The San Francisco call., 1896-11-26
Students Enthusiastic.

BERKELEY, Call, Nov. 25.-Berkeley's
practice season for 1896 is no more. The
last game preliminary to the great annual
intercollegiate match has been played.
the last touchdown has been scored. the
last punt has been made, the last muscle
has been rubbed down, the final yell has
been given and the last song has been
sung before the nightly sinewed collegi-
ans meet on the gridiron-like amphithea-
ter in battle for the crown of laurel. the
long training season with its many vicissi-
tudes, its inevitable vagaries, its hopes, its
fears and the anxiety it has occasioned in
thousands OF hearts is at an end. Now
few hours of rest for the men and the bat
tie will be on.
As fitting climax to a season of hard
labor and incessant toll the friends and
supporters of the sturdy players who are
to uphold the blue and gold in to-mor-
rows contest turned out 600 strong to-
night and gave them an ovation such as
only college boys can give. They sang
and they yelled, they hooted and they
cheered, they spoke and listened. No
Cesar ever departed from Rome under
more delightful and encouraging circum,
stances. The ''rooters' who had gathered
to pay tribute to the defenders of Alma
Mater met at Stiles Hall for few mo-
ments of practice in singing and cheering
before going in q body to the training
quarters.
Under the leadership of Yellmaster
Goodlng and Assistant Miller they went
through the lines of football songs, the
jibes and the verses of doggerel which they
had committed and which will be dealt
out to Stanford tomorrow in quantities to
suit.
Coach Butterworth, Manager Reinhardt
and all the players were called out one by
one and asked to speak to the body OF
yelling students, who stood within the
glare of an impromptu bonfire, which was
well fed with boards and pickets from the
surrounding fences. Captain Ransome
THANKED the boys for the ovation, and ex-
pressed full confidence in victory for the
blue and gold in to- morrow's contest. He
said that all the men were going into the
game with one purpose-that OF winning
and IL defeat should be their lot they
would bear it bravely, feeling that they
had done their best. His remarks were
frequently interrupted by loud rounds of
applause. Each of the other member of
the team responded in a few weIl-chosen
sentences.
ButJerworth was called for and when
the popular coach appeared cheers from
the tnrong fairly rent the air. He admon-
ished the students to ever be loyal to the
football men, and especially those who
succeed in reaching the highest positions
which they have won through merit. He
discouraged the idea of cheering a player
who dashes out from the rest of his team
and runs down the field with the ball
without considering also the man or men
whose work made the brilliant play pos
sible. Continuing, he said: you don't
seem to know when to yell and to cheer.
Your Intentions are undoubtedly good
enough, but you frequently waste good
breath. If the team did not have lots of
\ L
spoiled because OF your sometimes mis-
placed cheering. Some one calls out
''three cheers for the sand."l
81 am afraid" said Butterworth, 'that
/ will not have the pleasure of seeing YOU
again next year, but / shall not forget you.
Whatever pointers to my successor from
my experience with you can give will be
freely offered"
When seen after the meeting Butter
worth said TO a CALL correspondent that
he was much more pleased with the show
ing made by the men this year than last.
''Thelr allegiance to the principles of the
game has been closer" said he, land they
have worked harder and truer The
general standard of their play has gone
up. They have been handicapped some
what by the vagaries of the season, but,
after all, we should have no kick coming,
tor most of the men are in COOL condition.
"WhiIe L shall not place myself on
record as pred citing the outcome OF the
game tomorrow, 1 will say that am not
absolutely discouraged with the outlook
for the Berkeley team. 1t will be with
great interest that will watch the game"
The team will go over to the City in the
morning on the 10 o'clock train, and will
be quartered at the Baldwin. The little
bear which will serve as Californias
mascot and "Spud" Murphy, his keeper.
will also be on the train. Both young
bruin and Murphy will be gayly decked in
blue and gold, and are destined to cut
quite figure on the field before the
kickoff. In the evening after the game
the players will go to the Auditorium,
where the university theater party is To
be given and the farce I'm Kokopo' pro-
duced by student actors.