The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1909-07-13
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In The Arena
Then and
Now.
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The lobby was crowded with a yell
ing, cheering. excited crowd and the
air yibrated with the shut-in pulsations
of drum corps trying to snow APP
probation and earn their wage. One
football team had beaten another A
long suffering friend had paid his
good money ana had patiently tried to
explain to me the intricacies of the
game and had been three hours out
in the biting cold and witnessed the
contest. The crowd about me was
mad, but ! kept my temper. | would
! mt even have struck the umpire To
be sure, | was little disappointed
that they didn't kill anyone-at least,
none died on the place.
i fled early from the lobby and in
to the cafe, so as to be ahead of the
crowd. and | was, Just a lap. They
| were all at the bar filling their sys-
TENS with strange booze samples, and
hurting their money at the bartend-
| ers.
| Leaving the shouted inquiries of
who's All Right that pervaded the
| front of the bar. some eight of the
young fellows came over and surround
| cd table near me. Several of them
| affected those economical postage
stamp caps that do stick to the back
of their heads, though you can't ever
understand how. Down at the end was
a Jonathan with large feet and ears,
| wearing back Of his large label re-
| firing forehead and an expression of
anxiety Looking through him | could
| sec an old couple back on tne farm
! with anxiety that matched his as they
wondered at the increasing cost of
| text books He was game, however,
and resolutely again and again swal-
lowing the beer and high balls that
were working so rebelliously in and
| against him, he inserted a large, dan
gerous looking cigar in his face, and
| looked about counting approval.
Next him was the cherished son of
wealthy and about-to-be disappointed
parents. whose aim in life was to
Snow his worth by demonstrating his
ability to scatter his dads surplus.
| Never having had occasion to earn a
! dollar, he had no idea there could be
| trouble in anneXing it, He is now
| studying division and subtraction in
his mathematics. Later on you opine
he will have trouble with his addition
and multiplication Two others are
mostly out of sight behind the badge
and emblems they wear, and might
as we'll be passed anyway. as the fell
low who has TO fasten labels to him
self to remember who no is for, is
only good as q placard. anyway. If
it's all outside, there's no use and no
probability of anything inside
Frequent yells, and "'rah." 'rahs"
came over from the crowd in the beer
and in front of the bar They are
so full of the barkeepers foam and OF
! their own fun and their own super
! fluous life, that they have taken pos
| session in full. It's their night and
their eleven have INDICATED them. It's
the old thing over again, eleven do
the work and eleven hundred d. the
yelling
] can't help but think Of the other
eleven, though l know / ought not.
No one wastes thought on the van
pushed, but ! can not help but think
of the poor fellows they carried of
the field; particularly of the poor chap
with one eve kicked black and the
other all bloody, and who fought to
still stay in the scrimmage. lie was
both bruised and beaten, and his
thoughts, if he be conscious, must be
anything but happy.
Involuntarily. my mind carries me
back TO the time I stood at the arena
of the old Coliseum in Rome and pic
tured to myself the fifty thou.
sand that used to populate it ana
look down on its tragedies turning
thumbs down to see the vanGuished
die The times aren't 20 different. Tho
! spirit is much the same. I'm the quiet
OF our homes we deplore rough work
on the eridiron. but in the arena we
in emergency mutter. Kill him"
History repeats itself ! opine that
i'm those old times after the arena.
! the old Roman Charlie Boys" used
to gather at the thirst dispensary and
throw their surplus at the polite at
tendants and 'rah r1h and ask.
Whats the matter with Claudius?"
and answer their own question then
just as they do now D. Gates in
! The Clay Worker
! -