The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1909-07-20
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In The Arena
Then and
Now.
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The lobby was crowded with n yell
ing, cheering. excited crowd and the
air vibrated with the shut-in pulsations
OF a 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 l would
MT even have struck the umpire. To
be sure, l was little disappointed
that they didn't kill anyone-at least,
none died on the place"
fed early from the lobby and in
to the cafe, so as to be ahead of the
crowd. and l 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
ed 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 a re-
firing forehead and an expression OF
anxiety. Looking through him could
see an old couple back on the 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 n large, dan
gerous looking cigar in his face, and
looked about counting approval.
Next him was the cherished son of
wealthy and aboutto-be disappointed
parents, whose aim in life was to
SHOW his worth by demonstrating his
ability to scatter his dads surplus.
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 ont of sight behind the badge
and emblems they wear, and might
as well be passed anyway. as the fell
low who has to fasten labels to him
self to remember who he is for, is
only good as a plaeard, anyway. II
it's all outside, there's no use and no
probability of anything inside.
Frequent yelIs, and "'rah," rahs"
came over from the crowd in the beer
and in front of the bar. They are
so full of the barkeeper's 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 ID the
yelling.
/ cant help but think Of the other
eleven. though / know I ought not.
No one wastes thought on the van
pushed, but / can net help but think
of the poor fellows they carried off
the field; particularly of the poor chap
with one eye kicked black and the
other all bloody, and who fought to
stu stay in the scrimmagc. lie was
both bruised and beaten. and his
thoughts, if he be conscious, must be
anything but happy.
Involuntary. my mind carries me
back to the time I stood at the arena
of the old Coliseum I'm Rome and pic
tured to myself the fifty thou.
sand that used to populate it ana
look down on it's tragedies. turning
thumbs down to see the vanqushod
die. The times aren't so different Tho
spirit is much the same I'm the quiet
of our homes we dcplorc rough work
on the gridiron. but in the arena we
in emergency mutter. kill him"
History repeats itself ! opine that
in those old times. after the arena.
the old Roman Charlie Boys" used
to gather at the thirst dispcnsary and
throw their surplus at the polite att
tendants and 'rah 'rah and ask.
whats the matter with Claudfus?'
and answer their own question thcu
just as they do NOW. ID. Gates i'm