Monday, Apr. 09, 1928

In an Alley

From St. Louis, Mo., Charles Augustus Lindbergh winged to fame. From St. Louis have come many able men. Until last week Henry Summers, 23, was not counted among them. Even when the news reached St. Louis from Kansas City, housewives who had known Henry Summers since he wore rompers looked at each other in amazement. "Why, that Summers boy! Do you mean to tell me--you mean to say that young--I always thought he was a--." On their lips they checked the word "loafer" sometimes applied to Henry Summers, who in St. Louis was often seen dallying in an alley. But success in an alley deserved no opprobrium. Henry Summers had won the singles championship of the American Bowling Congress.

For a month, 2000 bowlers had bowled, some in bowler hats, some in spats, some in caps. They had gone to Kansas City, careless of their regular occupations. One was Phil Wolf, known in the alleys of Chicago as "the grand old man." Another was James Smith, world's all-round champion bowler, just back from a tour of the U. S. Harry Orf, another, rode in an automobile, bowled into a tree, was taken to a hospital, died. Mallott and Grau rolled naturals over and over. But on the last afternoon it was young Henry Summers who was photographed with a shiny ball in his hands. His final score was a remarkable 704.