The Washington times., 1933-12-20
By GINO SINH

LHS uuCkpLH game. 1nG UGIL III
the series tDill appear Friday.
BY GINO SINH
Perce Clinton Elicit quit a bril-
liant bowling career at 80 so that
he could go back to school!
It's a fact.
Perce, ambitious to amount to
something, decided four years ago
that he would become certified
public accountant, and imme-
diately and resolutely turned his
back on the game which brought
him more than one mans share
of fame, though it did not improve
his fortunes.
Last year he graduated from
Southeastern u, a public &C
countant, and now is taking a
postgraduate course to make up
credits lost when he had to quit
high school to help support his
family Is years ago.
Perce hasn't abandoned the
duckpin game, how,ver. He has
just temporarily suspended his in
tereSt in it. He looks forward to
resuming his place in the duckpin
sun in the next year or so, after
he becomes a full-fledged c. p. A.
Modest and unassuming. he
nevertheless is confident that
once he gets back into the whirl,
he'll have no difficulty regaining
his old-time skill. He has been
keeping himself on his game
through the past few years by
bowling in the Odd Fellows
League.
Born In Southwest
perce was born in Southwest
Washington on June l, 1897.
He attended Business High for
two years. until he was forced
to go to work. His first job was
messenger in the Government
Printing Office and then stenog-
rapher in the Army and Navy
Club for several months. He
has been a bookkeeper for a
wholesale lumber company ever
since.
Perce played halfback on the
Business eleven back before the
war when Will HutchinS was
the coach. At that time Busi-
ness boasted some fine grid
teams. He also played sandlot
football with Columbia A. c. for
years and discovered that he was
really a tackle.
He made his duckpin debut
with the extinct Interdenomina
tional Church League when 13
and a couple of years later be-
came it's leading star.
Next he bowled in the South
west League, and "Cappy" Pratt
picked him up for his National
Capitals in the National Capital
League during the 1918-19 sea-
son.
First Game 1853
Perce's entry in the big league
was sensational for his very first
game was 1853, season league rec
ord.
He proceeded to lead the league
in averages until near the end of
the campaign, when Johnny Vaeth
nosed him out. He also has high
set Of the season, 408.
He climbed steadily. In 1923
he led the National Capital
League with a 113-47 average for
IS games, few pins ahead of
Howard Campbell.
In 1920 he was fifth in the Dis
trict League and finished well up
among the leaders up to the time
he quit, once finishing second to
Earl McPMlomy.
Hardly a day went by that
Perce didn't do a bit of bowling
and he chalked up some remark
able performances, including 191
game in 1921, a 100 flat game in
1923, and three TOO sets, I'll
and tbs on successive days in
January, 1925, and a 725 in
March, 1926, which included a 468
total for three games.
He was the first man on record
to top 700 in the District.
All the while he was turning in
excellent scores in special matches
and tournaments. He was mem.
Der of every all-star team of his
days.
Perce was rated so highly that
after the first block of the initial
Campbell Sweepstakes he, though
tied for third in standings, was
hailed as the favorite. That event
was a heart-breaker for him.
Takes Stakes Lead
In the second set he took the
lead with a 1,248 total. But in
the final block, tragedy overlook
him. The English" on his
devastating '1look" wouldn't take
on the highly conditioned Con-
,vention Hall mapleways and he
wound up with a SOB, to finish
seventh, Glenn Wolstenholme
winning.
He was rated as the peer of
anchor men. Cool and steady,
he seldom failed to come through
in pinch. He did some of his
finest anchoring for the Stanford
Paper team in the District League
Perce has bowled in the Odd
Fellows League for IA years, and
won the high average title eight
times. He has been scorer of
the league for nine seasons. In
1929 he was elected vice president
Of the w. c. D. A. He also led
the North Washington Church
League twice.