The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1918-03-15
RUTH STACKER NOW
COAST SPORT WRITER
Honolulu Mermaid Makes Initial
Bow In San Francisco
Newspaper

Ruth Wayson Stacker, who now and
then used to write swimming "stuf"
for The Advertiser, is now writing for
the San Francisco Examiner. Ruth il
attending the University of California.
Introducing Miss Stacker to the San
Francisco public, the Examiner Of Feb
ruary 8 ran a two-cOlumn "face cut -
Of the Honolulu girl and gave her the
following editorial mention:
Miss Ruth Stacker, premiere wo
man swimmer Of the swimming center
Of the globe, Honolulu, has Joined The
Examiner staff and will hereafter he
regular contributor TO its sporting
pages.
IN Miss Stacker will cover the entire
field Of aquatic sports and her writings
will be authoritative as well as inter
esting and complete. The Examiner e.
new reporter is a newspaper woman as
we'll as a swimmer, having had nearly
as much experience in newspaper Offices
as in the briny deep. = o..
Ruth Stacker is n short distance
swimmer, specializing in distances up
to the quarter mile. She stiIl holds one
world record. made in her first swim
ming competition at the age of fifteen
years. The record Is for the thirty
yard dash, and though Dorothy Burns
and other feminine opponents Of speed
in the water have tried to lower it,
the time still stands at III IS sec
Onds.''
Miss Stacker announced in her first
contribution on swimming that she
was organizing a San Francisco auxili-
airy Of the Honolulu o. o. u, and that
great interest was being shown in the
Coast city concerning the 440. yard race
for girls over thirty years Of age. an
event which was first broached by Will
B. Stout, secretary. at one of the re
cent Honolulu Y. M. c. A. swimming
meets, and approved by Rudolph J.
Smythe, president Of the National O.
q. Il.
Below are given excerpts from Miss
Stacker's initial article in the Exam
liner with reference to Hawaii and Ha
w0iian swimmers:
"Cable advices from Frederick W.
Reuben, president Of the A. A. IT,,
we're received by William Unmack to
day, giving sanction to Miss Fanny
Durack g exhibition tour of the United
States as an amateur swimmer. Ac
cording to Mr. Unmack, arrangements
are being made for a tour of the East
after an engagement in Vancouver on
August 3. In such an event Honolulu
will be sadly disappointed, as they are
fast making plans to engage the Aus
tTalian mermaid for their Labor Day
meet in September.
TSwimming in Honolulu is booming,
regardless of the fact that Ludv Ian.
ger is ont of the game, along with
George Cunha and several others
Duke KahanamOku, Clarence Lane and
John Kelii still uphold the standing
and this team will probably make hard
competition for California = swimmers
Lane is swimming a close second to
Duke and Kelii is dependable for the
century and furlong.
"There are at least thirty yomhg
girls from the OutrIger Canoe Club
and Palama Settlement in the Islands
who in the next year will be numbered
among the very best. Coach Dad
Center Of the OutriggPr Club is plan
ming to bring team of four girls to
San Francisco for the summer meet i.
it can be arranged. Center's girls art
under fifteen years Of age and all make
the fifty under thirty three seconds.
Such relay team would be o feature
at any meet. The swimming situation
certainly looks big for the coming sea
son.
"George Cunha. the Hawaiian swim
mer at American Lake. is learning den.
tistry. George will be some dentist
when the war is over.
"There is a possibility of having
Duke Kahanamoku appear here in the
spring with team from the Islands
That is. if the draft is not called be.
fore the champion leaves to the main
land. This will be big drawing card
to any of the meets held here this year
"Claire TAFT, one time Pacific Coast
diving champion, who for the past two
years has been coaching the Outrigger
Canoe Club swimmers, is chief yeOmaR
in the navy service stationed at Pearl
Harbor. TAFT still holds his position
as coach for the club and with Dad |
Center is getting up first class aggre
cation.
/