The Washington times., 1894-12-02
AMONG AMATEUR ATHLETES
Indoor Sports Will Now DO the Center
of All Interest.
THE BRUTALITY OF FOOTBALL
Once Great Scientific Game Has Fallen Far
Below the Degraded Mark of Prize-hght-
ing-Teams in the Bowling League SO
Evenly Formed It's Bard to Pick Winner.

Now that the Thanksgiving Day football
championship has been played of and won,
the much absorbed topic in the minds of the
members of all local organizations, whether
directly or indirectly interested, is given rest.
Things about the various gymnasiums are
again normal and the winters work will now
be taken up in earnest. Contests of a milder
and more beneficial nature will be pushed
forward and friendly competition without at
tending brutality will hold full sway.
Indoor athletics promise 10 have larger
following this season than ever before, and
the membership in all organizations athleti-
caly inclined is rapidly increasing. The one
holding out the most inducements naturally
attracts the greater number, and the compe-
tition TO secure men specially fitted for this
or that branch of athletics is great.
TIE BRUTALITY OF FOOTBALL.
Brutality in its most undisguised form has
reached its climax in the so-called game OF
football as it is played now. The once great
scientific field game has fallen far below even
the degraded mark of prize fighting, and
three times out of four the team which has
the greater number of sluggers wins its
game.
The noble game which was once spoken of
as "a game for gentlemen only" has been
most awfulIy degraded and is now, in more
senses than one, ignobly dragged in the dust.
Whatever may be the result of future de-
liberations Of the wise heads who mould the
destiny Of the game, they can never bring
back the game to its former popularity among
the real lovers OF true, clean, and gentle
manly sport.
1t may be said in contradiction Of this that
it must be growing in popularity because Of
the constantly increasing size OF the crowds
which attend each great game. To this argu-
nent one can truly reply that tho crowds do
not go because they love the game IN its pres
ent shape, but 60 simply as admirers and ad-
herents OF this or that team and because it is
"fad" TO 60 to agame and to go where the
crowd goes.
After the disastrous results OF this week s
games football has suffered as a sport In
the large crowd which attended the local
game were many graduates OF colleges who
have played the game as it should be played,
but who expressed disgust with the unneces-
sarily rough kind of ball played here. Among
these was certain Senator, who expressed
himselfunqualiledly in favor of the making Of
a law during the coming session which shall
prohibit prize-fghting in any form and the
playing Of the present kind OF football within
the District.
It is the opinion of many persons that the
next move III football will be the ADOPTION OF
the association game, which with its open
plays, free kicking and running would soon
become popular.
THE AMATEUR BOWLING LEAGUE.
The members Of the District Amateur Bowl
ing League are more than pleased with the
success of the league, and the immense
amount of interest displayed by clubmen and
the general public in its work.
The result OF the past weeks games makes
the outcome of the league series somewhat OF
q problem, and "sure winner" could not be
picked, so evenly are the teams matched.
A guessing contest would now seem In or.
der and would in the present condition Of
affairs receive considerable attention from
the many admirers of the five teams, each OF
which hopes to be on top. The number OF
combinations the five teams would make IS,
OF course, large but about ten combinations
would be enough to place each team zone or
two" by its friends.
The pace set by the Buena Vista team is a
hot one and II Ii can keep IL up 1t will worry
the leaders considerably. It has several good
players who are steady, strong bowlers. and
with increased confidence in their work still
better results will follow. How they VIII do
upon strange alleys remains to be seen.
Henry Lane and W. f. Meyers are among
the best boWlers here.
The standing of the @. A. @. team in the
league is a sore disappointment to the mem
bers of the team and club and there is no rub
bing it out, the team is by no means bowling up
to its stan dard. What the cause of this falling
down in its playing is remains mystery. In
practice the members average l66, and Why il
4 that in competition they fall SO far below
this it seems impossible to tell.
Last years champions. the Carroll Insti-
tutes. are winning more games than they lose
and hope to again land the pennant.
BASKETBALL AND ITS PROSPECTS.
If the teams who desire to play in a regular
series of league games OF basketball want to
make success of it they should see that
their representatives attend the meetings
called for the purpose of organization. Upon
two recent occasions meetings have failed for
want of q quorum, and of course nothing e
was done. Harry Lee, Of the Light Infantry,
is an enthusiast upon the subject of a league
and he has invited the representatives OF the
several organizations TO meeting to be held
on Thursday evening at o'clock at the Light
Infantry Armory, under Albaugh's Theater.
At this meeting it is hoped that an organiza-
ton may be effected.
Enough interest is taken in the game by
those who do and who do not intend playing
it to justify the promoters to feel that it will
be q success.
COLUMBIA ATHLETIC CLUB.
Excitement and furry of preparation and
practice for the annual football championship
are now things of the past. Quiet now fills
the space in the Columbia Athletic Club
where only few hours ago the bustie and
noise of the players reigned. The training
FpI,t Iap toi-a -
it, and now Prof. Crossley will have an OPP
portunity to get his classes back to some sort
OF regularity and put the finishing touches on
gymnasts who are TO take part in next Satur-
days big athletic exhibition to be given in
the clubs gym.
The programme will consist of exercises
on the horizontal and parallel bars and on
the buck and horse by members OF the classes,
and an entirely new brother act by Eddie
Sewell, Midge Ross, and Prof Crossley.
There will be standing high and running
high jumping, in which the competition be-
tween Royce, Hough, and McElhone will be
very sharp. A number of new aspirants for
sparring honors will also take part, as well
as several new wrestlers. A game Of basket
ball between picked teams will conclude the
programme
The pool and billiard players are prepar-
ing for the tournament, open TO members
only. 1t is possible that the star players will
take another trip this winter TO Philadelphia
and New York to cross cues with the leaders
in amateur circles there.
WASHINGTON LIGHT INFANTRY ATHLETICS.
During the past week athletics at the arm
ory of the Washington Light Infantry Corps
have been at standstill. Instead of using
the big gym, which has the Masons' fair, the
members had to do the best they could
in company quarters and there work at their
athletics. Enough new men take up athlet-
les here each week to warrant the assertion
that the number and size of the classes will
be second to none hereabouts. All good. strong
well-developed. material. too. 1t is safe to