The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-10-22
OGDEN SIDE or DIFFERENCE
Manager of Football Team Tells OF
Controversy Between Rival Schools
in Football Schedule.

The following open letter from ]. K.
Van Patten, manager of the Ogden High
school football team, was received by The
Herald yesterday:
Since AN attempt has been made on the
part Of our friends from Salt Lake to
place the management of the Ogden High
school football team In false position,
il seems advisable to state to the public
the facts as they actually exist.
Correspondence was opened by me
with Mr.. Clawson. manager of the Salt
Lake High school team. concerning a
schedule. we offered TO play two games.
one TO be played at Salt Lake. either oct.
y, p or Nov. 4, and n return game in
Ogden on Thanksgiving day, Nov. 20, an
Oid-established custom Of several years
standing. In reply TO my letter re-
ceiYed a communication from Manager
ClaWsOn, from which l quote the follow
ing:
We wish to make the following modi-
ucatlOn TO your 80 per cent proposition.
that IS you pay all your expenses down
here and We pay all expenses that will be
incurred in advertising. getting the
grounds, etc. and you 10 do likewise
when We play return game in Ogden
Thanksgiving. The date we wish to set
is the l4th OF October. This Is preferable
to zist. which you mention. because tho
university Will play here, and in doing
go we have the chance to open the foot
bail season here. IL this is favorable.
make out your contract and we will have
team and the principal of the school. If
you do not thoroughly understand this
proposition, please communicate with US
Immediately and notify us OF your ac-
ceptance at an early date
Going on with this understanding. and
considering the Thanksgiving date set
fled, began arranging my schedule, re-
serving for Salt Lake the choice of the
three dates given above. a few days
later l had talk with Mr.. Clawson over
the phone and the Thanksgiving agree
ment was again confirmed beyond all
doubt But the game at Salt Lake was
LETT to be settled upon later. Manager
ClaWson, however. made a request for
Oct. j. for the Salt Lake game. but was
informed by me that this date was quite
impossible, although he could have the
choice Of the three Saturdays following.
We were unable TO get further expression
from Manager Clawson until Oct 2 when
he informed me by phone that he had no
authority whatsoever to make definite
arrangements for games. and that the
BOARD OF control had instructed him to
cancel the date. | then asked to be
placed IN direct communication with
someone who had the authority. and one
who wrote letters that could be relied
upon Manager Clawson then replied that
ne was the only official in charge of the
Salt Lake team.
Concerning the matter of the percent.
age OF receipts at the game. I would saw
thaJ IN past years the receipts have been
divided 60 per cent and 40 per cent 60
per cent going 10 the winner ana the
reason that Ogden desired TO play on a
so per cent basis was that at The games
played at Salt Lake there had never been
as large a crowd as In Ogden. The total
receipts at the game last year were SOP
while at the Thanksgiving game in Og-
den the receipts were S35S5O. This did
not seem like a fair proposition to Og-
den, as we were furnishing bv far a
greater part OF the financial support, and
the 30 per cent basis was proposed and
agreed TO by Salt Lake over the phone
We Wish 20 have the public know that we
stand ready to back any agreeHents
made by us, written or verbal, and that
we throw the gauntlet down 10 Salt Lake
10 play our team in Salt Lake and a re-
turn same In Ogden Thanksgiving day
a custom Of several years standing. that
has always been conceded at the opening
OF each season heretofore without the
need of the usual preliminary correspond
ence.
Now, if Salt Lake can play on the
sriulfoh as wei as they can make false
statements In the newspapers, we want
lust such an exhibition in Ogden ON
THANKSGIVING day. 1t was also stated bv
hF. Ciawson that he was unable To Az
range Tor three games with our team. In
regard 10 this statement ] wish to aav
that had ne even as much as limited that
ne wanted three games. we would have
gladiy accommodated him. We very
much regret the present condition of af-
Ialfs, put we cannot see that We are in
any way responsible for them.
We Only ask for a due respect of the
custom that has prevailed for at least six
years past. and appeal to the best iudQ-
ment OF the public TO decide If we should
De the object Of an attempted false rep-
GeSehtation on the part OF our friends in
Salt Lake City"