HBBM CAP 7 A //V DOUGEAO AMD THE 6 TAR PLAYERS OF THE /YAVAL ACADEMY O ' fOOTBALL SQUAD BILLIARDISTS PRACTICING FOR COMING TOURNAMENTS Prsfessionals Preparing for 14.1 Cham pionship Contest to in New Ycr'.t. The p-ofessional billiard season opened recently in Chicago, where George Sutton scored an easy victory over Jake Schaefer for the 15.2 balk line championship. The winner's deli cate touch was displayed in a remark able manner, and his run of 232 showed him to be in splendid form so early in the season. He averaged 33 1-5, running out his string in fif teen innings. Schaefer was sadly out of form and averaged exactly half of the points made by Sutton. The next big match will bring the same players together in a contest for the 18.1 title, now held by Schaefer. The game will also be played in Chicago soon. While Schaefer and Sutton are pre paring for their second match, plans are being perfected for a big tourna ment to he held in New York early in January. This will be at 14.1, a new style of game, and will be essentially rational, as foreign players will be barred. The 14.1 championship tourna ment will strike a medium between 18.1 and 18.2. The former is thought to be too tedious and long drawn out, while the latter is too speedy. Since the defeat of Vignaux and Cure there are no foreign players of note that would be of sufficient attraction to prove drawing cards, and for this rea son it is proposed to confine the en tries to Americans. George Slosson, Maurice Daly, Ora Morningstar and A. C. Cutler have entered the tourna ment, and George Sutton, Jake Schae fer and Willie Hoppe are expected to send their entries as soon as the plans are properly matured. It was intended to hold the tourna ment early in December, but this plan was abandoned on account of the Sut ton-Schaefer match at this time, and it is the intention of the promoters of the tournament to include every play er of note, so as to make it thoroughly representative. This will be the only professional tournament of note to be played in New York, but it promises to be the most important of the year. According to the plans, matches will be arranged so that each man will play one match with every other en trant. The games are to be played at Madison Square Garden concert hall, and to be 5<K) points. A trophy emblem atic of the championship will goto the winner, and each contestant will be required to put up an entrance fee of not less than SIOO, which will be added to the receipts and be divided between the four men ranking highest at the end of the tournament. Urges New Football Reform. Dr. James T. Lees, president of the athletic board at Nebraska university and member from the Missouri valley section of the national rules commit tee, is agitating another football re form. Dr. Lees is radically opposed to allowing four points on a field goal and favors reducing its value to three or two points, preferably the lattar. It is his purpose to present an amend ment to the playing rules at the an nua! meeting of the national commit tee (ii December. COACHES NOW PROTECT PLAYERS IN PRACTICE Work Indoors on Rainy Days Which Is Something Out of the Ordinary. Whether this has been a wetter fall than usual is a matter on which the weather bureau is best informed, but the wetness was more prominent in football plans than ever before. Usu ally snow and rain are merely inci dental to football campaigns, some thing the hardy gridiron scrapper takes as part of the day's work. No man who does more than limit his football to the clearest of skies and the most velvet turf can be looked on as a mollycoddle, but the fact that several teams were driven to cover by the rain for their practice indicates either that the players are getting tender or that the managers are getting more sensible. Discretion is the better part of valor, and there are times when needless valor becomes foolhardiness, but it was not supposed that anything short of a cyclone, cloudburst or similar upheaval of nature would postpone a football game. It would take an earthquake, a blizzard, a landslide or something equally violent to prevent the playing of a Yale-Princeton, Harvard-Yale, Pennsylvania - Cornell, Army - Navy game or one of that class. Several j years ago one of the most active j snowstorms that ever struck that neck 1 of the woods raged while Pennsyl- j vania and Cornell were fighting it j out on Franklin field. The Quakers j slipped into dry clothing between | halves, but the poor Ithacans, having j brought only one suit apiece, had to ' goon as they were. In 1898 Harvard j and Yale played in a drenching rain, ! but even then had it on the specta- j tors in that they were able to get i into a dry place between halves. The j hold football has on the public is shown by the way spectators brave ; rheumatism, pneumonia and kindred [ dangers when the weather is bad. Columbia and Williams played a | game at the polo grounds a few sea- , sons back in which a third of the j gridiron was under water. When the players were not running they were j swimming. Goal kicking had to be I abandoned, because there was nobody amphibious enough to kick a goal from out of the water, but though many a player was soaked to the skin, the j game went on with unabated ardor. 