Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-11-25
A Head Masters Defence of the
GnmP.

RADFORD. VA, November A.-(Spe-
cial)-In view of the coming Thanks
giving game Of football. in which st.
Adams School, Of Radford. Va, plays
the Virginia Military Institute. Mr..
George W. Miles, head master Of this
school. was asked to give his views on
the much-discussed game. He handed
the Dispatch correspondent the following
interesting defence of the game:
ut is a dangerous game. Yes, it is
dangerous TO be alive. In that sense
and chiefly in that sense. is football
dangerous. Walking along the street a
brick may fall off a chimney and kill
you. If you set your body in motion 10
catch "A train. to jump a fence, TO sit
horse to row a boat, 10 shoot a gun, 10
coast down a hill, to wade stream, TO
climb a mountain, TO follow the hounds
that body thus set in motion frequently
comes to grief. And yet, for that rea-
son, shall we leave alone the train, the
fence the horse the boat, the gun, the
coasting the stream, the mountains, the
hounds Il so, let mothers erect pile
of white sand on a spreading sheet In
the parlor and let their boys run their
hands through it for sport. But then,
even then, they might get some of this
sand in their eyes
Il would speak in defence of this
much -baited game. Some ministers class
IL with Mexican bull-hghting, and every
thick necked prize-ighter uses IT as
justification for his brutality. Now, TO
gain a further hearing from those who
think that no one comes out the same
from this game | would say here at
ST. Adams during the past four years
our eleven played match games against
the strongest and heaviest teams in the
South, including for three years the
champion University Of Virginia team
and in only one game in all these years
was a single substitute needed, and that
was because of a slight spran. The
same eleven boys that began the game
always finished IT, and were all in good
health and spirits thereafter. That they
played hard and skilfully, the scores
will prove. SO timid mothers may feel
that some, at least, come back alive
from out that seething vortex OF legs
and arms! Moreover, here at st. AL
bans. for months at a time, twenty or
thirty boys play football each after
noon for an hour or two at time. and
come up from the playground, battle
eat supper, and sit in the study-hall or
i'm their rooms for two or three hours
at night and work away as If nothing
had happened-surely nothing in the ma
ture of prze-fghts, bull-ights. or muir
deri Surely, so young, they could not
go through such horrors unmoved. No,
no. Gentlemenly boys can play the game
month in and month out, and seriously
inilIre no one. Such popular denuncia-
ton of the game as is seen in some
nevspapers is Islander upon the game
and upon American and English youth.
II Is not a game for hoodlums, rowdies
and touehs / admit that when g. brute
or a scoundrel gets in game or foot
hall. and is anxious to do" his oppo-
nent he has plenty Of opportunities to
do some cowardly injury. And In our
own experience, we have seen some pee
ple affect the game for whom II was
never intended. But football is going
through a winnowing process. When this
IL over il will have done It's part 10
educate gentlemen. and gentlemen only
will be left in charge of the game. The
game is not suited TO, and cannot be
nIaved permanently by those who would
treat an opponent unfairly and coward
iv II is suited 10 high-minded, generous,
self-respecting boys, and when played
~ such IL is one OF the most inyigor-
ating and skilful of sports, and, to our
certain knowledge. one Of the freest
from bodily harm. 1t looks tenfold
ro,,gher than ii Is. But, in comparison
with other sports, the statistics COM
rIied by Mr.. Walter Camp are all on
the side of football. Since 1894 the
tatol accidents In various branches of
snorts are as follows: Swimming, 1850;
boating. $50; hunting, 654; bicycling, 26i;
horseback riding. 1888; ice boating, Y;
hsse-ban 6; golf 2; tennis, 4; football,
n There Is little difference here In
hovs after an afternoon OF football
r,,Sctice but after an afternoon OF coast
no or skating. OF bird-hunting. or snow
haliing. there are sleepy eyes. sore limbs,
and neglect Of work; and in the expert
once Of 81. Adams, one week OF coasting
or one SNOWFALL fight has exceeded SIX
wears OF football in the amount OF
harm done.
.sAs we said in the beginning. II Is dam
gerous 10 be alive; but, among sports.
nov on the gridlrou is safer than when
in the fields with a shotgun, or on
toboggan slide, or on pair OF skates,
or in swimming. or breaking colts In
meadow, or rowing boat, or even IN
game OF baseball. For instance iet
these hysterical critics OF foot-bali look
closely at game OF base-paii. ana
watch a boy stand up cooliy az the
plate and let the pitcher send marc
rocklike ball underneath his chin on the
in-curve with all the swiftness OF a
catapult. Isn't that danserous! isn't