The Portland daily press., 1900-11-21
Bangor Was To Be Found on the
Hap.
Before the Last Census
Was Taken.
Portland and Bangor Meet on
Gridiron ON Saturday.

And now once more everyone Is talk
ing OF the coming football game on Sat-
urday with the Bangor high school team.
Once this annual game between Bangor
and Portland was the event of the season.
Long before there was suspicion Oh
FROST In the air or lsaf had fallen men
old enough to have forgotten their youth
began to talk Of the possibilities Of
good football team in the Portland high
school. And then the coaching OF that
team began, and was kept up with un-
wavering earnestness through many
weary days. The records OF the Bangor
and Portland teams were carefully FOL
lowed, Men went to Bangor from Port
land, often got into controversies. dis
cussing the merits and chances OF the
teams OF the two cities. 1t was subject
on evsryone's lips and the one desire
above all other things was that Portland
high school might win this annual foot
ball game.
Why should men have become SO earnest
regarding such really trivial matterY
Well 1t is easy to explain. or all people
IN Inc WDTlu Ano lhObe SOASCAeo1 "N~~
those who lived alongEthe banks of the
Penobsoot SO many people in Portland
were wonta to believe. Bangor young
men were the only true sportsmen east OF
New York in their own minds. Bangor
was the only town in the state really
wicked enough to be entertaining to peo-
ple from the metropolis. Bangor was the
only thing in Maine and in consequence
q man from Bangor held his head much
higher than could any man who could
not claim to live on the Penobscot. Then
Bangor was and is now the best adver
tised town in Maine by all odds. Accord
ing to the New York papers there are
more freaks living within short dis
tance Of Bangor than can be found any
where in the country. The most wonder
full tales that ever were told about the
great Maine wilderness come from Ban.
gor and are implicitly believed by every
one, even by the Bangor people them
selves. And of course Bangor then had
the only football team in the state and
did not hesitate to say so. And truth to
tell too often this proved to be the fact,
and 1t was hard for Portland people to
swallow.
All of this occurred before the census
was taken, before Bangor fell into line
SO far behind Lewiston that not even the
tail OF thes.Lewiston coat could.be seen and
before Bangor people were humbled by
the thoughts OF their own insigniticance.
In the old days newspaper men In Port
land and Bangor spent hours trying to
think of some biting sarcasm to hurl at
one another. Never was a game won on
its merits in either Portland or Bangor.
In this city the police even took part In
the disgraceful scenes attending the
closing minutes OF the last half OF game
which the crowd had as much fun as was
ever had at football game in Portland.
In Bangor the same story was related.
Portland men who went over to see the
game were abused and blackguarded
while Bangors fair minded sportsmen
looked on and laughed and egged on the
mob. Those were days OF joy to lovers
of football but in the two years or more
which have elapsed since Bangor sent q
football team to Portland all Of these
things have been forgotten.
Next Saturday this game between the
Portland and Bangor high school teams
will take place here. All OF the old
scenes may be revived but those who were
wont to wager their money on the high
school heroes of yore wish that some of
the old high school players might be
found in the Portland line when this
great game comes on. The Portland
high school team has been working hard.
MIR. Paul r. Goold who has done much
for them in the way of coaching, thinks
they will be able to defeat Bangor with
ease and the Bangor people are just as
confident of victory.
On Saturday we shall know just how
matters stand, and in the meantime 1t
would be well If you assure yourself Of a
oood aaat for this game.