1 Practice under cover has its good and weak points, it. keeps the men from taking unnecessary risks, but it also deprives them of just so much prac tice under conditions that may pre vail during the big games. CGEB LEAD 3 AMERICAN LEAGUE Detroit Outfielder Batted at .352 Clip Curing Season. "Ty" Cobb proved to be the best slugger in the American league last season, as he leads with a fine aver age of .352 in the batch of official bat ting averages just given out. Detroit's j fast outfielder was at bat 005 times, j and out of those chances he smashed j out 212 bingles. While Kay of Wash- j ington and Orth of the New York Highlanders came next. Sam Craw ford of the American league pennant winners was really the second best hitter, lie managed to finish the sea son with a mark of .323. He took part in 144 contests, while the two men that topped him tried their hands but 25 and 43 games respectively. Three-sackers were the leading swatters stronghold, as they have 15 and 17 to their credit. Stone of the St. Louis bunch, after making a poor start, got his stride toward the last of the season and finished fifth. Last year he led the organization, but he did exceptionally good to land as high as he did this year, for earlier in the season he was hovering around the .150 mark. Lajoie, said to be one of the hard est men to fool in the business, missed the charmed circle of .300 hit ters by the smallest margin possible— one point. Other well-known topnotch ers had a hard row to hoe and failed to make good. Detroit nosed the Athletics out of team honors in about the same style as they did the pennant. The Tigers as a whole biffed the ball at a .26G clip, while the Philadelphia lads feJl short but ten points. Boston brought up the tail end, with .235. CSAMERON COUNTY PRESS, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1907. OFFICIALS CHANGE RULES ON COLLEGE ATHLETES A. A. U. In New York Meeting Decides They May Compete for School anrl Home Tsnms. After a long discussion at its an« nual meeting in New York city th* Amateur Athletic union finally decided on the status that college athletes are to hold in amateur athletics In the fu ture. # By the resolution which was finally passed it is decreed that college ath letes may only register with the union from two places, their colleges and the homes of their parents or guardi ans. An attempt was made to con tine college athletes to their colleges, but, the delegates believing that this change was altogether too drastic, the resolution was amended to include their homes. James E. Sullivan was unanimously re-elected president of the union and Maj. John J. Dixon was continued in the position of secretary and treasurer. John J. O'Connou, H. G. Penniman, Dr. George Orton, and Everett C. Brown were elected vice-presidents. The annual report of the record com mittee, authorizing the records of the | past year as follows, was approved: | Nino Hundred Yard Run—M. W. Shep | pard. Time—2:ol 4-5. | T- our Mile Hun—George V. Ronhag, Irish-American A. C. Time—2o::ll 1-5. | One Hundred Yard Hurdle (eight ; flights, first hurdle 20 yards from start)— ! J. S. Hill. Time—o:l2 1-5. ; One Hundred Yard Hurdle (eight flights, first hurdle 20 yards from start)—J. S ! Hill. Time—o:l2 1-5. | One Hundred Yard Hurdle (ten flights) I —S. C. Northridge, I. A. A. C. Time— | 0:12 1-5. Sixty Yard Hurdle (five flights, threw ! feet six inches)—S. C. Northrldge. Time— -0:08 1-15. j Pole Vault for Height—W. r! Dray, Yale, 12 feet E',4 inches. \ Pole Vault for Distance—M. J. Sheri dan, N. Y. A. C., 28 feet, j Throwing Sixteen Pound Hammer—M. J. McGrath, N. Y. A. C„ 173 feet 7 Inches, i Throwing Twelve Pound Hammer—l,. I F. Talbott, 190 feet, 9 inches, j Throwing Fifty-Six Pound Weight—A. J. Flanagan, I. A. A. C., 3S feet 8 inches, j Shot Putting—By Ralph Rose, Califor nia: 8 pound, 67 feet 7 Inches; 12 pound, j 55 feet 11% inches; 14 pound, 51 feet, 6% Inches; 18 pound, 43 feet 8% Inches; 21 pounds, 40 feet 3% inches; 28 pound, S4 i feet 5% inches; 1G pound, 49 feet inches. C. M. Daniels, N. Y. A. C., was ! awarded swimming records from 25 j yards to one mile, including 31 inter- I mediate distances, his one mile record I being 23:40 3-5, with 87 turns. ALL-AMERICAN END Wister of Princeton, last year th« popular choice for All-Star end and promising candidate this season. Favor Abolition of Football. Dean George 1,. Collie of Beloit col lege announced the other nay that at a meeting of Wisconsin college presi dents football had been discussed, and it was the sense of the assembly that intercollegiate games should be abol ished. He announced that he would bring the matter up for a vote at a faculty meeting of the college, and asked the professors to get the yote I of the studentß on the point ALL STAR ELEVEN PICKED BY CRITIC BRIGHT LIGHTS THAT HAVE SHOWN OUT ON WESTERN GRIDIRON DURING SEASON. STEFFEN AND CAPRON BEST Great Dodging of Maroon and Remark able Drop Kicking Ability of Gopher Give Them Preference Three Michigan, Minnesota and Chicago Men on the Team. Now that the football season of 1907 Is over, the picking of an all-star elev en to represent the west is in order. The following team, according to a Chicago sporting writer, is regarded as the best. In picking the representative band of gridiron heroes all the col leges in the middle west are included. Although Michigan met none of the conference teams there are several good men who are entitled to places on an all-star eleven. While last year Walter Eckersall of the Maroons stood far above all other players in the west, this season