Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-11-09

and west. The proportion in the north
and west in 1850 was about five-sixths
and in 1900 less than three-fourths of
that in the south.
A GAME OF PERILS.
Ottumwa has been fortunate in that
she has been the scene of no serious
football accidents. The game has
heen played here by student teams
and by elevens made up of more ma
ture players. For several years it has
furnished entertainment for those
who admire physical strength and new
er has {. player been seriously injured.
There are several cases of serious,
and some few cases Of fatal injuries,
however, resulting from the game,
these reports coming from all over the
country and the conclusion the lay-I
man must reach is that the game is i
truly one bcset with perils..
Football is, almost entirely, a game
between teams representing schools
and colleges In these institutions the
object of athletics is, or should be, to
afford the students means of exer
else and recreation from their Studies,
building them physically while they
are improving mentally by means of
their studies. Track and field ath-
letics have their inning in the spring,
and few weeks are given in most
schools to baseball. But football is
the real college game,th season open
ing with the school year and contin-
uing until Thanksgiving day There is
no doubt that the football player is
benefited physically, at any rate for
the time being. All the, gridiron
heroes are husky" else they would
not be able to hold their places con
the team" But many of them receive
injuries, most of them of minor ma
ture, but injuries just the same. A
broken collar bone or few broken
ribs, a strained ligament or sprain-
ed ankle, are of frequent occurrence,
and often reports from training quar-
tiers are to the effect that half the
members of team are in the hospital
squad.
Naturally, the question arises: Is
the benefit derived from the game suf-
ficient to Offset the injuries inflicted
upon the players, taking into consider
alton the loss of time, the stop in,
class work, the expense and the dan
ger of permanent injury? When death
occurs it is useless to ask this ques-
| ton, for the too obvious answer is
"No."
In a game a few days ago between
two high school teams, representing
two Chicago suburbs, one of the play
ers,c a boy IL years old was injured so
seriously that he died few hours lat
err. He was not the victim of brutal
attack nor was he in poor physical
condition when he went into the game.
His coach testified to the latter fact
before the coroner's jury, saying in
addition that the cause of death was
Just the game" This coach was form
erly player on the university of ILL
nois team and should know whereof
he spoke
The authorities of Oak Park, ILL.,,
where the unfortunate boy lived, have
stopped the playing of football there
for all time. Lacrosse or some other
game less fraught with danger to the
[ players will be substituted for foot
ball. But this action will not bring
that lad back to life nor ease the sor-
row Of his parents.
How much better that the game had
never been played! How much bet
ter that the danger had been anticipat-
/ ed! There are. other games that can
be played at this time of year and
that are not nearly so full of danger.
| OF course it is useless to advocate
a general cessation of the game. Play
ers have been killed before and the
game survives. The public and the
football enthusiasts seem hardened to
the fact that each year adds new vic
| tins to the roll of dead or MANNED
President Roosevelt has taken an in
i terest in the matter with a view to
attempting revision of the rules
that will lessen the roughness of the
contest and thus decrease the dTnger.
It is to be hoped his efforts will meet
with early success and that meanwhile
kind Providence will keep the list
of football casualties as low as DOS
sible.
The students of st. Johns school at
Manlius, N. " who have, by resolu-
| ton in their athletic association, done
/ away with football in that school, are
| trying to induce other similar institu-
tions to take the same action.
! The Courier is today in re-
ceipt of a letter from the
i athletic association of the school. en-
closing the resolutions recently adopt
ed and in explanation of the action the
letter says: Eve believe the only thing
that will clean I'D the game of football
will be for all preparatory schools,
/ academies and high schools to refuse