Part 19

Sol Butler All-round Athlete Drake University Theodore Cable Hammer Thrower Harvard University Binga Dismond 440 Yard Runner Chicago University Howard P. Drew Short Distant Runner So. Cal. University Edwin O. Gourdin All-round Athlete Harvard University W. R. Granger Half Miler Dartmouth College Irving Howe Short Distant Runner Colby College A. L. Jackson Hurdler Harvard University Wm. B. Matthews Baseball player Harvard University Fritz Pollard Hurdler and Football Brown University Dewey Rogers Sprinter University of Pa. John B. Taylor 440 Yard Sprinter University of Pa. Joseph E. Trigg Oarsman Syracuse University Fred White Short and Middle Sprinter University of Pa.

Howard and Lincoln at the University of Pennsylvania

At the University of Pa., Relay Games held April 29 and 30, 1921, on Franklin Field, Phila., Pa., the Howard University track team took a one mile relay race away from Bowdoin College, Carnegie School of Technology, Tufts College and several other white colleges of that stamp. The Lincoln University track team in a one mile relay race also romped away from the teams of George Washington University and a number of other such white institutions.

Beside gaining honors in winning those only two events in which they were entered, each of these two Colored teams was presented with a banner and each member of the teams was given a gold watch. The outcome of those two events not only brought encouragements to athletes in all Negro schools and pride to members of the Race throughout the country, but it convinced the athletic world of two truths. First, the brotherhood and true sportsmanship feelings between white and Colored schools in America are slowly but surely increasing and becoming closer and more friendly. Secondly, Negro universities, colleges and schools are today turning out athletes who can hold their own when competing with athletes developed by white schools of the same class.

Colored Athletes in Colored Universities and Colleges.

Those Colored youths mentioned in the preceding chapter are but a few of the Colored athletes who while attending white schools successfully matched the stamina, endurance and strength of their muscles, bones and will powers against those of Caucasian youths. The following named Colored athletes are those who studied and competed among themselves in Colored Universities, colleges and schools under instructions of their college trained Colored Athletic coaches, and who would have carried away many athletic first honors had they attended white schools and taken parts in sports:

Atlanta University--L. R. Harper, all-round star athlete: L. D. Maxwell, football and baseball star; W. S. Fuller, basketball star.

Fisk University:--H. A. Johnson, all-round star athlete; W. H. Zeigler, football star; L. O. McVey, baseball star.

Hampton Institute:--James Gayle, all-round star athlete; J. E. Scott, football star; J. W. Harvey, football and baseball star; V. S. Brown, basketball star.

Howard University:--C. Coleman, all-round star athlete; G. Brice, football star; G. Gilmore, basketball star; F. Sykes, baseball star.

Lincoln University:--W. P. Young, all-round star athlete; H. G. Ridgely, football star; M. F. Wheatland, basketball star; L. Holloway, baseball star.

Morehouse College:--J. C. Walker, all-round star athlete; R. Richardson, football star; Edw. Hope, basketball star; S. Duncon, baseball star.

Shaw University:--M. Walker, all-round star athlete; W. Crump, football star; L. W. Cook, basketball star; D. W. Graham, baseball star.

Talladega College:--L. H. Cox, all-round star athlete; C. Coles and R. E. Rivers, football stars; Q. Gordon, baseball star.

Tuskegee Institute:--G.H. Kitchen, all-round star athlete; A. L. Williams, football star; C. C. Hart, basketball star; J. F. Ross, baseball star.

Va. Union University:--H.B. Hucles, all-round star athlete; S. B. Taylor, football star; B. C. Gregory, basketball star; S. B. Taylor, baseball star.

Va. Normal and Ind. School:--J. F. Nicholas, all-round star athlete; E. C. Melton, football star; A. C. Jackson, baseball star.

Wilberforce University:--I. Lane, all-round star athlete: T. Reid, football star; S.H. Hull, basketball star; L. Townsend, baseball star.

