The sun., 1903-12-26
YALE PRINCETON FOOTBALL.
HOW MANY VICTORIES For EACH
SIDE SINCE 1872
History Not Altogether Clear on That
Point-What Historian Hurd Has to
Say-l4 Yale Victories to = for the
Tigers, According to "Chalk Line"

| cSy-AH Ihc NlctOTleS 10 Tut tue
Tigers, According to "Chalk Line
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-sfr: There having
arisen number OF disputes as to the respective
Victories won by Yale from Princeton appeal
to you 10 settle the matter, knowing your fair
ness and accuracy
What wish especially to know is, how many
times since 1875 has Yale been declared the victor
over Princeton. how many times Princeton over
Yale and how many times has draw resulted.
II these facts could be set forth succlnctly In
some public way. It would be very gratifying to a
great many interested In intercollegiate athletics
NEW YORK. Dec 10. II. G. ToBEY.
Football history, like other history, is
sometimes shrouded In uncertainty. Re-
liable and painstaking historians some
times disagree and there appears TO be no
absolute decision to be had in answer to
the at once interesting and vexatious point
brought out in the foregoing letter. In
this connection The SUN reproduces letter
bearing on the subject printed on Nov. ls
last and also abstracts from "A History OF
Yale Athletics, 1s4O-lsss, by Richard M.
Hurd. Yale, 49," the latter being furnished
by Walter Camp, the leading football
authority.
1t seems that the records after 1882, and
including that year, are decisive enough
except in two instances. In that time
there is no doubt that Yale won at least
thirteen games to Princeton's seven. This
| leaves two games unaccounted for-those
in 1884 and 1885. The Football Guide gives
the score in 1884 as Yale, goal; Princeton,
touchdown-a Yale victory and the
score in 1885 as Yale, touchdown; Prince
ton, o. But, according to Historian Hurd,
for reasons which he explains, the contest
of 1884 was mo game" and the contest Of
1886 technically draw"
| Now with regard to the games from
1879 to 1881, inclusive, the record in the
Guide reads;
yas ' Yas ssns Prnss,on Prnss'on ss
pTaSsass iS Se es xits 1885, 1885, PPFnSstSn
Il. safeues Yale, S safeties. 1881: Yale. O.;
| Princeton, 0.
The following abstracts from Mr.. Hurd's
book make specific mention of the fact that
safeties did not count in the Yale-Prince-
ton game of 1881. although they did count
in the HarvardYale game of that year.
Assuming, therefore, that safeties did not
count in 1879 and 1880. the games Of 1879,
1880 and 1881 were all draws. Eliminat-
ing those three games and the games of
1884 and 1885 would make the record for
1870 to 1908 inclusive: Yale. is Victories
| Princeton, victories. Yale was virtually
the winner in 1884 and 1885, and conceding
these games as Yale victories would make
the record: Yale, II; Princeton, 8.
The abstracts from the Hurd history fol-
low:
| ,lss11,The Harvard game was played in
aprns
| edge of the game. as is attested by the close
ness OF the score, four safety tonohdowns
OF the association safety touchdowns were
made to count this year
New YerP on TRnnss
fhsTs srea, deal Of rshJnF and 6qs
| Of the association in regard to safety touch
downs downs counting bI making touch in goals"
iis Saf sas Yale aa Rsss
" game H M % dsfcst aSoS Sds~ SoS
ever natural in itself. was not consistent
SeSfon aa sotI paysa Hs ;sf Sao SS
exhihted superior game hT Forcing Prince
cally saietes. lp the first half and in not losing
keeping it in Princeton's territory despite
lnasnaeh as Princeton had played draw
game with Harvard, while Yale had defeated
during the season. and was formally awarded
the championship, Her total score was o
goals and Y to t;ouehdowns to saieties
on the Polo Grounds on Nov Is. Yale lev" Won
the kickoff. and soon after, the Yale captain
now forced the bail into Pr Princeton t"rd sy"rd
line. and a touchdown. from which goal
was kicked. was made just three minutes
i nssrlS to Yaes s5.yafd ine and Prineel p1intso
but missed. A Princeton man got through
and fell on the ball. making touchd own. from
Ha, Iheh vsss no goal was kicked In the second
Prevented by the Yale rush ers RS breaking
Ys half put rn the and ba GnP Pe b
Of the game. After fne run, which placed
ton eleven stopped the game to bring forward
some some claims lain; to the referee, which took up so
game began again. For the few remaining
players but the the ball re%sinsd T. Princeton
such that the game had to be called ten min
ne 6fGs ts thereby under the
II isssHIn I."s"p regard to the yale-princeton
game, p , there s hsd been much discussion as to
with a Princeton referee Though this was
wa played sF on he S"fs Yne 4e aha ID
with a, Yale referee. yet this much was to
pc sald. that Princeton in 1855 had chosen
the referee and had chosen to ha We the game
out Of New York. where Yale wanted to play
The matter being left to a committee OF one
Harvard. one Princeton and one Yale grad
uate. it was decided that the game be played
at Princeton with Mr.. Tracy Harris, Prince
ton. IS, as referee; When the Yale team
appeared on the field at 2:3O p NJ the time
agreed upon. no referee was present, owing
to Mr. Harriss refusal to act After an
hour Of waiting. during which the teams
retired to the dressing rooms to escape the
fierce rainstorm that soaked the 5.oOo people
who waited eSpectantly upon the uncovered
grand stands, Mr, Harris was found. and
being prevailed upon to act, started the
game at $50 p. NJ Princeton won the toss
and chose the wind. while Yale opened with
n couple of short rushes. The play coming
near Princetons goal. her backs make a
long punt, which was only stopped at Yale =
S0-yard line Poor play lost Yale the ball |
and Princeton advanced it to Yae's iO-yard
line Some fine tackling was done by the |
Yale rushers. and a series of fine runs ad-
vanced the ball to within one yard of
PrnCeton's goal line, where poor play lost
it. The Princeton centre snapped back and |
the ball was passed to Savage (back). who
mufed it. and Yale rusher fell on il This
touchdown was not allowed, the referee saw
ing the ball was not properly nut in play The |
ball was kicked out and alternating back and |
forth. was on Princeton's io-yard line when
time was called
Owing to the thick clouds and the heavy
rain, WHICH fell without intermission. it was