New Britain herald., 1929-01-31
GARDEN Showing
A NEAT Profit
Returns i@ January Better
Than for Last You

New York, Jan. 81 (UP)-The
passing Of q man - celebrated In
the world OF sport a. Tex Rickard
inevitably was followed by the a.
sertion that NO ono could fill his
shoes
The names Of various possible
successors to the late promoter
were banded about, without anyone
expressing confidence in the man
whom Richard himself had named
a. his assistant In the somewhat
complicated business OF managing
Madison Square Garden.
Today We have the unexpected
situation wherein Colonel John o.
Hammond. at present general man
aSer Of New York city's sports
arena. IL operating the Garden at 4
profit which exceeds the most epti-
mistic estimates Of the directors
when Tex was in office. The Garden
il showing q profit for the month
Of January which exceeds by $780,
900 the profits Of January 1873.
when Richard. apparently in the
prime Of health, was in full control.
Yet Colonel Hammond has pro-
duced this excess profit under the
handicap Of having the heads Of Is
departments Of the mammoth sports
arena absent ON one pretext or an
other.
Dick Hoyt, the leading stockhold-
40
Madison Square Garden, 10 away on
a cruise. The heads Of all DEPART
ments which formerly functioned
under Richard are in Miami Beach.
occupying themselves with the pro-
posed Sharkey-Stribling fight, or
have quit the organization.
Still Hammond. = sunburnt, white
haired former West Pointer. shy to
the point Of confidence, carries on.
enabling the one successful venture
in sports finance in New York city
to proceed profitably.
Anyone who imagines that the
business Of managing Madison
Square Garden IL an easy matter
has only to take look at the scene
during weekday afternoon. Then
come folks who want to mooch a
ticket or two to the next attraction.
men seeking jobs for themselves or
relatives, men with get-rich-quick
schemes and others who would like
to borrow ten spot, and the whole
world Of optimists which used to
settle like flies around the late Tex
Richards office door.
The fight ut Mama Beach may or
may not be a success, but the Gard
en- continues to carry on, piltng up
profits which were unknown during
the regime Of Richard. Through 1t
all sits this genial boss Of Affairs.
Colonel Hammond. with q ready and
sociabie answer to each problem
presented to him.
The box office men. the superin-
tendents, the maintenance men and
the secreta rics who knew Richards
secrets all are gone, but still the
GarAen shows its profits and the
distracted but willing general man
aEer takes on all Corners.
In the sudden search for 4 sue
cessor to Tex Richard. Colonel
Hammond was promptly overlook
cd.
''Oh, he was just an assistant"
everyone said.
Mayor Jimmy Walker. Babe Ruth,
Calvin Coolidge. Jim Jeffries ami
goodness knows who else were mem
toned as heads Of the Garden Cor
poration to fill the brosans Of 70.
nance and finance which Tex had
occupied.
The test Of accomplishment has
been applied. and Colonel Hammond
has met 1t. When the shouting and
clamor at Miami Beach II over. 1t
may be that this ex-West Pointer,
with his quiet dignity which con-
trasts SO with Richards open hand-
edness. and his efficiency which ex-
ceeds that Of the late promoter. will
be found to be the man for the
jOh