The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-27
GILLIS THE SPLINTER
The San Francisco "Chronicle Con-
tains a Full Length Cut Of Him. Q
HE'S THE HERO OF THE DAY
One OF the Prettiest Sights Ever
Witnessed by Football Cranks
In the West Was His Great
Run the Other Day.
HE'S THE HERO OF THE DAY

The San Francisco Chronicle of Monday
morning, Dec. %. contains a full length
portrait OF "Gillis. the phenomenal sprin-
ter of Butte's eleven" and under the
heading of Sensation of the Local Grid
iron," says:
Three western football players have
distinguished themselves by exceptionally
fine runs on the San Francisco gridiron.
They are Morse Of the Olympics, RAN
some of Berkeley and ellis OF the visit
ing Butte club. Morse opened the season
of runs by a beautiful dash down the
field after a catch from a punt In front
OF him, scattered about the gridiron, were
eight of his opponents. He picked out a
path. lodging all who attempted to tackle
him, until he had cleared s. yards of ter
ritory and placed the ball behind the
goal posts. He had no interference; the
magnificent run was due entirely to his
own efforts. Ransome. the hero OF the
Thanksgiving game. made two runs more
dificult in kind, though not so long as
Morse's single brilliant dash. Twice
Ransome circled the Stanford line for
runs of more that 40 yards. He, too, was
unassisted by interference. Carrying the
ball In front OF him until he saw on
which side he was most likely to be tack
led, he would then tuck the ball under
one arm and use the other to ward of his
opponents. sl-
The third gridiron star who has won
local distinction this year is Donald Gil
dis of Butte. His run in Saturday game
was the most brilliant and sensational
dash ever seen on a San Francisco field
during a game in which there was so
much at stake. The Butte club did not
play its feet half-back in the first part
OF Saturdays game but reserved him for
the time when matters were deemed crit
ical, With the score 100, the Butte elev-
en- saw that Its only salvation lay in a
series of phenomenal plays. and 1t trusted
to ellis to make them. ellis responded
to the call. but succeeded in creating
only one sensation
The signal was given for Gflis to cir
Gle the Reliance right end. While run
ming around the line he saw an opening
between the right end and right tackle
and dived in. His way was not clear.
however. McCue of the Reliance team
tackled him. but not low enough. wrig-
Cling out of McCue's arms, ellis darted
down the field. In hot pursuit were Har-
relson and Wyckoff. The latter plunged
at ellis, but his hands barely reached
the legs OF the runner. There was then
q clear field and the 10-second man made
the best Of 1t. planting the ball directly
under the post before any of the Reliance
men were near him. An so-yard run on a
gridiron Is football sensation. even with
eoCN ahtcAh ci cbCt, anu buCn u play with
out assistance is phenomenal He studied
mining at the University of Michigan.
from which institution he graduated in
1888 While at the university he played
on the varsity. In 1894 he went to Butte
and took charge of the Clark mines In
Montana He is "a years old, feet 8
inches In height and weighs ITO pounds.
shortly after the game Of Saturday
ellis received a telegram from his wife
wanting to know II he were seriously in
5ured and II she should start at once. 1t
seems that the bulletins sent to Butte
pictured ellis as expiring on the field ar
ter his celebrated run.
Besides being a football player ellis
Is great sprinter on the track. He
holds the Montana records for the 100, go
ana 4io-yard runs. In the Reliance-Butte
game In Montana ellis made a 65-vard
run. In the Olympic Butte game he made
two bo-yard runs. all without interfer-
ence"