The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-08-05
HOrSeShOeS
Pitched by
Noted Men
Grantland Rice Plays
Host at Parties Held on
Sunday Afternoons.
BY HELEN WORDEN
Times Special Writer

NEW YORK. Aug. 5.-Grantland
~ Rices hOreS hoe pitching
parties are the features Of East
Hampton Sunday afternoons. Which
means that the good Old-fashlOned
barnvard game Of tossing horseshoes
has been revived.
Percy Hammond. the dramatic
critic. is the shark Of Hampton
matches. Done up in royal blue
corduroy pants, a white toWellng
shirt and gay orange sandals, he IS
the champion pitcher in a crowd
that includes Dean Cornwall, Grace
and Arthur William Brown. John
La Gatta. May and Jimmie Preston
and Maybelle Manning
Heretofore horseshoe pitching
honors have been confined locally
TO the Fl. George Horseshoe Club
19lst-st and IT. George-av. VITO
Fileccia. Of 112 Central-av, Brooklyn
a member Of the Fl. Gee rye Club,
is the best all-around noI seshoe
pitcher in the metropolitan area.
The #. George Horseshoe Club is
the most active horseshoe pitching
organization in New York. 1t has
upward of fifty members who meet
every Saturday afternoon and Sun
day morning on the club grounds,
near the George Washington High
School. Leading officers in the club
are Charles Harris. president; John
Stella, vice president; Bernard
Healy and Thomas B. O'Gara.
Victor Larsen. secretary of the
Metropolitan Horseshoe League,
thinks the Fl. George team would
match up nicely with Grantland
Rice's East Hampton players.
What about challenging them
YOURSELF" I asked Mr.. Larsen.
I pitch some" he admitted mod
eStly, but not as much as I used to. &c
Suggests Novel Match
Mr.. Larsen. whose offices are
with the Metropolitan Horseshoe
Pitching League. headquarters in the
WoolWorth Building. started pitch
ing horseshOes for fun at Midland
Beach, Staten Island, several years
ago
The game got him In addition
10 being secretary of the Metropoli-
tan League he is a member of the
Committee of Five on Horseshoe
Pitching.
When Gatti-Cassaza. former di-
rector of the Metropolitan. sailed
back to Italy this spring. Mr.. Lar
sen and several members of the
league presented the Italian i'm
preSario with four hOrseshoeS as a
gift from the Metropolitan League.
Mr.. Gatti said he would brush
mp on his game this summer at his
home in Italy," Mr.. Larsen said.
wed like to get him interested
in match with MuSsolini"
The earliest record of horseshoe
pitching is an account of a match
played by soldiers in Caesars army.
Today the big horseshoe pitching
center is the Middle West.
Although clubs are springing up
by the dozen i'm New York" says Mr.
Larsen, Mr.. Rice's group is one of
many playing around here"
Theodore Allen, Alhambra, Cal. Is
the worlds champion horseshoe
player. He pitches an average of
seven out of every 10 a ringer.
I have known players who got
81 ringers out of every 1OO," said
Mr.. Larsen.
Special Shoes Used
II
are serious about their game Victor
Larsen says they can meet national
champions at the New York State
Fair III Syracuse, N. Y. around the
end of September, when the state
championship will be played.
The horseShOes used Tor pitching
are not the kind that horses wear
Special firms make the pitching va
riety. The shoes are smaller, lighter
and shaped a little more oblong
than circular Swanky horseshoe
pitching sets cost s.. They consist
of two pairs of shoes and layouts
Sporting goods houses sell them.
If you're in the amateur class
ordinary hOrSeShoeS. medium sized
and a simple iron stake, such as
they use in country barnyard horse
shoe pitching contests. will answer
the plrpose. They can be picked up
at the few remaining blacksmith
shOr6 in New York.
Ny favorite smith is Jim. who
beats an anvil in the ancient little
frame barn attached 20 the Awkward
Riding Academy. s. w. 9th st.