The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1906-10-30
INCREASE OF FOOTBALL.
Remarkable Popularity Of Grid
iron Game in Short Time
FIRST REAL GAME IN 1876

Years Because OF National Inter-
est Croated--Has Never Gained
the Favor Baseball Claimed in its
Beginning.
About the time that organized
baseball became a powerful factor In
American sports, says the Louisville
Courier-Journal, American football
crept in. Not SO many are apt to rat
tie of football statistics as are able
to tell stories OF all the baseball play
ers of prominence, and yet when the
statement is made that the game OF
football has developed with more
rapidity than any sport in the Uni
ted States, growing from a weakling
to lusty young giant in an incredi-
bly, short period OF time, 1t is stating
common truth which is well known
to every sporting authority and
cheerfully granted by every dealer In
sporting goods In the United States.
In 1876 tho National League OF
baseball clubs was organized. We
had plenty of baseball before then.
but this new organization helped
vastly to put baseball on the substan-
tial footing II enjoys at the present
time.
How many are there who know
that, In the same year, 1876, the real
game of American football was In
spired? How few there are who
would think, so far as time Is con-
cerned, that the rise OF baseball and
football in a measure is synonymous.
And the reason for II all Ia the fact
that football was little backward at
the start and has only leaPed to its
popularity within the last score of
years, while baseball swung into gen
eral favor from the date OF the incep-
tion of we'll constituted organiza-
ton.
The missionaries OF football
throughout the United States have
been the college men. Westerners
who went East to study at Harvard
and Yale, at Princeton and at other
universities which have picked up
football one after the other, returned
home filled with the longing to see
football elevens established In the
cities In which they resided.
Al the West became more thickly
and here throughout the country,
there was a desire on the part of the
students to emulate the East In the
matter of participation in football,
and the result was the gradual in
PRODUCTION Of the game into the larg-
er educational institutions, and from
those to the smaller.
From 1880 to 1890 there was al
ways football In the United States,
but little was heard of 1t except in
college centers. 1t was long way
from becoming a srort which was
some day to command thousands OF
columns of attention from the news
papers OF the land. After 1890 the
big games between Harvard and
Yale. and Yale and Princeton. aud
between other colleges Of promi-
nence. began TO be witnessed by sys-
increasing crowds. 1t
was discovered that men were trav- |
cling from one limit OF the United |
States to the other to be present at
the annual football game between
their alma mater and some uniVer-
sity dearly loved as an enemy. AS
the crowds swelled and their inter- |
est waxed. the game was forced more
and more on public attention, but 1t
Is only within the last Eve years that |
football has attained anything like |
the popularity Of baseball. and now,
the brief time in which |
1t is possible to play, It is a ques-
ton II, all things considered, 1t does
not outstrip baseball In the feverish |
anxiety OF its votaries to make the !
most OF their opportunity.
When 1t is known that the output |
of a factory furnishing football sup |
plies Is now twenty times greater
than It was Eve years ago. some idea
may be had of the increased number |
OF football players in the United |
States. The output of the Same fac
tory is almost nifty times greater
than It was twenty years ago, or
even fifteen years ago.
Whether boys of tender years
should be allowed to play football IL
a question which 1t IL not tho puT- !
pose Of this article to debate. 1t is
a matter which rests solely with the !
One thing Ia very certain, |
no boy should be permitted to take
part In the game who is not sound |
1t is the most try
ing OF all our outdoor pasdmes, and, !
while 1t may be splendid exercise
and tonic for the strong, II Is far
too greedy in its demands for the
weak. To go through game OF foot
ball is the equivalent OF splitting
wood in the back yard, and II that
fact we're impressed energetically on
some youngsters who want to play
bat are hardly up to physical re-
It might discourage
them to such an extent that they
would be willing to sit on the fence
and watch the others.