Ummilimim
X
1-
that's what I started out to tell In the
first place or at least that's part of It.
The Thanksgiving gamo was with
Creton that year. That doesn't mean
much to other people, but to the var
sity It meant a lot and to tho captain
It meant everything. Creton had won
out tho year before, and It was about
two to four that she'd win out again.
Nights after practice Cap used to
come up to me whore I'd been waiting
for him on the bleachers, and ho'd
say, "Sonny, we're going to win out.
I tell you we'vo got to win out." And
I believed him too. Somehow Cap
always made you believe him.
The second Saturday before Thanks
giving Cap came to supper with a let
ter in his hand.
"Mother's coming down for tho
game, I guess," he said, sort of half
laughing, "she's never seen ono be
fore." Wo all said how jolly it was, and
how glad iwb'd bo to meet hor, and I
saw where Joy Menton wpuld goo the
game with that Jefferson guy, whllo I
sat beside Cap's mother and kept her
posted on goals and touchdowns. So 1
told Cap that I'd speak for tho place
beside her, and he said I could have It.
Cap's mother came the day before
Thanksgiving. I went with him to tho
depot to meet her. I guess I shadowed
Cap those days about as close as I'd
shadowed' Cliff before him. This
mother was a little bit of a thing,
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TRAINER JACK BEST AND GRANDSON
"Ah tho twig is bont, so is tho tree inclined."
wrapped In a Bhawl. She waB different
from most women I've seen. She
wasn't countrified, you know, but some
thing about tho shape of hor clothes
was off match that isn't exactly what
I mean either, but well, I guess you
know what I mean. Her face was the
right sort, though and I wasn't at all
surprised that Cap'TaHredi about her
qui to a Httlo.
Tho fellows all did themselves proud,
and she got acquainted after a while,
and told us all about Cap's babyhood
and tho order In which ho cut his
teeth and tho time ho ato burnt mat
ches. Cap didn't mind. HeTaughed
"and looked at his mother as4f sho
wero made of gold and set with dia
monds. Anybody could boo that sho
expected Cap to be president of tho
United States within four weeks after
hlB graduation, and, as I said before,
her face was tho right sort.
That night when I asked Cap how
the team was coming on, his face was
a mile long. Tho fullback had a gamo
knee, ho said, and he was afraid there
would be nothing with It the next
day. Tho substitute was all right
though. Oh, yes, the varsity would win
out. Of course, they had to win out.
But I could see that Cap was blue.
The next day at half past two, I
was sitting in tho grand stand beside
Cap's mother. Joy Merton was there
with tho Jefferson guy, sitting two
rows below us. She had on a blue
hat with red cranberries on the front
(Continued on Pago Eight.)
No Humbug at Nebraska
For a year or more, those who know
tho facts have chafed under tho In
justice which has boon dono and is still
being dono a young man whoso solo
offense Is a record of unusual brllll
anco in all athletic Bports. His honor
Is unquestioned by those who know
him, his habits are unlmpeachablo, his
record in class work is unstained, and
his manners aro those of a gentleman.
Nevertheless many well meaning poo
plo believe, and some whoso meaning
is more open to question profess to
bollovo, that this gentleman for such
he Is Is to bo classed with tho prize
fighter, tho jockey and tho circus per
former. His own sworn statements in
which tho charges brought against him
upon tho basis of mere suspicion aro
completely refuted, aro thought to bo
over borno by tho conclusive answer
that he is a brilliant athlete. Com
pelled by tho famo of achievements
have gained him to exercise an exces
sive and unreasonable caution In
doing the most Innocent acts, ho can
not, after a summer's employment in
legitimate work, for which ho recolved
tho modest sum of about $20 a month,
convince ovon his Instructors that ho
has lived up to the letter as well as
ho sjlrlt of every present amateur re
quirement, except by an elaborate In
vestigation In which he Is compelled to
accept the burden of proof and show
himself innocent of charges resting
only upon suspicion. Although his ath
letic skill fs such that he could not af
ford for a few dollars to be guilty of
acts that would bar him from further
performance on tho field, although his
simple word would be taken In any
other mattor, everyone assumes that In
athletic affairs, he must be devoid of
honor. And' after a board of his in
structors and fellow students havo ex
onerated him, It Is assumed that they
too aro liars and frauds, and that tho
suspicion inevitably attaching to his
wonderful athletic skill is an all-con-cluslvo
answer.
What has brought us to so singular a
condition? Several causes aro to bo
found. Bad methods in tho past, tho
"Journeyman football player," now as
oxtlnct as tho dodo, the fact that col
lego football has to no Bmall degree
supplanted professional baseball as a
national sport, with tho unfortunate
analogies which that fact suggests, tho
rivalry between institutions acting on
the Inborn American determination to
win all these have had their share.
By DEAN ROSCOE POUND
Yot, after a pretty closo relation to
football In Nebraska slnco 1800, I am
able to say with assuranco that tho
Improvement has boon bo groat, tho
chango from tho mothods of ton or
twolvo years ago so radical, that for
many years thero has boon Httlo of a
substantial or sorlous nature to Justify
tho general notion that our college
athletes aro gladiators, rather than
gontlomon. I do not doubt that tho
samo may bo said of our neighbors.
But some of thorn scorn to assumo that
while they have boon Improving ovory
ono olso has boon standing still.
