Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-27
RAIN STOPS TENNIS TOURNAY
Preliminary Events Postponed TIL Monday
Owing to Wet Grounds.
SPLENDID LIST or ENTRIES ANNOUNCED
More Players Than Ever started' in
on Omaha Tournament Are
Listed for the Present
Competition.

The preliminary events Of the city cham
pionship lawn tennis tournanent we're
pulled of yesterday in the customary man
ner and, as usual, that old veteran Of
Omaha tennis, Jupiter Pluvius, was the vic
tor.
J. p. had put forth his best efforts on the
courts Of the Omaha Field club through the
preceding night and yesterday afternoon he
reigned In undisputed possession. other
enthusiasts looked sadly across the sodden
clay ct q ~listless base ball game and re-
called similar experiences OF the middle
n~ineties. 1t was hard to believe that It was
the anniversary Of the famous hot day Of
1894, when the state tournament was In
full swing on the courts on Harvey street
while the Nebraska corn crop was being
burned to a crisp. It was unanimously
agreed that the next time . city champion
ship tournament is arranged It will be q
part Of the committee's duties to plan as an
alternative an indoor tournament OF ping
pong and that Jupiter Pluvius be barred
from entering.
Record List of Entries.
with an entry Of forty one players. every
one a resident Of Omaha, for the city cham
pionship in singles, there was no disposi-
tion to blame the committee for the I'M
avoidable postponement Of the compositions
from Saturday 70 Monday. There are nine
tiss to be decided in the preliminary round,
and the eighteen men who take part In
these are invited by the committee 70 APP
pear promptly at $40 tomorrow evening
that there may be no delay in making a
start. It will need constant vigilance to
close up the tournament by Saturday night,
even II the rain holds off, and It can only
be done IL the players viii Cooperate with
the committee In being prompt in their at
tendance.
Forty-one entries is by far the largest
number ever obtained for any tournament
in Omaha, and IL anyone imagines that the
game is on the wane let him remember this.
When tennis 1ourished on the Harvey street
courts Ave or six years ago a tournament
with half the number Of players was counted
d success.
Every night Of THIS week, beginning at
$50, the courts will be busy. weather per-
hitting.
one source of consolation to the commit
tee yesterday was the plan which they have
devised to exclude Jupiter Pluvius from in
terfering In future tournaments. Before
the date Of the interstate meeting next
month the club will be in possession OF a
salamander TO dry the courts and a steam
roller to pack them. II will then be pos
slble. TO start a game within a few minutes
after the rain stops and to play on hard
courts on which the balls WIN always bounce
true.
Interstate Entries.
f. M. Blish, chairman of the committee
OF the interstate tennis tournament, TO be
held at the courts Of the Field club August
IL, has received many letters from parties
from the various states who desire to en-
ter. The chairman is endeavoring to cor
rect the impression that is abroad among
some of the players of tha4state that the
contest Is merely for Omaha players and
those OF the other states. An players from
out in the state are expected and their
presence is desired. The committee Is
busily at work making arrangements for the
meeting and 1t is expected that a grand
tournament will be the result. Parties de-
string to enter should address Mr.. Blish
at the First National bank.