The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-18
B0URGET ON FOOT BALL.
Frenchman Describes GamcThat lie Saw
During His Sojourn in Ameriea-His
Opinion of the Sport.

During His Sojourn in Ameriea-His
Opinion of the Sport.
Paul Bourget, the French author who
recently visited America, Is writing a
series of articles for the New York
Herald on what he saw in America. He
thus describes a game of foot ball:
Among the distractions of sport, none
has been more fashionable for several
years past than foot ball. | was present
last autumn, in the peaceful and gentle
city Of Cambridge, at a game be-
tween the champions of Harvard
college - the team, as they say
here-and the champions of the Univers-
ity of Pennsylvania. l must bark back
to my journey in Spain to recall fever
of the people equal to that which palpi-
tated along the road between Boston and
the arena where the match was to take
place. The electric cars followed one an
other at intervals of a minute filled with
passengers who, seated or standing or
clinging TO the steps, We're pressed to-
gether crushing each other. Although
the days of November are cruelty cold
under Massachusetts sky, the rendeZ-
vous, as at Rome for gladiatorial com
bats, was kind of enclosure in the open
air. Two steps away from Memorial hall
and from the other buildings of the uni
versity wooden stands were erected. On
these stands were perhaps 1000 specta-
tors, and in the immense quadrilaterdl
hemmed in by the stands We're two teams
composed of eleven youths each waiting
for the signal to commence.
What tremor in that crowd, composed
not of the people of the lower classes,
but Of well to do people, and how the ex-
citement increased as time went on! All
held in their hands small, red flags ami
wore tufts of red flowers. Scarlet is the
color of the Harvard boys. Although
movement Of feverish excitement ran
though this crowd 1t was not enough for
the enthusiasts of the game. Propaga-
tors Of enthusiasm, students with smooth,
pinched faces, passed between the bench
es and increased still further the ardor
of the public by uttering the war cry of
the university, the "Rah! rah! rahw
thrice repeated, which terminates in the
frenzed call, "Haaar-vard." The parti-
sans of the "Pennsy's" replied by similar
cry, and in the distance, above the palngs
of the enclosure, we could see, amid the
leafiess trees, the bright faces of other
spectators, too poor to pay the entrance
fee, which were outlined against the au-
tumn sky with the daintiness Of the pale
heads In japanese painted fans.
The signal Is given and the play begins.
1t is terrible game which by itself
would suffice to indicate the differences
between the Anglo-Saxon and the Latin
word-a game of young bulldogs brought
up to bite, to rush upon the quarry, a
game fit for race made for wild attack,
for violent defense, for implacable con-
quests and struggles even to extermina-
ton. With their leather vests, with the
Harvard sleeves of red cloth, and the
Pennsylvania blue and white vests and
sleeves, SO soon to be torn-with the
leather CATERS TO protect their shins,
with their great shoes and their long hair
floating around their pale and pink faces,
those scholarly athletes are at once ad-
mirable and frightful to see, as soon 0s
the demon Of the contest has entered into
them At each extremity of the field is
goal, representing, at the right end one of
the teams at the left the other. The en-
tire object is TO throw an enormous
| leather ball, which the champion of one
| or the other side holds in turn. 1t is in
waiting for this throw that all the excite
ment Of this almost ferocious amusement
| Is concentrated. He who holds the ball is
there, bent forward his companions and
his adversaries likewise bent down around
| him In the attitude Of beasts of prey
about ito spring. All OF sudden he runs
to throw the ball. or else with n move
ment Of wild rapidity he hands It to an
other who rushes off with 1t, and whom
1t is necessary to stop.
The brutality with which they seize the
bearer of the ball is impossible to imagine
without having witnessed 1t. lie is seized
by the middle of the body, by the head,
by the legs, by the feet. He rolls over and
his assailants with him, and as they fight
for the ball and the two sides come to the
rescue II becomes whole heap of twen-
ty-two bodies tumbling on top of one an
other, like an inextricable knot of SER
pents with human heads. This heap
writhes on the ground and tears itself.
One sees faces, hair, backs or legs appear
ing In a monstrous and agitated melee.
Then this murderous knot unravels itself
and the ball, thrown by the most agile,
rebounds and is again followed with the
same fury. Constantly, after one Of those
frenzled entanglements and when the
knot Of players Is undone, one of the COM
batants remains on the field motloness,
incapable OF rising, so much has he been
hit pressed crushed, thumped.
A doctor whose duty 1t Is to look after
the wounded arrives and examines him.
One sees those skilled hands shaking q
foot, leg. rubbing the sides, washing a
face, sponging the blood which streams
from the forehead, the eyes, the nose,
the mouth. A compassionate comrade
helps him In this occupation and takes the
head of the tainted champion on his knee.
Sometimes the unfortunate boy must be
carried away. More frequently, however,
he recovers his senses. stretches himself
somewhat, wakes, and ends by getting up.
He makes few steps, leaning on the
friendly shoulder. and no sooner Is he
thus able to progress than the game be.
gins afresh. and he Joins In again with O
rage doubled by pain and humiliation.