The morning times., 1897-01-24
Gossip From the
Local GymnaSiumS

The local basketball ma na cement is not
| the only one that is having trouble in its
| effort TO clear the game of rough and
foul pla wing. for word comes from Phila-
deIphia, the city where there are more
basketball teams than in all the other
| cities combined. that the great difficulty
there is the calling OF fouls. The trouble
there is not so much the making of fouls
as the great objection to he constant ca IL
| ing of fouls and which the audiences
claim is an unpleasant feature of pop
ular game. All this is brought about by
| the adherence to the old rule of having IN
| umpire for each side. Naturally when II
! foul is called by one side there is long
kick. which is followed when play is re-
| Sumed by the calling of a foul on the
other side 10 even up After that there
| is a foul calling race. SO that neither team
/ will get the worst OF il in the way OF
| scoring points on fouls.
| Continuing such tactics as this will
| very soon nIa ke the game very unpopular
| and Improbable, and as a pointer, the
| mana cement in this city would suggest
| that the city Of Brotherly Love adopt the
I rules in use here, which the league ma de
| for its own guidance, and which are the
/ International rules modified TO suit con
| dit.onS here, and which Sane conditions
| prevail in other cities. The rules, as
| adopted here with only one umpire, are
very liberal andIeavc much to the players
| honor in pia wing his position in a game, and
| ii all the teams had an equal opportunity
! of
! honor system would soon become very
| apparent. As it is, about half the teams
| have playing field for practice, and
when they meet other teams, the de
| ficiency in thorough and practic al
knowledge of the rules is made up in
! aggressiveness, which the other side will
not stand hy and tolerate, and in a little
while all rules are thrown aside and q
| general scramble follows Good-natured
as it may be, it is not basketball, and
| whatever goals are scored are more fire.
quently the result OF bare luck than OF
| pTacticed skill.
The trouble i'll this city is the infre-
quency with which fouls are called by the
one umpire required by the rules. If
our officials followed the lead Of those Of
Philadelphia, we would have perfect
| game, and if the latter city had our
rules and enforced them, its spectators
would have little cause for disSatisfac-
/ ton
An effort is making by Lieut.. Tom
| Nolan OF the Columbia Athletic Club TO
| secure more privileges for the junior mem
Ders from fifteen years of age up. He is
| seconded in his efforts 10y Prof. CroSsley.
who favors giving the juniors three nights
! and two afternoons each week. AS the
| gyInnaStic and athletic ranks OF the club
are largely filled from among the boys
and as Crossley is willing to put in the
| extra work, the effort ought to succeed
Rex Smith has joined the club and his
! good aII-round work will greatly strengthen
| tile club classes, especially in exhibitions.
! Fred Franz, who has been working faith,
| fully and hard, is, upon advice of Prof.
| Crossley, taking a rest from practice for
fear OF becoming stale in his poIe-vauIt
work
| For the same reason Alma Speare takes
practice only three evenings a week
Frank Waters is surprising himself and
| his instructor at the same time by the
| rapid progress in his acrobatic work
One OF the best all-round men in the gym
is Charlie Cabrera.
Midge Ross new line OF "hand stands
is the newest thing in the gym.
Chapman is a new member who prom
iSes well in all-round gymnastics.
Saturday morning junior classes are
| larger than ever before and the ranks
are full Of very clever youngsters in all
round work.
As soon S the pool opens Prof. Cross
ley will give an exhibition with the young
sters in variety of water gymnastics, a
novelty hereabouts.
Prof. Daryalat, instr uctor in fencing, has
gotten together gratifyingiy large class,
and some OF his pupils are even now very
apt with the foils.
The shuffieboard tourney is bringing out
q larger list of entrants than any recen
club competition There is great rivalry
among the players.
/ Prof. Maurice Joyce, physical instructor
at Carroll Institute is strong believer il
| the regularity Of taking exercise for The
| general development OF the body. He pays
| more attention to securing proficiency in
classwork than to developing stars in
| speciality lines.
The gym classes are larger this season
than ever before.
One of the features OF the athletic de.
partment OF the Institute is that non Cath
olics may be enrolled as regular members
! of classes and are entitled TO all the priv.
ileges that other members have except
voting and holding office. Certainly very
| liberal concession on the part of the In
| stitute and o. e that is much appreciated
Rogers, wills is a newcomer in the gym
this season, has developed into good all.
round man.