The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1897-04-17
FOOTBALL ARMOR.
Acc outre ments for Playing Very
Dangerous Game.
Contrivances Which Are intended for the
Preservation Of the Players Features
and Limbs, But Not to En-
nance His Beauty.

As baseball goes out football comes
nually attracts increasing crowds OF
spectators, but it can never be 80 pop
ular as baseball for several reasona
The football season is very short,
two months as the best, as before Oc-
tober the weather is too warm for such
violent exertion, and after the close of
November, although not too cold for
playing, the weather is too frigid to
permit any but the most ardent enthu-
siast to sit for two or three hours
watching the sport.
For another reason, football is the
most violent exercise known under the
name of sport, and it would be abso-
lutely impossible for team to play day
after day like professional club plays
baseball. Then again, it is dangerous
sport. It is all very we'll to say that it
makes boy manly, or to taunt pru-
dent boys with being cowardly, be-
cause they shrink from the rough-and-
tumble encounter, but no amount OF
public praise can make amends for q
cracked head, dislocated collar-bone,
broken leg or even a fractured rib. So
it is no wonder that the vast majority
OF boys and young men-even col
legians content themselves with
looking on and cheering their side to
victory.
That football is q rough and dan
gerous pastime is recognized by the
numerous devices which have from
time to time been brought into use to
soften if not prevent the injuries which
the football player has come to regard
as q matter Of course.
Nowadays the player is almost en-
cased in armor. First came the rubber
mouthpiece, which gives the player
something to bite and clench his teeth
upon to save his tongue and the break
ing of his teeth by the shock Of being
suddenly downed.
Next nose mask was worn-a stout
rubber cover for the nasal appendage,
held in place by . strap around the
forehead. Then came the padded
guards for the ears, which seemed to
suffer good deal in the rushes- Final
ly the mouthpiece, nose guard and ear
guards were combined into . piece
called head harness.
Quilted canvas kniekerboekers pro-
tect the thighs and a quilted canvas
jacket encases the body, while the shins
are protected by combination OF can
vas and whalebone.
For the protection Of the abdomen
an ingenious arrangement Of wire, cot
ton and chamois skin fills Iong-felt
want. OF minor protectors there may
be mentioned elastic caps and support
ers for shoulders, elbows, forearms,
kneecap ps, ankles and wrists.
A team equipped with these contriv-
ances is a laughter-provoking sight.
and suggests that game which needs
all these precautions seems to require
considerable modification Of its rules
As played now it is more dangerous
than prize fighting.
Even with oil these protectors every
game of football is productive OF
score of injuries, the majority trif1ing,
of course, but enough are serious to
give rise to the apprehension that any
minute may produce fatality.
Surely there must be some way OF
making football an interesting and ex-
citing game, and yet leave it compara-
lively harmless. Until this is done it
can never be really popular. and will
be confined to colleges where transient
fame is regarded rs far superior to the
danger Of a broken neck.-GOlden DAYS