The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-11-23

by Harry
::Graysorl
A. b. G. Meet Grows with Bowling,
Now Leading Sport From View
point OF Numbers Competing.

New York.-Big AL Latin has
gone west to sell the setup for the
American Bowling Congress in New
York next March to some small part
Of the $500 five-man teams expected
to compete.
Growth Of the congress stresses
the upward trend Of bowling. From
the standpoint Of number Of par
Elephants, 1t Is the greatest Of all
sports.
Only Al teams took part in the
congress first tournament In CHI
cago in 1901. Two years ago In
Syracuse the entry was 1899. In
Indianapolis last March the total
was 1853.
New York metropolitan district
alone will send 1900 teams to the 20
new alleys In the 212th Coast Artil-
lery Armory, where the sharks will
shoot.
New Jersey has entered 750 teams,
Philadelphia 300, Buffalo 1873, Cleve-
land $50, Albany 1870, Syracuse 800,
Chicago and Detroit 100 each, 1ndi-
annapolis 90, Rochester and Utica 60
each, which gives you O rough idea.
A couple Of Hawaiian combinations
will travel 5000 miles ON an army
transport to roll nine games.
With competition In singles, dou.
bles, and flve-man events, and
with squads composed Of from six
to eight men, at least $4,000 will
take to the alleys.
Important Money Now
One OF the principal reasons for
all this activity Is that the total
prize money has gone well past the
800 900 mark In the past few years.
A new record Of $l25,000 Is loked
for In the 1887 meet. Prize money
for the initial congress at the turn
OF the century was $2500.
American Bowling Congress has
developed into such q tremendous
show that Latin, vice president OIL
the national organization and pres
ident OF the New York association,
will make 1t a full time job between
now and the final strike spare, split,
or miss.
Foremost among American bowl
ers are Skang Mercurio and Joe
Bodis OF Cleveland, Mort Lindsey,
Joe Falcaro, Andy Varipapa, and
Barney Spinella OF New York; Billy
Knox OF Philadelphia: Otto Stein
of st. Louis; Joe Miller and Jimmy
smith OF Buffalo; Hank Marino OF
Milwaukee; Jim Murgis and Adolph
Carlson.
Mercurio Is the highest indivd-
ual average man In the country.
Spinella and Smith each won the
all-events twice. Smith prevailed IN
1911 and 1920. Bowlers never seem
to grow old. Spinella's average OF
i45 in 10 games Of hardwood duck
pins Is q world record.
Knox was first to roll 300 IN A. b.
G. play and held the all-events rec
ord with 1924 for years.
Diversified Field
The American Bowling Congress
attracts young and old, short ana
tall. In the 1885 tournament IN
Syracuse, for example, J. @. Finch
OF Schenley, Pa, 8 feet tall, bowled
side by side with s. w. Ohm OF
New York, 4 feet 2 inches In height.
W. v. Thompson Of Chicago, who
Is II, has participated In every A. b.
c. event since Its inception. He
was responsible for the installation,
Of alleys In London, Paris, ana
other European centerS.
Pennsylvania coal region has en-.
tered two family teams. They are
the eight Odgers brothers OF Avoca,
hard on Wilkes-Barre, and the SIX
Augustitis brothers Of Hazelton.
They are In a league In which ESQ Is
an ordinary single game score. Five.
man teams run up better than 5000
totals for three-gaple series. Jerry
Augustitis finished 18th In the last
A. B. c.
Millionalres roll against truck
drivers in the A. 3. c., where the
only idea Is to push the ball d.
rectly into the pocket for strike
hits.