Newspaper Page Text
6
GIOIMAH WOW OHM® * OffluKrS 4
What's the Use of Being a Detective if Everybody Knows It? :: :: :: By “Bud” Fisher
F T’MG fe©T
GO CATCH "GIF THE btooD'*'Vy VSGL p j THtSt V4HIY,ICGRS I'LL V4ALK Rj(, H T PAW Ml*A. | F L LO, MWTTT,
tul Disguise aa\self as a j ,On own myoThuß vjouldN'T hull nemep. Knovj <n
' DE Ap, DvMfj>ANO bLINO BtGfcOß. 1 , KHOVxf N\C: J 'NOR.L.D J THE I. De
. '■ s- __ ■— —— OF / ' LL the ' 's.,
THE THUfaS AMD C-CT AN /' \ . ' ' ) ’ r— ’
‘ z | Y L_J >
I “ ‘ cheap I ?• --
w r " 111
W*4 8 ' ' W eed T w ' WS&P M
I ‘ ys>Jg i’y' *3 Tee Co >
JEANNETTE 10
Kiss. JOHNSON
J M TINE
By W. S. Farnsworth.
J’A<’K JOHNSON is going to
meet Jot* Jeannette in a ten
ronnd bout in New York on or
about September 25. Tl\e * batuplon
will, undoubtedly, win on points.
But. believe me. he is going to have
a tough Voyage and lie hasn't any
more chance of slopping the New
York negro titan I have of being
the next president of the good old
United Staff:
And. also, it is my opinion that,
aftei the ten rounds n* finished,
Johnson will ni’i" agree to meet
Jeannette over a longer route.
There never was a harder nut than
this same Jeannette, and lie Is game
from tile top of his head to the
bottom of his No 12 s.
It has often been said that when
two negroes meet in the ring they
pull to each other. Well, there
won't be any pulling in this fight.
Jeannette hates Johnson, and will
fight as he never fought before to
w in
Johnson Ls a "rough neck." Jean
nette is just the opposite. There
never «as a more manly fellow
and a cleaner liver Jack spends
. his spare moments in dives, dance
halls and cases. Jeannette, when
not In the ring, remains at home
with his Jeannette has no
use for a negro of .the Johns.*n
type.
It will be a case of a good nigger
» against an undesirable one, ami all
New York will be pulling for Jean
nette to win. Joi* is on* of tin* most
popular fighters in the Hist. and
this despite his color. lie is re
spected by men of wealth. In fact,
one of the directors of the Penn
sylvania lines is his biggest boosl-
' er. This railroad man invt sts all of
Jeannette’s earnings lor him. The
result is that today Joi has enough
of the filthy stuff to retire and live
comfortably the rest of his d ivs.
Johnson can beat .P ianette on
points in a ten-round bout, but over
a route our money would go on
Jeannette.
* » c
r VERYHobYS doing it’ li *b
*■* I
nounce th it he is going to come
back Kuby Robert of the Speckled
Spots climbed into the nog at the
Flynn-Smith fight in New York
last night, was introduced, and
then spinng the following
"Gentlemen, 1 want |** come back.
I am going to s’ nt training tomor
row and will bi- t.ady to tight in
about one month"
After tile . u< itain*i ent was oy < i
newspaper nwn got to Fitz ami
found that lie i.s leal’v s , ou*. in
his intention to g*-t Pick into the
ring
"I am still tin line* f* at<*d m olio
weight and light Ip avy w eight
Champion of tin world.' litz told
the scribes I I Ctieularly desire
to get a t
Sharkey, wh a- oi.ling near
by, ova ,-heard th* u , k ml .-*u
back w ith th
"I w ill t ik* y>u• m. Fit z th t a
club to stage the bout ami 1 i ll
make you any kind of a I b t
you want."
Perhaps after a good m (
• sleep both hay come to ticir
senses.
• KIEBANE AND DUNDEE
TO BATTLE ON SEPT. 4
C'LEVFLANH OHK >. Aug I Ar*,
cleg have just been signed her* f i
match between Johnny Krlban* t. *tli
erweight * hampion, ami Johnny 1 1 in
dee, of New York, for Pm rounds it 122
pound- befor** th* St N*< *df* Athlete
club of New York on th* night *f Sep
tember 4 Kilbane will g* I sj,
Smith to Lead Crackers and Board of Directors to Stick
■••4 -I-e-i- •:•••!• 4-»4- -’••■r ’4**+ v*-;* -i-e-k 4-e-f-
Street Railway Company to Hang Onto Local Franchise
By Percy 11. Whiting.
