUFFERED INJURY While a number of major league base | ball players were picking up extra pi money in barnstorming exhibitions since | the scason's close, Jim Thorpe selected | professional foot ball as a means for | the enlarging of his bank-roll. This fsn't surprising, for in his Carlisle days, Thorpe was one of the best gridiron artists in the game. | Big Pay for Services, Two hundred and fifty dollars per game has been Thorpe's fixed price, and he has been getting it in Saturday and Sun day games through Ohlo and Indiana. which are about the only states in which | professional foot ball proves really profit able. Never Been Hurt. Foot ball generally Is counted much | rougher and more dangerous than base ball, but Thorpe has escaped without a sprain, much less a fracture, whereas Mollwitz, Cincinnati's first baseman | suftering from a broken collar bone | tatned in a barnstorming base ball game made the break more serious. GRIF AND GERMANY HAVE FUSS AND SPEAKETH NOT Clark Griffith and Herman Schaefer | triends of years, have fallen out. Griff let Schaefer go to enlist as pleased his tancy and the German jolned the Feds That was all right, so 1ong as he got some of Binclair's easy money, but the | other day Schaefer told a story about Afnsmith and Gandil getting the worst of | it from Griffin and about how they were going to jump to the Federal league It made Griffith sore and the two are triends no longer. Busch is Candldate, Henry Busch. who managed Petersburg in the Virginia league for a time last sea- son, is a candidate for the job of man- aging the Terre Haute Central league Lean. | braska, at Versallles, Ky The fact that the “set” jarred loose while Moliwitz was on his way home to Milwaukee, following the aceident, | Americus Says Few Words Regarding a Certain J. Stecher Americus of Baltimore, M., one of the best heavyweight wrestlers in the mat game, who was defeated decisively by Joe Stecher, the rising young star from Ne- thinks that Stecher will defeat Goteh if the champlon emerges from re- tirement to mest the Bohemian heavy- welght grappler, My adviee to wrestlers when they expect to go against Stecher,”” sald Amer- feus after bis fll-fated mateh,” is to train heroically. Fven herole training may not bring them victory, but it will give them a chance to leave the ring all in one plece. 1 have wrestled with Gotch on | numerous occasions, but the former champion never gave me the rough treat- ment that Stecher did. This young man carries the most powerful hands of any athlete in the world, and when he takes hold—if his opponent ls not trained for the occasion—something is going to break. 1 was soft when I met him, and I will say right now that If it is ever my for- tune—or misfortune~to meet him again 1 will be as hard as nails and well sup- | plled with accident policies Hardy Quits Waco. A statement comes from Waco den that Ellis Hardy has sizned with to lead the Texas league champlons. | ous and therefore more ensily eradicated, PAYOR NUSBERING GRID MEN | Leading Foot B;u Men of the East Approve of System to Number Players, ARE AID TO THE SPECTATORS One by one the leaders in foot ball throughout the country are reallzing that the numbering of foot ball players la a perfectly logical result of the develop- ment of the game. Few of the blg ool leges still hold out mgainst the practice, among them being Yale and Harvard. Princeton, Penn, Cornell and the western | colleges are all using this method of making the game more attractive to the spectators. Below will be found the opin fons of many of the leading former play- ers and some coaches, among them a tar group of Harvard and Yale men who heartily favor the numbering. This can be taken as an Indication that these two colleges will soon fall into line: By Kdgar N. Wrightington, Harvard Captain of 18061 approve of the aystem of numbering players. It makes the game much more interesting to the spec. tators. 1f we are going to build big bowls and stadia and have elaborate coreboard information, all for the bene- It of the apectators, why not make the system complete and identify the players accurately, ‘we can meé what they are doing. I!{ Danis] J. Hurley, Harvard Captain of 14 and 1806—"“The innovation of num- berng players during the foot ball con- tests will A great help to the game, This Innovation makes errors more obvi- Hy this means the player, the team will be improved." By Hamilton Fsh, Harvard Captain of 1909--"T belleve it pleases the spectators and consequently 1 look on it favorabiy. Certainly the numbering of the players does no, harm Lo the game so far as 1 o play and iy, L. Wendell, Harvard Captain of 1912—"1 heartlly concur with the theory that the public is entitled to identify foot bail players. The colossal size of modern nd mere mlrl?