Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-03-12

by lie Figaro to report the Yale-Har-
ward football game at New Haven last
November. His report has aroused
nc little interest in Paris and through
out France as being perhaps the first
picture given to Frenchmen by a
Frenchman of the American football
match. 1t occupies the leading posi-
ton in the Figaro of January 81, ap-
pearing under the head EN- Amer
ique: lie football" translation
reasonably free, but often quite liber-
al, the more to show the impression
on the French mind, is given below.
The letter is written from New York
and is as follows:
The most splendid game of football
in all America, is, it appears, the one
which is played every year at the end
of November between the old univer-
stiles of Harvard and Yale. 1t sur
passes in importance and in renown
even that Of the army and navy, which
takes place about the same time.
The match is a national event, some
thing like the Grand Prix de Long
champ" in France, the derby in Eng
land, and the opening of the bull
fights at Madrid or Seville-with the
following difference-since the strug-
gle is a struggle of men, to the attrac-
ton of the sport is added the excite
ment of human effort, which alone
succeeds in truly exciting the country
Of America.
Therefore all the trains which that
morning left New York for New Ha-
ven, where is the University of Yale,
seemed elegant pleasure-trains carry
ing the crowd to a festival Young
women and young men, and also those
more advanced in years, all carried
in their button-holes pinks and red
roses or violets, or in their hands lit
tie scarlet or blue flags according
to the preferences of each, for Yale
and Harvard have their colors, red
for one. for the other, royal blue
Fifteen thousand persons had left
New York in the morning, or had
come from Boston to New Haven, and
many others from the surrounding
towns.
1t was splendid weather, dry and
cold The hotels of the little city
OveEflOwed. Professions of people in
Sc. II Of nourishment intermingled
on the thresholds of the restaurants
and of the inns. The wisest had
brought baskets of provisions. Sell
ers cried chocolate and sandwiches
which they sold at inconceivable
prices. | paid a half-a-dollar for a
sandwich, and what a sandwich, a
narrow silver of white and hard meat
between two leaves of spongy bread.
The Road to the Game.
And the road, two kilometers long,
which leads from the station to the
stand where the game takes place, is
filled with an inceSsant flood of peO-
pie who hasten along like a hurried
river through rows of red and yellow
wooden houses. The electric cars
are filled full; each car contains at
least twice as many people as it has
places; so passengers, hanging one to
another, overflow on the runnig-
boards, tremble like punches OF
grapes at every stop and turn and at
every start, and the cars follow each
other without interruption.
Here we are before the stand.
Imagine immense scaffoldings thirty
feet nigh, supporting innumerable
benches which are in stories and in
the form of an amphitheatre on the
four sides of roofless rectangle. In
the center a turf from $50 to 240
feet long. about 60 feet wide. Forty
thousand persons can be accommodate
ed there. and not a place is empty
This mass of people constitutes
alone an impressive spectacle.
Two of the sides of the rectangIe
are peopled with the students of Har-
ward, and their guests; they are op-
posite to the students of Yale and
their adherents
The benches of Harvard are as red
as a clOver-ield, there are so many
little flags which they are waving. so
many roses and pinks. red ribbons
and badges, even scarlet costumes
worn by the ladies'; the benches of
Yale are blue and violet.
The match will be warm Since
this annual encounter was inaugurat-
ed thirty years ago, Yale has almost
always been victorious. But last year
Harvard beat Yale soundly, and Yale
wishes to take her revenge. The bets
are hot. Great sums have been risk
ed at the Exchange of New York. all
these last days, on one or the other
team" as they call here the men Of
each camp, a word which has been in
deed adopted in France by the Ian
guage Of sport. But it is the team Of
Yale which is the favorite. However,
those of Harvard are sure of the vic
tory; it will be fine dispute.
The hour has struck. And here is
the mascot of Yale who makes his APP
pearanCe; it is dog held in leash by
a little groom dressed in a costume
Louis XIV and all powdered He
makes with his dog the round of the
turf, running, amid the cheers of the
adherents of Yale. 1t appears that
that is to bring luck to the team.
The Press Stand a Surprise.
I mount to my place, which is on
the side of Harvard, amid the Ameri-
can Press which is here right at home,
separated from the rest Of the crowd
by barriers. An extraordinary pro-
fessional surprise was awaiting me
ers seated at wooden tables and en-