the premier honors must be divldeed between Walter Steffen of Chicago and George Capron of Minnesota. Th* Ma roon quarter buck is by far the more valuable man, but the sensational drop kicking of the Gopher, which practic ally won two games an 1 contributed all the scoring in the third, gives him a niche in the hull of fame. He ia not an all around player, but Is a fair ground gainer. On the defense his game is poor, and he does not get away well in running back punts. While he did not play fvjll back, it is the only place on the team he will fit without displacing a good man. There were no really great full backs in the west this year, and, as it is the most natural position for a star kicker, Capron is given the place. Steffen was not such a sensation as Capron, because he was with a better team and received superior backing in all his stunts. Steff is the best man in the west —and probably in the coun try—in carrying the ball through a broken field. Eckersall was thought a wonder in that line of work, but Steffen has even surpassed the brilliant work of the greatest "little man" football has ever seen. Besides, Steffen is a field general who understands every angle of the new game and a good kicker. Leaving Ca pron's kicking out of consideration, there is no comparison between the two men. Good ends were scarce in the west and there is little trouble in choosing Hammond of Michigan and Page of Chicago for the first team. This was the little Maroon's first year of Inter collegiate football and he made a re markable record. His strong forte lay In handling forward passes. Hammond is a more experienced man than Page, but he can learn a lot from the little Maroon. As a tackier and breaker of plays Hammond has no superior in this section of the country. He is fair ly heavy for an end, but has a world of speed—a bad combination for any prospective gainer to bump. Two tackles, Messmer of Wisconsin and Case of Minnesota, stand out by themselves. Both were developed un der the old gridiron regime and are among the few veterans left in the game since the adoption of the three year eligibility rule and other legisla tion. They play the same sort of game. Both men are like rocks on defense and lightning fast in tearing holes in their enemy's line and getting the man with the ball. They can be taught noth ing in the blocking or interfering line, and both are fair ground gainers. At the guard positions Graham of Michigan and Van Hook of the Illini are young mountains. Both weigh about 230 pounds and know how to get the best results from every ounce of that tremendous bulk. Van Hook's playing was sensational against the Maroons, and many Orange and Blue rooters attribute the defeat by lowa to the indisposition of Van Hook. Gra ham has developed into a fair kicker and won the Vanderbilt gaflie with two boots from the field. Bandelln of Min nesota and Harris of Chicago showed well throughout the season. Schultz of Michigan is a wonderful center and is seriously considered as a candidate for the position of All-Amer ican center on account of his wonder ful work in the Pennsylvania game. There is no angle in the playing of the pivotal position the big German does not understand. Capt. De Tray of Chicago is the best half back in west, and com bines great-line plunging ability with all the requisites which goto make a half back under the new rules. His absence from the game last season made him a greater player than ever this year, and he captained the fast Chicago eleven to the western cham pionship in grand style. Schucknecht of Minnesota is placed on the other side of full back, although he did not play up to his 1906 stand ard in this season's games. He is a great defensive player and end runner, which, coupled with his infimate knowledge of all branches of the game, makes him a most valuable player. From the above it will be seen the personnel of the first team contains three representatives each from Mich igan, Minnesota, and Chicago, and one each from Illinois and Wisconsin. Clever Indian Sub. Island, the substitute quarter at Carlisle, is said to be as fast and oiev er aa Mt. Pleasant, the regular. A MUSICAL COMEDY FAVORITE A: ''' '■. ad! DANIELS AS AN ADMIRAL. He Was Hard on the "Crew" Who Is Now Waiting for Revenge. Frank Daniels is? as fond of fun in private life as on the stage. Anent tlie sea, Daniels has a houseboat called the Hardly Ever, for the reason that it hardly ever leaves its moorings in its home at Rye, N. Y., and when it does it hardly ever escapes going arock or aground. There are two small boats, which serve as tenders, named the Why and the But, and it is in them that practically all locomotion is accomplished. Incidentally there are two giant anchors said to have been intended for the Lusitania. In order that the whole affair might have a truly saline flavor, one day near the close of the season, when the guests, save one who shall be named Peters, had departed, it was decided to have an admiral and a crew. By some ar rangement, arrived at after long and libationary discussion, Mr. Daniels was to be admiral one day and Peters the crew, the positions being reversed on the following day, the honors thus alternating. The first day this unique scheme was tried Mr. Daniels won the position of admiral. He arrayed him self in full uniform and proceeded to order the unfortunate Peters about with the severity of a martinet. Daniels