Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1915-11-17
EARLY FOOTBALL.


Al ~ Members u he TIVE Ls~sr
Classes Ws~s In II and h Wss nsrs
q "a Pre- Flight rhsn . Dali Msssh
psaAh and Rssur~sssio~ of Ne oa~A
yootbsii was played In Auasrtcan col
lsgss a early a. 1900 Ths teams
wuv mAde up from ail ths students
who happened 10 b On hand Tho OBJ
jsct Of each Side was b drive tho BAN
acrosn q givcn line. Tho players could
not carry tho ball IN tisir hands. but
hAd to kick Il
IN The year i8<0 ths nrst football
gAnS @AArtM ~ t1Usd On ths
Delta, q small triangular piece of
ground. The contest waa bsewssn I'll
TIN members Of tho two bower ciassss
and proved NOT % much q football
game ~ q fight whsn, IN iScn N
faculty rOrbade that sort ce contest
ths students bald q sclsznn burial ssrv-
ice over tho football Over tho grave
thay efcctsd tabast that bors The
following inschption:
lilo Jeosa
xoo<ban Twhsmn ~
ooiit July I inn
Asl LIZ xesS
And tn twelve ysars football -N-
surHsd." whsn. In iS11 ~ c,An u
~ played ths cisss oe 'TS On Bostpa
commpn.
oddiy enough. ths hisexy q ~
gams af Yais was noch ths sasns -
4 was at Harvard Tns sposs whlch
had bssn abolhhed thsrs IN ie00 cana
10 hfs again IN i67A whsn ths Yals
Football association wNs founded and
. gams WA played with Columbia
In iAoo Princeton and Rutxnr paay-
a the nrst intercollegiate gams IN
Amsrin. It was not unti1 iS72 that
Oxford and Cambridge. IN England. ~
rxneed contest
In the gams played at Harvard b.
fors i67S there were no goal pcsta. 10
mako q goal one aldo had 10 strike "
kick thA bali on the ny over tho cnd
line Of The Geld. II the opposing side
caught II no goal resulted. A '1urtsr'
or offnids player could mot kick the BAN
A player could not run with Il unless
he was chased by an opponent. but
could strike II or kick Il Tho ball was
madc OF black rubber cloth inflated
into q sphere.
In tho spring OF 1874 the students
at McGiil university In Montreal. Can.
ada. came to Cambridge to play Har.
ward university a game OF Rugby foot
ball.
According 10 tho Rugby rules, = play.
er could run with the ball and any
opponent could tackle him. A goal was
scored when ono side Kicked the bali
over the goal posta A score was also
made by a touchdown when player
carried the bali behind the opponents
goal line and there touched II TO tho
ground.
The Canadians had forgotten 10 bring
the oval pigskin football that In used
In Rugby. and that first game Of Rug
by In America was played with mn In
dia rubber football. Perhaps thnt &C.
counted for the fact that the pupils
were able to defeat the teachers.
All Harvard took interest In the now
game. Football enthusiasts quickly
realized that the old American game
did not have the possibilities for devel.
opment that Rugby had. During tho
spring and fall tho Harvard team prac.
ticed diligently and In October went TO
Montreal to play a return game with
McGill Posters and window cards ad.
vertiscd the game throughout the city.
and crowd OF 1000 spectators was
attracted to tho 6eld.
The McGill players wore red and
black striped jerseys, stockings and
white knickerbocker. The Harvard
players wore magenta handkerchiefs
and jerseys and old tweed trousers.
Neither team had any protective pad.
ding.
Tho Boston Advertiser ot Oct %,
1874, gives the following account Of
the game,
"The game was called at $50. and at
8 Harvard was declared tho winner.
having secured three touchdowns. In
response to tho tiger Of the McGils,
tho Harvard 'rahs' were delivered with
vim. and every stranger on the Geld
seemed much astonished at the style
d tho cheer. many being disposed 10
think II a Joke The small boys yelled
for another. and a second was given
for tho umpire. Tho Victoria band