The Washington times., 1895-01-20
IN The SPORTING WORLD
The Harlem Coffee Cooler Will
Marry an English Lassie.
NEW YORK FOR UNDERWRITERS
Gloom and Dependency Exists AIMING the
Gay Lot in the Metropolis, and They are
Looking AwaY-Pugilism Not So Fatal as
Football by a Very Large Percentage
New Defender for the Americas Cup

Frank Craig, the erstwhile Washington
bootbIack, and now known to fame and for
tune AS the Harlem Coffee Cooler will
shor tly lead to the altar an English lassie, his
opposite in color. The news is we'll authen
ticated, too.
Since the 'sCooler' crossed the Atlantic his
career has been one of UNMARRIED success, and
although only little over two years ago an
invitation to a beef stew would have rem
dered his ebony countenance the personlfica-
tion OF happiness, he has reached that point
where the question OF a grub stake no
longer troubles him.
The color line. never very sharply drawn IN
England has been obliterated altogether in
the case of Craig, as it was with Jackson.
Among those who from the first took great
fancy to the Cooler was Bobby Burton,
once theatrical manager. Interested with
I .Pony" Moore in several ventures, but who,
having amassed a considerable fortune. re-
/ tired and became patron OF the turf and
ring. Burton lived In ahistorical old mansion
a Battersea on the outskirts OF London
| Alter Craig s defeat of Jack O'Brien be gave
/ a little supper in honor OF the event at his
! residence with the Harlem Coffee Cooler
/ rs the guest OF honor.
/ Burton has pretty daughter, Bessie, about
/ twenty-five years old, gray-eyed. rosy
checked, buxom girl, the typical English las
I sie and the Cooler" became a frequent yisi-
/ tor at the Burton residence. Old Bobby Bur-
ton saw nothing Objectionable in all this and
! in fact, as the Cooler scored one success
! after another in the ring. the old man made
/ him sensible of the fact that he would have
no particularly strong objections TO him as
i son-iu-law.
4 Craig proposed and was accepted. All
this, howefer, has been kept very quiet, and
TO no one but Ed Holske did the Cooler
.eontide his happiness.
r. The deep melancholy which pervades the
sporting fraternity OF New York is beginning
/ to attract more than casual attention. For
many years The bookmakers, heavy betting
men, race track plungers, and, in word.
the small army of tranquil, easy-going, and
self-contained gentlemen who make their
living by the exercise OF their wits, have been
a pictorial feature of New York life. Their
clothes were made by the best tailors, great
number of them drove decidedly snowy equi-
pages in the Park. and they we're always
very much in evidence in the popular res
taurants and cafes. These men lived on the
surface of the town, and enjoyed wide pop
ularitY by reason of their good fellowship
and the generally high average of brains
which they possessed.
A famous millionaire upon being asked
once why he talked so much with the book
makers IN Delmonico's said tersely that he
liked to talk about sports, including billiards,
boxing, and racing, and that the sporting
fraternity told him more about these sub
iects in ten minutes than all his other ac-
quantances did in the course OF a day. One
contingent OF bookmakers and all-around bet
tors made speciality of first nights at the
theaters They were invariably present in
the boxes or the most prominent seats, ac-
companied by remarkably handsome, but not
particularly exclusive-looking women, ana
they had much to do with the making OF the
success Of the play. as far as the about
town contingent was concerned.
/ All of these things are only memories now
/ adays, however. The sporting fraternitys
load of gloom is so deep that it has, appar-
entity. driven everybody out of sight, 1t be-
gan with the Lexow committees continuous
session, which closed the gambling houses in
New York, aud kept them closed. and II has
been capped by the action OF the new law,
which will prevent betting on the races in
this section of the country.
Football has scored another victim. The
death of William Thatcher yesterday at
Bridgeton. n. J., was due to injuries to his
spine received while he was taking part in a
roughly played game OF football two years
ago Thatcher underwent several opera
tions, but they afforded no relief, and the
physicians said his death was only question
of time. He was twenty-five years old.
Comparative mortuary statistics of the prize
ring and the football gridiron are not favor
able to the college sport. 1t is on record
that two pugilists received death blows in the
ring the last year. In 1891 twenty-three Ier-
sons were killed in football, in 1892 twenty
two. and in 1898 tweDty-siX. A fair average
of death from the same cause for the present
year would be about twenty, which would
give total of ninetyone persons killed in
four years. In the same three years 121 per-
sons had legs broken. .thirty-three received frac-
tured arms, and flfty-four had their collar
bones broken. There were also 15S other
persons injured, making total of manned
persons in the game OF 366. In 1898 there
was one man killed in prize fighting and
tWenty-six in football.
Penns ylyania bicycle riders are happy over
decision handed down by Judge Endlich
of Reading, which gives A. J. Gelger, repre-
senting the Penn Wheelmen, of Heading. a
verdict for cents against the Reading and
Perkiomen Turnpike Company. The court
says a turnpike road is public highway and
that turnpike companies have no right to col
lect toll from wheelmep. The judge holds
that the companies have no right to charge
toll except on such vehicles as are specified
in the franchise.
Arie Latham has signed contract to play
with the Cincinnati club next year. Strange
to say he neglected TO ask for advance
money.
Pitcher Frank Wilson, who played with the
Pottsville (Pa.) club last year, has signed a
Boston contract for 1895. 1t is stated that
the Cleveland club management agreed on
terms with Wilson in August. He was put
on the reserve list and President Young noti-
fed. Secretary Howard Robson said to-day
that Cleveland undoubtedly had first claim
on Wilson, and would fight for its rights in
the case.