Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-10
Review of 1902 Sports Shows
Year Was One of Most
Marked Prosperity
ALL CLASSES WERE BENEFITED
Public Takes Renewed Interest in Track
Events-New Blood in Base Ball
Leagues improves Situation = The
PuaiIistic Game FIourishes-Track
Record Of Sixteen Years Broken.

| From a sporting view point the year
l. Just passed has been an unqualiheu
success. In no other year have SO
Imany different branches of amusement
enjoyed such uniform prosperity, ana
never before has such marked advance
| in public interest been noted on the
mart of the better class of enthusiasts.
Racing stands at the top in the prog
ress made. due to public confidence in
snired in the men conducting race
tracks at the metropolitan centers.
Baseball, despite the war between the
two big leagues, saw surprising era
tof good times among the minor or
Examinations of the country, most OF
which usually succumb after the re-
ceipts of July A have passed into the
treasury. Boxing, despite its bad
standing in many states, has at least
held it's own as a whole, while the lesser
professional sports all prospered. The
amateur events, especially among col
tlege games, experienced a year OF no
table activity.
In the baseball war waged between
the American and National leagues
Ban Johnsons organization whipped its
rival to point where the latter is
willing to talk peace terms, which Is
one of the hopeful signs of the future.
A portion of the change of front may,
however be laid to the door of the new
blood, led by Harry Hermann, OF chs
cinnati, which has been infused into the
league, and with this new influence has
come the overthrow of the old Freed
man Brush Soden clique, which has
been the target of baseball writer's for
years. The American League made
good in each Of the National League
cities it entered, and capped the climax
by announcing it's invasion Of New
York.
John A. Drake, formerly Of Iowa, but
more recently Of Chicago. who previ-
ously raced in Englnnd with marked
success, transferred mis- operations to
the American turf and created re-
markable record by winning the two
biggest stakes in the countryside
American Derby with Wyeth at Wash
ington Park. and the rich Futurity
stakes with Savable at Sheepshead Bay.
Both horses were considered outsiders
before the events, and much OF the
credit for their success was given to
Trainer Enoch Wishard. Western turf
men are inclined to consider McChes-
ney the greatest 3-year-old Of the year,
and think that had he been run in the
Derby the Drake colors would not have
finished at the head. Those who belit-
tie Wyeth's victory also consider Dick
Welles superior to Savable, but there is
room for less argument there, and can
we'll go over until another year, when
If nothing goes amiss the colts will
meet in the Derby.
The pugilistic game showed great
activity in a small way wherever the
sport was permitted to go on, altho
there was but one battle of national
interest pulled off during the year-that
OF Jeffries and Fitzsimmons for the
heavyweight championship which re-
suited in victory for the Californian
by the knockout route in the eighth
round. This fight took place in San
on the map within easy reach Of pa
irons where a championship fight could
apparently be pulled off. Young"
Corbett and Terry McGovern the new
disposed featherweight champions, re-
spectively, tried for a full year to get
a chance to settle the question Of SUI
premacy between themselves in
public and failed. Two cham
pions were disposed of. In the
lightweight class Frank Erne, the
holder, lost his title to Joe Cans, and
Frank Childs. the colored heavyweight
champion, succumbed to Jack Johnson,
also colored. The year also saw Jack
Roots first defeat, George Gardner be-
ling his conqueror.
The golf season Of 1902 was the big
gest in the history Of the sport in this
country In all sections the number Of
tournaments played was in excess Of
those played in previous years, and
there was corresponding advance IN
the quality Of the play. For the west
particularly it was a banner year.
Preeminent among the track and
field performances Of 1902 was the feat
Iof Arthur r. Duffy, of GeorgetowH
University, who lowered the worlds
record for the 100 yard dash to :09 g. 5,
displacing a mark which has stood for
sixteen years, since II. M. Johnson set
the then wonderful figures of 100 45 at
Cleveland. Since that time SO many
men have Travelled in :09 As that such
a record ceased almost to be an honor.
Duffy's time made at Berkeley oval
on May 81 promises to stand unap-
preached at present considering the
long time 1t has taken to reduce the
old record. College athletics showed
a healthy advance and many local
and state records We're broken as well
as world figures in the weight events.
Tennis won back much Of the ground
which 1t lost during the first flush of
the golf fad, and showed signs during
the year of regaining it's former hold
on the class of patrons to which 1t ap-
peals. Much Of this interest was
aroused by the international matches
in the east, in which the Doherty broth
ers, of England, came over and won
away the United States championship
| in doubles They were unsuccessful
I in their attempt to win the internation-
al signals which went to w. A. Larned.
The west was represented for the first
time at the Newport tournment in
several years. Collins and Waidner,
of Chicago winning the western cham
pionship in doubles from Alexander
and Little of Princeton, who had cap