The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-12-27
Sun Has Set on Career Of Jim Thorpe, Athlete
BY NORMAN {. BROWN

Few athletes receive unanimous
vote when fans or experts vote on
the greatest ma!i" in any branch of
sport. jim Thorpe is one of these
men who at sometime or other have
stood out so prominently in their pro-
fessiOn that there is no doubt as to
their greatness. Consequently the
passing of the Indian wonder from
athletics draws attention and regret.
Thorpe announced when his profess
sional football team played its final
game of the season a short time ago
that he had ended his days on the
gridiron. And it is a good bet that he
will not return to baseball. Time has
taken its toll.
Football experts are agreed to man
that Jim Thorpe was the greatest half
back that ever played the game. And
this never was intended to belittle the
wonderful playing of Ned Mahan, Ted
Coy, Willie Heston and other stars.
Thorpe simply lived for football
Starred for Years.
Jim was a product of the Carlisle
Indian school, which produced Frank
Mount Pleasant and other great Red
man stars. He first attracted atten-
ton in 1901 at the age of Is, starring
in track and field events and at foot
ball. But il was not until several
years later that his wonderful playing
under Glenn Warmers tutelage won
him worldwide fame. Fleet as a deer
brainy in his handling of the ball and
his running, superbly built for speed
and endurance, and possessing the
colorful setting aided by the flowing
of Indian blood in his veins, he was
the most talked of athlete of his day
For four years at the Indian school he
played the caliber of football against
college teams that caused him TO be
placed on the All-American teams each
year.
In 1912 he added to his fame by 60
ing to Stockholm with the American
Olympic team and there this really
native American startled the athletic
world by winning both the pentathlon
and location titles. In the events
in which Thorpe was entered the
judges work consisted mainly in fig
uring out who finished second, third
and fourth.
Only Blenish.
And then occurred the only blemish
in Thorpe's career. The Amateur
Athletic Uuion investigated charges
that Thorpe had performed as a pro-
fessional. The charges ended in
Thorpe returning his Olympic medals.
The charges, nevertheless, did not dim
the greatness of his prowess as an
athlete. He had played baseball dur
ing his school days and John McGraw,
with an eye to the drawing powers OF
the great athlete. signed him to play
with the Giants.
AS a drawing card Thorpe was a
success for while His general play
ing too was satisfactory. But he could
not master big league pitching. Long
hours of coaching by McGraw and his
ilieutenants failed to remedy Thorpe's
weakness as a batter against curved
ball pitching. Eventually he was sent
TO the minors. He has been back and
forth several times since, playing with
the Reds, Milwaukee and Akron.
Football His Favorite.
Neither track athletics nor baseball
could make Thorpe forget his first
love, football, however He was
sought by the leading professional
teams every fall. For several years
he led and was the star of the Canton,
O., team, which claimed the world s
title repeatedly. Thorpe's ability to
maintain his wonderful speed and en-,
durance and ability through years OF
grueling contests against the picked
graduates Of American colleges was
phenomenal. But age finally told. The
past season found him handicapped