The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-11-21

day papers. Everybody goes. and
thereby hangs a tale.
Among the ultra-exclusives of the
..everybodys'' present is one you can't
miss. You hear him before you see
him. and you still hear him after he's
gone. He isn't alone. Along with him
are about a million others of the
same species-judging from the noise
they make. And what a sight for the
gods and men he is. To be sure.
You look at him moment on first
sight. blink your eyes, wipe your
glasses and take a second look. Yes,
he seems to be human. When your
eyes finally become accustomed to the
sight and your ears tn the noise. you
recognize him as real .rah-rah'
boy. Reposing proudly on the lapel
of his dare-devil-cut coat is a large
yellow chrysanthemum. that is. 1t
must be a chrysanthemum. because a
head of hair couldn't possibly be at
fixed in that position to anyone's
shoulders. Fastened directly under
the aforesaid flower is a bunch of
fluttering ribbons. They are his col
1ege coiors. BY them he swears-
more often than not in profanity.
At his side he carries dappcr little
wand. to the end of which are at
tached more of the same variegated
ribbons. A harmless weapon? Yes.
but wait till you see him In action.
! When he mounts one of the seats in
the grandstand and cries in a hoarse.
beilicose voice: Come on. feflahs.
let's give thwee cheers for dean old
Havad-but not too loud to be vul-
gar.''-when he shouts that. then you
see what that dapper little wand is
! intended fer. 1t is used to knock the
hat off the old gentleman in front of
him and to poke in the eye Of the
chappie next To him. Incidentally. it
may be mentioned, it is also useful
as baton with which to impart a
certain rythm to the cheering.
He is necessary to any football
game conducted according to the
etiquette of the first circles. Without
him, there'd be no game. In fact he
comes near being the whole game
himself. And what "A serious time it
is for him! He storms up and down
the sidelines roaring like n lion seek
ing his prey. He has a chip on both
shoulders and dares anyone To knock
them Off. He initiates his chest like
a blaeksmith's bellows, and then let's
II out all at once in ii series of c. Q.
ID. spasms. twisting himself inside
out into knots that would be the I'M
dying envy Of any jui-iitsu expert in
the land of the cherry blossoms. Just
about the time you're on the point of
calling in an oestopath. he comes out
of it--and goes back again a few sec
onds later. You give il up as hope
less task.
Scarcely less conspicuous is the foot
ball damsel. This same young lady
can assist at an afternoon tea with
the grace and charm of gentle ga
zelle or say absolutely singing things
about another girl in the softest kind
of kid-gloye voices. But you'd never
imagine her capable of such things
from her actions at the game
Though the English parliament lead
ers are not aware of il. perhaps.
every football damsel at a game is an
embryo suffragette. The only differ
ence between her and the ull-fledged
variety is that one is i'm the first
reader and the other has taken a post
graduate course. Both have the same
idea-of starting something that the
men will have To finish.
Always-always be it noted-there
are a number of the .'oid grads at
every big football game. Now. an old
grad is a graduate of the college
years ago who still Keeps aflame in
his heart u patriotic zeal for his alma
matters success on the gridiron. He
is almost a sacred institution of the
game. And he is, indeed. privileged
eharacter-especiailY ii he played on
the team in his own day. 1t is mat
ter OF record that not more than |
seven and five-esghths per cent of col |
lege graduates follow the fortunes of |
their teams in after years. let alone /
coming back for the big game of the |