Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-01-22
POLO
THE DEBUT
Western Whirlwind Lived Up tc the Reputation That Preceded
 Him-All Other News.

swayed an immense audience like acres of wheat moving backward and
 forward with the wind, polo that sent roars of enthusiasim sweeping through
 every opening in the auditorium and
 carried the news of great victory
 for Waterbury and overwhelming de-
 feat for Bridgeport to the hungry
 fans outside, who were not fortunate
 enough to find loop hole through
 which to gain an entrance. The local
 managers had made good. They had
 promised the fans that if they got half d chance they would have team
 here second to none in the league.
 They had been lambasted in the pub
 lie press, by anonymous communica- tions which sarcastically referred to those promises, whenever the letter
 writing habit struck the writers.
 They saw one of their best players
 laid low by injuries; they saw the crowd gradually drift away; they be-
 gan to pay out some of the shekels made last season to meet expenses,
 when they were not taking in enough at the door. They were game, how ever, and they maintained that they
 would yet bring the people back and show them something never seen on the local polo floor, and they did it and piled on the interest as well.
 It was an enormous crowd that filled every seat and available spot of standing room in that building last evening. They were waiting for something, and, unlike other nights, they were clamOrous for the amateur game to end. The stars from the west were under the roof and they wanted
 to see them. It was a generous and impartial crowd too, for when Lewis, Cunningham, Ball and Harper, the new men on the visiting team appear ed they were given warm welcome.
 But this was nothing to what the premier rusher of the world received
 when his diminutive form shot over
 the railing and he sailed into the
 full view of everybody. Eddie Jig ger" Higgins may have been given a
 more noisy welcome in other places, but certainly he never received warmer nor more generous one than the greeting accorded his debut in a Waterbury uniform. 'Why, they'll eat that little chap up," said some of the fans. They expected to see giant in stature. But they didn't eat him, not by jugful. That streak of polo lightning swept around and about his adversaries and the only man
 who seemed to be able to stop him at all was Bob Griffith. The latter's duty had been mapped out for him, and all night long he followed little Higgins around the floor, trying in every way to break up the plays. Several times he did it, but more often he didn't.' It was impossible to keep track of him. He darted hithcr and thither juggling the ball as he went and making his teammates hustle to keep up the pace. He is q little bundle of live wires that knows no rest and has all the tricks of the polo game grafted into that busy cranium of his. One of his favOrite pastimes was to get the ball in crotch formed by putting his heels together and go sail ing down the floor, while his oppon- ents were looking to see where the ball had gone. They would learn soon enough as the little chap approached the cage, for out from its hiding place would come the little red fellow and biff, it either went to his assistant rusher or into the cage. He certainly is all that has been claimed for him nn nH Nvh m m al.nss lie sVt the other cities will have to doff their hats.
 But he had an able assistant on the rush line last evening in the per son of Phil Jason. Never has Jason played such game as he did last night. He had been humiliated by the Bridgeport management when they let him go to bring on Cunningham and Lewis. He was looking for revenge. and he got it good and plenty. Man ager Bop Eadie sat In the press box and marvelled as he saw his released rusher playing rings about the stars who had succeeded him. Jason was all 10 the merry and at once jumped into the favor of the big crowd. Were the others on the local team playing polo; Well. some. and then q whole lot more. McGrath. the new man at halfhack played but one period, but in that time he showed that he knows how to play the game, but the crowd wanted to see their old favorite. Tommy Holderness. in the limelight once more. and sO Tommy came on for the last two periods and he played like a Trojan too. better than he has done in some time. And what of Faley: That chap played the game of his life. He went after everything and every body in sight He blocked and he fed the hall up to the rushers. He handled Griffith without gloves on several Oc- casions and he had his bells ringing meTriiy all through the three periods. Cusick dld not have so much to do as on other evenings. but some rf thp stops made by him were sensational and Bob Eadie said it was well that Cusiek was playing such phenomenal goal tending "r the story might have 1 been different.
 Of inc visitors. Lewis showed up tho 1 best He Is a sorSing g0uI man too. 1 There is no doubt but what that cum l can do Letter work than was accomplished last evening. They 1 were up against the wizard last night ! and ts tell tho truth fkc little fellow | inspired his companions to lp gss0l 4 work themselves. Jason ssorpsI the < 1Hly two Egals made iH tic first per i, i@I Higgins t0ok the first one tn the I second and after q bong struggle Gun | ningham score,l one for the visitors. | fs ,-.- .rs-=sg..s1 ss r.. st.sss .,..r.- -. q