The San Francisco call., 1897-06-01
OLYMP IANS WANT
FREE CON TESTS.
Pacific Athletic Association
Members on the Club
s. Standing.
Professional Boxing Entertain:
Z ments Do Not Meet With
Approval. 81.
Fights Should Be Held in the Club
Where Members Are Not Charged
II i ri. Heavy Admissions. +.

r. The officers of the Pacific Coast Anna
teur Athletic Association of the American
Athletic Union are now sanguine that the
Olympic Club will not succeed in: estab-
fishing on this coast an amateur associa-
tion that will be recognized by the bona
tde amateurs of this City and State. : j.
They say that at the first meeting called
by Director Taylor of the: Olympic Club
only a comparatively few clubs of the
great number now enjoying healthy life
on this coast had representatives at the
meeting. ~. Fl. i. Fl: ..>...... -. i. +
THE amateur club members who believe
strictly in supporting clean amateur sport
cannot afford to connect themselves with
the scheme promulgated by some of the
disgruntled mem bers of the Olympic
Club" said Mr.. Humphrey recently when
addressing some of he leading club mem
bers Of this City and Oakland. .-'. -.
= The Olympic Club permits its affairs TO
be handled by men who do not know any
thing comparatively about amateur ath-
Ietlc government, consequently nothing
can be expected of it only what has al
ready trans spired.
The condition of the elubnoW is profess
sional-thanks to the energetic services Of
some OF its leaders who have routed the
amateur athletes from the club by acts
that were not in accordance with views OF
gentlemen who have no particular desire
to associate with professional: pugs either
IN the cIub-or in public. .>=..:
The introduction of: professional box.
ing contests has not assisted in any way
: 10 elevate the tone and good standing that
the olympic Club enjoyed for many
years. +:.-*.: - .-:..@. -: ~
a co,,tay,d 4l,o+ Is fba OiI, $40 X p oj
followed out the old and good sys tenn of
giving amateur tistic entertainments in its
gymnasium occasionally for the pleasure
of mem bers tie mem bership. would be
large and affairs athletic would be IN a
healthy and prosperous state to-day; but
time will prove that the. club made q
grave mistake when it switched from .
purely amateur line to contend with pro-
fessional boxing clubs for a share of the
money that accrues from professional
pugilistic contests. ,"
Another prominent representative of the
: P. "A. a. of the A. a.. u. who has been a
member of the 0lym pic Club for many
years said that he felt sorry for the grand
@old athletic institution. T.
THE Olympic Club should stand on its
dignity, SAID the athlete, 'and if it can.
not exlstby a clean syste m of government
then let 1t close its doors rather than
bring about an association of its mem bars
with the scum of the earth. "
II is only short time since that Eddie
ko1b, The popular athlete, was leader OF
the Olympic Club. :. He provided very ex-
cellent entertainments for the mem bers
in the gymnasium, which were always
largely attended. The result was that un-
der Koib's administration the club had
over 2200 paying mem bers; but note the
retrogression. / m sure that the m m
bershIp has dwtndled downto 1900 paying
mem bers, and there certainly must be a
cause for this rapid drop. .: -.
F. There must be a screw loose some
where, and / contend that the disgruntled
feelings that have existed betwe n the
mem bers of the club for some time were
bronght about when the club reteiled
against amateur athletic entertainments
and Hoped over 10 the professional side
Il think that if the mem beTs were asked
to vote on the question, W.: whether it
would he 10 the be etter interests-of the club
to hold its entertainments under its own
root where only the members could attend
r or TO hold them i'll an open hall where its
mem bers must come in contact with all
classes, predict thatthe vote would be
strongly in favor OF entertainments being
held in the club building. 49,
"As it now stands the mem bers mu st
pay the same prices of admission TO out
side entertainments as are charged 10
Tom, Dick and Harry. The Olympic Club
is professional and under no circum stances
would The Amateur: Al hletlc Union rein
state it if the club applied for ad mission. p