The Washington times., 1934-04-19

~DNckpi1-M GkerS" series, bio0rnph-
tcCl sketches of outstanding duck.
pin figures. Nert in series pill
appear Monday.
BY GINO SINH
Arthur Henry Urban, who at
one time used to spend most Of
his nights bowling, visits duckpin
plants rarely now and hasn't
rolled a ball in regulation COM
petition for six years.
s He has turned all the energy
and concentration he once devoted
to duckpins to golf and has
gained considerable reputation in
that sport.
Urban quit bowling in 1927 in
the flower of his career. That
year he finished fifth in averages
in the District League.
He felt that the maple-spilling
sport had lost something very
Mtal-the good fellowship of the
days of old. And so he up and
quit, and only once every two or
three months does he drop in a
bowling plant to send that ef-
fective half hook into the right
hand pocket.
And, believe it or not, he rolled
the biggest game Of his life just
two years ago-197-when he
casually dropped in at the Ar
cadia. His biggest game over
more than a decade of competi-
tion in major leagues, tourna-
mentS and special matches was
1S7.
Won Two AllEvents
Urban holds a distinction that
no other bowler can ever achieve.
He won two city all-event cham
pionships the same year. It was
in 1924 when the Capital City
Tournament was running in oppo-
Sition to the Washington City.
Urban also won the doubles with
'Dutch" Weidman in the Capital
City event.
Though he bowled more for fun
and recreation, when cash prizes
were being handed out Urban
managed to get his share.
! In 1921, following tournament
celebrating the opening of the
Recreation plant, Urban was able
to take his wife to Atlantic City
for q week on his winnings.
He regards sweeptakes as "glo-
rified pot games," and never
bowled in one. The nearest thing
to 0 sweepstakes he ever entered
was the Washington City 5-game
Tournament in 1925 in which he
finished second, one pin back Of
Earl McPhilomy in a field which
drew nearly 900 of Washington
and Baltimore's best pin-topplers.
Urban shifted his first breath
Of mortal ozone on May Is, 1903,
at Richmond, Va. He attended
John Marshall High and later
graduated as a bookkeeper from
Came to ID. C. in 1911
He worked q while with a fire
insurance company there and then
came to Washington in 1911, get
ting employment with Barker
Livery Stable, later shifted to a
Victrola company. and then the
American Red Cross. He changed
to C. & P. Telephone Company for
year and has been with Duni-
gan's Real Estate since 1925.
Because of his slight build, he
did not take part in sports dur
ing his school days, but he did a
bit Of pitching with the Red
Cross team during the war.
He is also handy performer
with the cue and once won q tour
nament at Grand Central which
numbered some of the best shoot
erS Of the city among its entries. |
Urban'S outstanding golf achieve.
ment was being runner-up to DR.. |
Larry O'Tell for the Indian
Springs championship in 1882.
He began bowling with a church |
league back in 1912, and entered
major league competition with the |
National Capitals in the National |
Capital League. That team twice |
won the ,pennant while he was
rolling lead-off for it.
Second to KrauSS
He made his District League |
debut in 1920 and finished Sec
ond to Harry Krauss in averages. |
He was third in 1923, tenth the |
next year, sixth in 1926, and |
fifth his last campaign. 1926-27. |
Three times he set the pace in
the Masonic League. First in
1922 (when the league closed pre-
maturely because the Royal al.
leyS, on which it was rolling,
burned DOWN. again in 1924-25,
and the third time, 192627. In
1922 he and Bill Inge won the
Masonic League tournament dou-
bles and he was twice in success
sion on the teams which won
the Washington city team crown,
the National Capitals in 1920 and
RathSkellars in 1921.
For years he held the high
five-game record for the city,
when he rolled 687 with the Ma
sonic League Au,stars against