HIM, SMITH is corning back to
Atlanta! The man who was
unceremoniously fired as At
lanta manager after he had won
two pennants in three years Is
coining back triumphantly. And
this despite the fact that since he
left \tlanta he has failed, both at
Buffalo and at Chattanooga.
And thus Is the dope overturned.
This move Is taken to mean not
only:
1 That Bill Smith is coming
back as manager, but--
2. That the Georgia Railway and
Power Company will not sell its
franchise this year, even though it
has had tentative offers, and—
3. That the present board of di
rectors. consisting of Messrs. Prank
Callaway, Charles Nunnally and
(■us Ryan, will retain their posi
tions for another year.
It seems entirely certain that the
local street railway company is go
ing to hang on to the franchise.
They don't have to. They turned
down in offer last year of $40,000,
tnosth in cash, for It because they
doubted the policy of selling it to
those who made the offer. They
have chances this year, too, provid
ed they would make the price right.
But it is a certainty that they
would not saddle anv possible pur
chaser of the franchise with a man
ager provided they bad any notion
of selling.
R\ the same token it Is deduced
that the present board (if directors
will consent to hold office again.
They are too good sportsmen and
too good business men tn nail onto
any succeeding board of directors a
manager who might be entirely un
satisfactory S the naming of
Rill Smith at this early stage of
the game can be taken as a strong
indication that Messrs Callaway’.
Nunnally and Ryan have been
asked to serve again and that they
have accepted the offer.
• • •
11,’’II 1.1 AM \NDREW SMITH,
*’ 'known whet ever baseball Is
played ns Bill Smith, was born in
Chillicothe Ohio, some 41 years
ago. or theu abouts. Bill never
did take kindly to telling his age,
so some doubt exists Rut, any
way. io is near enough for all prac
tical purposes.
Early records of Smith's life are
missing. He moved to Springfield
when a boy and got his first start
there.
Smith received a first-class
school education, but did not go to
college. Befote the age when the
av> rage man is boning up »n Vir
gil, higher algebra and preliminary
German or I'reneh. preparatory to
brushing by into college. Bill Smith
was playing baseball.
Bill's first real engagement was
with Elkhart. His other were with
I'o t W ayne. Springfield. Hamilton,
< fwensboro Knoxville. Macon. At
lanta. Buffalo and Chattanooga.
J£.\RLV in Bill Smith's career It
became apparent that he was
( itt out bn a mogul. His aggres
siveness. his quick brain, his un
willingness to lose, and his knowl
edge of hall play ers made him the
logi. t! man.to had a team. It is
doubtful if there have been a half
dozen men in the game who have
taken th- management so early tn
their (arm and who have been as
unv.iyingl' successful as Bill
Smith
Smith's work as manager first
■ i n ■ to the attention of 'A tian tans
I w n h< took th« management of
the M ;i (on t> tm of the South At
lantii leagu< That was the year
the Sally wa- organized. In 1904.
to wit Bill was almost an un
known to Macon fans, hut be was
’ ■lens i manag> He brought
! tic M.i'ot- team hoim a pennant
wan ■ ov> r the Savannah < tub by
just enough ma: gin to make it in-
rrfE .ATLANTA GEORGIAN AND NEWS. THURSDAY, AUGUST 15. 1912.
| CHARACTER SKETCH OF BILL SMITH i
»
Bill Smith. Atlanta's manager for 1913, is the Champion Liard Loser of the World.
He cares foi’ but two things - pennants and chewing tobacco; and if he had to give tip
either it would lie the tobacco.
He thinks Atlanta is the greatest city in the world and that the four years he spent here
Yvere the best of his life.
Smith is about 4<) years old, a bachelor: height 5 feet 7 1-2 inches, weight 150 pounds.
He is intensely popular with most of his players; but there are exceptions. Bert Maxwell
and Russell h’ord. two great pitchers, are said nbver to have spoken to him except on business.
Bill is constantly giving presents to his players, a shirt apiece for winning some crucial
game; or a new hat all the way around for Yvinning a good series. He offered to divide
SSOO among his players for winning the first pennant and it is reported that he paid part of
Tom Fisher’s salary out of his own pocket one year when the salary limit was bearing doivn
pretty hard.
Bill is the most genial individual in the world when he is winning, but as morose as a
bilious rhinoceros when he is losing.
