Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-08-31
LOCAL COMMENT.

| The decadence of the state firemens
tournaments is apparent and the reason
therefor is plain. Unless there is a
change soon no more tournaments will
be held in the state. The entire trouble
is too much professionalism. The small
Ter cities have become tired of support
ing running teams of home firemen for
the sake of competing with semi-profes-
| sional teams. For that reason they stay
at home Now that the tournament is
over the Times Republican pro-
poses to talk plainly. The legitimate
fireman enjoys his vacation and
the days spent at the tournaments, He
enjoyed his stay in Marshalltown and
entertainment a plenty was provided
for him, but the fact remains that the
| number OF competing teams has dwind-
led until at Marshalltown but four
teams were present. Two of these rep
| resented Marshalltown, the third came
1 without organization or practice. and
| the fourth was picked up and organized
\ by few La Porte men after their ar
rival. The local management is not to
blame for this condition, the MARSHALL
town firemen are not to blame except to
the extent that they have been guilty
OF sending out semi.professional teams,
| and the officers of the association, who
are Woodworking and enthusiastic lot
of men, are blameable only because.
they have failed to strictly enforce their
| own rules. Some of the most exciting
| contests of this or any other tourna-
ment are the races between the slower
teams. and Marshalltown and every
other city and town in the state with
volunteer department will give better
4 amateur team like the Buckwalds, of
this city, than to one made up of pro-
fessional and nonresident runners In
fact the Buchwald team. in this its first
1 year. gave the prettiest exhibitions of
4 team work at the Marshalltown meet
4 ing and also made good time. 1t is
strictly an amateur team made UP of
Marshalltown boys and one in which
tRo efit seven pr etts s spimf dlfaEafohas
barred entirely. and with fair and
equal chance all around, the tourna-
ments could be made what they We're
ten years and more ago. Professional
ism has killed other sports ana the state
1 firemen's association now finds itself at
/ the point where professionalism must
be barred entirely or the association die
4 out altogether. With more drill teams
similar to those the little city of Marion
sends out, and fair racing, a program
i could be provided that would swell the
| gate receipts to point where the town
or city entertaining the tournaments
t would not be compelled to burden their
business men and capitalists with the
| necessity of providing the necessary
! funds to pay the prizes.
I
Marshalltown has not much of kick
1 coming in regard to other towns carry
| ing away much of this prize money this
year. however, as the Pierce team won
| first in every event entered. and the
( Buchwald team won every other first
I and second prize in all the other events.
OF course some of the special prize
money went to other cites, and some
of the pierce team winnings went to pay
off some of the nonresident members.
Teachers and pupils are engaged at
| the present time in their annual pastime
of bewailing the assignments to the
different wards. Teachers become at
| tached to certain buildings and their as
sociates. and pupils and patrons fern a
| like attachment for the various teachers
with an occasional exception. Super
| intendent Willard is of the opinion that
better work is obtained by changing the
| teachers from one building to another
every few years, in this view he is
backed by the school board, and while
there have been many protests and APP
| peals because of this years assign
ments it is given out that the decisions
are final. After a few weeks of school
teachers and pupils will become recon
ciled to their new positions and instruc-
tors-and the next year there will be
complaint because they are changed
| again.
The Marshalltown Carnival Company
has obligated itself to the extent of s12,-
600 to secure attractions that will make
the carnival a success. 1t has made con-
tracts with the T.-R. and other newspa-
pers for liberal advertising and intends
to push it's show before the public un-
til the streets of this city are thronged
with crowds of sghtseers.
If banner displayed at the fair
ground Friday is a sample of the Hitter
acy of prize fighters and wrestlers, it is
no wonder the prize ring needs elevat-
ing. The banner read:
to Night at
Seig Thea.
[ - 4