The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-02-19
by ROBERT EDGREN.

4 i"hNHlHB IN CauIornia, Ike Chan
and many other noted professional
Jim Hasn't Slipped.
Thorpe's retirement isn't coming
about because OF any falling off in
MS amazing athletic ability. He Is
stu ns great n football player as
when he starred on the Carlisle In.
dian team. But he is weary of
professional sport,
The Indian has long been the
greatest all round athlete ever de-
veloped In America, which is to say
he Is the .sreatest athlete OF modarp
times, I
He could do anything in the ath-
letic line.
Before government ECONOMY"
q prived the Indians of Carlisle. the
Rgrent Indian school. Carlisle had a
Tine football team. For years the
Indians met the best of the big col
leges. and usually they won. They
were fast, shifty. headlong. tricky,
and nlway~ fought their gridiron
battles cut % the last minute Of
play. The old style of football was
In vogue then. all line bucking and
end running.
Would BE Changed Now.
In present day open play the In
dams would have been almost un-
beatable because of their speed and
sureness of foot and their accuracy
in kicking and handling the bali.
Among the Indian players whose
names will still be remembered by
old time fans were Hudson. Belanii.
Mont Pleasant. welch, johnson. Sem
eca, Houser, Guyon, Metoxen,
Wheelock and Bemis Pierce. Glenn
Warner was coach. and became
famous with his Indian teams.
But greatest and most famous OF
all was Jim Thorpe, half back cap
tain In 1912. and unanimously Sc
lected as All-American.
Thorpe was the most. sensational
football player in the country when
on the Carlisle team. Six feet tall.
powerfully but lightly built
and weighing about ls0 pounds.
Thorpe combined speed and quick
brain with great aggressiyeness and
natural knack OF handling him
self and the ball. He was versatile
As n drop kicker and placement
kicker he had no equal. In one
, game against an eastern college he
kicked four field goals in four at
tempts.
Playing against West Point
. Thorpe scored all the Carlisle points
. ! ultnSfll, DlhhlElB lOutIuoWUss Iatli
goals. placement kicks. goal kicks
and scoring by every known method
except by n safety" He was q
, strong and fast runner-and Is stin
Brrnd Hir, As Pro.
When Thorpe had won ass pos
, slbio honors he gave part Of his
! time to other sports. As n track
athlete he put over a number OF
very fine performances. Going tc
Sweden to the olympic games ol
1912 he won the sDccathlon, SOC
points ahead OF hie nearest com
!. petltor. II. Weislander OF Sweden
II was after there games tha
; Thorpe was declared n professional
because he had played "semipro'
baseball under an assumed name N
me Of the southern states. Hi
prizes were given to Weislander.
Thorpe also won the American nj
around championship. Al this time
Martin sheridan. one Of our great
est all-around champions. told M
y y that in his estimation Thorpe wa
y the best all-around athlete In tn
!, world, ba- none. There was som'
: ouesti whether Thorpe or She"i
. dian was supreme on track and field
!, hut they never mt hecnnse n
a Thorpe's retirement Into the pro
| ltfNlOntl GluSS.
!, Thorpe could clear feet ~
;, Inches In the ruRring high jumn
run hundred aras In ten second
flat, pole vault over II .ret, 1ut tn,
shot - feet Q inches. c1ver 22 fee
. in the running broad Jump, and l5i
:, feet with the Iaveiin, and run ,
a fairly fast milo.
= Refused .King's Invitation.
a They told many stories about tn
:, hlC indian o. thar Olvm nir .tr'n T.
u Stockholm. The king OF Sweden
, cur Gus 10 see real Indian II clos
> quarters. sent Thorpe an inVtatio,
- to dine with fim at the palace.
:. Thorpe declined the invitation
= saving that he wanted to so to be-
- early
!, on leaving sweden. Jim said tn
Swedes were fire sportsmer, nn'
- he had enjoyed the trip. hut he wa
!, anxious to get back to an Americaj
!, bath tub.
- like n-rry indian athletes. ah'
other athletes for that matter. jim
had Wild streak that came ou
~ow and then This was IN tn
II days when firewater wasn't quite 81
: scarce IN the land. Glenn Warner
!, the coach, was the only man oi
!. enrth Thorpe he'd in awe. on on
. occasion, when Carlisle and w an,
9 ] had played no-score game
Thorpe disappeared, Glenn Warn
or hunted for him un'il he wa
found in cafe, and then bumped
q Jim's head on the marble floor un
: III he promised to 90 back int
II stri"' 'rnlninG
Il After leaving amateur athleti
ranks, Thorpe iecaiIe the center o