He is an extremely nervous man. and has worn out four benches in Atlanta sliding up
and down them during the progress of games. At such times he chews enormous amounts of
tobacco.
He resents interference from his superiors, but is always delighted to get suggestions
from his players. Hi* has always had some man on whom he has depended for advice and
suggestions about running his team. Otto .lordan Yvas his mainstay in Atlanta.
Smith has won five pennants in sixteen years, has finished second once, third five times
and only three times in the second division.
teresting. He had a great old team,
too, Hoffman at first, Blake at sec
ond. Per y I.lpc at third. Paul Sen
tell at shortstop, Stinson, Smith
himself and a various assortment
of short-termers in the outfield,
Matthews, Bayne, Polchow, Hegars,
pitchers, and Harnish and Quinn as
catchers.
The following year Smith was
back at Macon again as manager
and again the Peaehep were pen
nant winners. This time they fair
ly romped home with the rag. with
•Savannah again the runner-up. Bill
carried over only a few members
of his old team -Harnish, Sentell,
Lipe and Stinson —but he filled in
the chincks masterfully, getting
Jim F’ox for first base, Piepe for
second, Houston in the outfield,
Loucks. Spade. Fox and Helm fdr
slab dut\ and Evets behind the bat.
It will be noted that Smith himself,
Sentell, Stinson, Fox. Loucks,
Spade and Evers at subsequent
times played on the Cracker team.
It is also worth noting that two
distinguished Georgians. Tv Cobh
and Nap Rucker, were playing in
the Sally league that year.
• • *
QO Impressive was BiP Smith's
K work as manager of the Ma
con club that Captain W. R. Joy
ner, president then of the local
baseball association, discouraged
with the work of Otto Jordan as a
mogul, let Otto out at his own re
quest and closed a <l> al with Smith
to manage the Cracker club.
• ♦ •
C MITH broke right into rhe I, ague
with a rush. Ho ’ook over a
tremendously disorganized team.
Otto Jordan had been’ hampered
by internal riots in the Cracker |
"dis-organization." and Smith had
to do some right-and-left canning.
He let Rickert, Burnuin. Bugs Ray
mond. Bob Stafford, Bert Noblett
and Brennan go. either before the
season started or shortly after, and
Lew Mmcn was advanced to the
big show. That left him only
George Winters. Rube Zeller, Dick
Crozier, Whitey Morse and Otto
Jordan around whom to build a
team.
But he certainly built one. Fox.
who was brought up frbm Maeon
to play first base, proved a tre
mendous hit. Jordan, deposed at
his own rbquesf as manager, be
came the premier second baseman
cf the leagu- Whitey Morse played
go 'd ball at short, and* when Larry
Hoffman proved too light for the
task of playing third, the versatile
LDITLP
Sid Smith was stl/ck In and plugged
the gap. In the outfield. Crozier.
Winters ami Smith himself starred.
After a bit Bill dropped out and
various players were tried -Stin
son. "Bonehead” Rob Wallace and
others. Rut somehow a fairly good
outfield was always on the Job.
Archer and Sid Smith formed the
regular catching staff—and a bet
ter one was perhaps never seen on
a minor league team. The pitchers
were Tom Hughes, Rube Zeller.
Die k Harley . Loucks, Doc Childs,
Baxter Sparks and Elmer Duggan.
There was a grand three-cor
nered race for the pennant that
year, with Birmingham, Memphis
and New Orleans the contenders.
Finally the Barons pulled away and
a duel developed between Mem
phis and Atlanta for second place.
The Crackers yvere finally content
ed with third place, but the strug
gle was one that kept the Crack
ers on their feet.
In this season happened an Inci
dent that is characteristic of Bill
Smith While the Cracker team
wa< playing in New Drleans Otto
Jordan was struck with a hunch
that the New Orleans team had
run some ' rubber balls" in on them.
Bill at once accepted this suspicion
as a proven fact and there was all
but a riot Before it was over Otto
Jordan was haled to police head
quarters in a patrol wagon and
there was an aw ful muss. Os course,
i
she Big Race
Here's how the "Big F've” of the
American league are hitting the ball,
the averages including yesterday's
games:
PLAYER— A. B. H. P. C.
I COBB 408 170 .417
SPEAKER 433 173 .399
JACKSON 413 159 .385
COLLINS 338 130 .335
jLAJOIE 274 85 .310
Ty Cobb failed to get a safe hit in
three times up yesterday, and as a re
sult fell off three points in his batting
; average. Speaker dropped off one notch
and fell just below the .400 mark by se
curing only two hits in six attempts.