BASEBALL

“PLAY BALL.”

From early spring until late fall, This Nation’s hobby is baseball; And while such season is in reign Few men or boys do stay real sane. --_Harrison._

Cris Terriente, Colored champion home-run hitter and out-fielder, and known as the Cuban “Babe Ruth”, was a marvel even several years ago when he played in the United States with the famous Colored teams, American Giants of Chicago and the All-Nationals of Kansas City. This Colored ball player has been frequently estimated by white baseball critics as being an equal home-run hitter to the celebrated “Babe Ruth”, whose services were sold by a Boston team to a New York team for over one hundred thousand dollars. And one of those well-meaning white critics, when commenting on the wonderful baseball playing of Terriente, so far forgot his “square-deal” and one hundred per cent Americanism as to allow some of his grayless brain matter and stagnant watery thoughts to soak through his system and overflow into his pen point that splashed little puddles of poisoned ink. In his article he lamented the fact that it was impossible to “indelibly white-wash” Terrente so as to make him white enough to be accepted as a playing member on one of the Big League White baseball teams.

Now, if that same baseball critic had entered the United States Army as either a volunteer or a draftee in the World War and had been dying of thirst on the bloodsoaked and bone-strewn plains of “No Man’s Land”, it is wondered if he would have thought it necessary to “indelibly white-wash” Colored soldiers before accepting from their black lips, and greedily pressing to his own parched white lips, the begged-for water canteens of the Colored soldiers? For such exchanges of canteens between generous Colored and dying white soldiers occurred thousands of times and in not one instance did those famished white men allow color prejudice to stand between them and a few mouthsfuls of left-over Colored water that meant the saving of their lives. Nevertheless, a majority of those soldiers whose lives had been saved by the timely swallows of water from the canteens of black soldiers, immediately resumed their persecution of and discriminations against the Negro race even before they got back home to America.

Thus while history shows that the majority of white people, when in the jaws of threatened or actual death, become too “color-blind” and “near-sighted” to see the hue of the hand or the shape of the face that comes to its help and vital rescue; history also shows that a great many white people, while in the pink of life, health and prosperity, allow their visions to become so magnified and their minds to become so overrun and soaked with vile race prejudice that they constantly see imaginary color-lines that really do not exist. They also are constantly building up before law-abiding, clean-living and progressive classes of Colored people certain racial barriers that are not only proving a stain but also a shame (in the eyes of the rest of the onlooking world) upon this land of freedom, civilization and Christianity. But at this time and place the writer will not go further into this particular phase of this color-line subject, as it is being more fully dealt with in the writing of one of his other books.

Fair-minded white people are justly ashamed of the words and actions of such members of their race as the above mentioned reporter, and already bright rays of hope are beginning to shine in the Big League for Colored baseball players. In this direction The Continental League with headquarters at Boston, Mass. and formed by the white baseball magnate, Andrew Lawson, has really wedged the first opening. At the formation of this league, Lawson admitted two Colored teams, one from Providence, R. I. and the other from Boston, the latter team having both Colored and white players. This is the greatest bit of encouragement Colored professional baseball players in America have ever received. The chairman of the Board of Directors of The Continental League is R. T. Murray, a Colored man. This league’s influence for the spreading of broad-mindedness and fair-play is already being noticed among the officials of other white Big Leagues. At the end of the baseball season of 1920, Colored teams were allowed to play against many of the big white league teams on their barn-storming tours.

During that season Bolden’s Hilldale team played against Connie Mack’s team of All-Stars at the National League Park, Phila., Pa., in which game Bolden’s team lost by a score of 2 to 1.

Bolden’s team also played against the famous “Babe” Ruth and his All-Stars at the National League Park, Phila., Pa., in which game Bolden’s team won by a score of 5 to 0. In this game, Flourney the Hilldale pitcher not only kept “Babe” Ruth from getting one of his famous home-runs but struck him out twice. “Babe” Ruth was also struck out at Shibe Park, Phila., Pa., during the same season by “Cannon Ball” Redding, star pitcher on the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants team.

