Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-11

fectly formed man of his day. He was
the hardest of all the backs to stop in
those times, and the best man at the
tW1rllng-around game, with the pos
sible exception of Catlin, who played
halfback on the navy team.
Catlin proved himself a hero in the
Spanish-American war, and is now a
captain in the marine corps.
Homans of Princeton, and the greatest
punter of those days, if not of any day,
is now reputed to be worth untold
wealth, made by his own exertions
Homans had the self-same motions in
handling the ball as has that wonder
full punter, Mount Pleasant of the In
dams.
But in ground gaining, Homans was
topped, as were all the other fullbacks,
by the great Frank Butterworth, who
led Yale to victory in 'O2
Butterworth's method of attacking
the line was nervous exhibition to
watch, but he rarely ever failed to
make his distance.
Given the ball, Frank would stop and
wriggle, but when they at last got him
down, he would be pretty certain to
have made the distance. Butterworth
is now prosl "~0us patent attorney
and making money hand over fist.
| One of the gamest football players
the world ever produced was poor Wal
ter Baird of the University of Pennsyl-
vania, 1902. Baird played tackle and
guard, and he it was who beat the
Cornell team in 1902.
At the end of the first half Cornell
had rolled up score of II to 0 against
the Quakers, and the Pennsylvania men
were very badly used up, for in those
days Cornell played the hardest foot
| ball of any team in the world. At any
rate the boys were in their dressing
room resting up when the Cornell cap
tain sent a message to the effect that
he was willing to spare the Pennsyl-
vania boys, and with their consent
would shorten the second half.
Then up rose Walter Baird in all the
pride of his young manhood, and tax
ing the authority out of the hands OF
the captain, he sent back an indignant
reply to the effect that Pennsylvania
would have nothing cut short, but
would fight to the end. Then Walter
addressed the members of the team
and called on them to do or die for the
glory of old Pennsylvania, and sc
stirred them with his eloquence thai
they went into the second half like sc
many demons, and defeated Cornell
by the score of 12 to II.
Famous Hefflefnger
Poor Baird, though big fellow ot
210 pounds, developed consumption anC
died In Colorado the year following.
But speaking of football, particu
larly line men, the famous Hefflefingei
topped them all. When he was at Yale
nc line could hold him, for with thos'
great arms of his spread wide apar
and with Laurie or Pop" Bliss carry
ing the ball, "IIeff'' would NOW dowI
everything before him.
There has never been such a guarC
before or since as Hefflefinger, and IL
those days it took man to play foot
hall, as the halves were forty-hv,
minute ones, and besides helping t
stop the smashing turtle back" forma
tion, a fellow could tussle and pull a
his adversary to his hearts content
whether the ball was in play or not.
The struggling in the line before th'
ball was put in play was a most wear
ing and exhausting feature of the gam
as played a decade and more ago.
Few, IL any, gridiron heroes of an!
note have failed to make good in afte
life, which is a worthy proof that tn
boys with the muscle also carry a suf
ficient quantity of brains, notwith
standing the old fogy assertion tina
the anaemic youth is the real brain!
thing.