The evening world., 1890-06-04
HIRED AMATEUR ATHLETES.
A Question Upon Which There
Will Be Hot Debate Soon.
Upon Whom VIII the Mantle of
Malcolm Ford Eall7

There is going to be discomfort and hot
debate III athletic circles before long.
The conservative element among the
athletic clubs is watching with marked
disapproval the ever-incrensinc tendency
Of the richer and more power
full organizations to acquire athletes
by indirect bribery-though there is
nothing SO particularly indirect about it,
For instance; crew belonging to some
Of the beat clubs on tho Harlem or
Passaic wins succession OF races
and proves that II contains more
than average ability. The leaders
OF some big athletic club get together and
say to one another That's q mighty
fine crew of the Constitution Bont Club.
We must secure it to represent us. v,
Forthwith the crew is approached and
told. III you will join our Club
and represent us on. tho water
you can practically. live at our
expense. You need pay no in
itiation fee, no dues. You may havo the
privileges of the bar, restaurant, bowling
alleys, billiard rooms, training quarters
and every other advantage our Club offers
free. The Club will pay all your bills.
You can even have rooms ut either our town
or country club-houses free. That is to
say, you can, in short, live ut the Clubs
expense. What do you say ?" The
replies as might bo expected of
frail human nature. or course,
this crew episode is taken only rs
an illustration, and because so many
crews about here have been. in plain
language. bought by Just such means
The same method is employed with regard
to oil branches of athletes The big ath-
lotic clttha IN ynrv larualu rapraaantaI nm
field and water to-day by this species of
athlete. As he is not paid the actual cash,
lie is not regarded as professional ath-
lete. He becomes simply professional
sponge. For, in effect. he receives
the equivalent of large salary, though
Undoubtedly, however. the spirit
Of this law Is violated. This evil is one
which has increased so that oil the large
clubs are equally guilty and none can
consistently call the other to account.
The athlete who accepts this sort of
bribery may. win athletic laurels, but
cannot help losing his self-respect and
manliness. He is the real sufferer. The
element which believes that athletic
clubs are for the benefit of athletes is
much disturbed by lot of rich men get
ting together and forming a social club
and then practically hiring professional
amateur" athletes to do their athletic
work for them.
II seems odd to read over the list of
competitors who will strive to win tho in
dlvidual amateur all around championship
of America. The absence of the name of
Malcolm w. Ford is the cause of this
strangeness.
Well. he has won SO often in the past
that he may we'll be content to rest on
his laurels. Those who will meet next
at N nj at ir
Club grounds to decide who Is to
wear Ford's mantle are A. II.
Green, the Harvard phenomenon j. 9. |
Deyereaux. of the Manhattans; II. L.
Williams, the recently developed wonder,
of Yale; Alex. Jordan, of the New York
Pastimes. Jordan ought to win, with
Green in the place.
The Northheld Athletic Club will hold
q. three-m mile run Saturday evening for
tho Lamberti medal. The Mortified |
CROSS country team recently defeated the |
team of the Corinthian Athletic Club.
Billy Dacey, the popular lightweight of
this city, is hard at work training for his
coming match with the redoubtable Jack |
Hopper. This will be one of the best
pugilistic contests of the year in this vi
clnity.
The Jersey City lacrosse team is all
ready for business now, qnd il anxious to
hear from other good teams to arrange |
match games. II is a strong aggregation.
5. S. Isles is captain.
G. G. Eames, the skilful English lawn
tennis player. will be q competitor in the |
singles of the New York lawn-tennis
George II. Huber has taken possession |
of the road house on jerome avenue Just |
above Macomb's Dam Bridge. which Gabe
Case occupied SO many years. Many |
parties on the way to Morris Park find Il |
to stop there.