The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-12-17
WALTER JOHNSON
WILL EARN KEEP
Sheridan Thinks Former Senator win
Prove One Of Best Drawing
Cards In the
Game.
SPORT OR PLEASURE?
Which Head Does Roller Skating
Come Under?-Anyway, They're
Starting Il
Again.
SPORT OR PLEASURE?
BY Hal Sheridan,

Written for the United Press.1
NEW YORK, Dec 17.-Many q
shekel will be enticed into the FEEDER
al Golfers through the drawing abil-
ity of Walter Johnson provided, OF
course, the washington authorities
are unsuccessful in their fight to get
him back.
Walter johnson undoubtedly Is one
OF the greatest drawing cards that
ever donned baseball suit. He has
proven as great in this respect as
Cobb, Lajoie, Wagner, Hal Chase and
a few others that might be mention
ed. Poor old RUDE Waddell himself,
with all his wonderful pitching abil-
ity and eccentricities on the field,
wasn't bigger magnate for money to
the club owners than Walter Johnson
had been to Washington.
New Shirt for the Button.
The big Kansan virtually was re-
sponsible for bringing the Senator'S
to life and the first division after they
had been alternating and decaying in
last place for years. 1t was really
the work Of Walter Johnson that
made Washington fans yell for team
that would come somewhere near fit
ting the great twirler. 1t was like the
old joke of getting a shirt to sew on
button; but that's what was actual
ly done at Washington. And it was
Walter who was the cause of it all.
He was worth every cent they paid
him in the matter OF bringing fans
with their half dollars to the box Of
fee.
Two other drawing cards who un-
doubted1y will help swell Federal box
office receipts will be Chief Bender
and Eddie Plank. The argument will
be raised that both are has beens, or
at least that neither have much more
OF the old stuff left This may be
true, but they will both play in towns
that have never seen a big league
team in action or that may never have
seen the only Bender and the only
Hank. II each wins only half his
games it will not make much differ
ence. There1l still be hundreds of
fans who will pass through the Fed
counting styles just to see either in
action.
Roller Skating Revival.
1t would be little difficult to de-
eide whether roller skating comes
under the head of sport or pleasure
~ 70 h. car niral Yln
in progress at Madison Square Gard
en- Is furnishing some keen competl-
ton and soms fun as well.
The present carnival which will
last three days is revival for roller
skating in this city. There was time
several years ago when it was consid-
cred quite the thing to skate and we'll
appointed Kinks came into existence
all over the country. For some reas-
on or other, however, the Kinks closed
down after a year or two OF amazing
popularity and movie houses and
make palaces have succeeded them.
Amusement Men Interested.
Amusement men in Manhattan are
watching, therefore, with keen inter
est the successes of the Garden ven
ture. And the management Of the lat
ter has gone to considerable ex-
pense to make an attractive back
! ground-or Foreground, If you will
for the skaters. A specially prepared
track with long fat stretches and hig
banks was put up recently for the
comfort and as an encouragement for
greater speed Ior the racers in the
"a hour race. Excellent living quart
ers were erected by the side of the
track with Kitchens and snug sleep
ing hunks.
That these preparations were appre-
ciated, too, was shown by the good
lists Of teams entered when no less
! than fifteen from various sections
e showed their willingness to take part.
+ And not the least OF all is the $4,000
8 prize money.