The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1899-11-29
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
! SPORTING ITEMS.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS


General reform in athletics is looked
for next season. The Amateur Athletic
union has departed from its usual custom
IN adopting new rules that will equalize
the chances of the small and large ath-
letIc organization members in future com
petitions. While increased interest was
manifested in field and track competitions
this year, the results at the various meet
ings were not satisfactory. Placing or
CARNATIONS upon an equal footing is
bound to create interest and incite rivalry
among athletes in the future, but in the
PAST the conditions that have governed
competitions under the Amateur union
have been strikingly unjust and calcu
lated to injure the promotion of the sport.
Clubs like the New York Athletic club
have held forth as the leaders in all sorts
of contests This distinction was earned
not through sportsmanlike promotion Of
athletics, but rather by the judicious Sc
lection Of crack athletes from all sections
of the country, who were enrolled under
the standard of the local clubs. Members
of the university teams who attained
leading positions in intercollegiate games
invariably turned up as representatives
of the n. \. A; G. summer teams to the
discomfort of the small club men and to
the injury of athletics. AS result dis
trct and national championships were
won by the n. Y. A. c.. men, to the intense
dissatisfaction of the younger and less
powerful clubs. In some cases district
CHAMPIONSHIPS were won by men hailirg
from Western towns and cities on the
Pacific coast The ridiculous feature of
such performances finally appealed to the
A. A. u. leaders, and urged on by the
demands of the small club members re-
form measures have now been installed
that are expected to boom athletics next
year. The adoption of restrictive rules
preventing clubs from corralling crack
collegians and entering men in district
championship events who have not le-
gal residence in the state will act bene-
fcially. Placing all the CLUBS on an even
footing is sure to inspire confidence ia
the younger athletes who are ambitious
to attain front rank. Another very ex-
cellent move of the A. A. T. has been
the creation of senior and junior cham
plonshlpS. This innovation is the result
Of desire to give the men who do not
now rank as leaders an opportunity to
enter the Junior competitions and earn
championship distinction before they are
forced to start against the real cham
pions. There is a general feeling of sat
lsfactlon over the deliberations of the A
A. Z. officers. The new rules are rad
zeal in their change and are bound to re-
suit IN creating more widespread inter-
est in athletic contests. The union will
benefit by it's new rules insomuch as in
creased interest in athletics means extern
sion Of its power and scope as the gov
erning association of amateur sport in
this country.
The first appearance of Albert Cham
pion, the French middle-distance crack,
will be in a twenty five-miIe paced race
against Harry Elkes. They were matched
last week to ride at Madison Square gar
den, New York, on December 2. Cham
pion's record at the hour is 200 yards
better than that of Elkes.
Joe GOddard'S manager has matched
him against Jack Mccormack. The battle
will be for twenty rounds and will be de-
cided next Saturday night in Toronto
before the Crescent A. c..
Much interest is felt in the coming
fight between Frank Erne and Jack
O'Brien at the Coney Island Sporting
club on December 4. Erne is now train
ing at Sheepshead bay.
w. III. Watkins, formerly manager OF
| the Indianapolis ball club and late of the
| Pittsburg club last week closed a deal by
| which he becomes the sole owner Of the
| Indianapolis club in the American league.
| The club was purchased by him from
! John T. Brush and w. III. Schmidt.
| This deal takes Brush permanently out
/ of the baseball business in indianapolis,
/ and the only interest he retains in base
! ball is the control OF the Cincinnati club
| He has been chief owner Of the Indian
| apolis club thirteen years.
| Tommy West defeated Frank Craig,
| the Harlem Coffee Cooler" last week
at the Broadway Athletic club, New
| York The bout was to have gone TWEEN
| ty rounds. The men fought at catch
| weights. Craig was mark for his OPP
| ponent, who beat him as he pleased:
| Craig went to the floor repeatedly and
| Referee White gave West the verdict IN
| the fourteenth round.