The Alaska citizen., 1916-03-27
EROF sSSOR WILSON
 SAVED THE DAY.

Parke II Davis, Prineeton's mem. Der of the football rules committee and one of the great story tellers of the sport recently was asked for fresh aneCdote of the grid iron Well" said he, here is an old one which the magic of recent events has made new:
 Tn 1889 Lehigh's football team was coached by Richard Harding Davis. it's old end rush and foot. ball founder There was some mar vclous material on that team: Blunt Coates. Warriner and Dashiell, the latter now a professor al the Naval Academy and a member of the foot. ball rules committee.
 As result Lehigh had most successful season, beating all the minor colleges of Pennsylvania, also the University of Pennsylvania, and playing a close game with Yale.
 in the same year Wesleyan cleaned up the minor New England colleges also beat the University of Penn sylyania and scored on Yale. Wes lcyan was coached that fall by it's captain H D. Slayback, and by a young professor of history
 Late in the season an interseC- tional game was arranged between Lehlgh and Wesleyan for Thanks giving Day at Hampden Park, Springfield, Mass. To sharpen the encounter between these sectional champions a rumor became rife as the day approached that if Lehigh won her representatives would ask for Wesleyan's place as a member of the old Intercollegiate Football Association with Harvard. Pennsyl- yania, Princeton and Yale.
 Thanksgiving Day arrived, and with it a regular nor'easter. Hamp- den Park was a sliding slough of mud. and the rain pelted the play CTS with sheets of water. To the consternation of the New England players. the Lehigh team proved far stronger than anticipated and be- gan 10 rip Wesleyan to pieces, the heavy Lehigh backs and line having a great advantage on the nl idy field. Twice Lehi2n crossed Wes- leyans line for a touchdown. and hn
 Tn this crisis figure left the sideline and walked over in front of the stands where Wasleyan's g followers were sitting. He was clad in rubber boots, a long black rub be1 coat and carried an umbrella. Closing his umbrella and using it as baton with which to empha- size his remarks, he called upon those Wesleyan men to cheer and to cheer with every ounce of vim and power that was in them.
 Now concerted cheering was not the fine art IT 1889 that it is today. Soon, however, the Wesleyan cheer
 
 the umbrella swung and again a cheer rattled out on the lime lines. The effect Was magical. Wesley ans players at once took heart, pulled themselves together, and away went her backs, Peck McDon- aid Slayback and Hall, crashing and smashing into that Brown and White line.
 Soon a touchdown was scored. Still the umbrella swung. Still r> sponsive to it's lead the cheers vol, uminously rolled across the grid iron, and the Wesleyan team main tained it's gaIt. A second touchdown it finally ended in draw
 AS the Lehigh players left the field some of them curlously asked who the man was that had organized that cheering rally. Oh said the Wesleyan men, that is our pro- lessor of history, who has helped to coach us
 If those Lehigh players heard that professors name cn that me morable day In 1889 it probably pass ed from thel" memories years ago If they were 10 hear it again today however they would remember 1t as long as they live. It was Wood row Wilson