Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-02-16
A REVIEW OF SPORTS.
An Interesting Week in the Fields of
Athletic Contests.
Probability that There Will Be No
Public Fight in FL Paso-A Sen.
sational Report-The Meeting Of
the L. a. w. in Base
Ball Matters-The Week in Bow
lerdom.

IL.
A pool seller would find it more prof
liable to sell on fight or no fight" than
either end of the pugilistic lottery
which is taking place down at Ell Paso.
There is but one hope that the Maher-
Fitzsimmons battle will be pulled off,
and that lies in the imperturbable per-
sistency of Dan Stuart, who daily re-
! news his assurance that there will be
no departure from schedule. There is
a well defined conviction that Stuart
knows what he is talking about, but
in spite of this most persons are of the
opinion thai the big fight will not take
place in public, but will be contested
if at all, in private for the benefit OF
the kaleidoscope people. If the State
of Texas were threatened with an in
vasion OF Mexican troops with warlike
intentions, there could scarcely be a
greater stir among the officials. High
sounding proclamations against prize
lighting, on the part of executive Off
GERS, are becoming genuine fad. Off
Gals who permit lynchings TO go un-
punished and license bull fights, shoot
off great wads of rhetoric, and threaten
to call out the military if two men dare
to engage in boxing contest.
The big mill may take place to-mor-
row, but there is no hope for the minor
battles. If Maher and FitzsimmOns
punch each other without interference
the place of battle will be no longer
secret. and unless it is changed there
is hardly a possibility that the less i'm
portant contests will take place. The
death knell of prize fighting has been
sounded, in so far as the United States
is concerned. They may still permit
an occasional fight in London, if for no
other reason, because this country will
not tolerate ring contests. Australia
is still a good field for all kinds OF
sports. and Johannesburg, South Afri-
ca. comes to the front, with big purses,
and an enthusiasm due to novelty
Wheeling sportsmen are taking great
interest in the fight which is to take
place tomorrow, and opinion is about
equally divided as to the probable win
ner. Quite as much interest is being
shown in the Dixon-Marshall mill,
since the latter is a strong local favor
tie. and his chances of besting the col
ored champion are considered at least
an equal thing There was a sensa-
tiOnal rumor afioat in the city yester-
day morning. to the effect that the big
fight had taken place, and Maher won
in the tenth round. 1t proved, upon in
yestigation, to be a canard.
The meeting of Interstate base ball
managers at Pittsburg last night ad-
iourned too late to be discussed in this
column. 1t was generally understood
that the fate of the organization would
be determined at the conference. The
league was embarrassed in its efforts
to complete an eight-club circuit, the
result being the consideration OF claims
3 OF cities which have no business IN the
/ company of Fort Wayne, Youngstown,
| Wheeling and Toledo. The great trou-
Die with all recent ventures in this vi
cinitv is the hesitation of men of means
to place their money behind ball
club. for the reason that the prospects
of pecuniary advantage are doubtful,
to say the least. Once in a while a
gentleman who is willing to go into the
matter through his enthusiasm for
sport. appears upon the surface, as III
the case of MI McKeown, who is back
ing Washington. 1t is difficult to un-
dersfand the reluctance of Wheeling
people TO contribute toward securing
a first class team here. Nothing so
advertises d city as base ball, but in
dependent of this fact, the experience
of last season proved cOnclusiyely that
team may be depended upon to at
least finish the summer without a de-
felt in Wheeling. The hopes OF the
local fans" are concentrated in the
efforts for the establishment of the In
ter-State League If that project fails,
this city will not have a professional
club this season.
The meeting of the l.. A. w. in Balti-
more last week was perhaps the most
important in the history of that organ
ization. The legislation pleases the
members in this State, and 1t IS very
likely that the selection of officers Will
give general satisfaction, since each
set of candidates stood for a certain
policy, and the policy which prevailed
was favored by West Virginia wheel
men. The organization has not gained
strength in this State during recent
years. although there are great num-
Der of riders. Better things are eX-
pected before the next annual meet
ing.
Il was an off week for the leaders
in Bowlerdom The Brownies Went
down twice before the Nameless, and
the Harvest Homes also dropped two
games. These were genuine surprises
but not so unaccOuntable as the re
markably poor showing made by the
Muses. in the series with the Press
Climb. in which the latter made clean
record. That is a little trick OF the
ress Club which has caused consterna-
nation in the ranks of the BOWERS
upon more than one occasion hereto
fore. The splendid victories Of the old
Press Club team over the Wheeling
club. which was then leading the
league. will be recalled. The games
were played on the Harvest Home al
levs. and the Press Club rolled mp the
biggest string ever made IT. cham
pionship contest in this = ciLNy. These
victories enabled the South Side team
TO carry off the championship trophy
for that season, and the event was eel
ebrated Jointly by the two clubs IN
banquet at HOffreuter's. 1t VIII re-