Omaha daily bee., 1919-02-03
Hitting the
High Spots on
The Sporting Trail
By A. X. DONOVAN.

Could the members of the Nebras-
ka legislature been in attendance at
the Omaha Athletic club stag" last
week and acted on the sentiment ex-
pressed there, House Roll So, a
measure legalizing boxing would
be passed unanimously. When
Charles Black. president of the AS
sociated Retailers, urged the club
members to work for the passage of
the bill the cheers for a moment
threatened the destruction of the
new club house. More than 400 of
the leading citizens of Omaha ex-
pressed a unanimous sentiment in
favor of clean, legalized boxing as
guaranteed by this measure.
The name of the new prexie for
the western loop is now causing
considerable discussion among fans.
The postponment of the league
meeting, however, may be taken TO
indicate that there is a possibility
that {. w. Dickerson, now in France
with the Knights of Columbus, may
return before the opening of the
season.
John Savage, secretary of the Kan
sas City Blues and Tom Fairweath-
err of Des Moines have apparently
had the lead in the race for the
honors. Of late Al Tierney, former
president of the Three | league and
William ]. McGinnis, former West
ern league umpire have been men
toned.
Few club owners of the Western
league have received letters regularly
from Dickerson and doubt as to his
intentions for the coming year is ex-
pressed,
The board of directors of the
Omaha Athletic club are preparing
a vigorous campaign to secure the
passage of House Roll 50, a measure
to legalize boxing bouts in Nebras-
ka. At a recent meeting the board
passed a resolution commencing the
measure and advocating its passage
as beneficial in building up the ply
steal and moral standards of young
men.
With the breach widening between
semi-professional and strictly anna
teur base ball teams in Omaha a
letter has been received from St.
Louis by Recreation Director ]. J..
Isaacson. The st. Louis amateur
leagues urge that Omaha follow the
policy of that city and play strictly
amateur bail. In case Omaha plays
amateur bali they suggest an in
ter-city series between the cham
pions OF, Omaha, St. Louis and Kan
sas City, where amateur bali is
played.
Jack Sicily, writer of events in the
boxing world for the Yonkers Her
aid, in an eloquent tribute to Theo-
dore Roosevelt, the greatest advo-
cate of the manly art this country
has ever known, suggests that a
statute or monument be erected to
the memory of the militant former
president.
He suggests that a subscription be
started among the followers of the
fistic game to provide funds for its
erection. He would have the lead
ing promoters of the country, Tex
Richard of New York and Buenos
Aires, Matt Hinkle of Cleveland,
Gene Melady of Omaha and James
Crofforth of San Francisco and
others, committee to gather funds
and provide a memorial.
This grand uplifter of fstiana
should not be forgotten by our great
army of boXers-young or old,
writes Jack.
Earl Puryear of Denver visited
friends in Omaha eD route to Peoria,
Ill, where, next week, he will fight
10 rounds with Pal Moore. Earl
has hosts of friends in Omaha who
expect to see him make a good
showing against the conqueror of
Jimmy Wilde, the English champ,
in London. The Peoria bout will
be held February 10.
Harry z. Reed, western represent
alive of A. 6. Spalding & Bros, re-
ports that distributors of athletic
goods in this section are unanimous
in the belief that all sports will
have a banner year. Harry is jubi-
liant over the fact that he is leading
all salesman for the company in
the amount of goods sold. He
brought the welcome news to Oma-
ha athletes that a big reduction in
price has been on practically every
item Of athletic paraphernalia.
Longacre, for short time with
the Sioux City club last year, is one
of the promising youngsters picked
up by Connie Mack to take the
spring training trip. He left the
Sioux City team to enlist in the
army.
If foot ball rule-makers are pre-
vailed upon to eliminate the try for
goal from touchdown, it should
make the results of games far more
even. At best, the goal kick is
more or less Of fluke and many
superior playing team has lost
games by reason of a point gained
by their opponents kick.
Want Floor Games.
The Sokol Athletic club has
organized a basket ball team and
want games anv dav IN the ,raai-