The San Francisco call., 1896-12-29
OLYMPIC GROUNDS
TO Be CLOSED
Peter Mcintyre, the Care
taker, to Have a Club
Billet.
Four Nights Athletics in the
Mechanics Pavilion Under
Consideration.
Grand Schemes Which E. w. Newhall
and the Directors Have in
Contemplation.

The president of the Olympic Club E.
w. Newhall, is very well satisfied with the
clubs progress.
''The mem bership is increasing daily, I"
said Mr.. Newhall, (which proves beyond
question that the club is in u prosperous
condition.
"The present board of directors work
in harmony, and its members will leave
nothing undone to advance the interests
of the club in every particular.
Eyes, we have several schemes under
consideration which will add materially
to the growth of the club when they
materialize. Of course we intend to re-
duce expenses that are deemed unneces-
sary. For instance, the closing of the
outdoor grounds, which will come into
effect about the first of the year, will save
the club the salary it pays the caretaker.
"This move the directors would not
acquiese in if the mem bers INDUCED to
any extent in outdoor sports. Possibly
Mr.. Mcintyre, who has been in the employ
OF the club as manager of the grounds
since the time of their inauguration, may
be appointed to some Office in the build
ing where his services will be of more
value to the members. He is a first-cass
that his services will be sought and appre-
ciated by members who participate in
various athletic pastimes.
Tomorrow afternoon the directors will
hold special meeting for the purpose of
devising plans and schemes for the future.
"Our leader, Mr.. Howard Taylor, ar
ranged for a series of am usements imme-
dlateiy after his inauguraton-a series
which, l am pleased TO say, was very sue
cessfully managed to the end of the pres
ent year. Now, then, we propose to give
Mr.. Taylor carte blanche so to speak, in
the arrangement of programme of ath-
letic and social amusements for the in
coming year, as he has manifested marked
ability in catering to the wishes of the
mem be-s
II dare say that the club will give a
wrestling tournament in January or Feb
ruary. which will be opened to the repre-
sentatives of bona-tide amateur athletic
clubs west of the Rocky Mountains, and
perhaps special inducement will be of
fered Tor return match between Herbert
Greenland of the Muitnomah Athletic
Club of Portland, Or, aud Charles Kreling
of the Oiympics. These crack amateur
wrestlers met in a contest at Portland in
June last, when a team of athletes from
our club invaded that country, athletic
alysbent, and understand that Kreiing
was defeated because the referee did not
do him justice. However that may have
been, l think that return match to be
decided under the auspices of the Olympic
Club will prove most interesting event
and can assure you tn at the invader will
be accorded fair field and no favor
"Among the many good athletic features
that have been suggested for the next
year is an aquatic tournament which will
embrace many novel things. Besides
swimming, which will be the principal
feature, there is proposition on foot to
hold also an aquatic tug-of-war in the
swimming tank. Among the members
who are athletically and aquatically in
clined l have no doubt that several teams
can be secured to contest in boats or
racing shells on the same principle as q
tug-of-war on cleats. The boats will be
stationed in the cen ter of the tank and each
boat will be secured by rope, say three
feet In length. The crew which succeeds
in rowing or pulling its opponent over a
certain line will be awarded the decision.
The winners OF the first round will meet
in the second trials, and so on until the
last or final trial will decide who are
champions in the first aquatic tug-of-war
that has been introduced in this country. |
The contests should prove amusing, inter-
esting and instructive.
Several new features will be introduced |
at the next ladies' night entertainment.
The last one was most pronounced sue /
cess, In fact the gymnasium was not large |
enough to accommodate the people rep |
in the club.
What will unquestionably prove to be
the event of the year will be discussed at
length tomorrow. Our idea is to give
mammoth aIl-round athletic exhibition in
Mechanics Pavilion either in April or in
the latter part of the fiscal year. The pro-
gramme will include all branches of attn
letics, and If the scheme passes muster
he Pavilion will be leased for four DAYS.
ss We propose to give an entertainment
each evening which will be interspersed
with vocal and instrumental music
''Oh, yes, the present board is wide
awake to the interests of the club, and
some astonishing features will be intro