Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-01-10
ENGINEERS FROM CITY
PLAYED FAST FOOTBALL
Sergeant Worley Tells of Fierce
Contest That Followed Armi-
stice Signing

"2s-te-S2!' snapped Doc Frogner. quar-
terback Of a football team of Company y,
1o3d Engineers.
In an instant he received the ball. passed
II to Punk Scull and the big fellow was
on and didn't stop until he had planted the
ball between two she'll shattered trees as goal
posts for n touchdown. =
This is but an incident OF a football game
played in France by members OF Company
r.. as described by Sergeant y. l.. Morley.
manager OF the 1914 Northeast High School
football team, in n letter to his father. Fran
els Is. Worley. vice president of the John II.
Virgins Co. Inc, builders.
The boys In this company. all Philadel-
phians. are members of the Iron Division
and did some of the hardest work and fight
ing during the war, but with the signing OF
the armistice they had time 10 put aside
thoughts OF transits, shovels and pontoon
bridges and practice signals for their game
which was staged on Thanksgiving Day at
Nigneulles. a little town in France. which is
little more than twenty-five miles from Metz.
Played on Plateau
"The game" tho letter says. was played
on a large plateau, which but a short time
ago had been a battlefield. From this
plateau one can see twenty-five kilos and
1t was possible TO see Metz in the distance"
The company was divided and two teams
selected for the game. one team, composed
of the stablemen, prided themselves on being
known as the stable Rats" while their OPP
ponents were simply designated Company
b. The kickoff was at 10 a. m. with a crowd
considerably smaller than the one which
usually witnesses the annual Thanksgiving
Day game here. but the soldier spectators
were always eager to cheer their favorites
whenever there was the slightest excuse for
It..
Followers OF ompany Il were led in their
songs and cheering by Charles Ruff. who is
nrrnlnG hpttpr knnVTr1 ~ tha hn,g NJ
Madam Facing the 'B" adherents. those
who put their hope and cash on the stable
Rats" gathered on the other side under the
leadership of "Hollow-leg" Dunlap, their
cheer leader.
Victory went TO the Company r boys. ac-
10 to o.
The game was very spectacular" he said.
Forward passes were executed by both
sides in perfect style and they charged each
other as furiously as we went after the Huns
at Cambria"
Rats In Pads
The Rats" the letter continues. "ap-
peared on the field with pads galore under
meath their uniforms. giving the appearance
or a terribly husky team. They wore regula-
tlon uniforms with their understands on the
outside, Each man had a big letter r.
painted on his shirt. As a mascot the Rats
mad n mule, which. was led on the field by
sam Morris. a member of the Rats football
team. SAM wore a boChe hat and carried a
cane as he dragged the mule on the field.
The mascot was all dressed up for the
affair, the boys having placed a pair OF over.
alls on his front legs and a blanket across
his back on which was painted In several
places keystones and the word Rats"
The lineup sent by Sergeant Worlcy fol-
lows:
COMPANY
George uDocl Thompson. ....... center
,tufus tSiimD, Turner. ".......... right gusrd
Griffin Gi,neX' .Assoiuinih ...... right tscH,e
Norman Punk, sharpe. "......, ieft end
Albert ,Doc. rrosner uarterbaCk
Frank TcceSS,rIic> Woods. ....... III hka IfbaSk
Ira 'Puhk) Soul. ..'fullback
STABLE RAT
George ularmonyl Plunkett. ...... center
@ ri inS'1 tMnGk GSiteS Mo; MTsers. T III sa HSrTd
Elmer iaa 1R Nun bT MSllcn;. . . r dEsi t. tgGs'e
Watson Watts Wagner. right ta end
" !. "Rfsin nssse .shIi,si St,iallic;r:i, Harvey .G 5%r, r fsq
T., %; A, her ,Kn11wi@dSr' sparlins, right halfback
Harry Parade ResU Bonnin.. -. .iuIlback
EEm'SIrs-EtiissS%ffssnn""nntt f Dlscn, c GsmpaGy 7 i
Timekeeper--F, K, woriey, company
=tIiin nssmsn for for c,GR%PsHy ynhac1MnSSsAifssSsd
cheer leader for Company B-charles Va dam)
Cheer leader for "Rats"-waltcr GIollow leg)
%y.!,T Sqym.J@ms; ,Gaokl Ward .p,,, c,,
G.l2) Adair.
TTGoGarcGIMd,"%Smmps y; 10; Rsfs' sSD.r
Goal from Observation-Disclosures.
After the game" says Sergeant Worley,
"the boys lined up for mess. There was no
turkey, but who would be disappointed at
a dinner consisting of prime roast of beef.
filling with brown gravy, creamed tomato
sauce, creamed fresh peas. mashed potatoes.
olives. peaches. jelly tarts, grapes. mixed
candy. coffee and cigarettes?
1.-THE Jazz boys of the company put on a
real snappy minstrel show in a school room
in Nignuelles. Blankets were used as cur
tains and numerous lanterns for footlights.
Benches, were scarce but army life teaches
you to make yourself comfortable under all
so the boys did not mind sitting
on the floor. because they were eager for
enjoyment"
Company b, 1881 Engineers. was organ
lied through Francis *. Morley, father of
Sergeant Worley, and through the Engineers
Club of this city on January s, 1918.