The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-01-29
Sport S1ants
 ALAN J.0oulD

Whether it's home runs, tee shots or the stomach ackc, Babe Ruth can always be counted upon to pro- duce something extraordinary and in a big way.
 The Babe wants S35 GOO a year for three years and shows some inclination to insist upon it with appropriate Ruthian gestures all though Colonel Ruppert is willing to pay his star presidential stipend e. S75,0c0 for two-year term of c.ficc.
 r. either case the Babe gets q r2ise, for when bigger and better salaries are paid in the major leagues, Ruth will get them What ever the merits of the present fi- nancial dispute, Ruth always has been worth whatever the Yankees paid him. Tn less than a decade, the Ruthian pay-check mounted from $10,0oO to $7o,0Oo, mere TOO per cent increase, but the Yankees have paid bigger and better divi- dends regularly.
 His last three-year contract, call ing for a total of S21o00O, was con- sidered a wild risk-for the Yan- kees. It was signed on or about the eleventh floor of the Ruppert brewery and there was some dis position among the boys to believe that Colonel Jake" had become trifle balmy under the mellow influence of his surroundings. At the close of that year--1927-the same boys crowded around to con- gratulate the Colonel on his re- markedly astute judgment after the Babe had proceeded to clout 60 home runs and smash his own major league record.
 About this time eight years ago. Ruth apparently had hit the chutes after a disastrous season and a lot of riotous business among the bright and dim lights along Broadway. The big fellow sat at dinner table one night and listened to the fa- nous appeal of Jimmy Walker to get hold of himself, turn over a new leaf and make good for the dirty faced kids" who considered him an idol.
 I'm going to quit this stuff and get down to business and that goes" responded Ruth, with a sim cere show of emotion. He did. And except for the famous stomach ache of 1925 and the "flu' of 1929, the Babe has missed few games.
 A year ago the Babe said to me:
 Say, I feel more like a kid than ever. I'm not getting any young CT but I will only be 35 next month and I've got lot of baseball left. I still think I will be in there when I am 40 taking cut at em." !"
 Ruth will be "only 36' this Feb ruary. an age when, according to Big Bill Tilden, no champion should be slowing up unless he has. yielded to mental pressure" or lost the twill to win
 Ruth never has been troubled by mental pressure. His under-pin- ming no longer carries him over the territory in right field as rapidly as before but his spirit, the will to win" or whatever other fancy name you give to the competitive urge" is still there. Ruth would rather forfeit any raise in pay than miss the opening game but he Will not be called upon to make thls magnificent sacrifice.
 The answer to what ex-Bunon Derby competitors do in the winter time has been obtained after con- , siderable research.
 Olli Wantinen of New York, the o7-uound Finnish runner and Phil Granville, the Canadian walker each of whom figured in the cross country Pyle jaunts. have entered the Snowshoe Derby to be run shortly from Quebec to Montreal
 Wantinen, the nearest thing to 2 Singer midget that has come out of Finland, was snow-shoe cham nion before he came to America to take up distance running. He covered 1000 miles in the first