- friend: B{ Charles Brickley, Harvard Captain of 1914—"Personally I am heartily In fa- yor, of numbering players. because this feature has proved of vast benefit to spectators in understanding what s go- Ing_on and who actually is doing the work. The option should be vested In each coach and captain as to their use.’ By Vincent Btevenson, Former Great Penn Quarterback—"T believe that we owe It Lo the spectators to provide some such means of ldentifying players on the ridiron. 1 know of & dosen good reasons 'or numberin not one real Argu- ment against By Charles Gould, Yale Captain of 1901~ “As there are no reasons whatever why players should not be numberea, and at east one good reason why they should be numbered—namely, that of making it pos- sible for spectators to follow not nnly the play,, but the individual—T strongly favor ts adoption.” By 8. F. B. Morse, Yale Captain of 1906 “Do_not see any possible objection to ers. Do not feel com- in the matter, as I have not seen a foot ball game for nine yea Offhand it would -etB| to _me a col veniece to spectators. Do not understand how it could affect players in any man- ner." By Fred Daly, Yale Captain of 19101 am in favor of numbering players, since it affordg so much pleasure to s e, 1 _have n °£P°M to It because of _el;lphu%- ol;' lnld vidual gutud dm " e rule shoul ayers m numbered, instead of recom that players be numbered, as in the present code of rules By Coach Rush of Princeton—'"The days those who ca: to # along the side the players. the game could stand and easily distinguish the huge stadiume of the lines With resent day it is very desirable to have bered for the benefit of the public By Coach Metealf of Columbia Univer- sity—"1 believe strongly In the numbe h andpoint of its eay, ptain Penn Team of means number the D‘l('l’i. It is certainly no detriment to the team and a source of great satisfaction to the people whose patronage makes the game possible. By Ad Kelly, Former Great Princeton Back—'"“The principal reason why the system should be adopted is because so many persons attend the games who. do not ‘(nr-w the players and have to have them pointed out. If the players are | numbered these persons can identify each | man on the field merely by looking at | the numbers on thelr programs. By Tom Tho'x. Columbia’s Former Great Tackle—"The colleges should meet the public demand for sy stem d adopt it. I officlate at many games and find It easler to settle contes ints and to fix in my mind the players eligible to recet lorv-n:dpu- when the num- bering system ” By Carl Flande Former Yale Star— | “The numbering system adds to the en- poyment of the game from the spectators rtandpoint, At first 1 was opposed to the system, but | see now that it is a ood thing. 1 look for the numbers my- self, which 1 guess is a preity good test | of my feelings on the question. Tigers at Kay See, The Detroit club has booked exhibition dates for Kansas City on April 8 % and 10. I;i inisters keérganize Volley Ball League Started Last Year The Ministers' Volley Ball league has| 8o last Monday Mr been reorganized at the Young Men's Christian assoclation and every Monday | afterncon during the ymainder of the winter will find the “Y" volley ball courts occupled by a dogen or two ef ©Omaha's most prominent ministers. The league was organized last year by Rev, Titus Lowe of the First Methodlst church and Rev. Charles Cobbey of the First Christian church, These ministers induced about twenty of their colleagues to take up the sport last year and when spring came around every man who took up the game was enthusiastic about it } Lowe announeod reorganized an the league would be OH! YAD = | WAS JUST QOING TO TELL YOU - My . WIFE AND | WERE AT YOUR HOUSE WHEN YOUR NOTE CAME - pronte the ministers dug up thelr old | sym suits and started to work. It is expected that thirty and perhaps forty will enter the Monday afternoon lesguc this year. In addition to Mr. Lowe and Mr. Cob- bey, Rev. George L, Peters of the North #ide Christian church, Rev. Hugh B. Bpeer of the Central United Presbyto- rian church and A. C. Dougles of the irst United Presbyterian church o ministers who were on hand for the first meeting of the league last year and weve back on