The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-11-02
Foot Ball at Atlanta
And It's Tragic Ending.

between the teams of Georgia anu WI
o;nia has called attention anew to this
barbarous sport As a result of Wnab
was intended as a hilarious holiday,
manly Young Georglan-Richard Won
Cannon, of Roma-received fatal IN
iuries on the gridiron, from which he
died early Sunday morning. Mr.. Won
Cannon was a member of the Uniyer-
sity of Georgia team; was leader in
all forms Of athletic sports, and was an
unusually, we'll developed specimen of
young manhood. He was the member
of a prominent Rome, Ga, family,
popular student and lovable companion.
AT the game Saturday afternoon be-
tween the teams of the Universities OF
Virginia and Georgia, Richard Won Gam
mon met his death by falling-as he ran
for the ball-and being run over by the
other players. He died. this young fell
low, with brain and soul, just as any
young bsast might have done, trampled
into Inconsistencies by enthusiastic,
but we'll meaning, companions.
This awful happening was followed by
a serious collision between incoming and
outgoing street cars to and from the ball
grounds, which resulted in the death of
one man and the injury of a dozen or
more men and women.
few more such tragic episodes as
the two, which will make Saturdays
football game at Atlanta very memora-
BILE, will arouse southern parents to a
full realization Of the fact that foot and
baseball excursions should cease to form
a part of boys university course.
If one-fourth of the energy expended
by impecunious southern boys on foot
and baseball games was applied towards
securing thorough education, or in
making respectable support for them
selves, the condition of the south would
be materially improved.
If the presidents of southern colleges
and universities would insist upon the
students only playing upon their own
grounds, the large majority of the
thinking men and women of the south
would have greater hope of the dawn
ing of brighter day for the schools of
this section.
1t is useless to refer to the customs of
Yale, Princeton, Harvard and other not
able universities north. The young men
who matricuate at these universities
are generally the sons of wealthy par
ents. In the south very different finan-
cial condition obtains, and the larger
number of southern boys who are re-
ceiving the higher educational advan-
tages are doing so at a serious sacri-
flee on the part of their ambitions, and
unselfsh parents who are too poor to
pay SO dearly for the development of
few muscles in their sons bodies and
limbs
If it Is essential that southern boys
mus. be trained, after the manner of
Corbett, Sullivan and other distinguish
ed spsciments of American manhood, is
it not possible to accomplish it In some
other way; some way thai, will not en-
courage the brutal, beastly sport of foot
Ddis W4lu IT'S CluSllCQ ilOSeS,Z broken
limbs and mutilated skulls?
The University of Alabama, it is un-
derstood, is endeavoring to secure dates
for it's foot ball team, and this ipforma-
ton brings very great disappointment 10
its friends who had heard that the stu
dents would only be permit ed to play
on their own campus. The past history
of the university should be warning
to the present faculty. Alaibamians will
soon lose all hope of i.he future eff the
state university if it contemplates send
ing out its team of foot ball players, to
81 ruggle on the gridiron with other
teams. 1t will require many years for
the confidence of Alabamians to be re-
stored to their state university; the new
presiden. is on trial before the people
OF the state and If the same old customs
and practices are to continue, the faith
of the CT liens will grow very sick and
weary with waiting.
Alabamians have had too many disas-
ters and disappointments TO contend
against, to lis en- with patience to the
id a THAI the state university contsm-
plates allowing its students 20 make foot
ball excursions into other states.
The energies of faculty and scholars
should be directed towards making of
The university at Tuscaloosa an educa-
tional institution. worthy of the respect
and patronage of the people of Alabama,
and not training school for the develop
meri. of wind, hair and muscle.
A bill was introduced into the Georgia
legislature yesterday forbiiding games
of foot ball at Georgia schools and it is
to be hoped it will promptly become a
law The ,ime has come when such bar
barism and such brutality, which Is po-
litely called foot BAN. should be relegated
to that past which boasted OF the strug-
giles of human beings with the vicious,