Tesreau’s Bears played against Carl May’s All Stars at Dyckman Oval at which place the Yankees defeated the Colored team on both ends of a double-header by scores of 10 to 0 and 5 to 3.

The Lincoln Colored Giants played and defeated the New York Giants (white) in New York by a score of 4 to 1. Williams the Colored pitcher struck out thirteen men on the white team.

As far back as the early eighties, M. F. Walker proved himself such a good pitcher that he played on a white league ball team in Toledo, Ohio, and a Frank Grant also played on big white league teams in Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania. William B. Matthews, during his college days at Harvard caused quite a sensation throughout the country by his unexcelled ball playing and mainly through his star playing his college nine won sweeping victories all down the line of their engagements.

In taking hurried glances over past performances of present day Colored baseball players, the following named are but a few picked from among those who think, dream, talk and act so much over the diamond that baseball has become their middle names:

T. Brown of American Giants, Cockerell and Flourney of Hilldale, Holland of Detroit Stars, Leblanc of Cuban Stars Redding of Bacharach Giants, Rogan of St. Louis Giants and J. Williams of Lincoln Giants put forth the same kind of energy and earnestness in making moundmen fan the wind and think holes are in their bats as did Mathewson, Shawkey and Alexander, the great white pitchers, against their players.

Duncan of Chicago Giants, Ray of Kansas City Monarchs, Rodguez of Cincinnati Stars, Rojo of Bacharach Giants, Santop of Hilldale Quakers and Webster of Detroit Stars use the same kind of stickability in freezing onto hot balls as the white past masters in backstop, Schalk and O’Neill.

Bost of Oakland Braves, Grant of American Giants, Jeffries of Chicago Giants, Pettus of Bacharach Giants and Richards of Godfrey’s California All-Stars go through the same kind of successful limber-jointed jumping-jack antics on first base as McInnis and Kelly in the big white leagues.

Crowell of Tesreau Bears, Holloway of Indianapolis A. B. C’s. Holtz of St. Louis Giants and Thomas of Columbus Buckeyes have the same love for and show just as much jealously over the second bag as the crack second basemen, Collins and Hornsby don’t try to hide.

Day of Indianapolis A. B. C’s, Dinan of Tesraeu Bears, Fial of Lincoln Giants, Francis of Hilldale Quakers, Brown of Norfolk Giants and F. Hill of Detroit Stars are just as busy nailing and crucifying the last hopes of runners at third base as Groh and Gardner, who are about the best among white third basemen.

Dobbins of Hilldale Quakers, Hewitt of St. Louis Giants, Lloyd of Columbus Buckeyes and Lundy of Bacharach Giants while panning the same kind of red-hot frying sizzlers at shortstop as the celebrated Wagner and Bancroft, also usually salt and pepper those frying sizzlers with most amusing capers and comedian stage acts.

Briggs of Hilldale Quakers, Gans of Lincoln Giants, P. Hill of Detroit Stars, Jenkins of Chicago Giants, Kemp of Norfolk Giants, Thomas of Baltimore Black Sox, and Weeks of Pittsburgh Stars have that same knack of vamping the sun straight in the face without blinking an eye while pulling down a twenty-two story sky-scrapping fly, like the rangy outfielders Speaker and Burns.

Meadows of Godfrey’s California All-Stars, Santop of Hilldale Quakers and Torrenti of American Giants are just as much interested in astronomy and scientific research as “Babe” Ruth and Sisler when they start a message to the planet Mars by way of a home-run baseball.

While big Jeff Tesreau has tried so hard and done so well, he has not yet become so big a thief as Ty Cobb in stealing bases and pawning runs at home-plate.

All of the other players, on these Colored teams, whose names have not been mentioned are also A-1 baseball jugglers and would make good showing to their credits in any of the white Big Leagues that would give them a fair and square chance to play on their teams.

