University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1911-10-19


a day in November twenty-One years
ago when the teams of the two uni
versities first met in football. And,
it their memories are good, and they
like the game of football, they will
give a silent vote of thanks 20 The
Myrtle and Maroon, whose payers
caused MissOuri's first football team
to come into being.
1t was on Friday, October l..
1890, that a permanent organization
of Varsity football team was made,
under the management of DIR. A. L.
McRae, with Mark Anderson and
Frank Ray as assistants. Captain
Littell led the team. The purpose
Of this organization was to answer
a challenge sent by Washington Uni
versity to play football. The wO-
mems colleges of Columbia were
urged to contribute funds, as the
athletic department was not in exis-
tence then, and with this money it
was proposed to buy caps and. ban
ners.
Washington handled the business
end of the transaction as the game
was to be played in St. Louis. Or
ders for 5000 tickets We're placed,
700 placards. and 100 posters. 4 x7
inches. The street cars were
placarded. The round trip rate of
So was expected to bring crowds to
the city for the game.
November % was the day. About
two hundred went down from Co
lumbia to see the game, while those
who could not go waited anxiOusly
at the Herald Office for the telegram.
the first Tigers that ever played
game were beaten, % to 0. The ref
erees were Alfred Hubbard and Mr..
Simpkins, both Harvard men. The
newspapers next day said that the
game settled the Western champion
ship, as the two biggest colleges in
the West had played. This seems to
have been the only game played that
year. Some consolation was de-
rived from the fact that Washington
had played football the previous
year.
In those days a player apparently
had to look tough in order to be
really player, and Missouri players
were not behind in looks. Jackets
that laced up to the neck we're then
wOrr, and trousers of any descrip-
tion.
In those early days, says P. B.
(BOOch) Venable, there was no
scrub team, and the regulars had
nothing to try their strength against,
SO l would go out to the field to help
make the eleven for the practice. The
present fire chief, Bert Newman, was
one of those that played. If there
were not enough, We would run in
ely negro that happened to be stand
ing on the sidelines."
No field was marked off for the
players. They used the block on
which the Missouri store now stands
and also the Read Hall block. There
were no eligibility rules.
why, there used to be fellows on
the team who were never students at
ALL" said Mr.. Venable. "One giant
weighing 22O pounds. who worked in
the water and light plant, was on the
team ,and there were men who would
take out student cards and never at
tend classes at all. Any likely man
was run in to make the team"
Many of the old players are still
about Columbia Curtis Hill, who
was on the first team, is now state
highway engineer, having his offices |
in the new agricultural building
Professor Corey, who was recently
in California, was one of the
old players. When men were scarce |
ard the prospects bad the coach got |
into the team and helped things
along, as did Coach Robinson in the
1893 team.
'One laughable OCCASION" con-
tinued Mr.. Venable, "was when a |
big fellow came off the fl Id nearly
and complaining that some
body had stepped on his foot. At |
that time they wore tennis shoes to |
play in.
When "BOoch" reached the pict-
ure of the 1909 team in his collec-
titn of football pictures, he said:
They're the boys. as good a team as
was ever turned out"
"BOOch" said he believed the ma
terial this year was as good as we
ever had. The accident that put
Hackney off the team may be turned |
to some good. he said. for now the
members of the team may do the