The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-16
<. Q. sENIORs, PL.AY.
Based on Football 1t Drew a Crowded
House.


House.
Lawrence, Kan, May 16.-The senior
play given by the '06 class in the Bow
ersock opera house last evening made
hit with that enthusiastic crowd that
filed the house to the limit. The play
was entirely local, the principal parts
being written by Caude Olander, Helen
Alder and Lois Borland, members OF
the play committee. The play IS al
most exclusively a football play, the
place being at Kansas university at the
time Yost was coach. The story begins
with the detention of Jack Burton. of
Denver the son Of a Methodist minis
ter, who, with his father is on his
way to Baker. Burton is fine half
back and made the play that won the
game between Kansas university and
Colorado the year before but his father
is determined to send him to a school
where football is not played. YOSt
needs just such a man and by the aid
of Virginia Blair succeeds in keeping
Burton at Kansas university for the
night to attend a dance while his faith
er goes to Baldwin on the theology,
supposing that his son was at Bible
reading in the 7. M. c. A. house in
Lawrence.
While the dance is in progress, Jack
Burton receives a telegram from his
father stating that he had met a divine
at Baldwin who was going to the Holy
Land and suddenly made up his mind
to go along with him for a six months
Jul 1ACJ. Ills gives 4OSl Il C41aA4CC "
get Burton to play halfback and by the
aid of Virginia Blair succeeds. Burton
is allowed to play on the technical point
that the Chicago conference rules did
not apply to preachers sons. All goes
or sWinmingly until the Colorado game
when Burton explains the great sig
nal "7-11-44' to Miss Blair and draws
diagrams to make the play clear. He
retires early and his rival comes in
and finds the signals on the table while
he is waiting for Virginia Blair He
sees a chance to degrade his rival, Bur-
ton, and takes the signal to the Col
orado players. The captain of the Col
orado team returns the signals to Yost
before the game and as they were in
BurtOn's handwriting, he said that he
had sent them to the Colorado team in
order to shield Miss Blair. The game
starts and the first half ends 5 to In
favor of Colorado YOst severely criti-
cises his men and they explain that they
can do nothing without the aid of Jack
Burton. YOst sends them back without
Burton and the game Is nearly compile
ted without Burton, without score for
Kansas university when the traitor
comes in and cOnfesSes that Jack Bur-
ton is innocent and he is the guilty
one. YOSt finds Burton and sends him
into the game to win by rearranged
signal with the numerals ''7-11-44."
The appearance of Burton's father on
the field and the celebration OF the
game were features that added to the
humor of the play. The freshmen pres
ent who had never seen a celebration
declared that modern K. u. had lost
considerable of its romantic attractions
by the abolition of celebrations this
year.
The characters Of Virginia Blair and
Jack Burton were we'll acted by Miss
Margaret Philbrook, of Kansas City,
and Harry Hart of Beloit. The acting
of Drummer and Anderson as the fresh
men Williams and Hawkins, was fault
less. The story reaches it's climax
when Drummer Is taken from the scrim-
mage ravinR from a blow on the head
and Hart takes his place. The playing
of the football men and the realistic
scenes made the audience forget that
they were watching q play and as Hart
kicks goal and makes the score 6 to 5,
the audience became an enthusiastic
crowd Of rooters and many forgot that
they were in an opera house. The final
celebration of the victory by a bonfire
and snake dance with the discharge of
fireworks brought back the memory of
days when such celebrations were the
rule at K. u. and not the exception.
The first scene portrayed well the
scenes when the university opens every
fall to receive the old and new students.
The misfortunes of Hawkins, the fresh
man who arrives early with his father,
and is left to the tender mercies of the
"sophs'' and IS finally rescued by the
Y. NJ G. A boys, gives the play just
enough Of humor to make it enjoyable
I fr