Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-10-24
Foul Play Worse Th.n osfs.t.

Last Saturday AFTERNOON the Min
eral Point High School foot ball
team played tie game with the
high school eleven of Darlington at
the Inter place, the score being 6 to
g. Both touch downs were made Ia
the second half. and within the last
10 minutes of play. They are two as
evenly matched teams as can be
found.
The scrimmage between the play
ers themselves was as friendly as
those Of such occasions usually are,
but the action of the outsiders, with
few exceptions, and the decisions
of Darlington's unprincipled official,
is disgrace to that city. 1t may be
said that the blame for all the
disturbance should be placed upon
the Darlington official, who, before
the game agreed with our referee to
be fair in his dealings, but who, in
the first two minutes Of play penal
lied Mineral Point Is yards and gave
Darlington the ball because our right
tackle bucked their line for 8 or 10,
yards. This he called an ctf.side
play, saying our backs should not
carry the ball beyond the line of
scrimmage.
1t has been standing axiom that
no team can defeat Darlington on
their own ground, and it was demon
strated last Saturday that the truth
still holds good. Mineral Point
scored the first touchdown, kicked
goal, making the score, Mineral Point
6. Darlington 0. But everyone knew
that If the team was beaten the town
would some how gain victory over
the representative sent from here.
Probably the disposition OF the Oar.
lington referee to preserve order and
protect our people from any harm, is
what prompted him in the last half
to allow his men to deliberately take
the ball from our center's hands. But
we learned afterwards that his
reason for giving the ball to Darling
ton was, that it was the property of
the high school of that place and
Mineral Point was not supposed to
keep it so long and carry it so far.
Darlington by feeble kick-o in the
last few minutes of play gained pos
session of the ball and finally mad it
on Mineral Points l0-yard line, but
they fumbled and Boase, of the red
and blue, neatly fell on the ball. The
Darlington official, at about this time,
had his back turned to the scrim-
mage, trying to have Mineral Point |
rooter put off the ground because he
confused the Darlington players. But
he quickly turned around and de-
clared "Darlington's ball" He said
it was not right for Mineral Point to
take away the ball after Darlington
had taken so much trouble to get it |
there, and any way he should have
asked permission before falling on
the pigskin. SO by small gains by
the team and larger ones by the off,
cial, Darlington crossed the line and
kicked goal, tieing the score.
Several of our lady teachers accom-
panied the team to the game and the
manner in which they were treated
by the rufflans of the town was
shameful, The abusive and vulgar
language used. and the reluctancy
with which the authorities attempt
ed to stop it displayed the unman
nerly conduct of the crowd in gener
al. Had it not been for prominent
citizen of the town it is thought that
personal harm would have been
done our official, it being charged
that he penaized Darlington for foul
play and neglected to do so with
Mineral Point. 1t appears that the
Dodgeville team, which played at
Darlington IA week before and were
defeated, were treated with much
the same hospitality, leaving the
field once or twice for the unfairness
dealt them.
The manager of the team Of this
city is working to secure a third
game with the same eleven on reu-
trail ground with neutral officials
but it is doubtful whether Darlington
cares to play under such fair and
even conditions.