The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-30
written for the sunday standard.

written Tor the Sunday
II football becoming 90 brutality dam
gerous ~ to call for legislative ~restric-
tSon Or abolishment? Just as the desire
for the superseding of war by arbitra-
non In Strengthening out International
complications had its birth in the grief
and tears Of the widow and the father
les, 90 does the above question owe
sts origin TO those who have seen prom
Using young men cut on In the prime
Of their youth, or MANNED for life by
the desperate struggle for football hon.
ora Year after year. the list of vic
Tins grows. until the matter has at last
attracted national attention. and in the
absence Of laws declaring that young
men may not risk life and limb in the
gridiron contests. some college authori-
ties are forbidding the students to play
football. and thu it comes about that
Institutions that have been prominent
IN this branch of sport will not be heard
of during the present season.
A study of the casualties of the foot
ball fields proves that those who OPP
pose the game on account Of its brutal
fly and danger are justified in their
views. Here are a few of the causes of
death on the football field. or injuries
received that resulted in death later:
Two opposing players running. A
careless tackle by one caused the heads
Of the two to come violently together.
Result, one man so seriously hurt that
conclusion OF the brain ensued. end
ing in death
A scrimmage. Man holding ball went
down with as many men atop of him as
could get near enough TO add their
weight TO the heap. Lower man did
not rise when the mass disentangled it
self. Examination showed hat his neck
had been broken. killing him instantly.
-Four players fell in a heap. In the
struggle one dashed out with his foot.
catching another on the head with the
heel of his heavy shoe. Kicked mar
died three days later.
The list could be extended half way
down the column. n a perusal of the
news-pages of the daily journals will
show that deaths or injuries, broken
bones. dislocated shoulders. smashed
noses and sprained ankles are OF daily
occurrence among football players.
Were IL not for the fact that the foot
ball men OF the colleges are young
giants. who have hardened their mus
cles and rendered themselves proof
against lighter injuries by reason of the
fact that they are trained athletes. and
have practiced falling n tackling so
as TO reduce the possibility Of accident
"a a minimum. the list would be much
larger. Nevertheless. pertinently query
the opponents of football, h youth,
however well trained. can be a football
accident immune. when at stages of the
game he is pretty sure to be the pivotal
a. - m a-,xtn~ human 70 mild
weighing 1000 pounds? IL the game
cannot be played without such danger
Gus features as this. they say, then
better strike IL from the list of sports.
II the hardened college athlete is not
able TO play the game without risk OF
injury or death. what hope Is there for
the young bank clerk or school boy who
puts his small muscles against those
Of others of his class and Is thumped
and pounded I'm the line OF banged To
earth in the tackling? Fresh from the
desk. or counter. the unframed player
~ no more fitted for the wild game than
for stopping runaway horses. IL is this
fact that brings the game more I'm
phatically under the ban, for while the
collegian can nurse Injuries that Keep
him from his usual duties for weeks
without seriously affecting any one but
himself. the clerk or store assistant re-
mains away from business at the risk
Of suffering to those dependent on his
earnings.
The officials of the West Point acad-
envy made a strong protest against foot
ball. They based their objections to
the game on statistics which showed
hat the injuries to the cadets were
vastly greater from playing football
than from exercising in the gymnasium
or riding. IL was found that. taking
the three forms of injury and examin-
ing those received by the same class Of
men. In the same institution. under
identical surroundings. with gymnastic
exercises six times a week. riding three
times a week m football once a week.
there We're more accidents from foot
ball than from the other two exercises
together, and that the gravity of the
injuries from football was vastly great
er than those received by riding or ath-
letic exercises. The officials gave II as
their united opinion that IL the dan
gerous features OF the game could not
he eliminated IL would be better to for
bid football altogether IN spite OF its
advantages in some respects.
1t was pointed out at the time that
the lives OF the West Point students
were OF too much Importance TO the
country to risk them in rough-and-
tumble rushes on the football field. At
the military academy the dangers in
football to the future career OF the
players were ever greater thar I'm the
civil colleges. because II a student at
Harvard. Yale or Princeton received an
injury during play that made him A
cripple for life. he could still pursue