The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-02-21
COurtenay, Case g. GraveIle Co.

( Examiner of Tuesday has aroused the
greatest Indignation among the mem
bers of the Butte football team and
their supporters:
"Caspar w. Whitney, who has charge
of the sporting department of Harper's
Weekly, arrived in this city this even
ing and was entertained by the Seattle
Athletic club. He said he was not on
the Pacific coast with the intention of
stirring up amateur athletics with a
view of showing their tendencies to-
wards professionalism, but simply on
an editorial trip.
I'm speaking of his criticisms OF all
the principal amateur athletic clubs of
California, he said: The standard has
never been good down there and there
is plenty of room for Improvement. 1
was compelled to criticise in print be-
cause importuning by letter had no eff
feet. What l said shall stand by
speaking of sports in general, he
said the great trouble, especially in the
West, was that everybody played to
win. The true spirit, he said, is sport
Tor sports sake; not simply for victory
by any means He denounced the sys-
tenn of securing positions for star
players. and said the Butte football
team was the best illustration of the
worst type of this system. The Butte
football team was THE rottenest organ
ization of amateurs In this country.
He said the A. A. u. of the Pacific
coast became so careless that II al
lowed this Butte team to play with or
ganizations that were held to be anna
teur"
There Is not a word OF truth in Mr.
Whitney's charges of professionalism
against the Butte team" said Manager
George Mcmillan yesterday afternoon.
me trouble is that he does not know
what he Is talking about. The Seattle
players are still sore over the defeat
that we gave them and they have filled
Whftney's mind with a lot of accusa,-
tons against us for which there is alb
solutely no foundation. II seems a lit
Tile strange that Whitney should place
such implicit confidence in the vindic-
tive stories of sore heads, and IL he
wants to be as fair and impartial as he
ciaims to be he should ascertain
whether or not these charges are true
before he fathers them"
L nave played with several teams ON
the coast and am familiar with the
makeup of all of them, and 1 have
never seen team that was as clean as
Is the Butte team. The Butte team is
absolutely free from professionalism.
All of the players were actual resi-
dents or Butte before the football team
was started, with the exception of
Hartzell, Perham, Laswell and myself.
NOT a player who came here has Sc
cured position through his football
playing. Hartzell had a position be-
fore he came here. Laswell stayed here
after the Portland game without any
solicitation. Perham and also came
mere without so much as a request from
any member of the Butte team and
entirely OF our own accord. Perham
has secured a position but i have not.
instead or having positions secured for |
them by the team several players have |
lost two or three positions by playing |
football. Mr.. Whitney's charges against |
the Butte team are ridiculous and can |
easily be disproved Any charges of |
come with very poor |
grace from the Seattle team" remarked |
Captain Brooks.
Manager Mcmillan telegraphed Mr..
yesterday asking to stop off |
IN Butte on his way east. If he comes |
here and looks into the football situa-
lion his mind will be quickly disabused
Df the idea that there is any profess
in the Butte team.