The Saint Paul globe., 1897-10-17

team was not sorry that it was to O.
If Minnesota had been properly cap
tained, it might have done some team
work that would have made a better
showing; there would not have been
so many fumbIes, and the ball would
not have slipped through dead fingers
so often, but GrinneI fumbled, too
and between them the game progressed
slowly.
Even the managers were surprised at
The crowd. 1t was much larger than
they had hoped The football season
is young yet, but interest is fully ripe,
The two games preceding this Mime
sofa -Grinnen conflict We're only feelers,
and there will be a crescendo of ex-
citement from now on through the
Ames' visitation and eliminating in
the great Madison-Minnesota next
week.
It was a fine kind OF a day for the
game, and the grand stand at Athletic
park filled speedily, until the tier seatc
under cover were black with coats,
and the boxes on the edge of the field
We're we'll filled, to say nothing of the
squirming, nervous. eXcitable hundreds
that were happy to sit in the open, or
crowd on the side lines. The mass
moved this way, that, up and down,
never quiet except when the teams lay
on top of each other in the center of
the field. The air was chill, not cold.
Skies We're bright, and there was an
evident enthusiasm held in check only
until the proper moment for escape.
In the crowd were old football men
of dozen years back, they were neces-
sary to the proper spirit Of appreciation
of a good play, only the good plays
were rare: there were hundreds of pref
ty girls. fresh from the campus, sport
ing their maroon and gold, ready to
cry courage to their heroes on the
fields. there were business men away
from their counting rooms; there were
society women, who did not know a
touchdown from a tackleback; they
were champions of the game, every one.
On the fringes and outskirts were the
fence climbers, the window holders, the
knot-hole peppers. The football spirit
is rampant these October days. In the
crowd were dozens of alumni old foot
ball men, who had come hundreds OF
miles to see the game. Few visitors
came from Iowa: Grinnell is far away,
and the team had its special escort,
hat the Iowa contingent was small. If
il had been a rafting good game. the
air would have been red and gold,
for Minnesota partiSanS were prepared
to shout for their men. AS 1t was,
there was a lack of enthusiasm, the
shouts were occasional, and the ski
U-Mah" chorus sounded seldom. The
Grinnell supporters sent up their 1
yell, I yell" whenever they found cour-
age, but for the most part the grand
stand population was subdued. The
"fumbles" were disappointing to the
rooters. They never omitted an op-
DCrtunity to voice their diSapprGVal.
When the men were winded, and claim
ed their three minutes rest, the rooters
shouted a protest. Play ball. they
yelled When the center field was a
hot bed of activity, the rOoteTs' voices
was heard: Eat him up, Tear him to
pieces" Go through him" Blood was
split, but it was soon wiped up, and
the field was cleared for battle again.
The band played noisily. A man was
down; the band played on, he was up
again and limped to the yard-line. Then
the band stopped playing to shout,
there was a run for the goal Mime
sCta made a touchdown and a goal,
that made the sixth. A F. Pillsbury
was referee; Don Morrison, umpire.
Morrison is a good one; he was with
the Michigan team in '92, and he was
right on the spot when needed. Pills
bury distinguished himself with a
Dface oI pretty runs, put the uaIl was
coming behind him, with twenty-five
giants in hot pursuit, and it was no
place for him to be so his cOattails
flew as he hunted for the side line.
When Minnesota made its touchdown
a shout went up from the grand stand,
and then stiffness settled on the place,
while Loomis poised himself for the
kick. 1t came near not being a goal,
but the ball slipped over and Loomis
had done it.
It was matter of much surprise the