The San Francisco call., 1909-11-14

fornia college there has never been
a better exhibition OF the contest
between two more nearly equal teams.
II there was a shade the better
knowledge OF the game on either side
il was so slight as TO be undiscernable
TO any but the most competent expert,
and if the same teams were to meet
again a week hence the outcome
would be no matter for prejudgment
California outplayed Stanford yester-
day, but the scales trembled from
start to finish of the game With
California just little ragged in team
work at critical moment, and with
Stanford just little surer under CRU
cling conditions, the outcome might
easily have been reversed
Undoubtedly the California team
played the best game yesterday it
has ever played, while Stanford, on
the contrary. did not keep up the
standard OF excellence shown in the
seasons preliminary games. 1t was
hard TO pick the flaw, but still there
was a weakness yesterday that was not
apparent in the earlier games against
less powerful opponents. The Stan
ford team was erratic. At times its
playing was brilliant and spectacular,
but there were periods when, without
sluggishness or glaring errors TO eX-
plain the slump, it utterly failed to
keep up the furious pace The Stan
ford serum showed a decided superb
oritv over that of the blue and gold.
but in the advantage thus gained the
cardinal was powerless at times to fol-
low up the lead, while in the kicking
department and in the loose play the
California backs won the laurels Of the
day
AS a spectacle the game eclipsed any
Of years previous. In the wonderful
setting afforded by the dark green
background Of the Stanford arboretum
there was massed a greater throng
than has ever been drawn TO an ath-
letic event on the Stanford campus
Fifteen thousand is a low estimate of
the crowd that was packed into the
tiers Of seats in the massive horsehsoe
stadium, and il was one of those
joyous, colorful. wildly enthusiastic
throngs that by its very abandon OF
partisan emotion sets the senses throb-
bing TO an inGescribable thrill.
DAY OF GLORIOUS CONTEST
To those whose hearts have felt the
grip Of college patriotism or who have
ever pledged their feslty TO the colors
or either Of the great western univer-
sites, such day as yesterday must
live long in memory. II was a dav of
glorious contest. of surging hopes and
OF JOY or sorrow in the end year
from now the matter Of that score
which stood on the blackboard af tbe
Of WeSfaFGa rr-r Ia
or little moment, but yesterday. while |
the game was being fought. the fate /
Of nations was Of minor consequence
beside its outcome
In the bleachers sat thousands Of mon |
and women whose hearts pulsed TO l
every turn of fortune in the contest 90
ing on before them; two great bodies OF /
undergraduates flung back and forth
across the arena their old time battle |
cries; staid businesspen from the CITY |
shouted until their voices We're worn to /
= whisper; women wept, laughed and |
threw themselves Historically into each |
others arms
The call OF college patriotism lured TO |
the Stanford campus every former Stan
ford man and woman and everv former
California man and woman, who. bv
sacrifice, could make the
journey; those bound TO the city bv
business ties thronged the sidewalks in /
front OF the bulletin boards; off in |
broad stretches of desert or in noun
tain wilds there were other hearts that /
beat for the heroes on Stanford field
during the hours OF contest, and in
cities far away still more ''old grads"
a waited anxiously the news that would |
raise or dash their hopes. For foot
ball day is the deepest dyed of all red /
letter DAYS in the calendars of every
college man and woman.
OLD HEROES ON sIDELINEs
There were many old heroes at the
sidelines yesterday afternoon - men
whose names have been starred in col
eye tradition, and whose appearance on
he field gained them lusty welcome
rom a new generation All told there /
we're no less than j former football
,aptafns of Stanford and California
cams among the spectators at the
same. and with them many other foot
,aIl giants Of former years. and men
Who made their records in other lines
.ovie" overall. big Ben" Stroud.
HeitmuIler. Ed stowe and
eslnb Ru -tbese were among the
rsl5forniaa <ables.y And then there
vere such Nford men as Stump"
:tott. Babe ~oett. Stew" Cotton.
Dufeh, Koern ~eorge Clark Tub
W Lee. ssCharlk ~kert, ~Chet" Muir
nv, ~Billy Erb.A Srown and Har- =