Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1897-09-21

only 10 see that they do not ovcrdo IL.
but that they do not go to the other ex-
creme and become stale" from too
much training.
Obviously The first thing to be done
in the work OF developing champion
ship team is TO get the material. The
rivalry nowadays is so fierce that the
methods which prevailed eight or ten
years ago viii not suffice to-day
The preparatory schools are the great
est football feeders. All of them have
their own teams, and the football tim
Der which seems to give promise Of var
sity form is spoken for months in adj
vance.
Each year agents are sent out from
Yale, Princeton and Harvard to can
vass for players among the four big
schools of the east--Excter. Andover.
st. PauPs and Grotou. These men Of
fer almost any inducements in the way
of college fratcrnities and social clubs
TO the men whom they think may grow
into football giants. 70 the prep"
school boy il is no trivial thing to be
pledged for The Polo club if he will go
] TO Harvard. or to Psi Epsilon, if he
consents TO enter Yale. In that respect
Princeton has always labored under a
great disadvantage.
The Tigers have no Greek letter fra
ternity to lure the subfreshnen to
their gridiron, and they have to depend
upon their own proves on the field to
induce the boy who is undecided to
come to their fold. In the last two
years this prowess has been potent
factor. The payer who has no decided
choice had rather get his degree from
college whose team is on top of the
heap than from one that mas a team
always near the bottom Of it..
Il is Il rather singular fact that the
greatest lights of the gridiron so far
have been furnished by the cities and
not the furms and the villages of the
country. OF course there are many ex-
ceptions to this rule There are cases
where farm boys, crude. clumsy and
green. have become the brightest stars
of their day. Such farmer football
players as MA" Newell and Cranston,
of Harvard; Hector Cowan. of Primer
ton, and some of the MorrisonS. of Yale
Speaking generally, however, the glory
of the farmers strength is not on the
football field. His athletic qualities are
usually seen to better advantage in a
University crew.
What does it count man to play
fottball?" Hundreds Of fathers baYe
asked that question Of their sons. In
dollars and cents a thorough knowl-
edge of the game counts up" amaz-
ingly.
If the undergraduate who elects
football course shows proficiency in the
science he need have no fear of going
out from his alma mater upon gradua-
ton to battle with the cold, hard world.
His pigskin diploma will probably bring
him a greater monetary return in one
year than his heepskin'diploma will in
three.
He does not have to concern himself
with the perplexing problems What
can / do now that | have received a
college education?' The only question
which need bother him is as to which
offer TO coach team he shall accept.
The chances are that if he has cap
tanned his team he will receive any
where from ten TO twenty hattering
calls from ambitious young colleges to
come and occupy their chair of football
science. If he has not been a captain,
but has distinguished himself by bril-
liant or conscientious work in the field.
he may obtain without any difficulty
position as under professor in some
smaller institution, or may return to his
own alma mater as a fellow in foot
ball
The time was when graduate would
return to his own college and coach the
team purely out of loyalty and love, or
he would 60 to another college and
teach the rudiments of the game just
for glory. These times are passed now;
a football professor in these days draws
bigger salary than the average pro-
fessor in chemistry or any of the other
sciences. and he has only to devote
few months each year to il. besides.
The rest Of the time he may apply him
Self to law, medicine or theology.
In the last four years Yale and Prince
ton have sent ont at least ha.f hum
dred masters and bachelors of football
art. These men have received anywhere
from 81 COO TO $4,000 for their instruc-
ton. Their expenses have been paid;
they have received the best hat the coll
lege and the college town could afford,
and if they have been successful in turn
ing ont winning team they have been
placed on little thrones and the entire
undergraduate body has bowed down
to them and worshiped them.
No more striking proof of this has
oeen given than that furnished by Parke
II. Davis. Princeton graduate. last
year,
After the season was over there were
series Of banquets and receptions
given him by the students. the faculty
and the.citizens of Easton. which con-
tnued unit, the Christmas holidays.
When he counted up the presents and