The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-01
FOOTBALL AND BIKE
The Anaconda Young Americans Chal-
lenge MiSSOula Juniors.
EVERYBODY RIDES WHEELS
Arranging for the Coming Gun
Club fournament-Little Base
ball Talk - About Race
Meeting Sentiment.


Missoula, Feb. 29.-The Western
| Montana office of the Standard is in
receipt of a letter from the Young Am
erica football club of Anaconda to the
effect that the members of that or
| ganization desire to meet on the grid
iron a Junior team in this town. The
average weight of the Anaconda boys
is about 12S pounds and they limit the
average weight of the opposing team to
100 pounds. They are DESTROYS of play
ing here on May 30 and promise to put
up a good game If they come down
here. AS far as this office knows, there
is not any interest in football here.
There are not IL boys i'm town who
know center rush from a touchdown
or a half-back from a punt kick. 1t
would be an excellent thing for Mis-
soula II her youths could see good
football game They would undoubted-
ly become interested and some of them
might be wrought up to that point of
enthusiasm where they would make an
effort to get the bicycle kink out of
their backs. Many Missoula boys from
16 to 10 years old have spent the past
two seasons in riding the bicycle in
most ungraceful, uncomfortable and
unhealthy position, laboring under the
mistaken idea that a crooked back and
round shoulders are becoming. AS a
matter of fact, they look more like
Simians than like athletes.
But ii should not be inferred from
this that all of Misoula's young men
belong to this absurd class of riders.
There are in this city some excellent
wheelmen, who ride properly and well.
To them the bicycle is a means of
healthful exercise and IMMIGRATION.
They ride according TO correct princi-
Piles and do not strive to Scorch along
in a position which brings the chin on
a level with the coccyx. 1t is this class
of riders that makes wheeling popular
and not the sort that is represented by
the fellow who makes a loop of himself
and only needs a pneumatic tire to
make a wheel out of his body. There
is nothing more ridiculous than the fig
ure presented by these Self-styled ath-
letes. They are the very worst type OF
physical development and a little foot
ball experience might demonstrate to
them how really Insignificant they are
from an athletic point of view For
this reason, II for no other. an epidemic
of football fever would be welcomed
here. 1t might be, however. that these
hoopy fellows would try to score
touchdown by getting the ball and roll
ing down the field like hoop snake.
III seemed last year as IL tNtIyDOuy
rode a wheel here, but this season ev-
erybody's wife and children have Joined
the cyclists and the show for the horse
during 1896 is very poor. There is
hardly any branch of business in town
that does not seem inclined to carry BIZ
cycles as a side line. Clothing men,
jewelers., hotel men, hardware men, tel
egraph operators saloon men, all
classes of trade are selling bicycles on
the side. One firm, Pussy g. Blair, is
preparing to close out it's present bust
ness and handle nothing but wheels
this year. The strange part of
1t is that all of these deal
ers seem to be doing something
in the wheel business. There are just
now buyers for every class of wheel
Crescent, Columbia, Victor. Ajax, Ster-
ling, Ariel, Crimson Rims. Syracuse,
Crawford-the whole list is represented
here and the patrons of each class are
as enthusiastic in support of their ia
vorite wheel as the hackers Of horse
are in their loyalty to the living steed.
The city council will have to begin
early in the season to regulate wheel
ing in the streets and to define the rela-
tive rights of horsemen, cyclists and
pedestrians or there will be trouble ga
lore.
The members of the Gun club are
saving wood at a great rate and are
perfecting the arrangements for the
state tournament which will be held
here in May. Since the Standard ex-
planned the new Rose system of scor-
ing which will be given a trial at this
turnament, Secretary Cave has re-
ceived many inquiries from gun clubs |
throughout the state as to the details
of the system. All who understand il |
seem to be inclined to favor il. although |
IL is a very radical change from the |
old plan. 1t commends itself to all |
who study Ii carefully and there is not |
much doubt that a trial in actual prac- |
tice will convince the most skeptical of |
its merits. Mr.. Cave is now negotiat- |
ing for birds for the tournament and |
has a good supply in sight. AS soon |
as spring weather fairly settles, work |
on the club grounds will be COM |
menced. There will be a convenient |
club house and other important i'm |
provements will be made which will |
add materially to the success of the |
turnament.
The baseball fever, which ran high |
for few days after the sunshine be-
gan to get warmer, seems to have |
lapsed once more and nothing is heard |
of the plans for a team for 1896 In |
the meantime. Hamilton is saving |
wood quietly and is planning TO have |
a strong team in the field. If Missoula |
proposes to maintain the honors so |
calamity won last year, II behooves |
her to get a move on at once or the |
Bitter Root metropolis will get away |
with the laurels this seasn.
The race meeting problem will be /
the vexing problem for the next few
days. 1t is agreed that IL would be use
less to give meeting unless the |
purses can be guaranteed or else hung |
on the wire for every race. In order
to do this. there must be general sup
port of the meeting by business men in |
town. In former years the support of |
the meetings has fallen upon a few |
men and they do not feel like assuming |
the responsibility this season. III the |
business men generally are willing to /
TO the support OF a meeting /
that will bring to town a host of horse
men and viii advertise the resources