Pottsville Celebrates Victory

    Some 300 loyal fans gathered at the Necho Allen
Hotel in Pottsville on Wednesday evening, December
16, 1925, to pay tribute to a mighty football team-
the Pottsville Maroons, champions of the world.
     Bankers, lawyers, physicians, druggists, butchers,
bakers, and many others of various phases of life
were on hand, and the hotel echoed and re-echoed
with their astounding cheering.
     To appreciate just what took place, one would
have had to be in attendance.  The affair was a great
success.  The dining hall was brilliantly decorated,
with the most prominent among the decorations being
the cowhide that was carried to victory against the
Cardinals and brought the championship to the Queen
City of the Anthracite.  It was suspended from the
ceiling in a prominent position in front of the speak-
ers table.
     The first real booster of the Maroons to be
heard from was at the speakers table was Dory
Schneider who sold all the tickets for Maroons games
and looked after the interests of the team.
     According to Dory, the world championship was
something that not one person ever dreamed of
coming to Pottsville.  "Here we are, the baby team
in the league, the smallest city to have a franchise,
and we walk off with the championship the very first
time we try for it," he said.  "It is a very wonderful
achievement and those responsible for it are to be
congratulated," he added.
     Dory said the reason Pottsville was so successful
in 1925 was due to four factors: the team itself, the
excellent coaching by Dick Rauch, the management
and the fans.  He stated that none was valuable
without the other, and Pottsville was fortunate to
have the best in each department.
     In closing, Dory gave Maroon fans reason to
believe that the league would enter into a dispute
with the team and management over the champion-
ship.  He said, "They are trying to strip us of our
glory but they can't do that.  We won it fairly and
squarely, and we lived up to the spirit of the league
better than any other team in it.  And Joe Carr can't
take it away from us."
     Dr. John Striegal, the club's owner, was next to
speak.  He stated that the offer to play the Four
Horsemen was received the morning of the Frank-
ford game here.  He said he refused to sign for it,
telephoning Jerry Corcoran, who was acting president
owing to Carr's illness.  He received permission and

entered into an agreement to play the game.  The
next Dr. Striegal knew, President Shep Royle of the
Frankford team called him by telephone and said
that Carr had forbidden the game to be played.  Dr.
Striegal called Corcoran the second time, this time
Jerry had a lapse of memory but would not deny that
he had given permission for the game to be played. 
Corcoran simply reminded Dr. Striegal that he did
not have the consent in writing.
     "I am not defying the league, I have never done
so and do not intend to do so," Dr. Striegal said.  He
explained that once he had signed contracts to play
the Four Horsemen he could not turn back.  "They
can't throw us out without a hearing and I am going
to demand that," he told the fans.
     Dr. Striegal then introduced the members of the
team who received gifts from the following:
     Joseph C. Zacko, proprietor of Zacko's Sporting
Goods Store, and official outfitter of the Maroons,
presented the Maroons with a gold football which he
said they were entitled to as tokens from the league,
but which President Carr refused to give them.
     There is an interesting story to Zacko's presenta-
tions.  it all happened in one day- the day of the
banquet.  After finding out that the league would not
present the players with gold footballs, Zacko and
Eddie Gillespie left at 3:45 a.m., and through Zacko's
many friends in New York, came back with 30 gold
footballs- all engraved and with a raised maroon
letter "P".  They were engraved "1925 NFL Champions
and 1925 World Champions."  The players names were engraved on each.
     A telegram was read from J.M. Clawson, Potts-
ville's prominent jeweler, expressing his regret at
being unable to attend, but making each of the
Maroons a present of a gold fountain pen.
     A.J. Smith, son of the manufacturer of football
sweaters and the firm which made the seater that
Red Grange had adopted, presented each of the
Maroons with with a Red Grange sweater.
     On behalf of the Pottsville Chamber of Com-
merce, Edward S. Fernsler presented each of the
Maroons with a leather traveling bag.  Printed in gold
letters on the bag was the inscription "Pottsville
Maroons - World Champions."
     Upon completion of the ceremonies, the players
lined up at the door to shake hands and bid farewell
to their many friends- some of who they never
met before- who came to pay them tribute.