Evening star., 1914-07-05

| he literally plowed through the California
team for a score. but didn't get up IN
hurry.
Il had seen him out for brief spells
after fierce tackles by Burek and Stookey,
but always up in a minute. In TINS RUGBY
| match he lasted only few minutes: a1.er
his try he was led to the noSlntai III d
daZed condition.
"One of the Los Angeles best foot oai!
players and huskiest men after years OF
American foot ball was battered down
and out in his first big Rugby match.
I'm American he had been protected Dy
knees. straight arm and padding in Rugby
he could use none of these to advantage.
A runner is usually tackled just as he has
passed or is passing the ball, and tnus
| throws out every vital spot to his oppo-
nent.
The team soon found that northern
teams played by the letter OF the law
and not the spirit. The rule book says
that interference is not allowable. ou,
somebody was in the way every time we
tried to stop the man with the ball our
frontrankers ut-hooked CALIFORNIA;. but
that didn't Worry the blue jerseys About
half the forwards loafed on-side ana
when the ball shot out to Alber tnere
were three or four blue men on nano 10
dispute possession.
1T wasn't game at all. but a pitched
battle On our side fifteen husky men
trying to play Rugby as it theoretically
should be played. On the other nfteen
\
American coach knew it should be played
to win.
Rugby rulings are SO indefinite ana
general that the latitude allowed each
referee for his own Interpretation aoso-
luteiy spoils uniformity
Spectators and players think they un-
derstand the game one day: the next,
under a new refree, 1t is absolutely ol1-
ferent.
The winning or losing of the game de-
pends on the referee chosen. so the game
is won or lost by the manager. coach or
committee provided the two teams are
near equal before che first "histie IS
blown.
NO matter how square man the can
didate or referee may be, no matter II d
manager knows that he is competent and
fair. that manager hands the game 70
his opponents before play starts II MS
coach does not agree with said referees
rule interpretations and the opposing
coach does.
Again if one team has played under
a certain referee. and opponents have
not, then the team which knows his per-
sonal opinion of how Rugby should be
played and has adapted its play accord
ingly. has the game pocketeo. NortneIn
schools have known this for long time
we found it out by sad experience
1T was at the end of this series Wea-
yer changed from a loyal Rugbyite to an
American supporter. He is English, too.
and you know what it takes to make an
Englishman change his mind when once
it is made up.
II think the only man we didn't ask to
act as referee was the chief of police,
and he was the only man for the place.
1T was under the referees control
one minute and out the next. Fer the
life of me couldn't see but what Referee
Elliot did as well as he could under the
circumstances. The fighting always
broke out in some distant part and be
fore he arrived on the scene everybody
was lighting Gncluding some of the spec
tators)."
This is all the quoted view Of those
who are out on the coast. ana nave
printed it because I believe from my &C
auaintance with the heads of the two uni
versities at Berkeley and Stanford that
they were personally convinced when
they forbade the American game and
adopted Rugby that they were doing the
best for the youth committed to their
charge. If they become convinced that
the game played by all the rest of the
schools and colleges in the United States
has been so improved as to be possible
for them and at the same time that Rug
by as now played has such disadvantages
as would be indicated. they will permit
their teams to play American foot ball,
and if they do then the rest of the coun-
try will find that Stanford and Berkeley
will become names to conJure with III
foot ball as they have in track and ten
mis-.
The latest examples of western prowess
were the victories of Drew Kelley and
Borgstrom of the University of Southern
California at the Penn relay. and now
Leland Stanford University, to add to
the interest in Pacific coast athletes, has
just sent a tennis team on east, which, in
two successive days. defeated the Yale
tennis team and followed it up by de-
featine the Harvar. tennis team.
And though the season of tennis cham
pionships is not yet under full sway.
enough has been seen of the playing of
Lindley Murray, the latest youth to
come out of the west to mark him as
being one of the most promising play
ers in our country. 1t is even being pre-
dicted that, though quite young and COM
paratively inexperienced, he will be
called upon to aid in the defense of the
Davis cup. Should he be named a MEM
ber of our team the contest will look
much like California Us. All-Comers. for
it is almost certain that Mclaughlin and
Bundy will play in the doubles While our
hone in the singles matches will depend
upon Mclaughlin. r. Norris Williams
of Philadelphia and perhaps young Muir
ray.
It ,s pleasing to read that Prof Daniel
nary has taken occasion in an address
to make the following statement:
"We are making Intellectual prigs. not
democratic citizens, by our methods of
education, and trying to force it into the
minds of the youngest children"
He further says that the child should
be allowed natural development before
We begin to practice upon 1t our theories
in modern education. Let the child play
with other children In the neighborhood
instead of pinning it down to theories
which are i'll advised and merely specu-
latiye in their nature
A confirmation of his statement comes
| from Los Angeles that Miss Esther Rich
ards, an infant prodigy, who when nine
years old, wrote Greek play and did
marvellous other feats in mathematics.
| has at the age of twentyeieht, just at
| tempted suicide.
As the dispatch says. she condensed
| the educational experience of whole
! lifetime into twenty-eight years
And while spea king of the natural quail
.ttes demanded of great leaders, George
| Hillard in his life Of George b. Nc
| Clellan voiced a similar sentiment when
| lie said: NO man can be a great officer
| who is not infinitely patient of details.
| for an army is an aggregation of details,
| a defect in any one of which may de-
strov or impair the whoe-the whole
| chain is no stronger than its weakest
! link
Normal growth of healthy character