The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-03

Barring the possibility of a game
with the University OF Chicago, the
football season in Montana closed as
far as the big teams are concerned,
with the Thanksgiving day game be-
tween the Butte regulars and the Mon
tana Athletic club. The triumph Of the
athletic club over Butte leaves the mat
ter of the championship almost as
much in doubt as it was at the open
ing of the season. though technically
Anaconda may claim the honor for
which the three big teams strove. But
for question as to the decision which
gave Anaconda a victory over Butte,
there could be no question as to Ana
condas title to the championship.
During the season Anaconda defeated
the Montana Athletic club once, played
one draw with Butte and got one deci-
sion over Butte. The Montana Ath-
letic club was defeated by Anaconda
once, played one draw with Butte and
defeated Butte once. Butte was de-
feated by the Montana Athletic club
once, played one draw and by the de-
cision was defeated once by Anaconda.
This decision is the one which is ques-
toned. 1t will be remembered that the
referee first gave the game to Butte
and then reversed himself and gave
the game to Anaconda. The Butte men
still claim that the game belonged to
them. If it did, and they had been
given the decision, Butte would have
defeated Anaconda once, have drawn
one game with Anaconda, one with
Montana Athletic club, and have been
beaten once by Montana Athletic club.
Figuring the percentages of the three
teams, Anaconda, if given the game
to rhroant1Ch
the Montana Athletic club has a per-
centage of Of 500, and Butte nothing,
and Anaconda is the champion, but If
that decision was incorrect and Butte
is entitled to the game. the percentage
of all three teams is 500, and there is
no championship. Whatever may be
the ultimate decision arrived at, all
will agree that the season was a good
one and that three teams were never
more evenly matched. If all the games
had been patronized as their merit de-
served, no one would have any fault to
find with the season. But they were
not, and the clubs had a struggle to
pay expenses, which was very unfor-
tunate, as it is likely to have a very
bad effect on the sport in the future.
Anent the talk of a game with the
University of Chicago, it is sincerely to
be hoped such a game can be arranged
for a game with a team that has made
d
this season would be the star football
event in the history Of football in Mon
tana up to date.
AS the Chicago team has arranged to
go to the coast to meet Berkeley, 1t
ought not to be a hard matter to get
them to come this way for at least one
game. The railroad fares are the same
whichever way the team travels, and
it would seem reasonable to suppose
the team would be glad to come this
way and pick up $780, If they can be
guaranteed that amount for game
there seems no good reason why they
cannot be secured. Even if they de-
manded $1,000 it ought not to be a hard
matter to make the raise, and any citi-
zen who has the money could easily get
it back and surely could not lose any
thing, for there can be no doubt that
more than $1,000 could be taken at the
gate for such a game. The football
men are willing to give the gate to any
person who will make the guarantee
necessary to get the team here. Local
football enthusiasts are working in this
direction and are hopeful of succeed
ing.
In the event such game can be Sc
cured there is little question that a
team can be selected from among the
three teams that would hold up Mon
tana's end in a most gratifying man
ner Butte has had many football stars
in the past who are still worshipped.
but new ones have come upon the
horizon, and there is as good or better
timber here now as eyer played on
Montana team. Here is a list of play
ers who would be worthy of meeting
any team that ever walked upon grid
iron, and it is no two-to-one shot that
they would not meet it successfully.
Put Leblanc at center, Livingston at
left guard, Hooper or ELLIS at right
guard, Slater at left tackle, Griffin or
Jones at right tackle, Fitzpatrick at left
end, Trilby Davis at right end, Will
son at left half, Sullivan or Harrington
at right half, Brahm at fullback, and
let Perry Benson captain the team and
play quarter, and if these men will turn
out and practice defensive play conscl-
entiously for two or three weeks there
is no team in the country tnat mas
license to beat them.
For substitute players who could be
thrown in and put up nearly II not
quite as good a game as any OF those
mentioned there are Forvilly for back,
the McLeods for the ends, Clements Tor
a guard, Keller for any position from
tackle to center and Brown for quar-
1erback If Chicago can be secured it
is to be hoped these men will for once
bury all enmities and get together and
raise Montana to the top notch in foot
ball fame, as they can do if they will.
The San Francisco Bulletin publishes
the following sketches of three of Cali
fornias leading giants of the gridiron,
who are we'll known to many football
men in this section:
U. X. Whipple.
Good athletes are always popular
fellows at college, but there are some
men who would be popular without be-
ing an athlete. 1t is not unlikely that
if Captain Whipple did not know a
football from walnut he would yet
be what he is to-day-the most popu-
lar and best-liked man in Berkeley
college. A certain member Of his team
voiced the sentiment of almost the en-
tire student body the other day when
he said: 'Whipple is prince; he is the
finest fellow on earth. Such praise
sounds extravagant until you know tbs
man.
Captain Whipple came from Center
willie high school, where he captainet
his team in '95, and also played lief
halfback In his freshman year h