Jackson managed to get three clouts in
eight trips to the plate and "stood still''
ns a result at .385. Collins gained
three points. He banged out three hits
in six chances. Lajoie leaped forward
five notches by getting four hits in
eight trv-
it eventually developed that the
whole thing was nursed along by’
Charley Frank for press agency
purposesand finally it quietd dowfi.
Rut the incident and the way Bill
Smith handled it showed to the
public with rare clearness that Rill
Smith would fight for his players
and for his team.
* * «
THEN came Atlanta's pannant
wlnning season—the first for
21 years. Twice before in baseball
history the’ Cracker club had
copped. The first time was in 1885
and the second in 1886. In 1886 the
local club tvon after a grand race
with Savannah. In the deciding
game Hank O’Day pitched for Sa
vannah and, despite his grand ef
forts. Atla'nta won.
Naturally the Cracker fans were
ravenous for a pennant winner.
And Rill Smith gave It to them.
When Bill broke into the league
the other managers were Inclined
to refer to him as a "fresh bush
leaguer.” But his first season he
threw an awful scare into them.
And the second season he won their
pennant.
It was a marvelous team that
Smith built up—a club that could
spot the present Southern league
pennant winners d couple of runs
and beat them seven out of
ten games. Ed Sweeney and Sid
Smith did the catching—and both
later went to the big leagues. Ford.
Zeller, Castleton and Spade were
the pitching mainstays, with Hoot-
Mon McKenzie the sensation of the
latter part of the season, after
Zeller began to fade away. Fox.
Jordan. Castro and Dyer formed
the infield, and Paskert, Winters
and Becker the outfield. Seven men
on this team later went to the big
leagues.
Despite the excellence of the
team, there was a tough race.
• • «
The Memphis team, managed by
Charley Babb, put up an awful
tight and took a lead toward the
latter part of the season that
looked too big to be overcome. But
by the grandest sort of work on the
home diamond the Crackers closed
steadily in. Finally came the game
that was to decide it. More than
11,000 persons were crowded inside
the park to see the performance.
What happened is history. And
Atlanta won the pennant.
■ • •
TJILL SMITH'S third year in At
■* lanta saw an awful slump So
many of Smith’s star players were
sold to big league teams and so
poor was the work of the men who
took their places that the Crackers
had to be contented with sixth
place. And that fall the Nashville
and New Orleans team fought it
out for the pennant.
Tn 1909 Bill Smith came back
again. Despite his inability to find
a real first baseman, despite the
weakness of Walker at third, de
spite the slowness of Newton at
short. Bill made a runaway of it.
His success was due chiefly to the
grand work on the slab of Johns,
Fisher. Atkins and Bartley and the
almost unequa <ed defensive work
of the team. The club numbered
only one hitter—Sid Smith. But
Sid could usually be counted on. to
drive in a run or two and the
Cracker pitfhers would do the rest.
Then a strange, and to the fans
an inexplicable and an unforgiv
able thing, happened. Bill Smith."
the man who had won two pen
nants in three years, was fired.
To the baseball association this
was the logical thing to do. Smith
did not run the club accprding to
their notions. He did not like to
be hampered by the modern finan
cial methods of a street car com
pany. He figured that a street
car company should tie run one way
and a baseball club another. And
he believed further that so long as
he was winning pennants nothing
else mattered.
And because he and the baseball
association couldn’t agree he was
let out and Jordan was named
manager.
• * *
g INCE the divorce of Smith and
the Atlanta Baseball associa
tion nothing has gone very well for
either of them. Smith got the job
as manager of the Buffalo team
through the good offices of Clark
Griffith, but he couldn't make a go
of it. The following year he went
to Chattanooga and he served as
manager there last year and this
year. On neither occasion has he
had any success, despite the fact
that he started last season with
what looked like the best ball club
ever gatheied together in the
Southern league.
♦ • •
A ND now Smith is coming back
to Atlanta. The papers haven't
been signed yet. but they will be at
the close of the season.
And the man who won five pen
nants in sixteen years will be back
at the old stand.
It js needless to say that the fans
are tickled to death. They could
hardly be otherwise. It is equally
certain that Smith is pleased to re
turn to the scenes of his greatest
triumphs.
It. means further that Atlanta
will have a snapping, winning
team next year. For that's the
kind Smith has always turned out
for Atlanta.
KID ELBERFELD AND
OTTO JORDAN RACE
FOR LOOKOUT CHIEF
CHATTANQOGA, TENN.. Aug. 15.