And Colored boys who are talented and aspire to become great ball players should not lose ambition and hang back because of their race or color: They should take on new courage by reading here; that the most youthful and hopeful things (the grass and leaves) in the world, are Colored, and no one who looks “green” with hate and envy is able to stop Dame Nature each spring from stepping boldly out and, without apologies to men of any race, drapping the woods and fields with her colored shades of green.

BASKETBALL

GEORGE GILMORE.

With Howard and Loendi it was the same; G. Gilmore to them did dribble much fame. Sure in quick shooting and true in his pass He often proved himself in a peerless class.

All basketball folks his death do regret, But none of those people will soon forget His gliding ways up and down the floor, And the side-line cry, “Here comes Gilmore!” --_Harrison._

Among Colored schools, Hampton, Howard and Lincoln form the big basket-ball right-angle triangle whose three angles each year are usually so constantly and rapidly twisted and turned to equal elevations of degrees, that it is not until the end of the season, when the three-sided affair finally settles on a steady foundation, that the spectators are really able to see and tell the base of this triangle from its hypothenuse and altitude.

Johnny Johnson, the Colored right-forward on the Columbia University varsity basketball team, in playing against the teams of Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Pennsylvania and other big colleges, in nearly every case scored the majority of points for his college team. His playing against these colleges was so brainy, spectacular and effective that it caused the leading white sport pages to give him glowing compliments relative to his being one of the best basketball players in the country.

In several large cities Colored athletes have organized and wonderfully developed some of the swiftest and most efficient basketball teams in America. Among the leading teams are: Dr. Johnson’s Forty Club of Chicago, Cum Posey’s Loendi Club of Pittsburgh, Chas. Bradford’s St. Christopher Club of New York, Manager Accoe’s A. C. Lightning Five of Brooklyn, C. Cain’s Vandals, of Atlantic City, “Babe” Thomas’ Alpha Big Five of New York, Douglas’ Spartan Braves of New York, Moss’ Center Five of Toledo, Ohio, All-Scholastics of Harrisburg, the Alcoes of Washington, D.C., the Athenians of Baltimore and the Pioneers of Cleveland, Ohio.

Among those players on these teams whose names, through observation and information, the writer was able to get are: Betts, Blueitt, Sol Butler, Brown, Bundy, Capers, Cooper, Duff, Fial, Fields, Forbes, Gumbs, Howard, Hubbard, Jenkins, Moss Posey, Ricks, Sessons, Slocum, Young and Winters. The other players on these teams were always doing such tricky feinting dizzy ducking, dazzling dodging, sudden blocking, slippery sliding, magic dribbling, lightning shooting and bull’s eye caging that the writer was not able to corner them in, so as to trip them up and hold them down long enough to get their names.

PRIZE FIGHTING.

“JACK” JOHNSON.

Talk as you may of his private life; “Jack” led the world in fistic strife, And Johnson today has as keen a sense As any new man in self-defense. --_Harrison._

The decisions the United States Government made during the World War, regarding the urgent necessity of including boxing in its all-round training in preparing the soldiers and sailors for war, at last brought the art of self-defense into its own and accorded it the proper recognition and value it should have officially received years ago. In private life prize fighting had its followers in both America and Europe as far back as a hundred years ago. About that time a Virginia Negro slave by the name of Tommy Molineaux whipped all American boxers who met him after which he went to Europe where he was beaten by the Englishman, Cribb, who was at that time the champion of Great Britain.

Along in the 70’s, George Godfrey was in his prime and became known on both sides of the ocean on account of whipping the famous white fighter, Lannon, in one of the greatest prize fights ever “pulled off” in New England. Godfrey fought seventy-six rounds with the great fighter, Jake Kilrain and he also staid twenty rounds with the “Australian Black Wildcat,” Peter Jackson. As John L. Sullivan, known as the greatest white slugger of all times, was then in his prime and zenith, Godfrey repeatedly tried to meet him in the ring but Sullivan always managed to evade a fight with him.

