The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-12-27
Fair
Enough
IN WEsTRROOK PEGLER

seem 10 resent the presumption OF
a sports writer in writing about po-
litical matters. as though I had
taken up an entirely new game,
whereas I have only moved into
another league and not necessarily
a faster one. either.
see familiar faces in this
league. too, notably those Of Shamus
Farley, the postmaster general. who
used to be chairman of the New
York prize fight commission: George
Getz. the Chicago prize fight COM
missioner and former baboon fan
cler, John Curry. of Tammanv Hall
who often sat at the ringside in
Madison Square Garden. and Gov
ernor Richie of Maryland.
On the sports side we call Gov
ernOr Richie Al" whenever he
climbs the white ladder to the plate
glass showcase at the Pimlico horse
park TO go through the motions Of
presenting the big silver vase to the
owner Of the horse that wins the
PreaknesS in May.
q
IT Gems that Al is an Indian
L giver in the matter of the big
silver vase, though For. often as
he may go through the motions f
giving the same away to the owner
OF the Steed that wins the Freak
ness. it always goes back into its
1annels and back into the vault at
the lewelry sore in Baltimore.
1t always is on hand for another
ceremonial presentation next year.
Some year, some literal minded
2crSe-fancier is going to say. oh
hank you very much indeed. Al"
and grab up the big silver vase.
which is more like a kettle than a
vase, and undertake to walk off with
it.
The silver in it ought to speak for
few hundred dollars Just by
weight, quite aside from the artistic
value of the cupids which adorn its
sides.
This year. anticipate, they will
resume an old custom at Pimlico
and, would suppose, at Churchill
downs on Derby Day, and at forest
Hills and all the other places
where cup exercises are held in the
sport business.
IT has been many a year since one
L Of those vessels held anything
but old bills and bottle caps and
match butts. 1t would be something
to see a man who carried the tar
get for the repeal Of prohibition as
Al Richie did hoist up the big sill
yer case by the ears and hit it belt
out in public with nobody to sing
out, Officers, arrest that man"
Mr.. Farley said Jimmy Walker
was his friend. We found him like
that in the sport business years ago.
We noticed that his friendship was
strongest when it was most needed.
He had some of the most Ornery
friends imaginable and he knew
they were ornery, but when people
would tell him that some friend of
his was no good, Shamus would put
up big hand and say, Just a
minute, my friend; you are talking
about my friend"
had an experience with him my
self last spring in Washington when
phoned him one afternoon to sug-
geSt that he revoke the postoffice
rule against the publication of the
names of people who won big prizes
in the English lotteries.
Mr. Farley said sure, that he
thought it was a silly rule and would
revoke it, and authorized me to say
so for him. Then, overnight some
one discovered that this wasn't Just
a rule but law and that he couldn't
revoke it.
Mr.. Farley could have claimed
that he had been misquoted but.
though he had his tail in a crack, he
didn't say any such thing. He just
got out little routine statement on
the postoff1ce Monograph saying
that the department would observe
liberal policy with regard to the
publication of such news. We used
to see Tony Cermak around a great
deal in our league
TONY was bit of a loafer. and
4 his interest in the disaster of
a great, busted city wasn't sufficient
to keep him out of Florida in the
winter, where he liked to tilt back
chair and put his feet on the rail
OF the clubhouse at the dog track
OF an evening and take in the
moonlight and the breeze.
He used to come to the fights. too.
and one night in Brooklyn, when
Farley was commissioner, a terrible
thing happened. Tony had wired in
weeks ahead for a large block of
tickets down front, but when he ar
rived at the ball bark in Brooklyn
he was allotted only six down front
and the rest back near the dugout.
Shamus Farley tore around the
yard in great alarm. For Shamus
was very eager to obtain Tony Ger
mak's support for Franklin d.
Roosevelt. And here was a great
and deserving Democrat, in control
of many delegates, being shooed
around and around by the ushers.
Tony refused to sit any closer to
the ringside than the farthermost
Of his friends, and this was taken
as show Of fine humility and loyal
ty by a great popular leader. But
there was another story that he
didn't much mind where they put
him, but wanted to keep his body
guards well punched up.
I mention these matters Just to
show that I am not a total stranger
in this league.
Copyright. 1888 by United Features
Syndicate. Inc)