The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-23
..CASPAR AND HIS PEN
Whitney Is Still Pounding Away on
Western Football.
CONCERNING BUTTE MEN
He Is Particularly venomous When
He Turns His Attention to the
Players of the Big Camp
Some Contradictions.
CONCERNING BUTTE MEN


sionalism which he says pervades west
ern football and his criticism of the
| Butte team in particular to such an
extent that his soreheaded effusions
now attract only smiles of derision In
place of attention. Mr. Whitney writes
like spoiled and petted child. 1t is
evident that the attention which his
early articles, which contained ele-
ments Of both sense and truth, attract
ed. has swelled his head out of ali
proportion and that he has become pos
sessed Of the wild ambition to be looked
upon as the Sir Oracle Of amateur
| sports in America.
While there was at first a general dis
position in the West to conform to
some Of the suggestions made by Mr..
Whitney he is now carrying things
| with such high hand that the Califor-
MIA athletic clubs have decided to pay
no attention to his kingly dictation
hereafter, and Manager Mcmillan says
that the Butte team will back them up
in this decision. Mr.. Whitney has de-
prived himself of whatever influence
he may have had in the Pacific Anna
teur Athletic association and that body
will pay no further attention to any
advice that he may have to offer. 1t
Humphrey of the p. A. A. A. of San
Francisco, defended the Butte team
against the attacks Of the great Cas-
par
The following is a portion of an ex-
ceptionally venomous article from Mr.
Whitney's pen concerning the Butte
team which appears in Harper's Week.
ly or March Fl. 1t is very evident that
all his information was acquired in the
Pacific Northwest. The position he
takes is remarkable when it is known
that although invited to come to Butte
and pursue his investigation on the
spot, he preferred to listen to the sore
heads and squealers who were beaten
by the Butte team on the coast last
fall' and now use the only means at
hand for their petty revenge:
THE Olympic and Reliance clubs.
the two largest on the Pacific coast,
each played several men on their
teams who had been gathered and
several who were not even members of
the team at the time they were play
ing. The Reliance had one under a
fictitious name. Ane yet some of those
in active control of athletics on the
coast had the effrontery to resent the
criticisms in this department.
IF further illustration were wanting
OF the athletic corruption and confu-
sion or ideas touching an amateur on
the Pacific coast, the San Francisco
exploitation of the Butte football eley-
en- would furnish IT. This Butte eleven
is not what those having a proper
grasp or the subject consider as anna
teur. 1 do not know and cannot assert
that its members are paid in cash, but
1 do know that II is an aggregation of
men to some of whom, one way and
another, their residence in Butte Is in
cidental to playing on the team appar-
emily. The team is backed by a man
In Montana with a great deal of more
money than craftsmanship. and whose
chief interest in the venture may be
discovered in the gate receipts and self
advertisement.
This hacker has spent his money
generously. and employed a 'hustling'
manager, who has gathered PLAYERS
from San Francisco, Portland, Denver.
and several other as widely spread To-
calities. He employs some in his
mines; during the football season they
play football; at other times they aid
their hacker in developing the mineral
resources of Montana. Not all of the
Butte team are miners, however, for
one OF its players, Mcmillan formerly
captain of the Reliance club at Oak
land), has political aspirations that
seem to meet with more substantial
appreciation at Butte than they re-
SSiNSN a. OdhidHu. ana hooper who
Travelled to Ann Arbor to play on the
Michigan university eleven, and on ex-
piration of his contract Travelled back
to Butte again, is, when not employed
by college and club managers, an as
sayer.
Very appropriately, this Butte team
has been managed by Mr. GAY Stiyers.
whose fitness for the management of |
such team may be appreciated by ac-
nIlainfanpa with his
ethics of sport. Mr.. Stivers. in reply to |
the charge of professionalism, replies: |
we never yet paid man for playing |
with us. All that we have done is to |
get them positions and to see that they
wanted for nothing. That is not a pur-
chase. Furthermore. as instance of this |
Butte team arrangements idea of anna
teurism. it came out in the Pacific as
ISOLATION investigation that Butte had |
offered the Reliance team $1,000 to re-
main in Butte for a return game, or
would give each player on the Reliance |
eleven 500 to remain for the return |
game.
The fact that the Olympic or Reli-
ance clubs did actually hesitate to play /
the Butte team showed a lingering. |
hazy impression among the officials of |
the two California clubs of a doctrine
that once taught of sport for sports
sake. That finally they did play Butte
IN san Francisco is to be probably ex-
planned by the promised expense guar
antee to the visitors. which. added to
the chance of making something out of |
the gate receipts. overcame whatever
ethical scruples the matter on first pre-
may have stirred Such is
amateur sport in San Francisco and
Oakland,
1T is gratifying to know in this con-
lection that the Berkeley university
faculty forbade their eleven playing
Butte. Ii was. Of course, to be expected
hat a meeting with Butte would be
viewed with greater repugnance by
than IL would by either the
Reliance or Olympic clubs. In amateur
sport there is a very much wider dis
inction between the members of the
football team and those Of the
Butte eleven and those of the Olympic
md Reliance clubs.