The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-12-10
SHUT OUT STAR BOWLERS
4 WARNING no THE Guns OF
THE AMATEUR LEAG UE.

One of the Organizations signed Players
with n Record-Praetise Gamer
Strikes and spares-AthIetic Notes.
A word of warning to the Jersey City
Amateur Bowling League was given
when the organization was effected to
not allow ambition to destroy good judg-
ment and strengthen teams by introduce
ing crack and semi-professional BOWERS.
1t was predicted as soon as this was
begun the result would be that every
club in the League would engage in a
rivalry for this very class of players who
should be excluded and the League will
be destroyed or cease to be an amateur
body and interest will die.
The league was formed to develop the
skill of the amateur and increase interest
in the game. The object is an excellent
one. Not one Of the clubs that entered
named q man in its list of bowlers who
figured as a crack. The members have
been enthusiastic and the contests have
been conducted in a jolly manner n de-
void of all evidence of bitterness. Ihe
noyices have had dn opportunity to play
and are bowling with care, as they are all
ambitious to improve and Will, II thelr
practice is not arrested, make GOOD
fig tlres before the season terminates.
If these beginners are to be crowded out
to make room for more skilful players gne
interest will fade. They will speedily be-
come tired of being mere contributing
members TO support a semi-profesSlonal
club and be debarred from playing, and
the result will be that they will retire and
the clubs will go to pieces, as the semi
professional bowls for what there is In 1T,
his interest is not like that of the anna
teur, and he will have no use for the
game if there is no compensation for MIN
directly, rs a salary or in wages. The
amateur is always ambitious to win; the
professional to win or lose, as his bets or
those of his friends are placed.
Every club in the League desires to win
the trophy. 1t would be far better for
the clubs, the League and the game II
they lose the honor when to win they
must draw their players from the profess
sional or Semi-profesSional ranks.
The admission of one of this class
means two, then three and finally team
composed wholly of players OF this class.
One OF the clubs and II in a prom1-
nent place is making this grave error,
which will end in he dissolution OF the
League.
They have signed two players who have
been always been regarded as being in
the semi-professional rank. They may
be ignorant of this fact, and resume
WIG l. 90 IL Ia NV 4AASAI ~ 1880 $1,000
deliberately admit any but amateur
bowlers, yet if there is any doubt about q
player being an amateur, the slightest
cloud, the club should Immediately with
draw the name.
One of the men signed has been a semi
professional and this comes from reliable
sources, from men who have bowled for
money and are acquainted with those
in their class. The man referred to
bowled, it is said, as late as two weeks
ago in a match for money in Hoboken.
The committee making the investigation
will report tonight. Whether they have
discovered anything definite that will
Justify the Directors rejecting the candi-
dates will then be known.
II they have failed the club which
signed them should for the welfare of
the league withdraw the names, for the
impression will prevail that the two
bowlers are not strictly amateurs, and the
bad precedent established will be followed
by the clubs, or to maintain their
amateur standing the clubs will resign.
The League at the start clearly defined
the meaning of the word amateur, and it
any club i'll the league introduces any
bowler who is not an amateur the rival
clubs are debarred from playing against
them.
The League is a good institution and
will do considerable good in advancing
the interest of the game If the door is
closed against professionals, semi-profes-
SIGNALS and bowlers of that stamp.