went ashore an unnecessarily large number of times, always being rowed by the unhappy Peters, who nursed his wrath, thinking of the mor row, when his turn would come. When not engaged as a propeller the "crew" was weighing the anchors, throwing the main peak overboard or busied with other comic duties, and when night came Peters had mapped out a perfect campaign of revenge. But as morniwg dawned Mr. Daniels received a telegram calling him to New York for rehearsals and the crew's oppor tunity to "get even"was frustrated. He is waiting patiently until next sum mer, an in the meantime consoles himself with the knowledge that, the physical exercise "did him good." Carle and the Orchestra. "Richard Carle is back in New York after a tour of the one night, stands of Pennsylvania," writes William Et ten. "The tall comedian says he is convinced that music and the trades cannot go hand in hand without more or less danger to the hand. "In one Pennsylvania town Mr. Carle noticed that the flute player of the home talent, orchestra had one of his fingers bandaged. When the come dian made sympathetic inquiry he learned that this important member was a carpenter who had planed off part of the finger the day before. " 'Too bad,' said Mr. Carle, but he didn't know how bad it really was un til he tried to sing at the evening per formance. Every time the flute player brought the bandaged finger into ac tion he covered the instrument-with something worse than confusion, and drove Mr. Carle off the key. "After trying his second song, Mr. Carle stopped; and, leaning over the footlights, said: 'Never mind, boys, you may go homo. I'll hum the rest of it.'" Pertinent to the End. The late Richard Mansfield was a i patient sufferer in his last illness, and he retained his good cheer to a marked degree. One day he told his physician that he believed he would not live many weeks longer. "Bosh!" said the physician. "You are good for a long time yet. Why, man alive, did you ever hear of any body near death with legs and feet as warm as yours?" "Yes," replied Mr. Mansfield, "lot 1 ? of them. For instance, there was Joan of Arc and the Salem witches." STAR PRESS AGENT FAKE. How Anna Held Was First Brought to Public Notice. The serious illness with pneumonia of Anna Held recalls one of the best press agent fakes ever successfully worked on the local papers. It was when Miss Held first came to this country, and while she was yet known only as the singer of "Won't You Come and Play With Me?" She need ed more booming, and on broader lines. The press agent tried, by get ting printed the report that Miss Held's remarkably good complexion was the result of daily milk baths. This was treated more or less as a joke, but one day a suit was regularly begun in court by a Long Island dairy man against Miss Held for an amazing amount of milk, hundreds of gallons. This looked like the real goods, so re porters were sent to the dairyman for confirmation. He confirmed all right. B'gum he meant to have his rights against the play actress, he did, b'gum. Anna was interviewed. Yes, she had refused to pay for her bath milk because it did not stand the test for percentage of cream. The papers printed columns about it. Years after the press agent confessed. He had giv en the dairyman S2O to let the suit bo brought in his name and to "stand for'* the story. That was all. The Author's Risk. David Belasco was being congratu lated on the success of his new G. A. R. drama. "Writing plays is perilous business." said Mr. Belasco, thoughtfully. "With every fresh play an author risks his all. Past triumphs don't count. He who has written "0 superb pieces is just, as likely to be damned on his 21st piece as any tyro. "The public is critical and just be fore it is kind. I remember once—" Mr, Belasco laughed. "Tliero was once," he resumed, "a playwright who sat in the front row of stalls at the first night of a new piece of his. This piece failed, it failed dreadfully. In fact, in the middle of the third act the entire company was hissed off the stage. "As the playwright sat, pale and sad, amid the uproar, a lady behind him loaned forward and said: "'Excuse me, sir; but, knowing yon to be the author of this play, I took the liberty, at the beginning of the performance, of nipping off a lock of your hair. Allow me now to return it to you.'" PLAYS AND PLAYERS. Mme. Lina Abarbanell, the former grand opera soubrette, has been en gaged by Henry W. Savage to sing the role of Sonia in"The Merry Widow." Charles Richman has returned to the role of Capt. Kearney in"The Rose of the Rancho." Andrew Robson will succeed John Mason as Alexis Karenina in support of Miso Virginia Harned in "Anna Karenina." Mr. Robson was a member of the late Charles Coghlan's company for several years and on the road has starred in"The Royal Box" and "Rich ard Carvel." Messrs. Leigh and Pether, authors of "Waiting at the Church" and "Poor John," both of which songs were phe nomenally successful after their in troduction by Miss Vesta Victoria, have been engaged by Charles Froh man to write a special song for IV?ISR Hattie Williams for the "Fluffy Ruf fles" production. Mrs. Rida Johnson Young is busily engaged rewriting "The Lancers", which is taken from the old "Passing Regiment," for its production in 112 i guise of a musical comedy at Dr", a theater, New York, in December. 21
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers