The Billboard 1909-02-27: Vol 21 Iss 9 (1909-02-27)

The Billboard ‘FEBRUARY 27, 1909. Skating Rink News EARLE REYNOLDS’ LETTER. (Continned from page 23.) Chas. Williams and his father have been quite anxious relative to Hamilton’s success during the Pittsburg meet. Williams and Hamilton have been rivals at the racing game in Boston for the past two years. big races held at the Park uare were by these two great skaters. won The old Hampshire Street Rink at Lawrence, was a good third. The time was 3:45. The final of the handicap was the next and last event six skaters lining up on different marks from scratch to 75 yards. E. Hiltwein, Rollaway Rink got the lead the second lap. He was overtaken three laps from the finish by A. Read, Sans Souci, and managed to regain it on | the next corner and gradually draw away, win ' Rink, The majority of the | Mass., has been converted into a bewling alley and billiard parlor. Lawrence looks like a good site for a good roller rink. One without posts and managed in a business and up-to-date style. It is a mill town and has over 100,000 population. The roller rink at Buenos Ayres, South America, has been doing a fine business and there have been many New York skaters who went | south to engage in the rink business. Our summer is winter in South America, and the business the coming season will take on the nature of a boom. * The Chicago skate is well represented in the *‘ittsburg races and many victories are anticipated on the Ware Brothers’ new racing skate. The Chicago skate was first in the big marathon races in Chicago last fall and the firm look to el of the Pittsburg winners win on their skates, Al. Flath, the Chicago race promoter, may come East the coming season and manage a summer resort, if proper terms can be made. The rink is quite large and many a race Flath can give his patrons in case he makes connections. It is one of the best =; cities in the East. Al. Flath reports that the big Henley factory at Richmond, Ind., is turning out skates by the hundred and is deeply interested in the foreign trade as well as the American. The Henley Company have had a fine season and have placed many thousands of oe skates. L. R. Cossitt, manager of the Brockville Roller Rink, will open his rink for roller skating about March 10. Manager Cossitt will in all probability want some good P. E. e ae ® acts for opening attractions to start the bail rolling throughout his , eae district. Lewiston, Me., may have a large roller rink soon, according to reports. Some of the oldtime polo players have been working up an interest in roller skating in that vicinity and bright are the prospects for a large rink ‘and Auditorium in the very near future. Manager Mathis, of the Portland (Me.) Roll away, has ordered a large Schleuter surfacing | machine for his rink. world-wide fame as being the proper article to give a skating floor the right smoothness for skating. * Attractions remove the monotony of skating around and around, each night. No matter how heavy your business is keeping some going on all the time to keep your patrons interested and give them something to talk about. Chas. Franks expects to sail the first of March for Europe, according to a recent letter. While the skating game is booming on the other tide the attraction end of the game is not so encouraging as one might think. What has become of Paddy Harmon, the Chicago race promoter? Don’t overlook me, Paddy, and let’s hear from you once in awhile, with some news relative to oo famous Riverview. Next month will see over thirty of the Canadian ice rinks return to roller skating, and the eutlook for the P. E, R. 8S. A. attractions for a good spring season, * anticipated. which she has booked in the South, which will earry her time up a April. Manager Burrows, Rink, Old Orchard, is looking for another roller rink on the Maine coast to run in conjunction with the Old Orchard aie This machine has gained | | ports were that she was getting | and would be out in ten days. ning by ten yards. Wm. Demming, Sans Souci who started from scratch, fell in the sixth lap and had to give up the race. F. Redmond, Sans Souci Rink, was disqualified for carrying the field wide on the corner entering the home stretch. It was later found out that it was unintentional as his skate strap loosened and he was forced to quit the race. E. Hiltwein, who won the event, is a small lad and skated the prettiest sort of a race. Summaries—First heat: M. Donoughue, Madison Garden, 75 yards, won; A. Read, Sans Souci, 20 yards, second; H. Decker, 40 yards, third. Time—3:30. Second heat: FE. Hiltwein, Rollaway, 35 yards, won; W. Demming, Sans Souci, scratch, second; R. Marpool, Madison Garden, 75 yards, third. Time—3:25. Novice race: Sig. Ballerman, won; Lester Du Val, second; Thos. Ahearn, third. Time— 3:45. Final handicap: E. Hiltwein, 35 yards, won; A Read, 20 yards, second; Decker, 40 yards, third. a Howard Fielding, of the Fielding and Carlos team of exhibition skaters, has accepted the position as manager of the Hippodrome Rink in Milwaukee. Mr. Fielding should have little trouble in knowing the wants of the followers | of roller skating and many novel events are | already booked for the coming two weeks. Jack Fetzer, who is an instructor at Riverview Rink, Milwaukee, and looks after the Riverview string of skaters, was of great value to the Riverview team in the endurance race at the Hippodrome Rink recently his knowledge of the game kept his a. well up in the contest. Al. Flath is at Dayton, 0., this week where he is handling some races at Lakeside Rink for Frank L. Oleson, who is advertising manager of that place. The events that are billed are amateur and are expected to be novice and handicaps. day night and will be a novice race followed by a handicap and on Saturday night there will be another handicap race in which Wm. Robinson, the American amateur, will start and will be the lone scratchman. Bob. Gordon, who was recently defeated by Robinson, in a match race, will also be a starter and will receive about twenty yards. In addition to the handicap Robinson will skate a mile against time and try to reduce his own track record. * Al. Flath handled the hour team race at the Hippodrome Rink, Milwaukee, night, February 18, and has another endurance contest booked for the above rink, which will be skated in the near future. In addition to the above contest, Flath has also made arrangements with the management of the Hippodrome Rink to handle the Wisconsin amateur championship races which are to be held at the above rink, March 4, 5 and 6, and in which Wisconsin skaters only are permitted to skate. In speaking of enthnsiastie crowds, I aever saw one to equal the one at the Milwaukee Hippodrome endurance race last week. Some people Hined up at the door and expected to see the start only and go home so as not to be out too late. These same people were the most enthusiastic, and were forced out of the building long after the race was over, by the turning out of the lights. Fully two hundred fans hung around saying wasn’t it great? Gee, but it was a corker. I never thought them guys could hold out like that. I wish they would have another, were some of the remarks heard after the race and another is to be run and will be handled by Al. Flath. who has already applied to the Western Skating Association for a sanction. % Mrs. Fielding. of the well-known Fielding and Carlos team. has been sick in a hospital at Milwaukee for the past three weeks. along nicely Friends of the | records for an indoor track were broken. The first event will be skated Thurs| | sciousness and said that Eichstedt and Radtke, the River. view teams, were the winning team. The racing board of the Western Skating Association will have a few remarks to listen to as Eichstedt and Radtke did not skate the full hour, and Holke and Lochman having committed a palpable foul it will no doubt be declared no contest, which seems queer after it was declared by all present to be the most exciting race ever witnessed in the Cream City. The first five miles were skated in 17:54, the ten miles in 35:37, while the total distance skated in the hour was seventeen miles and five laps, which is nine laps behind the seventeen-lap track record held by Nip. Melzer and Stewart Garner, of Sans Sonci Rink, and made at the Edgewater Rink, Chicago, recently. The race presented many thrills and spills were many. Charles Locherman, Hippodrome Rink, collided with a post early in the race, and it was thought at first that we would have to retire, but when he again came on the floor to relieve his team mate, he received lots of applause and at once was a favorite with the fans. The race was handled by Al. Flath and another is soon to we From the reports I have been receiving lately, all the professionals seem to heve little tronble in keeping busy. The Pittsburg meet wound up Tuesday, February 16, while the Cincinnati meet wound up Saturday night, February 20, and beginning February 22 a three weeks’ meet starts at St. Louis, and by the time the last-named meet is over, there will be several others loom up, so things look rather rosy for the money chasers. J. T. FITZGERALD'S LETTER. In a series of match races at St. Paul, Minn., February 14, between Norval Baptie and John Nilsson, three professional world’s skating ice The races were held at the .Hippodrome Rink at the State Fair Grounds. In the half-mile event, Baptie lowered his own world’s record of 1:18 1-5, making the distance in 1:171-3. Nilsson established a new world’s record for the mile, making the distance in 2:39 2-5. He also low ered the two-mile record, going against time and covering the distance in 5:452-5. The previous indoor record for the distance was 5:59. The men were matched for the three the track and until after physicians had over him for more than an hour. lapsed on did not regain con worked Chas. Berthlein, the young skater who has done some wonderful skating for a boy of only fourteen years, demonstrated that he is in a | class with the fast amateurs regardless of his last Thursday ,; age, and won a great race at Riverview Rink, Sunday night. The event was a one-mile handicap with a field of fifteen starters. Starting from scratch with Smith, Hengst and Hennessy he took a safe position in third place until the fifth lap, when Smith, who was in front of him, took the lead, and he followed through on a slayride on Smith's heels. The last three laps were skated neck and neck until thirty feet of the finish line, when with a fine sprint he shot in just aheed of Smith, with Hennessy third. * Canadian curlers demonstrated their superjority over the Americans in the bonspeil held at Winnipeg, Man., February 15, when in the International Primary, the premiere event of the bonspiel, they decisively defeated the seven American rinks by a majority of thirty-five points. The Americans won only one game, Smith of Duluth, defeating Rochem of Winnipeg, by two points. Cassidy and Pitblado are the only undefeated os Winnipeg, Man., February 16. | curling play of the bonspiel for the Tuckett | Caledonia event. Last re| | above team hope to soon see them out filling | Miss May De Mancourt has postponed her trip | North on account of the many engagements | of the Princess Roller | of their act I must say it is great. The features were variety, According to reports from Chicago, the Rich ardson Skate Co. is making a big play for European business and are shipping many large orders to foreign countries. ” Many rinks are to be built spring. Jack Henderson and other rink promoters are on the ground and looking over the situation, * Frank Brower, of Bridgeport, Conn., a professional racer, {s desirous of becoming a member of the P. E. RB. S. A. speed skating department. % Manager 8. G. Cushing, of the Peak’s Island Roller Rink, Portland, Me., is thinking of purmates a large musical organ for his rink. A roller rink in any city, is a mint. AL. FLATH’S LETTER. A mile handicap race was skated at Madison Garden Rink, Chicago, Tuesday evening February 14. The race skated in two heats and a final. .The first heat was won by Mat. Donoughune of the 75-yard mark, in 3:30, while the second heat was won by E. Hiltwein, Rollaway Rink, of the 35-yard mark in 3:25. After the second heat had been skated the novice race was put on; it was a finely contested event and was skated without heats, sixteen skaters lining up on the track in two rows and when the starter sent them away there was a grand squabble to make the first corner and before the race was two-thirds over seven of the skaters had gone to the floor against their wishes. Sig. Ballerman was in front all the way and won as he pleased finishing fifteen yards ahead of Lester Du Val, while Thos. Ahearn if managed right, | contested but wound in Maine this engagements. While in Milwaukee to handle the hour endurance race, which was held at the Hippodrome Rink, I took time enongh to go to Riverview Rink to see the Rexos’ exhibition. In speaking So much different from the acts exhibited by most teams. ‘ase and skill. Hippodrome Roller Rink, Milwankee, Thursday night, February 18, was considered by all who race ever held in that city. up in an way. too much enthusiasm being shown by the handlers and friends of the skaters, skaters so rattled that they did not know what they were doing and had them so high strung | | that they did not know if they were on the floor or In the air and the excitement that pre | been changed to March 4, 5 vailed among the fans and the skaters them| selves they were Hable to do anything. Seven teams had entered the race and six showed up for the start and when they were sent away by the starter, they at once got busy and started to weed out the slower teams. | At ten miles there were but two teams left, summer | Paul Holke and Charles Locherman. Ki ppodrome team and Emil FEichstedt, John Radtke, Riverview team. These two teams had it out nip | and tuck the last five miles; first one, then the | too evenly matched to gain on each other. other wonld try and ron away bnt they were These _two teams being from two different rinks is what bronght the handlers and fans to the high pitch and crowded on the floor each shouting words of advice that the skaters did not know who their