the job this year, 'HEROES OF SPORT IN WAR Big Conflict in Europe Draws Many of World's Leading Figures of Sport in Net. CARPENTIER IS DECORATED The Buropean war has cut ifl heavily on the realm of sport, drawing men prom- inent in athletica, automobiling, boxins. wrestling, hockey, tennis, aviation, base ball and golt from their chosen fields to the trenches or some other fleld of the International strife. Scores of notables already have fallen. Hundreds remain with the fighting forces. Among the present and former day greata of the boxing realm now on duty | with the allies are Georges Carpentler, heavyweight champion of France; Bom- bardier Wells of England, Jack Munroe of Canada and Jimmy Britt, former American lightweight champlon. Word comes from Paris to the effect that Car- pentler, who {s attached to the French aviation corps, has been decorated with the military cross for daring work in an aeroplane. rpentier is Decorats Carpentler joined the French army at the outbreak of war and has since been in the thickest of the fighting. At one time he was .n the signal service, and twice had his apparatus blown away by German shells. Munroe, who &prung a surprise on Jim Jeffries in & four-round combat, lost a hand recently in battle. writt, whiie filling a vaudevills engage- ment in Bydney, got the war spirit, cn- Iisted with an Australian detachment and last reports had him in the fleid along the Dardanelles. Speed kings of the automoblle speed- way headed by Rene Thomas, a derby winner on the .adianapolis oval, and Jean rorporato, who finished among the lead- ers in the B00-mile grind at Maywood mst June, have returned to the colors. roremost among the flyers now battling Jor his country is Jules Vedrines, who has appeared in sero meets In Chicago. The call to arms sounded the disband- ment of the famous Victoria seven, cham- Jlons of the Ontario Hockey assoclation. Captain Jack Gooch has recelved a com- mission as lleutenant in the Canadiaa ield battery and is on his way to the .ront. Hugh Aird, the sensationel wing, ons jolned the Royal naval flying corps and now is on duty in France, Hack M Prisoner, The one-time monarch of the matl, George Hackenschmidt, according to dis- patches, is a prisoner of war, Billy U'Hars, one-time outfislder of the Bt Louls Cardinals and New York Glants, cecently quit the Montreal club and was sranted a commission in the Royal navy air service. He is now in Bagland un- Jergoing & course of tralning. An echo of the days of the bare-knuckle tighting s heard in the announcement in the London (England) Sport Life that “rank F. Bl;vhllnolm:::lmw pearance in London as a soldier. Slavin has joined a regiment just formed in Victoria, B, C., and composed princi- pally of engineers and frontiersmen. The organization ls known as the Blxty-sev- onth Western Scots and Slavin holds the rank of sergeant. Slavin was at the height of his ring fame almost & gen- eration ago, and there is no doubt that 4 cordial greeting will be extended to him England. His great battle in London with Peter Jackson twenty-three years ago is still (resh In fistic memory, and Savin al- ways held a warm spot in the heart ot the English ring enthusiast. Box Fighters Use | Stick-Up Methods on New York Clubs NEW YORK, Dec. %.—The old Bowery thug of Tony Pastors melodrama who would murder his grandmother for & dime didn't have much on the prize light ers who are rakigg in the coin in New York these days—if you take the pro- moter's word for it. The plush-vested gentry who stage the scraps hereabouts are cussing more heartily every day. “Little money doesn't tempt 'em a~tall,” sald one of the gentry. “Look at Willie Ritchie. He's champlon, all right, and y'understand, I'm not comparing him to & holdup, but see what he wants, and gets: “Thirty-five hundred dollars for a little ten-round mill with Young Brown! He's not going to get hurt, and the bout won't even endanger his reputation. “It's & gay, gay life. Even the lads who work in the prelims are getting hep to the game. A two-dollar note wom't satisfy them any more. They want five, “It'll be & hard, hard winter." An idea of what the bouts are bringing to the promoters is gained from the re- ceipt statement of the Jack Dillon-Jim Flynn melee late in November. That was an honest-jo-John scrap, with flocks of action, and the battiers were of sufficlent fame to draw big crowds. But the gross recelpts were $3.000 Fight for Sunday Ballk . The fight for Sunday base usetts n E.uu tion ture Sunday. has nol by 2