The San Francisco call., 1897-02-01

accordingly advised the Butte team to
object to the Olympics getting that extra
sum.
Then this message came:
To ". F. Humphrey: II $3.50 Is not turned
over 10 Butte, team for. expense we will COM
mence proceedings against Olympic Club.
GEORGE MCMILLAN:
The whole proceedings since the game
have indicated disposition the part
of the teams to make amateurism sec
ondary to financial gain, and the am ateur
association, and particularly its presI-
dent, mas been placed upon the defensive
in attem pting, for pure love or amateur
sport and without any reward Tor ser
vices, TO uphold and enforce the amateur
laws that amateur clubs should them
selves be eager TO see maIntalnedi even
though at some personal sacrifice. :.
Casper Whitney, the athletic. authority
of Harper's Weekly, has written highly
commenting the course pursued by The
Pacific association in ruling against the
two Butte players, in suspendlng the
Butte team from amateur standing, and
in the recent gate-receipts matter. ~.
President Humphrey, explaining. the
whole affair last night, said: ~
1t became impossible to play the amateur
match game advertised for New Years day, as
the Butte team refused to euter the contest
without Hail and LaswelI, two acknowledged
to see the teams play. 1t would have been
practically impossible to refund the gate
money TO all the proper persons, as several
hundred specta tors had been admitted TO the
reserved-se4t sections where several hundred
more had paid extrato sit, and there was no
way of telling which were which. =: -
There might easily have been more claims
on the box office than there was money to pay
them and the last applicants would probably
nave been the sufferers, while the two o<teams
would have been liable to them.
ROt hstp anupaled and asked the
Pacific. Amateur Association would not sane,
tiOn an exhibition gome'' in which. Hall and
Laswen would be eligible TO compete. 1 re-
piled thatsuch thing would amount to an
evasion of the amateur rule They:then agreed
upon and proposed Il. charity game; the gate
receipts minus the expenses OF the TWO teams,
to be do ated to'charity.
l objected that Expenses" was too indefin-
itea phrase. And the Butte"team- said, eve
don't care for any OF the money: we want, the
game" The Olympic Representa- tative said that
this club had made 1tseit responsible for the
expenses of the grounds, for the printing and
the advertising. Then they. agreed that,
minus expenses of grounds, prtn ting, ad yer-
tssing ana attendance for that game, the gate
money should go to Charity. With that un-
derstanding L autho ized the exhibition: Mr.
BoSworth o. the Olympic Club received the
gate money as agent of the Pacific Amateur
Association, and placed it in the keeping. of
George A. New hall, president OF the Olympic
Club. - .-+~-
Neither the associa tion nor any. of its Of
fcials have ever received or had the handling
of any Of that money. The fundi is still in the
keeping of Mr.. Newhall.
. Mr.. Fitzgerald of the Reliance Club as agent
of the Butte team, appeared al meeting of the
board of the Pacific Amateur Association and
waived all claim to the money and sanctioned
the action OF the board IN, maintaining that
only the specified expenses originally agreed
upon should be allowed.
There is only one question, and that is, was
that agree ment made2 If so, does the Butte
tea N wish to repuuiate it?
l am eager to see charity receive every cent
of the money, but il Butte and Olympic repu-
diate that agree ment there can be nothing in
law to.prevent them; tor 1t was verbal under
standing that can be maintained only by the
honor or those who were parties toit.