Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-02
IN TIE WORLD OF SPORT !
Base Ball at the Y, N, G. A. Park on the
Fourth Of July.
AMERICAN ATHLETES At DISADVANTAGE
Abbott VIII RcorRanilc the Ola
University Club Team for n Gnme
on the Fourth Mt Amcs
Avenue Park.

The manager OF the Butte foot ball team
was in Omaha last week, and on account
Of the washout on the Burlington Billings
line was compelled to stay over several
days. The object OF his visit was to see II
he could not get a team from Omaha to visit
Butte in the near future. Omaha has sent
five foot ball teams to Butte, and has only
won one OF the games the FIRST, by the
overwhelming score OF 46 to 4; after that
the Buttes began to hustle for players. and
while they never have paid any members
of their team, they have offered induce
ments in other ways such as good posi-
tions in the mines, and thus have built up
an almost invincible team. When some
particularly bright star would graduate from
one of the eastern colleges they would open
up correspondence with him and he would
soon be working in one of Senator Clark's
mines for more money than he ever dreamed
that he would get the first year out OF col
lege. And so the other four teams which
went from Omaha we're defeated, not badly,
thut always by close margin, such as so
and 10 to 8.
The Butte management now wants the
sporting editor OF The Bee to get up team
OF about seventeen players who will be able
to play game of foot ball. and a couple
OF days afterward to play base ball. And
such a team can be got together Omaha
has many good foot ball players and many
good base ball players and some who can
play both. Gordon Clarke was end on the
Chicago University foot ball team and third
base on the base ball team. Frank Craw
ford was catcher and captain OF the Uni
versity of Michigan base ball team, and is
one of the best foot ball players and coaches
in the west.
Billy Hayward OF Nebraska City Is one
OF the best tackles the west has produced,
and he also plays base ball. being second
baseman of the State University team.
Tracy, Davidson and Dickinson OF the
High school shine on both gridiron and dia
mond, and are strong enough for almost
any team. A. w. Jefferis the ex-assistant
county attorney, was first baseman on the
base ball nine and center on, the team of
the University of Michigan for two years.
Frank Lehmer of the State university was
able to shine on beth teams. as was also
Benedict of the same place And so it
looks as IL Omaha might produce the kind
OF a combination that the Butte manage
ment desires and have it composed of yrst
class players throughout.
OF course there are many OF the younger
boys who in the last year or two have taken
part in the athletics OF the various colleges
and training schools, and if they would
make themselves known it would confer
favor the management of the Omaha
team. Council Bluffs likewise has many
good athletes notably Clinton Spooner, who
was the best quarter that Nebraska ever
had, and many of her High school boys have
the making of excellent players when years
and weight have added to their experience
and usefulness
With the acceptance of the Oxtord-Cam-
bridge challenge work on the Harvard rep
rosentatives has proceeded apace and has
beon the athletic feature OF this otherwise
dull season of the athletic year. AS the
time for the contest draws near it begins
to be apparent that the two American col
leges accepted the English challenge with
out due consideration of the circumstances
under which the games viii DC held and the
difference in standard in measurements and
rules.
In the first place, the Americans made a
mistake in consenting to have the games run
off cn the Queens grounds. This field is
situated in the center of what Americans
call a square or block, and the surround
ing houses form an excellent wind shield.
The track, which is perfectly square, is a
half mile in length. With the exception of
the last corner before the finish all the
turns are exceedingly abrupt and hard to
negotiate.
The 100 yard dash which is run past the
main stand is, therefore, the only race in
which the Americans accustomed to long,
sweeping corners will not be at a distinct
disadvantage All the races, with this eX-
ceptiop, are run just the reverse from what
Americans do that is, with the right hand
next the pole or the inside OF the track
Instead of the left.
Reports as to whether this makes any
material difference in n race are at odds.
J. l.. Bremen who was captain of the 80
Harvard track team. and who spent the
following year at oxford, says 1t made alb
soutely no difference to him. Yales ex-
perence, however, was to the contrary, and
in their practice the Harvard men have not
been able to equal their time running in