advisers were and naturally lost their reasoning and caused the race to wind up as it | did for when one minnte was left to skate the werning shot was fired: some excited friend of Eichstedt’s pulled him off the track and he still had a minute to skate. This act robbed the spectators of what herond the least donbt would have been the most exciting finish ever witnessed in Milwankee. Panl Holke finished the race, going until the shot was fired meaning the race was ended, but for a little act whieh he done wonld have heen disqualified had the referee stayed long enongh to make his decision. The referee, too. had lost his head, for he at once left the building without listening for the decision of the indges or patrol judges and an hovr after the race he called np the rink | kee to officiate at the races. | extra game from Smith of Kenora, The one hour endurance team race held at the | a 4 trophy, Defiel and Dunbar, of St. Paul, defeated Bishop and Wigmore of Oxbow, Sask. In the derson of Kenyon, Man. Sam Hastings of the Minneapolis Rink, won the prize of four gold watches for the best uniformed rink at the night session of the honspiel. Orde of Minneapolis, who might have got into the eight of the Tetley competition, defaulted this game to Atkinson of Manitoba, Man. Pittbaldo of Winnipeg. sustained his first defeat February 16. Hastings of Minneapolis, is in the eighth of the Tetley competition Defiel, of St. Paul, | Jobn Sheppard | up by subscription. doing all his practice and training work in the hills north and east of the city. He is @ hard worker and has some original ideas. Experts predict he will set the world’s record at 145 feet before he quits the game. Mr. A. B. Lawver, principal of the Ames School of St. Louis, Mo., sent in his application as a member of the W. S. A., and has also. entered in the International Figure Skat Contests to be held at the Elysium Rink a Cleveland, O., February 24 and 26. RINK NOTES. Private skating parties are becoming quite a fad at Rollaway Rink, North Clark street, Chicago. To Miss Della Conover, prominent in Northside society, is given the credit of introducing this form of recreation, and Miss Dorothy Walsh, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Walsh, was the hostess at a recent skating party. On the evening of February 1 an informal affair was given at Rollaway, between 10:30 and one o'clock, at which there were sixty guests chaperoned by Mr. and Mrs. Wilfred Langmore, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Bond, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Clark-Raleigh and Mr. and Mrs. Stone. This event was gotten Miss Louise Foltz and the Misses Marion and Indie Gardiner being the promoters. This rink was the exercising ground for Mrs. Harold McCormick, Mrs. William Odell and Mrs. Crane, last season, who never let a morning pass without taking a whirl on the little wheels. In fact, all the prominent people of the Northside are now patrons of Rollaway Rink. This speaks well for Manager Karl, who does everything in his power to make an eve ning at his rink an enjoyable one. Jay Caulfield, treasurer of Powers’ Theatre, chartered Rollaway Rink, Clark street, Chicago, Thursday evening, February 11 to 1:30 for a private skating party. There were | music and refreshments and all had a folly good time. Among those present were Mr. and Mrs. Chas. McDaniels and Chester Houston, of the Grand Theatre; Leon and Gus Schlessinger, Colonial Theatre; R. Trinponi, Llionis Theatre; | Cc. S$. Harris and Jay Caulfield, Powers’ Thea | Quinette, events, but after the two-mile race Baptie col| Eddie Hibbon, late of the Richard Carle Mr. J. Murphy and Misses Dorothy Florence Worth, Shirley Yorke of The Soul Kiss Company. These several treasurers bad the Rollaway Rink chartered every Friday night from 11 to 1 o'clock last season. They will continue to give these private parties this season, Thursday night being the date set for the weekly event. Managers Lane and Withrow, of the Washington Roller Rink, Bay City, Mich., are giving a series of parties at their rink. A Moonlight, Peggy from Paris and Merry Widow Party were arranged, and were the means of attracting large crowds to the Washington. The Merry Widow Party holds the record for the largest business of the season. Edward W. Basset, who won amateur championship at New York, 1907 figure skating, and who then turned professional, reports that he is booked up until July with bis act in which he appears with Mrs. Butler, of tre; Company ; the . Db | Chicago. | Rink, Manager Emerich, of the Auditorium Portsmouth, O., was a busy man last week. As a special attraction be had Battling Nelson and his show, which proved a big drawing card, consequently he reaped a harvest. The Middle West