History of the A's

A's Minto Cup Challenge Not Accepted

ATHLETICS CHALLENGE FOR MINTO CUP

The Daily Standard

Thursday August 13, 1908

Ottawa, Aug 12 - The Athletics of St. Catharines have entered another challenge for the Minto Cup. Early in the lacrosse season, the Athletics who won the championship of the Canadian Lacrosse Association, challenged and asked for dates with Shamrocks, who then held the Minto Cup. The challenge was accepted by Mr. P. D. Ross, trustee of the silverware, and St. Kitts were instructed to communicate with Shamrocks with a view to arranging the games. This they did, but the matches did not materialize, the St. Catharines men alleging that the mid-week games would not pay them. The challenge was then dropped and nothing further heard of it, Shamrocks meeting New Westminster and losing the Minto Cup.

Yesterday, however, Mr. Ross received a second challenge from St. Catharines. The Athletics have again cinched the championship of the C. L. A. and with it the right to play for the mug. Mr. Ross accepted the challenge and will forward a copy of it to the New Westminster club, instructing them to arrange matters with St. Kitts.

The challenge of the N. L. U. for the silverware is not yet in, so it looks as though the C. L. A. has stolen a march on the N. L. U. and that the Western Ontario champions will have the first crack at the silverware in the West. St. Catharines are evidently a shrewd bunch. They would not play Shamrocks mid-week games at the prospect of several eight or ten Montreal, but now, probably seeing thousand dollar gates in the West, want to go out and reap the harvest. Tecumsehs, probably champions of the N. L. U., are likely to raise a row about St. Catharines getting the first series.

New Westminster, in the meantime, have stated that they will not play any cup games this fall. Alex Turnbull and George Rennie, two of the fastest players on the New Westminster team, will probably go to England with the Olympic twelve. New Westminster claims that they will be crippled without Turnbull and Rennie. The Westerners think that they should not be asked to defend the silverware until next year.

Mr. Ross, however, states that the present holders of the trophy must play in defence of it this season. "It is not customary to delay cup games from one season to another," said Mr. Ross, "and if New Westminster refuses to play they will probably be ordered to do so."

St. Catharines chances against New Westminster are admitted to be decidedly slim, but they state in their challenge that they will have a very strong team. There is a rumor that they will sign Barnett and McKenzie, who have been released by the Torontos, but Mr. Ross states that they will not be allowed to draw on other teams for the cup.

If St. Kitts should win the Minto Cup ! ! ! Well the only way to recover it would be to hire Capt. Beachey's airship to drop explosives into the corner lot from above till the last Old Boy had joined his fathers-and then go in and steal it.

George Parks of St. Kitts, was in the city yesterday making arrangements for the Athletics visit to Westminster this fall. He remarks that the boys will have a great trip and may surprise folks by bringing the Mintoware back east. The team held a meeting the other night and agreed to cut out beer and cigarettes till after the games are over and with this slight help and some assistance from Bill Elliott, Charlie Lowe and George Kalls expect to line up strong against the western champions.

St. Kitts would also like to have Petie Barnett of Torontos on their line up; but Petie has played all season with Torontos and by Trustee Ross' mandate that the team cannot call outsiders to its assistance, he will probably have to stand on the platform and wave a farewell to his departing comrades.

Of course, St. Kitts expect to take in the Westminster Fair gates and thus at least break even on the trip, but in the meantime their old backers, Messrs. Lee, Timmons and McIlwain are furnishing the necessary coin and everything is being put in shape.

WHAT IS THE GAME NOW?

P. D. ROSS, MINTO CUP TRUSTEE, WITHHOLDS CHALLENGE OF LOCAL TEAM TO AWAIT N. L. U. ACTION

ATHLETICS WILL ENQUIRE INTO MATTER TO SEE WHY ACTION TAKEN IN ANY BUT ONE CHALLENGE IN - WHAT MR. ROSS HAS TO SAY

The Daily Standard

Monday August 17, 1908

Indignation is felt at the manner in which the trustees of the Minto Cup are acting with regard to the challenge recently sent in by the Athletics to play the New Westminsters who, a few days ago, defeated the Shamrocks on their own grounds, thereby winning the famous piece of silverware and becoming the champions of the world. The local team seem to occupy a second place in the eyes of the trustees, who seem to want to hold off accepting the Athletics challenge till the N. L. U. series are over, and then they would likely give the winners of the National lacrosse union games the first chance to have a try at the Westerners.