Will Otto Jordan go back to Atlanta
with Bill Smith or will he stay here as
manager of the local club? One or the
other of those things is pretty certain
to happen.
Jordan and Kid Elberfeld are run
ning neck and neck now in the race
far the local management. It is virtu
ally certain that if Elberfeld wins he
will let Jordan out. He wouldn't care
to have a perpetual candidate for his
Job on the team. And if Jordan goes,
it is equally certain that Bill Smith
w ill try to take'him to Atlanta.
President Andrews will probably de
cide the matter of a manager for next
year pfetty shortly. Now that Rill
Smith has definitely passed up the Job
the matter is considerably simplified.
HADDOW IS REINSTATED.
CHARLOTTE. N. Aug 15.—John
J. Haddow, the charlotte third base
man who was fined lino and indefi
nitely suspended Tuesday, was reinstat
ed nt n called meeting of the directors
of the local club Haddow was charged
w ith throw ing a game.
CfIMKERSGMIT
LOSE TODAY; NO
GAME FOB IHEH
N'EYV ORLEANS. Aug. 15. —The
Crackers are resting up today
in preparation for the series
they open with the Gulls in Mobile
tomorrow afternoon. The five
straight defeats at the hands of the
Pelicans has about broken the spir
it of the Atlanta team, and there
seems to he no chance whatsoever
of them ever pulling out of last
place.
The Crackers have learned that
Billy Smith is to manage the club
next season, and those yvho knoyv
the present leader, of the Look
outs are confident that he will again
prove a successful thief in tiis
Ggte City.
After leaving Mobile, the Crack
ers go to Birmingham and thence
to Montgomery. Nashville and
Chattanooga follow, and then back
. home. At Ponce JYeLeoij they are
to mingle with Memphis, Nashville
and Chattanooga, the Lookout se
ries being the last of 19t2 games
on the home pasture.
Third Baseman Schultz, just se
cured from the Meridian team of
the Cotton States league, joined the
Crackers here yesterday. He will
probably be given his first try-out
tomorrow against the Gulls. He is a
likely looking chap.
The Crackers lost the fifth ’and
final game of the series to the Pels
yesterday by a socre of 4 to 0.
Swindell dutpitched. Becker.
VANDERBILT ANNOUNCES
1912 GRIDIRON SCHEDULE
NASHVILLE. TENN.. Aug, 15.—Fol
lowing is the complete schedule for
1912. consisting of ten games, as an
nounced by Charles c. Trabue, chair
man of the games eonimitee of the
Vanderbilt football team:
September 2 -- Bethel college at Nash
ville.
October s—Maryville at Nashville
October 19—University *.f Georgia at
Atlanta.
October 26--Cniversity of Mississippi
at Nashville.
November 2—l'niversitv of Virgin's
at Nashville.
9—Harvard at Cambridge
November 16—Central of Eentuckvat
Nashville.
November 23—Auburn at Birmingham.
November 28 Sewanee at Nashvillu.
KID McCOY RELEASED.
BUT ON A $15,000 BAIL
L‘' s ' " , ’ s ’’ *' U R* I'■ Norman Selby-,
the former American pugilist, who is
better known by his ring name of Kid
">■ " ll " Is charged with implica
tion in an Ostend. Belgium, SBO nnO
Jewel robbery, was again arraigned in
Bow street police court today in con
nection with extraditiori proceedings.
Upon request of counsel, the case
, was P ut over for a iveek and bail in the
sum of $15,(100 was furnished for the
American by Louis Levy.
TOM SHARKEY A JOKE,
ACCORDING TO BURNS
CALGARY, ALBERTA, Aug 15.
Tommy Burns, ex-ehampion heavy
weight boxer, today, discussing a dis
patch from New York relative to Tom
Sharkey’s ambition to me**t Burns, .-aid
is was " a joke."
He ?a> : I maj* go to Australia
anout Uhristmas to moot Sarn* Lang
ford.”
“DOC" JOHNSTON LEAVES
PELS TO JOIN CLEVELAND
NEW ‘'Hl. EANS. Aug 15.—T>oc'
Johnston, first baseman with the loca
team *>f the Southern league, left las
night tn join the Cleveland team
Pitcher I'ullop Catcher Angernmie’
and Infielder Mills who together with
! Infield* r Butl* i. a,.' th,* f „ l: , r ,| lvPrs e C
• eived in ■ :*:.'lamp for Jehu * n hav*
reported here.