New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-08-31
TENNIS KINGS GAY
ON EVE OEBATTLE
Good Cheer Reigns, but on
Morrow Many VIII Meet
Their Waterloo.


loo. according 10 history. there was a
social function of considerable brill
lance somewhere in Belgium" Wiz
national lawn tennis tournament
ready to stare them in the eyes the
minuts they open them this morning,
more than half the entrants in the
elimination play of the West Side Ten
mis- Club at Forest Hills. Long Island,
gathered at the Hotel Vanderbilt last
night for one more square meal.
Before the sun sets this evening, pro
vided il shines a full union day and
keeps the turf dry. half the number OF
diners will be retired from the tour
nament with a defeat chalked up
against them. But last night the same
I-should-worry atmosphere that per
yaded the Brussels ballroom a hundred
years ago was duplicated at the Van
derbilt
1t was q training dinner. The menu
wss simple. First the sunburned,
sinewy tennis players, almost every one
of whom, il he was not champion, had
been at some time or other, cut, VOL
Legged and backhanded his way through
little neck clans. roast beef, baked po-
tatoes, string beans and ice cream. The
service was perfect.
Later They Listened TO Speeches.
Seated at a huge round table were
the brightest tennis lights of the coun-
try-a dozen men whose aggregate an
nual expenditure for silver polish to
keep their trophies shining exceeds the
earnings Of some railroads. p. A. Vail,
of New Zealand, where he was once
champion, and who has natural bent
for statistics and technical questions
related TO tennis and golf, estimated
that the energy expended annually in
polishing the same trophies would run
the elevators in the Woolworth Build
ing for seventeen hours.
Julian S. Myrick, president of the
West Side Tennis Club, which brought
the national lawn tennis matches from
Newport to Forest Hills, sat at the head
Of the table. Beside him was Robert
d. Wrenn, pr-sident of the United
States National Lawn Tennis Associa-
ton. At Mr.. Myrick's left was R. Nor
ris Williams, Cd, the national champion.
Raymond D. Little, who with Fred
crick Alexander, also present, won sew
eral national doubles championships;
Karl Behr, who beat Maurice z. Nc
Loughlin at Newport two weeks ago,
sat at one side of the table and smiled
across at the fery-haired Californian
from whom he wrested the laurels.
Ward Dawson, of California; Moses Eli,
of the West Side Tennis Club; William
NJ Johnston, former Pacific Coast
champion; George Townsend Adee, sec
rotary Of the national association;
Harry Parker, treasurer of the West
Side organization; Alrick Mann, one
time champion of New England; Albert
Hoskins, president of the National
Lawn Tennis Association, and George
Wright, of Wright & Diston, were
others at the same board.
Il. Norris Williams, I'd, who studied
tennis at Harvard, was called upon for
speech. He referred to the stormy
meeting held last winter at the Wal
dorf, when the West Side Tennis Club
won the national tournament away
from Newport.
"The last time | spoke" said he, 81
had to think Of something to say
against that fellow over there" indi-
eating Behr, who was all for the Rhode
Island courts. "But now" he continued,
1--WE have all come together in good
fellowship and we are all going to do
something TO make this match a sue
cess. think that whether we are of
the West Side club or any other club
we should all do our part. ] am sure
everything is going to be perfectly fine,
and ] thinF this is going to be the big
gest tourn ,ment ever held, and hope
that the West Side Tennis Club is
going to be repaid for all the trouble
they have gone to. do not think there
Is anything more ] can say"
Every one cheered. Robert D. Wrenn
cauuOnGQ lne players against staying
ND late, and called their attention to
the notices they had received stating at
what time their matches went on.
President Myrick welcomed the guests
and then sent them home at 9:l5
o'clock.
Some of the other champions and
former champions who attended the
dinner and acted as unconcerned as
though there was nothing more strenu-
ous TO do on the morrow than Toll
sbout the verandas of a cuntry club
we're Nathaniel W. Niles. who once held
,he State of Massachusetts, honors;
frederick c. Inman, former New York
state and metropolitan title holder;
watson NJ Washburn. of Harvard.
v,bose opponent in this afternoons
,natch is said to be a dark horse from
New Jersey; Clarence J. Griffin. who
car1e all the way from California to
compete; Walter NJ. Hall, ex-Middle
states champion, title Karl Behr now
bss on his mantelpiece; Harold Hack
~ 10 of Davis Cup fame, and Lyle +.
Naban, who when he went to Columbia
could trim any one in the whole col
lege. ...;- g. 5a,, bolf tho
,,ayers will have the dinner last night