Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-31
BOWLING SCORES ARE Low
Feature Of Annual American Tournament
Just Ended at Sc. Louis
PINS ARE SAID TO Be CHEF CAUSE
oincinnati, which Gets Next Years
MeetfnE, Expected TO show More
Hospitality 90 visiting
BowIers.

ST LOUIS. Mo-, March sO.-(special.)-
The seventh annual tournament of the
American Bowling congress. which will al
ways be remembered for the unprecedented
warm weather which existed all through,
is now a matter OF history. having come to
an end I'm this city last Wednesday when
the final games were rolled in the minor
events Three cities are represented in the
list OF new champions. Marshall Levey OF
Indianapolis and r. F. Matak Of st. Paul
tied for the individual championship with
go pins the Furniture Citys of Grand
Rapids won the team championship with
total Of 205 while p G. Richter and f.
N. Bigley OF Louisville are the new title
hhlders I'm the doubles with 1.16f. Omcial
figures in all events were not obtainable
but Il is supposed Harry Ellis Of Grand
Rspids is the winner Of first prize for high
averages for the nine games.
A feature of the tournament that stood
out prominently above every other was the
low scores Never before in the history Of
the American Bowling congress have the
general scores been so small. the winning
counts IN both the minor events being the
lowest on record while the Furniture Citys'
count Of 2,05 has been beaten in every
tournament with the exception of the first
event in Chicago I'm 1901 and the fourth in
Cleveland in 1904 when It was so cold the
bowlers had to carry oil stoves in on the
alleys to warm their hands on while rolling
in the ive-Ihen event
Secretary d. ]. Sweeney has been the
redeeming feature of the tournament. This
untirable Irishman, who seemingly was able
60 go along without any sleep, lived up TO
his promise Of getting the bowlers off in
two days time although the schedule was
always somewhat late. This was caused
by the schedule not allowing enough time
for the minor events. the facilities for get
ting the bowlers off and on the alleys
being entirely inadequate. II is certain that
in future tournaments more time will be
allowed each squad in these events even
II it is necessary to start earlier In the
forenoon.
Pins the Cause of Low Scores.
Many opinions have been expressed con-
corning the reasons for the low scores but
most Of the competent critics think the pins
had more to do with It than the sectional
alleys or the temperature itself. In all
former tournaments air-dried pins have
been used. while those in use at this tourn-
ainent were hln-dried and put on the mar
ket few months after being made. The
warm weather also affected them, and they
we're certainly hard 10 knock down. Time
and again pin or two would stick on per-
feet hits, while lucky strikes or getaways
were few and far between. The sectional
alleys also came in for their share of criti-
cism, and It seems likely that future tourn-
aments will use continuous alleys and thor
oughly air-dried pins
Left-handed bowlers seemed to have a
shade the best of 1t so far as the alleys
were concerned. The drives ran over so
fast that right-handers had a hard time
keeping on the right side Of the headpin
with any degree OF accuracy, while balls
delivered from the opposite side OF the al
ieys seemed to fall into the crotch naturally.
The fact that the alleys were fast was
never more thoroughly demonstrated than
when Pop" Brill, one Of the steadiest
bowlers in the country. made only one
strike on the right side Of the pins in his
hve-nen series with the Mlneralites. A
feature was the large number OF compare
lively mediocre bowlers who landed high
up in the prize lists. Especially was this
fact in the five-men event where most
Of the creek teams failed to do anything OF
note.
Poor Accommodations Provided.
Facilities for taking care OF the bowlers
In the tournament building were extremely
limited on account OF the lack Of space. and
what few comforts were obtainable had 10
be paid for, such towels, admission to
the grandstand drinking water etc Even
with this additional revenue the tourna-
ment association viii lose a lot OF money
the expenses being unusually heavy It Is
expected there viii be a deficit Of about
10000 The attendance was poor largely
through the indifference of the St. Louis
papers and the incompetent way in which
the scores we're handled. Hotel accommo.
dations although coming rather high. were
good. the bad feature being the distance
of the principal hostelries from the alleys
ride of a quarter Of an hour being neces-
sary TO reach them.
The selection of Cincinnati as the site
for the next tournament has met with gen
eral satisfaction among the bowlers in at
tendance at the tournament When Garry
Hermann undertook to lead the Queer
City delegation In its fight for the AFFAIR
he went at the matter in a business-lik,
way and when he left Cincinnati for St
Louis had enough signed pledges in hii
pockets from representative business in
terests to cover the expense of running
the tournament. In addition he stated
openly that he expected to spend som,
money for the accommodation OF the visit
ing bowlers, and no one who witnessed
his strenuous campaign here for almost
week has any doubt OF his intention L
make good.
Bumper Event Next Year.
Many predictions have been made tina
next years tournament will eclipse am
previous event. estimates on the numbe
Of fve-men teams running as high as 200
These are based on the superstition OF tn
suspension OF the National Bowling asso
citation event because OF the failure Of IL