The San Francisco call., 1897-05-16
AN ATHLETIC WAR
IS NOW RAGING
The Amateur Union Is Up
held by Its Represen.
tatives Here.
Olympic Club Obj cts to the
Mandates of Eastern
Amateurs.
A Meeting Called to Organize a
California Athletic Asso-
citation.

Amateur athletic affairs are now In a
very much muddled state.
Some weeks ago, as this paper stated at
the time, the Olympic Club grew very
much disgusted at the treatment it re-
ceived from the Pacific Athletic Associa-
ton of the Amateur Union, and at a
meeting held in the club the directors
concluded to "break away" from the as
sociation and cali meeting of all the
amateur clubs on the coast for the pur-
pose of organizing California Amateur
Association, which will be strictly anna
teur in every sense.
The board of governors of the P. A.
A. accepted the resignation of the Olym-
pic Club, and shortly afterward other
clubs followed in the footsteps of the
Olympic and sent in their resignation
On Friday evening the Pacific Athletic
Association held its annual meeting at
the Reliance Club in Oakland, and several
of the members represented took the
Olympic Club to task. Some OF them
stated that the associat ion would be puri-
fed by the absence of the Olympic Club
and some of the other clubs which, al
though pretending to be amateur, were
=
sional contests.
The officers of the Olympic Club do not
however, appear to be much exercised
over the statements made by some of the
leading members of the Pacific Athletic
Association. In fact the president OF the
Olympic smiled when he read the report
of Friday evenings meeting. He said: {:
''Well, you know the board is composed
principally of boys, some of whom are
undoubtedly very jealous and assuredly
enthusiastic, but they have got much to
learn. / will allow that they mean right,
but the question that is of creates i'm
portance is: Can the amateur athletes of
California govern themselves without the
assistance of the Amateur Athletic
Union?
NOW you see, we Californians are
very long distance from headquarters, so
to speak, and If there should be any ques-
tion of importance arise that cannot be
decided by the representatives of the
union on this coast why we must wait
two weeks at least for an answer from
New York, and on more than one occasion
answers to questions have been DELAYED
to suit the convenience of the secretary
of the union.
But that is not our only grievance we
have many. Our boys object to the small
inducements that are offered for compe-
titions IN boxing, wrestling and in fact all
IOunO atnletlc sports. cannot see W ny
the union should restrict amateurs TO a
$35 trophy. Now if $100 trophy is given,
which is small induce ement enough to a
boxer or wrestler who trains hard sc veral
weeks for contest, / have no doubt that
a large entry would result.
"Our athletic talent is made up of
young men who were not born with silver
spoons in their mouths, and consequently
we must give them some better induce
ments than are given to the young men OF
the clubs of New York, who are. in great
est part, the sons of wealthy men,
II contend that a man can be an anna
teur, it matters not whether he contests
for 500 trophy or $5 trophy.
1--WE can govern ourselves at home with
out having to send to New York for in
structions, and it is with that object in
view the Oily mpic Club has called meet
ing of the respective clubs of this coast for
Friday evening. the 2Sth inst.
II think that California has material
with ability and intelligence among its
athletic institutions to handle its own af-
fairs to the satisfaction of all concerned
in amateur athletic sports. The money
we send East annually to the secretary Of
the union can be used to much better adj
vantage at home. With few exceptions
the amateur athletes of this coast favor
our scheme"