Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-01
OLD-TIME FOOT BALL PLAYERS
WHO WERE WONDERS IN THEIR DAYS
Big Men for the Most PART But Bunch of Little Fellows Mixed
1n-Local Business Men Were Very Much to the Fore Fiji
or Twenty Years go-Phil King and But
terworh Greatest of Local Contingent.

long distance variety. He is practicing
lawyer at the present time.
Church Brothers.
Bobby Church. the once famous Prince
ton tackle. and now a surgeon in the
United States Army, Is another Washing
ton boy, who made name for himself on
the gridiron field. He was game to the
core, and when he was officiating as the
only surgeon that the Rough Riders had
in Cuba. he more than proved his courage
by the way he went out on the firing line
and carried the wounded men into the
hospital tent on his shoulders.
Richard Harding Davis. speaking Of
this stunt of Bobby's. said In Scribner' S
Magazine. that the first time that he had
ever seen Surg. Church with a man on
his shoulders Tas during a game that
Princeton and Yale played, and Mr..
Davis stated that on this occasion Bob
Church was trying to struggle across the
Yale line with the ball in his arms and
three Yale men hanging on his Shout
ders.
Bobs younger brother. the ever popular
Billy Church. was a classy tackle at
Princeton in the middle sos. and in this
position Billy made a name for himself
in the foot ball world. Billy was q much
larger man than Bob. and could easily
have played a guard position but as q
tackle he was all to the merry, and for
big man he was marvelousiy quick.
His line bucking was his strongest point
He was such hardy chap that he was
never hurt during his entire four years
of foot ball. Billy Is with a big iron
manufacturing concern up in Pittsburg.
Zee and Dickinson.
Ralph Lee. now prominent real estate
broker in this city. is another Washing
tGp foot ball man who made a record for
hirnc Uh he q
Lehigh. and as an end there were few
his equal.
Ralph Lee was a splendid man at get
ting down the field on a kick, and he was
also right on the job when it came to In
reference. He combined speed. strength.
nerve. quickness and headwork, and with
these five essentials he was able to help
his college on to victory in many a hard
fought game.
"Tubby" Dickinson, who is perhaps one
Of the best known athletes Washington
ever produced, was also a notable foot
ball man when he played on the Union
College team at Schenectady.
"Tubby" was in these days as hard as
iron and swept the field like a whirlwind
AS a member of the famous all-college or
Sanization, the {. A. c., which won the
foot ball championship Of the south, beat
ing such colleges as Georgetown, Uni
versity of Virginia and other nifty teams,
Dickinson was a star and no mistake.
He is now in business in this city.
Big "Pat" Wells.
Pat" Wells, once a star on the La
fayette College team, is another Wash
ingtonian who played swell foot ball as a
tackle when at Lafayette. Pat had no SUI
perors and few equals. and when cap
tain of the famous C. A. c. outfit Pat
Gil b
victory.
Hawley Taussig and his brother Char
ley. who made good as ends for the Cor
nell varsity team, were Washington boys,
and were the smallest ends that ever
Played on big college teams in the his
tory of the game. These two little men.
who played at different periods, were the
stars Of their respective teams, and the
greatest players of that day found 1t i'm
possible, except on rare occasions, to
circle the ends which the Taussig boys
guarded. Hawley is in business in Phila-
relphia. while Charley is an officer in the
Marine Corps.
Brothers Weaver.
The three Weaver boys, Dave. George
and Louis. who have since become prom
inent as golf players, used to play good
foot ball, and Dave was one Of the best
ends that this town turned out.
He played at Columbian and was also
a member Of Pat Wells noted c. A. G.
outfit. Davy was a gritty player and was
also a mighty fast man getting down the
field on kick, while as a tackler he
threw his man for keeps.
Johnnie Shields, who made q name for
himself at the Delaware University. was
great fullback, and good many critics
at the time thought he was almost the
equal Of any man behind the line at that
period.
He was game to the core. a fine punter
and when 1t came to bucking the line,
Johnny could be counted on to gain. He
is now engaged in the real estate bust
ness in this city, and his stalwart figure
can be seen almost any day In the bust
ness district.
Veazey, once famous Dartmouth half
back, is another Washingtonian. whose
great foot ball qualities reflected credit
on his home city. He was known far and
wide as one of the best halfbacks of his
day. He was reckoned as the hardest
man in the business to stop. when he once
got under way.
Lee Harlan, the well known golf ex-
pert. was another Washington man VINO
played foot ball up to the notch. He was
a good man either behind the line or at
end. He was a member of the Columbian
University team, and also played with
Pat Wells c. A. c. aggregation.
Assemblyman Cummings.
Big Cy Cummings, once q noted George
town University guard. and now a dele
gate to the Maryland house of repre-
sentatives. was a classy player when he
was in active athletics. He was as
strong as a bull. and his great height and
weight were obstacles not easy to over
come
Cy is a familiar sight about the streets
of Washington. and his friends expect
to see him occupying seat in Congress
most any old time In the future.
Dick Beall. president of the Richard ].
Beall Construction Company, was an
bother we'll known Washington foot ball
man. AS an end he would tackle any,
thing while his feetness of foot was re-
markable. He was also a great athlete
in other lines.
But to go on and mention the names
and deeds would be an endless task.
Washington ranks second to no city in
America In either the number or the
quality of foot ball heroes and it 10 hoped
that her present day representatives will
strive to emulate the deeds of their
predecessors. and by doing. SO, shed fur
Their glory on the Capital city, and make
splendid regulations for themselves as