The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-08-27
RIOTERS AND ROOFING.
New Industry now Recognized In All
Sporting Circles.

New Industry now Recognized In All
Sporting Circles.
Rioters are now recognized in all
sporting circles. They are the men
who have strong feelings for one side
or the other in a contest, and encour-
age their favorites and promote their
interests in various ways. 10 say that
a man is roofing is 10 say that he Is
doing his best for the success OF some
BODY. On the baseball field for in
stance. the rooter has his fayorlte cluo
or his favoritc player, for which he
shouts, or applauds, or encourages, or
bets. or helps along in any way.
On the race track there are all sorts
of rooters, from the stableboys or tout
ers to the occupants OF private boxes.
They talk of their fayorite before the
race begins They reach the highest
pitch of excitement when the horses
are on the homestreach. They rush to
the front with eager looks, painting
with excitement. clappin@ their hands.
shouting words of encouragement or
muttering curious phrases, such rs
Come along. my beauty" There
you are. my pet" Now do EN-"
Let her 60" Are you with me?'
Now see us do it,. Once more, my
love" just little" 20 where are
your Another go for luck" You
are coming home" and hundreds of
others of similar import. Sometimes
the roofing takes disparaging form
such rs Hes done up" Not this
time" We must wait until"to-mor-
row" "He is slow" He is wait
ing" Next time if you please" But
the rooter is all unconscious of his sur
roundings. and keeps up running
fire of words and actions until the event
is decided. II his horse wins the root
er is wild with JOY. and if he loses the
rooter finds lots of excuses.
The rooters at games of cards have
q variety of methods. Sometimes they
sit by 4 favorite player and root for
him to get a good hand. They tell a
player how to pick up his hand. how
TO hold his cards how to sit in his
chair, how to dispose of his feet on the
rungs of the chairs. what tunes to
whistle, and lots of other things which
may not appear TO have the slightest
influence on the game. but which to
the active and enthusiastic rooter are
of the highest Importance. If the
game is poker the rooter will root for
1usheS or straIghts, aud even will
sometimes have the temerity TO root for
royal flush If the game is cribbage
the rooter roots for runs. or fifteen
twos, or This knob" If the game is
euchre the rootcr roots for trumps and
bowers.
The rooter delights in all field sports
and works harder than the players.
He knows all the prominent winners.
He is posted on haRdicaps. lie re-
members the best records. He bulges
with information and tips. He makes
things lively on the field. He shouts
himself hoarSe. He is around at the
banquets and considers himself a mas
cot if his man wins.
There are many female rooters ct all
sorts of field sports. Trey illuminate
the grandstands. They frown on the
opposite party. They utter delicate
little shouts and sometimes break out
in impatient EXPLANATIONS. They root,
and root. and root.
There is IA growing confidence in the
value of rooterS. 1t is common
thing for player to say to friend:
You must root for me" or for the
friend to say: Il will root hard for
you" or for the defeated party TO say:
They could not have won ii it had
not been for their rooters." The curl
Gus part of it is that there is not the
slightest thing that Il rooter can do to
have the remotest shadow of a shade
of influence on the result of contest.
To an outsider all this roofing appears
to be intensely absurd. foolish, I'M
reasonable. and silly. and still the
roofing goes on day by day.
1t is surprising how many queer
rooterS there are among the women.
A Sun reporter saw one the other day
Mt the Suburban. the day that Supt.
Frank Clarke got his present of gold
watch from the Jockey club. The
rooter WAS II thin, spare old woman,
in common black dress and an Old
fashioned hat. She might have come
out of a prayer-meetin% or womans
rights convention. She knew all the
horses; she followed every race; she
bought tickets of the messenger oys,
and put down her cold plunks without
fear, aud then she got front seat on
the grand stand and rooted for her
favOrlte horse with vim. and spunk,
and energy that were astonishing. She
followed the horses around the course
and ratified off Il string of horse talk
like jockey. and at the end she cash
Ell up some tickets with the conviction
that her roofing had done it all.
Much might be written about the
rooters in politics. in business, and
even in religion. They have Il wide
and interesting variety of methods.
They have the same earnestness and
absorbing interest in their pet hobbies.
aud present To the student of human
nature the same interesting study rs
the rooters of The ball field, the race
course. or the card table. TO be a
rooter is great privilege and enjoy
ment. and to have rooters roofing for
You is regarded as L great good for
tune. " \ sun.