The Washington times., 1927-02-09
Rim MARKS
MAY LOSE
PRESTIGE
By z. D. Thomas

By r. D. Thomas
That newly named records com.
naittee Of the washington City Duck.
pin Association today faces q sitter
problem than was expected when
President Isemann made his appoint
ment OF Jack Williams, chairman;
Lee Emory ana ArviIle Ebersole.
Upon these three rests response
bility for Strengthening the records
tangle. II - not known generally
whether all the league records now
recognized by the bowlers really are
legitimate high marks. For in.
stance, there is the question Of the
foul line.
1t is the understanding Of Chair.
man Williams that no record will be
accepted that was rolled without a
foul line Judge. It behooves him and
Emory and Ehersole, therefore. to
delve into the past. They must
learn the conditions under which
each of the records was made and
any that were achieved without q
foul line watchman or with pins and
balls and alleys that were not strict.
" regulation win be excluded from
the associations list of bona fide
records.
It al sound simple enough,
but il may turn out to be o
dfsagreeabIe Job. There Ii no
doubt that the committees find
tngs win be accepted by the
b0WIers as final. The Washing.
ton City Duckpin Association,
lt appears, at last has become
Q truly governing body after
years Of hallway authority.
In the event that the committee
discovers faults In . record-it will
be anything but pleasant for VIII.
Hams, Emory and Ebersole to cut
short the fame enjoyed by him who
Eolled Il.
The committee probably viii start
with individual records, investigat-
1ng first the high set for leagues,
bowied by Harry Dixon In the Agri.
cultural League. Two seasons ago
Dixon created q sensation by shoot.
Ing as. Previous to that the high
mark was 4S4, held by Ray Chaplin
ana twice achieved by him, once in
the District and once in the National
Capital League.
The same three-game score was
rolled this season by Howard Camp
bell Of the King Pins in the Ma.
tional Capital League. The commit.
tee. hasn't completed Its plans yet,
and Is now considering whether or
not to stop at records. 1t may es.
tablish q list including high, second
high and third high marks. This
would entail considerable research.
All regularly conducted com.
petition will come within the in.
vestigatiOn. Some worthwhile
records have been established in
tournaments, inter-city matches,
individual and doubles contests
that were Of championship
nature.
It is probable that no record OF
the future made in a special event
will be recognized unless the event
Is sanctioned by the association.
This would be borrowing the policy
OF the American Athletic Union,
which has been effective in keeping
track and field records above re-
proach.
The 1S5-game rolled by Freddie
Moore In the Howard Campbell
Sweepstakes brought the final argu.
ments that induced the association
to appoint a record committee.
Moore's remarkable score caused
considerable discussion and a few
technical-minded fans held that it
was not Legitimate because not
rolled in regularly organized COM
petition. These fans, however,
were in q pitiful minority.
Moore's game was accepted gem
orally as a brilliant record and, be-
yond the question Of a doubt, will
be recognized by the associations
committee. This score beat the
previous high mark made in com.
petition by two pins.
The committee will throw light
on the 1873 rolled by Tip O'Neil,
which for years has been high for
league play. Little has been pub.
1ished in detail about O'Neill's game.
information concerning it has ever
been obscure. All the bowling
public knows about it Is that q
man named Tip O'NeilI, in some
league at some time, rolled q game
Of 1SS, beating the mark that stood
Tor antage, 1872, achieved by Harry
Mccarthy. There being many Tip
O'Neills. the fans would be inter-
ested in more information about
the particular Tip that shot 1873.
This newspaper would be de-
lighted to print a picture OF him,
and all the other record holders
chat the Associations committee re.
yeals.
Among those best pleased by
The appointment Of 3 records
committee are the bowling alley
managers. They feel that the
move may induce most of the
leagues to employ a foul line
Judge. This would break the
habit Of many bOwlers of going
over the line and damaging
the alley.
However. little real damage is
inflicted by the foul line violator,
IL the alley manager knows his
business and Is conscientious. Con-
slant sliding on the alley naturally
would wear down the wood and
make 1t uneven and therefore un.
true for the pin shooter who starts
his ball near the line. But the al.
ley managers have an antidote.
Shellac Is used effectively. The
foul line cheaters merely wear off
the shellac and never reach the