The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-24
Butte Department.

ney is Intentionally belHtling our ef-
forts, or is laboring under a delusion.
THE interview published in to-day's
Examiner was along the general lines
of the matter he has been sending to
Harper's Weekly for some time past.
AS soon as I read the article / imme-
diately telephoned to the secretary of
our association requesting him to send
letter to Mr.. whitney. inviting him
to be present at the meeting Of the in
vestigating committee on Monday
evening.
IF he accepts our invitation we will
request him to specify the innumerable
charges which he has made in a gen.
eral way.
IF he will make specific charged be-
fore our committee we will investigate
them. IL they are found to be correct
immediate action will be taken. have
never met Mr.. Whitney, but / have
heard that he is a gentleman. One OF
his many charges, however, Is farcial.
/ refer to his statement regarding the
Butte football team. lie says that the
Butte football team. the most farcial
parade of amateurism ever perpetrated
on sport loving public. is the extreme
result OF this system BY this system
he means the allowing of professionals
to participate In amateur games.
Now, what I want to say is this:
When the Reliance and Olympic club
elevens decided to play the Butte team
I went to Manager De Gay Stivers of
the Butte team and asked him II the
eleven was n legitimate amateur organ
ization. He gave me his word that ii
was. / had Mr.. Stivers make an affi-
davit to that effect. The affidavit is
now in the possession of the secretary
of the Pacific Athletic association. Mr..
Whitney hints that the Butte team
consisted of a number of professionals.
don't believe IL. Take Hartzell. for
instance. He played fullback with the
Denver club. which is a member of the
Central association. Hooper, another
member OF the Butte eleven. was one of
the strong cards of the University of
Michigan when it's eleven met Harvard
two months before the Butte boys play
ed in this city. J. V. Bohn played with
the Exeter college team before he join
ed Butte. If Mr.. Whitney wishes to be
consistent, why does he condemn the
Pacific Athletic association for playing
with the Butte team and praise every
thing that has been done by the clubs
of the Northwest association? They
played Butte and there was nothing
said against the game in Harper's
Weekly.
when Mr.. Whitney attempts to COM
pare amateur sports in California un-
laNoTdply WITH amateur SpOIlS lilIOuBh-
out the East, he takes big risk. Look
at the New York Athletic club and the
Manhattan Athletic club! 1t is a well
known fact that these two clubs have
time and again gone down to the Bow
cry and picked up a couple of Chimmie
Faddens and have them give a setto In
their club rooms. That sort of thing
would never be countenanced out here.
1T is an understood fact that clubs in
the Pacific Athletic association cannot
give sparring exhibitions unless they
are conducted in accordance with the
rules of the association. These rules in
sist that the go must be for at least
four rounds, and that the participants
must be members of the association.
80 far as the Olympic baseball team
is concerned, i have little to say. AS
soon as IL was clearly proved to the as
ISOLATION that some of the members of
the baseball team were professionals
the team was excluded from amateur
ranks
II hope Mr. Whitney will accept our
invitation and appear before the inves-
tigating committee. Every opportunity
will be given him to specify his charges
and prove them. If possible. BY the
way, so far as his local agents are con-
cerned. / want to say n few words. /
had a long talk with one of the gentle
men, who told me that Whitney had
misinterpreted his letter. and that a
large portion of the article published in
Harper's Weekly on the strength OF this
communication, was a mistake. He said
he had informed Mr.. Whitney of this
fact and demanded a retraction. which,
1 must say, was eventually made"