Salt Lake Telegram | 1948-06-03 | Page 21 | Marble Kings Draw Posts in Tournament

Murlilo linos Drcu PojIs ; InTournomcnt "39 Stat Champions : Knuckle' Down . " For Evening Contest ; National marble tournaments are old stuff for fellers like Dick McGrath, Houston Vinson, and Edward Ed-ward Dill, who arrived in Salt Lake City Thursday from Boston, Man., Chester, 8. C, and Wilmington, DeL, respectively. ." ... How come? They've been balled as marble champs from their states for the second consecutive time, but traveling around the country to participate in national "rnlgs" contests is still exciting-for exciting-for them. They knuckled down to work the rust off their fingers for the three-day Veterans of Foreign Wars "world championahlp tournament tour-nament which opens at 7:30 pjn. Thursday in the state fairgrounds coliseum. - According- to Lawrence (Buck) Rogers, Kansas City, Mon tournament tourna-ment chairman, a total of 39 state champs had arrived Thursday, Including In-cluding Robert V. Fessler, 13, Ft Dodge, la. United States army marble expert, and Robert . Reynolds, Reyn-olds, IS, . Eaton Rapids, Mich., champ from the VFW national home for soldiers' widows and orphans. or-phans. Excited contestants and tourney leaders piled into shiny convertibles converti-bles Thursday afternoon to meet Ray H. (HorsecoUar) Bran nam an, Denver, national VFW commander, command-er, at the- Salt Lake airport and present the "chief with an autographed, auto-graphed, enameled horsecollar. Mr. Brannaman was escorted back to tournament headquarters in the Congress hotel Where he was welcomed wel-comed by Atty. Gen Grover Giles prior to being feted at a special luncheon. . The boys toured the state capital capi-tal Thursday afternoon until 3 pjn. when they were to draw for playing play-ing positions in the tourney. The tournament chairman urged all Salt Lake citizens to turn out for the big- "parade of champions" which begins at, 6:30 pjn. Thursday Thurs-day from the hotel.- T ,. - He said that each youth win ride in a convertible labeled with his name and home state. Accompanying Accompany-ing them wul be V F W post color guards, visiting dignitaries, Salt Lake youth organizations and eight marching bands from various Utah high schools. Ths group will march northward to South Temple, over to Main St., down Main St. to Fifth South and back to the hotel ; Mr. Rogers said the tournament, tourna-ment, which win continue through Saturday, is free to the public, adding that the 1948 champion win be crowned following . the final round. - During their stay in Salt Lake City, .the boys will .visit scenic points and amusement, places. High lights of their tours wUl be a boat ride to Antelope island in Great Salt lake, where many wiU see "real live" buffalo for the first time, and a trip to Lagoon.