Peter Jackson, although an Australian by birth, spent his best fighting years in America. He fought with, came out even or on top of all the best men of his days. It was he who fought a 61 round draw with James J. Corbett, who is known as the most scientific heavyweight champion boxer the world has ever seen. Jackson was considered by many as the quickest heavyweight foot worker in the game. It is said that he was so uncanny quick on his feet that many times when an opponent made a lunge at him, Jackson would dodge the blow, circle to the rear of the fighter and pin him one back of the ear before the opponent could regain his balance, face around and throw up his guard to block off the blow. During all the time he was meeting the best heavyweights, Jackson held out a standing challenge to John L. Sullivan, who never would meet him in the ring. But John L. was always truthful enough to admit that he did not consider himself champion of the world because he had never whipped Peter Jackson. (for proof of this statement write to the Editor of Everybody’s Column, Philadelphia Inquirer, Phila., Pa.) According to an article that appeared in the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin of January 26, 1921, and which was written by Hughey Fullerton a white sport critic, John L. Sullivan also side stepped another Colored heavyweight prize fighter, who was known in Louisiana as “Black Zeke”. This “Zeke” who weighed 220 pounds and was six feet two inches tall, could lift a bale of cotton weighing five hundred pounds. In reference to this fighter a paragraph in the above mentioned article read as follows: “After the Sullivan-Kilrain fight Mr. Carrol tried to arrange a bout between “Zeke” and John L. The latter refused and the planter followed Sullivan over the country, but to no avail.” So while Sullivan was truthfully champion over the world of white fighters, there were at least three Colored fighters, George Godfrey, Peter Jackson and “Black Zeke” over whom John L. never was champion, because he had never whipped any one of them although all three had repeatedly followed and challenged him after they had met and held their own with the other best men of their times.

Of all prize fighters, Colored or white, the world has ever known, George Dixon was declared the most wonderful of them all. Being a little over four feet tall, weighing less then 130 pounds, with small tapering legs that seemed to sweat tears of pain under the weight of his gigantic chest and unusually broad shoulders from which dangled muscular arms of such thickness and length that they looked unnatural, Dixon presented a most uncanny and formidable foe when stripped in the ring waiting for action. He always proved just as formidable as he looked; for when he warmed up and got into real action, it seemed to his opponent that Mr. & Mrs. Satan and their entire brood of little Satan imps from Hades had been turned loose in the ring. During a period of ten years (1890-1900) Dixon at different times held both the Bantamweight and Featherweight championships of the world. And one of the main reasons why his name will ever go down in ring history as the “Wonder of Wonders” is that he did something no other world champion has ever done--he “came back” three times and regained his lost championship. It is said that he made a record of over a thousand clean knockouts during his fighting career. His three “Come backs” were staged as follows: Benny Jordan took the title from him and he regained it from Eddie Santry; Frankie Erne gave Dixon a good spanking one year and the next year he thrashed that same Frankie Erne; Sol Smith gave him a good lacing, and the same year, Dixon in a return battle took back his title and in doing so (to use a frequent and amusing expression of one “Tommy” Howard, a jolly fellow and Virginia old-time friend of the writer’s) “nearly shook the living life out of him.”

Because Dixon always went into the squared-circle to give his best in manhood fighting and not his worse in childhood playing and faking, he was respected and beloved by fight fans of all classes and colors, which was proved by the most celebrated sport followers of the day, including ex-Heavy-weight Champion James J. Corbett, acting as pallbearers at his funeral.

Joe Walcott and Dixie Kid were two other great little fighters and they both became Welterweight world Champions, Walcott from 1901 to 1904 and Dixie Kid from 1904 to 1908. It is said of these two fighters, that, like Dixon, they became famous in their readiness to meet top-notch fighters who were nearly twice their height and weight. When they could get such big men in the ring with them, they usually jumped clear off the floor to land a mighty crushing paw upon some rival’s tempting jaw that then and there felt nothing more.