The Minneapolis journal., 1904-12-02
CHICAGO CAN'T
PLAY GOPHERS
JOHNSON OF NORTHWESTERN
CAN PLAY EIGHT YEARS.
Hairsplitting Decision Gives Carlisle
Indian Eight Years Of Play-First
Fruit Of the Beauteous Legislation Of
the Big Nine Conference-Where
the Gophers Are Worsted.
BY o'LoughIln.

Minnesota Is out of the running far as a
game with Chicago for next year is concerned.
health resort, announced that Chicago would not
take on the gophers. He prefers to retain the
present position and relations with Illinois and
Northwestern rather than risk his team against
almost defeat
Stagg cannot be greatly blamed for the posi-
tion he takes in the matter. He has q heavy
schedule and wears himself out each year at
tempting to pump some spirit into the student
body at the Chicago varsity. This spirit Is to-
tally lacking, according to Chicago reports.
chieaso students are about az enthusiastic
az ia box OF dried herring" remarked North
western man at the Chicago Beach hotel during
the recent gopher invasion: ''They do not turn
out In large numbers to see the team play, and
during the training season they offer little ELL
couragement to coach and team. It Is hard
work to get men out to try for the team"
This may account for the sudden desire for
an education shown by Bezdek,- who Is
charged with having been something Of prize
nghter-for consideration.
Chicago is the source Of another bit of inter-
esting news today. 1t is to the effect that
Secretary H. J. Barton Of the big nine oonfer-
ence has informed Professor Long Of Northwes-
tern that the recent ruling of the conference re-
garding Carlisle and Haskell Indian schools will
not be retroactive. Barton also holds that Quar-
teroack Johnson. who played four years Mt Car
quarter of last year, play his full four years
Isle and was picked by some as an All-American
at Northwestern, three years after this.
This is fine kettle Of fsh. Johnson can
play three years with the Methodsts but they
protest Nose Stra thern at the last minute be-
cause he played in fresh-water college practice
games. Charges, or, more correctly speaking,
1nsinuatons relative to Percy Brush's play at
Manchester were brought, yet Johnson is allowed
eight yenrs Of play. Far-seeing conference!
Wondrous legislation In the benefit Of fairness
in sport!
To outsider 1t would appear that Minnesota
was a punching bag for about every school In
the west. Her team Is scanned from cleat to
hendgear by the Chicago press and whenever
anything can be found there is blare Of trrm-
pets from Evanston to Zion City. Gophers are"
investigated as tho they were criminals. There
Is no tendency in Chicago to run back thru the
athletic career of Heston of Michigan, Bezdek of
Chicago and one two Northwestern men who
were reported to Minnesota as ineligible before
the famous game Minnesota did not take up
the matter up at all, allowing Northwestern to
play any and all.
4ost does not clhm the western cha hampionship
r. Williams makes not claim of the kind for
Minnesota. Both these men say there
Is credit enoungh for both teams
NOT content to allow the schools
most interested to settle their standings or dis
cusslons, the Chicago press, the sporting columns
Tor the most part In the hands of immature stu
dents whose prejudice Is In excess of their
Judgment. breaks in to take a whack at the
Minnesota team.
Minnesota and Michigan lead In western foot
Dall. Their play is ahead of that of the me-
diocre teams which the Chicago scribes take for
perhaps once twice in a season. They see
Minnesota once. On these brief glances they
profess to be able to base "criticism" of the
work or the teams and their relative merits
It's about he funniest thing since the Chicago
river. Ne'