The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-01

jnC crowds ever attending a football
game in this city, and in a game that
was as ideal as the beautiful weather,
Wheeling defeated the fast Bethany
college aggregation at the Island base
ball park, yesterday afternoon, and
captured the championship of West
Virginia. For the first time this sen
con, the Wheeling goal line was cross
cd Eugene Curtis, the college full back,
doing the trick in n most surprising
fashion, before the crowd had hardly
realized the game had started. The
final score was l. to G.
The game was the event Of the day.
The crowd, which numbered about 1900
people was representative OF the best
element. AS expected. the fair sex was
out in force, and formed no mean min
GRITTY; in fact, there were nearly as
many ladies' present. and the varied
hues Of their gowns and millinery lent
4 pleasing effect to the general mass OF
color. There was an unusually large
number OF traps and carriages, and
they surrounded the gridiron on all
sides which was also qundrangled by
human fringe of spectators, forming a
black border in the field. and moving
and cheering excItedly when Jim
Sweeney or others OF the heroes Of the
day performed a play that deserved the
liberal plaudits.
No finer weather could have been or
dercd from the weather bureau. The
shower OF rain the previous evening
was amended by Old Soils genlel rays,
which grew gradually warmer as the
day progressed, and there was a cloud
less sky At 8 o'clock when the twenty
two warriors trotted out in the arena.
By that time, the grand stand held a
big jam OF people, the bleachers were
crowded, and along the sIdelines were
hundreds wearing Bethany's green and
white. or Wheellng's red and blue. The
Wheeling colors. OF course. were the
more conspicuous. The scene was en-
lvencd with din from rooters' horns
and plain. ordinary yells, and the seat-
ure OF this entertainment was furnish
cd by a crowd in COMFY cahill's circus
wagon, which was tastefully draned In
red and blue. This bunch was pretty
much the whole thing.
The success OF the big game was no
little consolation to the management,
which has endeavored to give Wheeling
clean football, and poor patronage in
previous games caused deep Imam
cial hOl, that this game nicely tIded
over The team yesterday was practl-
cally the same that opened the season
with Wheeling, and as the best crowds
resulted on these occasions, the ability
Of Bethany to draw here and the fact
that popular players figured in the line
up. were demonstrated.
Bethanys alumni displayed their
loyalty to the college by turning out
largely, They came from Wellsburg,
West Liberty and other Pan Handle
points. and the local alumni were there
to a man, including City Engineer
White, Rev. C. NJ. olIphant and other
prominent citizens. Lieutenant Cover
nor Devlne, OF North Dakota, was one
Of the noted people in the splendid as
sembIage.
Without a doubt, no more pleasing
game was ever played on the local grid
iron. 1t was replete with exciting feat
urcs, and no injuries, tIreless wrangling
or rough play developed. 1t was free
from anything that could mar. The
teams were evenly matched. Bethany's
teamwork was superior built was over
shadowed by Wheeling, individually.
Curtis was the bright particular star
for the visitors. and he was in the game
at every stage. But the hero of the day
was Jim Sweeney, the Martins Ferry
boy, who made such Il record with the
First West Virginia, and who caught
the crowd two years ago by his great
work against Pittsburgh college. when
he played with w. a. c. Sweeney
made gain after gain around Bethany's
end and frequently he lodged tackle
after tackle, once squIrmlng over the
ground with n dozen holding to him,
and he set the crowd wild in his run
once up the field to within one foot Of
Bethany's goal. on another time, he
escaped from the clutches of a Bethany
man, whose only recompense was long
shred OF swceney's white sweater.
Considerable interest was attached TO
tho showing Of George Hoge, OF the
Wheeling high school, and the tall. 1.-THE
lad never failed to advance the ball. His
lIne-bucks were the real thing, and once
In the interference his hard head on
Curtis chest pushed the big Bethany
Ito back for ten yards. Captain KInche-
Toe handled his men in tIp.top fashion.
The Wheellngs were taken by surprise
when Curtis broke through the line for
a nIncty-yard run and the touchdown,
but they took brace after this and
Bethany was kept on the so hehce'
forth Among tho young players Bon
roll showed up particularly well, but
they all did well, considering the lack
Of practice. In the second half, spccht
relieved Alexander, who had been work
cd hard in the first half, The old Tiger
soon maze his presence felt and fire.
qucntIy he waded through Bcthany's
closc formations as easy as he ambles
TO hs meals.
Wheeling close the kickoff and the
lower goal to defend. Bonnell Kicked n
beauty to Mason on Bethany's ten-yard
Mne Mnsnn pnased il to Curtis. who