In view of tho general Improvomont
in tho west, of which I havo spokon, I
believe wo muBt look olsowhoro for tho
main causo of tho unfortunato attl
tudo of tho public toward collogo ath
letes and athletic managements. Moro
than to anything olso, It muBt bo re
ferred1 to tho atmosphere of cant and
humbug, which woll meaning friends
and misguided suporters havo thrown
about tho subject of eligibility. By at
tempting to transplant to tho west an
exotic of. doubtful adaptation to any
American longitude, they havo put the
wholo mattor on a false and Impossible
basis, from which wo must sooner or
later recede.
In Bomo parts of tho world, mon
aro classified into three groups: Gentle
men, gentlemanly persons and per
sons. The gentleman is distinguished
by birth and1 income; tho gentlemanly
person by a more or less successful ap
proximation to tho qualities which
ought to attend birth and Income, and
tho person by tho moro fact that ho
is a man. Whoro these distinctions ex
ist, only tho gentleman, whoso dim-
THE GAME TODAY.
(Continued from Pago Throe.)
advorslty of defeat Is much different.
Yet thiB year Illinois has faced Indi
ana, Knox, Chicago, Northwestern,
Iowa, as woll as many strong minor
colleges, suffering meanwhile but ono
defeat largely duo to Ill-luck, and,
withal, honorable. Sho has a record
behind her, therefore, which cannot
afford tho stigma of a defeat by No
braska at this lato stage of tho sea
Bon. Sho 1b, on tho other hand, a foo
fully worthy of Nebraska's best ef
forts, In defeating whom much honor
Is to be gained1, and according to tho
result of this contest, Nebraska's real
strength will doubtless bo rated by tho
critics.
A comparison of some of tho previ
ous scores of the two teams will bo
harmless, and, perhaps, Interesting. Il
linois tied Chicago In a 0-6 contest
Tho latter in an early season gamo de
feated Iowa 39-0. A week after tho
Minnesota contest, Nebraska defeated
the Hawkoyes 17-6, whllo last Satur
day Illinois succeeded in piling up a
score of 29-0 against them.
Illinois defeated Knox only 11-0. Ne
braska beat tho Qalesburg collegians
34-0. Both of these games were played
early In tho season, however, and can
scarcely be reckoned upon In today's
game. But It is a significant fact that
the Knox mon were confident of our
ability to handle the Illlnl.
Illinois was defeated by Northwest
ern two weeks ago by a scoro of 12-6.
Last Saturday Northwestern held Min
nesota to 17-0. Our score of 12 to the
the Gophers' 16 hardly needs to be re
peated hero.
These scores would point to a splen
culty Is to spond monoy, not to earn
It, may participate In gentlemen's
sports. A vory high anr rarlflod stand
ard of amateur Bport Is possible bo
causo among thoao who ongago In It
nothing oIbo would bo worth whllo. Be
ing donled' tho prlvllogo of hard work
for their livelihood, thoy must turn to
hard work In athletic sports by way
of compensation.
With us, thero aro fow who could
hope for hlghor rating than that of
gontlomanly persons. Wo work bo
caUBo wo must and what tlmo we may
devote to athletic sports must bo ad
ded to our hours of labor, montal or
manual. Havo wo any right to oxact,
under such conditions, tho standards
sot up for mon of lolauro and affluonco
to whom monoy la no object?
Whenevor a falao Btandard Is sot up
In any region of human activity, com
mon senso moots tho omorgoncy by in
terpretations, which Btick in tho bark.
Tho result, in plain English ,1b hum
bug. JuBt now two of our neighbors
are going through tho solemn farco of
trying whether two players are or aro
not guilty of a technical Infringement
of tho amateur code. If tho press in
forms us aright, thoy havo rocoivod no
monoy. But, in somo mysterious way,
they have defiled themselves by tak
ing part In a contest of a professional
nature and havo bocomo professional
In a Pickwickian sense!
During tho lato political campaign,
a paper of influence took for its motto,
"No Humbug." Why can wo not do tho
same in this mattor of eligibility?
Why not sot up a standard a Httlo
moro sublunary, which will make it
possible for the community of common
sense people to believe In us?
did gamo today, and ono with an ex
ceedingly low scoro, whlchovor sldo of
tho board It may bo on.
Illinois will play for tho sake of
prestige already gained; Nobraska will
play to rogaln a prostlgo ondangored
by defeats already suffored. Several
mon on both teams end their football
careers In this contest, and aro sure to
play tho gamo of their lives on that
account. Tho Nobraskan fools Justi
fied1 In predicting the best gamo of tho
season today.
Manager Davis.
Edgar F. Davis, football manager of
1904, was assistant manager last year,
and then learned some of the 'ins and
outs" of tho football business; he was
also a student member of the. athlotlo
board, and so, was thoroughly convers
ant with tho football situation In
Nebraska. He graduated in tho aGfrd
emic department last ypar and this
year entered tho lawjlejiarjEment, Hla
knowledge of the gamo iiaiolp3 him
in carrying tho toant throtigVar long,
hard season In admirable shape, and
ho may well bo proud of tho record he
has made as manager, starting the
season In debt and coming out at ho
end with a surplus to his credit.
HIS DERISIVE REST.
At Roslnante's rider and the quest
Of windmill giants, he will have Jest,
Even In the fiery moment that shall
test
His work of straw, tho while tho fatal
guest
Holds up the cap and bells wherein he
drest,
Kindles that futile task, his worthless
best,
And leads the scoffer to derisive rest
EDWIN- FORD PIPER,
