The Washington times., 1934-01-23

| This Is the eighteenth of the
"DHckpi1-MGEerS" series, bio
graphical sketches of outstdnd-
ing figures In the duckpirs game.
The neTt in the series 1Dil Gp-
pear Thursday.
By GINO SINH
"Red" Megaw, unwearying
FOUNDER of naples, played against
Joe Judge, for many years the
Griffmen's stellar first baseman,
when Judge made his debut in
Semipro baseball.
It happened in Brooklyn around
1911 when Red" was holding
down third base regularly for the
Altoona Braves, that they played
the Corona Athletics, from an
other section Of Brooklyn, and a
chap named Judge was getting
his initial tryout at first base.
"Red," a Presbyterian, played
on the st. Gregory's Catholic
Church baseball team which won
the Brooklyn Borough champion
ship for several years. He carries
deep scars on his left leg as SOU
venirs of the days when he was
tagging 'em out at the hot corner.
Walter Edward Megaw first
blinked dazedly at the light of
day on September 18, 1890, at
Wilmington, Del. He had two
years high school and spent a
year or so in hardware store
before his family moved to
Brooklyn, when he was 16.
There his father taught him
his own trade. printing, and
Red" worked while on the
New York Herald as a sub.
"Black lead" poisoning forced
him to give up this trade and
he came to washington in 1917.
Saw First Duckpins
It was then, at 27 years of age,
that he got his first glimpse of
duckpins, for he worked for sew
eral months at Bat Murphy's
alleys on Seventh near B Street
Southwest. He also did a bit Of
floor managing for Harry Armiger
at the Palace before he became a
clerk in the city poStoffice.
In April, 1918, he was drafted
and placed with the 316th In
fantry. He was shifted to the
medical unit and was trained at
Camp Greenleaf, Ga, and Annis-
ton, Ala. He was sent to France,
where he was in charge Of the
mail and also the scarlet fever
ward in the camp hospitals at
Caen, Chateauroux and Monte
champ.
In May, 1919, he was back in
Washington at his old postoffice
job. A little later he again went
to work with Armiger, this time
at the RathSkellar. Then he was
one of Bill Woods aides at the
King Pin for five years until John
S. Blick hired him for the Arcadia.
Blick transferred him to Rich
mond for a year, and in 1929 he
became manager of Temple. This
season he has shifted to Petworth.
While in Brooklyn he tried his
hand at tenpins, but was only
fair performer.
It wasn't until after he came
back from the war that MegaW
took a serious interest in duck
pins.
Startling Debut
He made his debut in startling
fashion when he captained the
Park A. C. to the National Capital
League pennant in 1919-20 against
powerful field. The team was
composed of Perce Elicit, Bill
Inge, "Augie" Noack, Chalmers
Croft and himself.
The next season he was eighth
in average in the District League
and only few times since has he
been out of the top ten, twice fin
iShing second. 1t is the boast of
his friends that Red" has the
best league average Of any bowler
| over a span of 13 seasons.
He was on the King Pin team
two years it won the National
Capital League gonfalon, was a
member of the RathSkellar team
which won the District League
flag, and was on two of the Con-
vention Hall teams which cap
tured titles. Two years ago he
captained N. E. Temple to the
District League pennant.
In 1926 he won the w. C. D. A.
allevents with 1,136, a total
which was the tournament record
for five years. He annexed the
Campbell Stakes in 1928, and
captured the Masonic Tournament
singles, and in 1881 added the
Potomac Sweepstakes crown to
his collection with 652. He was
second to Ray Barnes in the
1882 Dixie, twice fourth in the
U. S., and third in the Eastern
years and Barnes classic two
years ago.
Great Doubles Shooter
But it was in doubles that
Red" shone with the greatest
brilliance. He has bowled doubles
with AL Work, Glenn Wolsten-
holme, Howard Campbell, Jack
Whalen and Ollie Pacini and has
always contributed his share of
the duckpins.
It was with Pacini he gained
his greatest heights when they
won the washington Times At
lantic Coast Doubles and the Po-
tomac Doubles, both in 1882, and
were only defeated once, by Yves
Askew and Ray Barnes, though
they bowled nearly a dozen