Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1896-11-19
That Foot Ball Game.

The Lewiston foot ball team played
their first game Of the seaso with the
Washington Agricultural College
eleven at Pullman last Saturday. The
score resulted "a to 0. In the washing.
ton boys favor.
No detailed story of the tragedy cam
be secured, but the following sketch Of
the affair was, caught from AL attend
ants account Of the game:
THE Lewiston boys have no excuse
to make for the result ol Saturdays
game, In answer to the friendly Jester
who greets them. Princeton or Cor
nell. supported by less weight, could
not have defeated the Pullman boys
Saturday. The grounds upon which
the game was played art simply inde-
scribable, and the play WAS entirely
devoid OF those features which makes
foot ball SO justly popular In America.
A person living In our valley could
not raw true conception Of the Pa
louise country ut this season OF the
year. The recent heavy rains have
made 1t one vast sea Of mud, mud,
mud. But when you damn" the mud
the resident smilingly tells you that
that In what makes the Palouse
country the greatest wheat PRODUCT ny
section In the world, and Of course this
truth silences you. But, want to
tell you down here, that PAlouse wheat
weather and an exhibition Of modern
foot ball are startling inconsistencies.
You can no more test the merits Of
two foot ball teams In that section,
than you could test the speed Of two
race horses. Some people do not have
. correct idea Of modern foot ball, and
with these the impression IL general
That the game only affords contest Of
strength aud that The strong
Dst team wins. This idea, strength
ened by the accidents occasionally &C
foot ball game, has IN.
Justly brought the game into disrepute
with certain class. Let me give you
> correct idea Of the greatest game OF
modern athletics. First, It is al hon.
est, clean contest Of physical prnwess
and mental activity on strictly humane
and moral lines. Strength, &C
tivity and generalsiip are the agenci,s
These represented by
eleven men, are pitted against similar
agencies, represented by eleven other
men. The fairness and beauty Of the
game can now be realized when / tell
you that the rules governing the game
are strictly drawn to prevent all brutal
practices In the play. Fouling, by
striking, kicking, etc, exempts the
from further play In the
game, aud often results In the forfei.
ture Of victory. And also It IL now
clear to you that the strongest team, or
the most active team, or the heaviest
team are not necessarily the victcr rs In
the contest. And also must you be
Impressed with the necessity Of fair
grounds for such q contest. On fair
ground you have the exercise Of the
agencies l mentioned collectively or
individually as the captain or general
Of team may dictate, aud this condition
is what makes foot ball 80 uncertain,
20 exciting and 30 popular. When
restrict u foot ball game to
strength against strength or activity
against activity, ETC., individually, it
Is impossible to have a merited foot
bali contest. And that was the case at
Pullman Saturday. The grounds
were favorable to the heavy college
boys and naturally they accepted the
confined their att .cks to
center and mass plays
where weight was bound to influence