The evening times., 1899-11-18
TIE EVENING IES WASHINGTON SATURDAY NOVEMBER 49, 1S99
Blue AGAINST CRIMSON |
Yale and Harvard Ready for Their
Gridiron Battle.
An Ideal Day Dnwns on the Univer-
sity Field. and Immense Crowds
Gather Early to Witness the Game.
Both Elevens in Perfect Condition
and Each Confident of Victory.

| CAMBRIDGE, Mass, Nov 1S.-Matchless
weather conditions marked the dawn of the
day on which Harvard and Yale were to
meet in their old fight for supremacy on
the gridiron. The air was clear as bell
and snapped and tingled as though alive
to its Importance.
| There was the snap Of frost under the
heels of the Harvard undergraduates bound
for an early breakfast at Memorial Hall.
the sky presented smiling blue stretch
broken here and there by a cloud OF white
and not wind enough to stir the topmost
branches of the grand old elms in the Har-
! ward yard. The conditions were ideal for
| a great game and no one could escape the
conviction that the fight was to be as great
as any ever waged between Harvard and
Yale. There was the atmosphere of big
game and Cambridge early took on life.
The Harvard yard was the storm centre
OF the mornings scenes with Harvard's al
umni undergraduates filing through the
big gates in an endless procession. Har-
wards colors were everywhere and worn
by everybody until the advance of the
morning brought with it the first detach-
ment of the big army of Yale men.
Naturally the only topic of interest in
Cambridge this morning was the big game
with its many-sided aspects. The condition
of the teams, their relative strength and
the probable outcome were weighed hun
dreds of times and the gist of II all was that
both teams were on edge and a close game
was to be expected. All ideas that Harvard
might have gone stale since the Pennsylva-
mia game were quickly dissipated. Every
man in the Yale squad except Scheppe was
in prime form for hard contest. Harvard
confidence was fairly staggering to the nom
partisans who were on hand for the game.
II there had been any doubt over the game
in the crimson ranks the last opening
practice had removed il and Harvard men
were showing an alacrity TO place their
money that was strongly in variance TO
that Of past years. Yale men refused TO
consider anything less than odds of TO 2
TO l and those odds speedily became the
prevailing ones. Comparatively few Yale
men covered any wagers al those generous
odds. for there was an urmistakable air of
cock about the bettors that was
infectious to non-partisans and chilling 10
the men who rooted for Yale Harvard's
team had suffered no accidents since the
Pennsylvania game and Captain Burden
this morning announced that there would
be no changes in the lineup against Penn
sylvania except that Ellis would start the
game al full instead OF Reid.
Last nights uncertainty as TO the Yale
lineup was not solved this morning. for
the coaches were divided as 10 who
should take Schweppe's place at right
end. as he had bad shoulder that would
handicap his playing.
The choice lay between Gould, Winter,
and Snitzer. with the chances fayoring
Gould. but the three were SO evenly
matched in playing ability that it was hard
TO decide finally. While the experts were
a bit dubious as to the benefits derived in
the placing of Hale at centre and Francis
at tackle. Yale men either smiled grimly
when the subject was broached or frankly
said that there would not be the differ
ence between the two lines that was gen
orally expected. The style of game that
would be played by Yale was subject
IF much discussion. and-it-geRersIiy-b
came known that Yale based her hopes
of scoring on a close formation between
the tackle and guard.
End runs were not to be used much eX-
cept for the purpose of varying the pay.
and Yale men admitted that they would
not play kicking game unless forced TO
Go SO by Harvard's initiative. This last
statement caused a sensation. for Yale
was admitted to be the stronger team in
its kicking department. At the bottom of
it was the reluctance of the coaches to
have Mcbride handle Halloweil's punts,
for all through the season the Yale cap
tain mad. been mIfing kicks like school
boy. 1t had been determined TO have
Sharpe and Finicke back TO handle the
leather whenever practicable, but in
punting duel the coaches feared what
might happen should Mcbride have TO han
die punt. Yale men were confident of
scoring. although they said little about
victory