Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 75, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 February 1909 — The SPORTING WORLD [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The SPORTING WORLD

Career of Slosscn. Nobody in the realm of sport baa bad a busier or more eventful career than George Slosson, who recently defeated George Sutton for the 18.1 billiard championship. He has been champion at 18.1 balk line, at 18.2 balk line, at cushion caroms and at the obsolete champion’s game In which the corners were marked off with diagonal lines. His first public match was In 1870 in Springfield. Mass., at the old four ball game. As a youth he once came in contact with Michael Phelan, an

antebellum champion. Slosson has gone right through the evolution of the game up to its present point of scientific development and kept pace with it all the time. Slosson is what is known aS a forearm player, manipulating his stroke rigidly from the elbow down and with a stiff wrist. He hasn’t the ease and elasticity of some players, but he is an Incessant worker, determined and a thorough master of every fine point in billiards. He is not the close player that Sutton and Schaefer are, but as an executor, general and all around performer has no superior.

Freak Shot Putters. The University of Chicago has the oddest bunch of shot putters that ever competed for any team. When Coach A. A. Stagg of the maroons sized up bls field in this event he found that he had the most freakish set of shot putters in the world. The men who are working at this event are Schommer, Crowley, Hubble, Kelly, Gerend, Rademacher, Prather and Menaul. The last four are members of the freshmfin team. Of this bunch Kelly, Prather, Rademacher and Gerend are left handers. Kelly, the great tackle of the maroon football team, is well known in eastern athletic circles, and any one who has ever seen this giant competing in the shot put is sure to have noticed that he puts the weight with his left hand. Last year Prather appeared in local athletics, and he, too, was a south paw. Rademacher, th® giant of the freshman football team, was the next left hander who attracted the attention of Coach Stagg to the peculiarity of his field of shot men. The final surprise came when Gerend, a 220 pounder, appeared on the scene and also shoved the weight with his left hand. Coach Stagg spoke to Gerend about the field of left handers, and Gerend surprised the “Wizard of the Midway” by putting the weight equally well with his right arm. Coach Stagg is perplexed over the situation. He is able to coach a man who is right handed or one who is left handed, but when it comes to one Who can do the same distance with either hand the case is hard to handle. He is unable to decide which way Gerend should put the shot, as neither way offers any advantage over the other.

Montreal to Boom Athletic*. Members of the Montreal A. A. A. of Montreal, Canada, intend making a determined attempt to boom athletics, erect a new clubhouse and to participate in international sports. At a recent meeting of the directors the advisability of erecting a palatial $50,000 clubhouse was discussed, and the proj est met with great favor. No definite action was taken on the question, but it is understood that the matter will be settled shortly. It is planned to create practically a new organization along the old lines.

New Record For Ice Pacing. A new mark for a paced mile on ice was set by The Eel in an exhibition at the Ottawa (Canada) race meet recently. The horse was started for the purpose of breaking the world’s ice record of 2:14%. made at Toronto two years ago. The day was still and mild end the track in perfect condition. Three seconds were clipped off the old record, as six official watches caught the time as 2:11%. The quarter was made in 32 seconds, the half in 1:05% and the three-quarters in 1:39.

Pari* I* Fight Crazy. Paris is fight crazy and is paying American second raters to go abroad. The latest to make the trip are Joe Jeannette, colored heavyweight who is matched Sam McVey, another dusky one, and Willie L4wls, a clever middleweight. They are guaranteed expenses and should <;lean up SIO,OOO tn .a short time.

GEORGE SLOSSON, BILLIARD CHAMPION.