But the Athletics resent such a deal. It is not fair and a reason for the whole thing is being sought after.

When the present holders of the cup were in Montreal, they agreed to allow the Athletics the first chance at the cup. The challenge of the Athletics was formally dispatched to P. D. Ross, trustee for the Cup, and one also to Mr. Welsh, the manager of the New Westminster twelve. The locals as winners of the C. L. A. Senior series for 1908 should, in view of this, be given the first show.

Mr. Joseph Timmons, this city, called up Mr. P. D. Ross by phone this morning, when Mr. Ross said that the St. Kitts challenge for the Cup has not yet been accepted by the trustees.

"When will it be?" asked Mr. Timmons.

"I will let you know that to-day" replied the trustee.

"What are the prospects for our challenge to be accepted?" asked Mr. Timmons. "Will it be accepted by the trustees?"

"The challenge of the champions of the N. L. U. series will be accepted when it comes in," replied Mr. Ross, who evaded answering the question directly.

"Remember we challenge for the Cup as champions of the C. L. A. Senior series for 1908," said Mr. Timmons.

Mr. Ross replied that he knew all about that.

Mr. Timmons said then that it looked as if the champions of the N. L. U. would be given first chance, but Ross repeated his former answer and stated that when the N. L. U. challenge came in, it would be accepted.

Mr. Timmons then wired immediately for a copy of the rules governing the Cup and expects to receive them by the first mail, when things will be settled once and for all.

The Athletics are indignant, and rightly so. The Athletics are champions of the Senior C. L. A. for 1908 and are the only team now eligible for a crack at the Cup, as the N. L. U. series are not completed. It looks very strange that a report should first be received from Ottawa stating that the challenge of the Athletics had been accepted, and hardly had the news of the acceptance of the challenge been received than news came stating that the challenge had not yet been accepted by the trustees. Appearances, at least, indicate that there is some wire pulling somewhere, and the sooner the Athletics are able to discover who is behind the whole thing, the better it will be. The Athletics can go any minute west, and are confident of their abilities to bring the treasured cup to this city. All they want is the sanction of the trustees, which it is hoped, will soon be forthcoming.

SPORTS AND PASTIMES - LACROSSE

The Daily Standard

Saturday August 25, 1908

Even the Toronto Telegram is now willing to admit that the Athletics are receiving a raw deal at the hands of the Minto Cup trustees and even strongly supports the locals claim that their challenge should be accepted. It says:

After all has been said and done in connection with St. Kitts challenge for the Minto Cup, it looks as if the Athletics were getting a little the worst of the deal. As champions of 1907 they challenged and were given dates in the middle of the week. That meant that it would probably cost them a cool thousand dollars to play for the cup, and as they were not millionaires they turned the proposition down and devoted their attention to winning another championship.

They won that championship from a team that raided the east for players with a little bunch grown right at home. They also demonstrated their right to be considered seniors of class by trimming both Tecumsehs and Torontos in exhibition games. Then they challenged as senior C. L. A. champions for 1908 and were told to go away back and sit down till the N. L. U. championship was decided and the N. L. U. champions made up their minds as to whether they wanted to make the trip to the coast or not.

Now why should the N. L. U. be given the preference? When have the N. L. U. teams ever shown that they would spend $1,000 or 1,000 cents to win the Minto Cup or any trophy? The Minto Cup was given to the N. L. U. to produce gates. It has produced gates and the N. L. U. has gathered them in. But there is nothing in the deed of gift that accompanied the cup that gives the N. L. U. champions a divine right to the only gate producing dates in sight.

If St. Kitts are a senior team and champions of their association, as they undoubtedly are, and their challenge is in first and in proper form, as it undoubtedly is, that challenge should be considered regardless of any challenge or challenges that may or may not come in later. What business is it of the trustees what the N. L. U. intends to do? They are there to decide whether the challenges laid before them are fit and proper ones to be adopted. They decided that point when they accepted St. Kitts' challenge earlier in the season. All is to pass it along to Westminster and tell the champions of the world to fix the dates.

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