Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1912-12-06

lege athletes not only in football but in wresti1ns,
rowing, boxing or any other sport.
So to further this specially there is in the
navy a regularly organized feet athletic commit
tee composed of five officers. Lieut.. s. c. Hooper
of the flagship Connecticut is at the head OF 1t.
This committee exercises a general oversight
over all sports and arranges dates for regattas
and sporting events. Outside the daily participa-
ton in sports, there are four distinct seasons
when Jack is put on his mettle SO far as athletics
go. They are when the games are pulled off at
Guantanamo, Newport Bar Harbor and Boston,
when the fleet is together. At such times interest
ashore is quite as great as aboard ship.
If rooters for college games think themselves
the acme of infectious enthusiasm 1t is because
they haven't seen a navy contest. 1t takes a
bunch of jackies, effervescing with the excite
ment of an ~intership contest, to give the former
cards and spades in emotional pyrotechnics, for
the games are always vigorously contested, the
various ships crews being represented on the
side lines, bowling encouragement in their own
peculiar fashion.
AS a rule competition in the events is elimina-
tive, the ships first contrasting by divisions In
championships playing each other for fleet cham
pionship.
For the last two years the Connecticut team has
won the football trophy-a wooden football.
gilded.
1t is when the fleet is in southern waters for
aerial target practice that baseball is particularly
enjoyed.
Then" says Lieutenant Hooper, baseball par
ties are landed each day and the games are as
holly contested as those of the major leagues.
The men are as rabid fans as those ashore and
keep as sharp tabs on the official scores as any
landsman. Each evening about 8 o'clock the
scores of the various games in the National and
American leagues are sent from the flagship by
radio
when it comes to the boat races" says the
chief athletic officer, "the sailor is naturally In
his element and the races are highly spectacular.
The course is usually between the line Of ships
and as the boats skim over the waters all the
men man the rails and cheer their favorite team
to the echo"
For this competition the regular twelveoared
service cutter of the navy is used, that is, unless,
as sometimes happens, the men of a special ship
get together and buy one Of their own. Such a
craft is generally termed a "tailor-made' boat
because Of it's superior style and finish. The
Battenberg cup, presented by Prince Louis for
the crew races, is most desired and all efforts
are bent at winning it. A large number Of other
cups have at various times been put up for COM
petition, among them one by August Belmont.
Money prizes are sometimes offered, too, and a
ship will sometimes win as much as $4,000 in
purses. One year the Indiana won that sum, and
the Maine $500 in a special event, a three-mile
race. which was pulled off in rs minutes. On
the same occasion the marines on the Indiana
won a purse of 5000 besides the Dutch challenge
cup.
In Guantanamo also occurs the final bouts to
determine the fleet Championships in boxing.
For this the men train as industriously as though
they were really the white hopes" Of the pro.
fessional class, and in spite of the fact that their