The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-09-28
By W. W. NAUGHTON,

~ AN FRANCISCO, Sept. 27-The
collapse of the Richie Welsh
lD fight at Vancouver for the cham
pionship of the world caused but
q mild sensation in San Francisco, as
the event was not taken seriously from
the first. To begin with, the sports gen
orally could not understand how any
| promoter in small community like
Vancouver could promise Ritchie more
money than San Francisco OF New York
| could give him. The answer furnished
was that the money the promoters-who
were also interested In the racing
would wheedle out of the throng that
went later to see the ponies would be of
such immense volume that the cost of
the championship affair would seem in
comparison little better than the tip a
swell crowd gives the waiter after q
good dinner.
At that, of course, it was not expect.
ed that the pugilistic venture would be
all loss and no profit. It was thought
that the men behind the scheme would
be enabled to break even or perhaps
better, provided always that the bout
was not the only attraction they could
offer the public. But later, when it was
announced that the authorities had or
dered a curtailment of the racing sea-
son, and that the grand moving pic
ture championship would be required TO
stand on its own bottom, trouble was
looked for, and it came.
Question of Money.
Ritchie broke a few records getting
out Of Vancouver and gave as his prin-
clpal reason that the promoters had re-
fused to allow him to participate in the
profits arising from advertising. Welsh IS
manager subsequently pointed out that
the amount Ritchie wished included in
his emoluments would not reach $500
at the most, and argued that it was ri
diculous to suppose that Ritchie would
turn back on $4,000 sure money, and, |
at the lowest estimate $4,000 Of NOV
ing picture returns for a little thing |
like that.
To be reasonable about it, it doesn t |
look as though the small sized wrangle
over advertising profits would cause
Ritchie to break with the promoters,
and sizing it up that way, the question
arises-was Ritchie really to receive the
$4,000 spoken off
1t IS worthy Of note that the copies
Of the articles of agreement sent broad
cast to the sporting editors mentioned
The men except the one which hinged
lpon emoluments. We were told about
the weight and the referee and the soft
oandages and all that, but were in
sormed that the monetary arrangements
we're made the subject Of separate ar
lcles of agreement.
Now, if it is the truth that Richie
vas to receive $4,000 and that Welsh
vas to work on a percentage, what ne
essity was there for having a separate
ct of articles setting forth these termsf :
Whole Story Not Told. a
The whole thing is muddle and the !
writer still holds to the belief that the :,
rue story of the making and breaking =
f the Ritchie- Welsh match has not been
old.
The gossips of sportdom seem to he
rawing upon their imagnations for
olutions of the Vancouver puzzle, but
he stories told differ so widely that
here is small chance of any particular
ersion of the matter being accepted as
aliable.
It is generally agreed that it was the
Ire Of the moving picture money that l.