Amusement Co. is putting in a new skating rink at 118-120 B. Third street, Sedalia, Mo., and when it is com pleted, it will be one of the most beautiful | and up-to-date rinks in the middle West. In the morning | The Coliseum Rollaway at Davenport, la., has been sold by I. B. Haviland to Floyd Brown, of Terre Haute, Ind. Mr. Havi | land will devote his entire time to looking after | bi Hall of Duluth, defeated An|”, | with finals of the Tuckett competition, February 18, | by Whalen and Russell, games. Hastings of Minneapolis, jewelry class of the Caledonian by after two splendid winning an Man. all of the competition semi-finals have been reached in events and the winners in each } b y 19. attended to be the best and most enthusiastic | will be decided Februar The event was well | unsatisfactory |. sanction to the Hippodrome Rink, of Milwau | kee, Wis., for the State Amateur Championships got the | The Western Skating Association has tssued to be under control of the Wisconsin Skating Association and under jurisdiction of the Western Skating Association. The dates set were for February 25, 26 and 27, but have since and 6. Several of A. will go to MilwanThe events to be two-mile and five-mile. the officials of the W. 8. held are a one-mile, The annual tonrmament of the St. Paul Ski Club was held February 15, at St. Panl, Minn., before a crowd of several thousand people. While weather conditions were ideal and some of the best ski jumpers in the Northwest were entered, no records were broken. E. Hagen, of Chinpewa Falls, Wis., took first honors in the professional class, with Alfred Gnondahl and Francis Kempe, both of Redwing, Minn., second and third, respectively. In the amateur class John Bye, of St. Paul, was first; R. Tolkman, of Eau Claire, Wis., second, and H. Sweem, of Hudson, Wis., third. Oscar Gunderson, who became the champion ski jumper of the world. when he cleared 138 feet in’ the annual tourney at Chippewa Falls, Wis., beating Lief Berg’s performance in Switzeriand by five feet, has been a resident of Spokane since 1903. He has participated in most of the tournaments in the United States in the last eight years, taking numerous prizes. He cleared 117 feet at Duluth last winter when John Evenson became tue American champion with 122 feet. Gunderson came to America from Norway, where, as a boy, he won a score of trophies and was hailed a comer before he was fifteen years old. He is 25 years old now, five feet and eight inches tall and welghs 160 pounds. Because of the lack of snow in Spokane and the immediate vicinity he has been The | reached the | vaudeville house in Moline. The Coliseum Rink of Elgin, Ill. is prospering under the management of C. E. Aldirch. Good attendance is the rule. Mr. Al drich has just enlarged the skating surface, which is now 150 feet by 70 feet. ENTIRE COMPANY INITIATED. The members of the company playing As Told in the Hills, were non-members of the T. M. A. but one exception, but it’s different now. Those who aian’t already belong to the or ganization were initiated into the Des Moines Lodge, No. 101, February 15. As the companys had but two hours between trains the genia) secretary, Chas. F. Hellin, met them at the depot and conducted them at once to the T. M. Hall, which, by the way, is a very neatly equipped club room, although it has been opep but two weeks. Princess Wah-ta-Woso, the Indian actress, who is playing the principal part in As Told ip the Hills, was made an honorary member, a+ was also the Misses Mabel Owen and Edna May Mitchell. The Princess is a full-blooded Iro quois and bears the distinction of being the only one of her race belonging to the T. M. A. Other members of the company who were ini tiated were E. Wesley Todd, Harry C. LaTier and 8. A. Mitchell. _MORE MEMBERS FOR TOLEDO, O.. LODGE. The following people, who were appearing at Burt’s Theatre, Toledo, 0., week of February 7, were made members of Toledo Lodge, No. 20, T. M. A.: Mr. and Mrs. Lew Stanley, Prince Elwood, Anna Belmont, Irving Clouse and Bar rington, the ventriloquist. A banquet War served after the initiation ceremonies, and * general good time was had. T. M. A. NOTES. The following members of Rich mond Lodge No. 98, T. M. A., attended the third annual banquet of the Muncie Lodge, helé recently: Walter Menge, Harry Walls, Ceci) Murray, Henry Meyers, C. A. Bennett, R. M. Wenger, Emmerson Wenger, Roy Dye, Spect Torbeck, Miss Eva Hazletine and Miss Nettie Thompson. They all voted the Munele brothers splendid entertainers. Chattanooga, Tenn., Lodge No. 59. T. M. A., gave its annual ball in the a, drome, February 22. The affair was a dec success, socially and financlally. Wesley Weingart] and Harry Chamberlain became members of Cedar Rapids (Ia.) Lodge No. 94, February 14,