Imperial Valley press., 1927-01-17
YOUNG IS
OFFERED
FORTUNE
Plucky Youth Who Swan
Channel Receivers in
Hospital.
FEAT is LAUDED
None of Contestants Is
Reported Seriously Ill
From ExertiOns.
BY GEORGE H. BEALE
United Press Staff CORRESPONDENT


Los ANGELES, Jan. II. = The
first tangible evidence of the huge
fortune that probably will be reaped
by George Young, 17-year-old Sc
sation of the aquatic world, wa
scheduled to be presented to the To-
ronto natator today in the form of u
check for 1000.
The money represents the grand
prize in the Wrigley sea derby in
which Young headed a field of 1O3
contestants, and completed the feat
of swimming the trcachcrous Cata-
lima channel watcrs-the first and
only successful attempt on record.
That Young's crossing of the pre-
viously unconquercd 23 mile stretch,
extending from Catalina to the
mainland, was to bear fruit in the
world of professional sport was indi-
Gated by handlers of the Canadian
youth who said c. c. Pyle had of
fered him a contract to appear with
his professional troupe.
Pyle S offer is said to be the fore
runner of number of movie and
Ndu'i'" IIlt t'ull dClS lndt VIII uh-
doubtedlv build for him fortune.
Young was recovering today at
the Seaside hospital, Long Beach
from cOnvulsions which attacked
him yesterday as an aftermath of
his battle with currents and cold.
over a period of more than Is hours.
Mrs Margaret Hauser, of Long
Beach. Cal. and Miss Martha Stag
er, of Portland, Oregon. who were
dragged from the water almost at
the same time, within a few miles OF
the mainland were each to receive q
check for S2500 for their plucky eff
forts to complete the swim after
Young had finished and all othe.
contestants dropped ont.
William Wrigley, Jr., millionaire
sportsman and sponsor of the
"Wriglcv ocean marathon said
that the event would probably not
be an annual affair. Channel races
according to present plans, will be
held every four years. he said.
1T is practically certain that there
will be no sea derby next year
MY only regret over this race
was the failure of any woman to ne
gotiatc the crossing. Both Mrs.
Hauscr and Miss Stager gave such
plucky exhibitions that | could not
help but offer them consolation
price, he said.
The great exhibition of grit shown
by those two together with the sue
cessful finish of a youth in his
teens, made fitting climax to one
of the most spectacular events in
the history of sporting contests.
The tense drama of two women
one middle aged and married, the
other a young working girl, fighting
against the unsurmountablc odds for
more than l9 hours commanded the
respect of the entire sporting world.
No man in the meet was able to re-
main in the water for so long Il
period
Cramps Attack Many
Buffeted by a choppy sea that
came almost with the break of day.
a strong ebb tide, heavy fog and
cold water, the two women, battling
for the $4,000 women's prize, were
removed from the water forcibly.
when further exhaustion presented
the risk of death.
Mrs. HauSer protested vigorously
at her removal. II was feeling fine
and would have made it sure if they
hadn't made me leave the water,
she said.
Both women were reported to be
recovering today, as was Norman
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