The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-02-17
MASTER OF CRITICISM
Casper w. Whitney on His Way
to This City.
A CHAMPION OF HONEST SPORT.
:. A. &. TO Produce the Trave>ty
"kenilworfh''-Ia Union for
Race Course-New Park.

and critic az s,.or.S ia the United States
Is TO honor Seattle with his presence.
Saturday afternoon President Goldsmith
OF the Seattle Athletic Club. re-
cesvea a telegram from nirn cate1
at Noase3sw on tae Canadian Pactiic
railroad. stating that ~ would arrive IN
the city that evening. A delegation was
al the depot 70 meet him. but for some
Unknown reason he did not arrive Yes
teFday afternoon ". 3. Goodwin and
George Hurd were ready TO greet him.
but again be failed 20 arrive. II Is pre-
suuzed that be has been detained at either
Vancouver or Victoria by friends and
may reach the city this evening
THE coming Of Mr.. whitney IS an event
Of great Importance 70 the athletic world
Of the Northwest IL will give the ernin-
ent writer and critic an opportunity 10
see what has been done In the way OF
advancing athletics during the two years
since he was here for the first time, and
also 20 become better acquainted with
the leaders In this section
Dir. Whitney STANDS today as the great
est exponent In the land OF pure amateur
athletics. His opinions. which appear ev-
cry week IN Harper's Weekly, over bis
own signature, are the widest read or
any similar writings In the country In
tae highest circles OF athletics he Is held
In high esteem. and his word even reaches
Great Britain with force. He has done
a great deal TO strengthen the good feel
ing between the sportsman of this coun-
try ana Great Britain, and whatever he
has said has always been received as the
sentiment OF a man honest In his opin-
Ions and convictions.
In naming the truly great critics and
writer's OF sports. the names which follow
that OF Mr.. Whitney are William u. Cur
tbs and j. 4. Sullivan. II Is 10 Mr. Whit
81 nj Fr4Fae
be given for his writings IN Harper 3
Weekly have given that publication a
standing. in his line especially. in every
city and town OF Importance from the
Atlantic to the Pacific He has written
some clever books. While he was in
England he saw enough 10 convince him
that professionalism was deeper rooted
there than In this country. outside OF
university athletics. which are exception
ally free from any faint OF profession
alism.
OF late Mr.. Whitney has been making
a crusade against what may be termed
the professional spirit In amateur athlet-
les His CRITICISMS have been very severe;
in fact, he has given the athletic world
a shake up. so TO speak. His arraign-
ment OF the Olympic and Reliance clubs.
of California caused widespread discus
sion and vigorous denials from that sec
ton. Mr. Whitney has either been there
in relation TO his allegations. or Is on the
way there now. From articles that were
printed In San Francisco some time ago.
however. ii is thought he made the visit
then. but what was the result Is not
known in this city. In the matter of re-
form In athletics he is quoted in the last
numbero ( the Forum by so eminent an
authority as Charles Eliot Norton, pro-
fessor Of the history OF art iD-HarvaSt
university. Mr. Norton deals with Some
Aspects Of Civilization in America" and
in the course of his remarks on athletics
says:
Few men OF this country have paid
more attention TO this matter than Cas-
par W. Whitney. or have better ac-
qaintance with sport as practiced in Eng
land. as well as in America His testi-
mony runs no risk of being called in
question as that OF an inexperienced or
unsympathetic witness. and this Is what
he says In Harper's Weekly for Novem-
Der -, 1875. after having given an ac-
count Of the conditions which at present
prevail in our chief sport:
- When / consider the conditions OF
affairs in this movement over the whole
country. In football alone. / am compelled
to acknowledge that IL is criticism OF
the seyerest kind on the morality OF the
young men OF America; and when the
readers of this department see these para
graphs, ana realize now lfadeilateiy
such a wretched state OF affairs can be
treated In a single page of the Weekly.
that this Is but drop In the hogshead of
what Is on. they VIII not only be aston
ishea. but shocked 10 think that their
own countrymen have so little sense of
honor and justice and commonplace, ev-
ery-day integrity that they cannot even
play their games without cheating In Sc
cret, or with brazen-faced openness. II
is a calamity. and the practice Is so
widespread that u is almost incurahle.' ="
In his writings Mr.. Whitney is force
fuI logical and convincing. He has
plain. STRAIGHTFORWARD way OF expressing
himself and no matter how poorly
reader may he informed of the subject un-
der discussion. he has no difficulty In
comprehending what the writer means. II
Is about FIVE years now since Mr.. Whit
ney commenced MS connection with Har-
per's. but in that time his name has
become familiar In every athletic club
house In the United States. Before writ
ing for Harper's, II is said he was With
Frank I.eslie's. lie Is said TO be about
q years old.