The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-12-14
Entertaining the Populace.

A month ago in little hotel in a
village of Virginia one might have
seen a placard on the wall warn
ing" travelling men to avoid Lynch
burg on a day to come on account
Of a game Of football to be played
between Washington and Lee Uni
versity and Virginia Polytechnic
Institute Lynchburg hotels would
be crowded. The placard carried
the name of the most prominent
hotel in Lynchburg. Next day, the
day before the game. one saw IN the
lobby Of the Lynchburg hotel pho
tographs of the two elevens that
were to battle on the LynchburG
gridiron. Before them stood pair
Of hotel servants, negroes, bell
hops" they are commonly called,
and a travelling man overheard
their animated conversation. One
was an enthusiastic backer Of the
University team and the other was
scarcely less confident the Poly
technic would win. Both evidently
expected to see the battle or, if not,
to lay q wager on the event.
Why were ~. p. l." and Wash
ington and Lee coming to Lynch
burg to play football? The answer
is simple Blacksburg. where one
Of the schools is Located, is a vii
lage and Lexington, the home of
the other. is a little town. Lynch
burg is a city Of 10000 Or 10000
inhabitants, having excellent rail
road connections, and from a grid
iron battle there five Or six times
the money is to be had as in either
of the college towns.
Now modern football is an eX-
pensivc game. Coaches for Wash
ington and Lee and V. p. /. cost
perhaps $4,000 or $4,000 q year.
The burden Of raising il is far too
great for students. even with The
assistance Of alumni The populace
must contribute and so the game
must so whore the populace, not
the college is at home. Football
must be made a spectacle for all
the people, not excluding the bell
hops who have money, who get tips
in the hotels of Virginia. The col
legc, to get money for football,
must get the tips Of the bell hops,
and If it do not furnish football and
make itself one Of the providers of
popular amusement. il will lose
students. Why should students en-
roll ir. an institution that does no
more than teach chemistry, math-
ematics. English and such things
thoroughly?
1t is the unvarnisfed fact that
the colleges. especially the country
colleges are compelled in these
days to subordinate their ancient
office. sometimes 10 degrade them
selves, that the people Who care
deal about football nay be enter
tanned The people directly hire
baseball clubs 10 amuse them.
which is perfectly proper and
right Indirectly they are hiring
the colleges to do much the same
thing and a college ought not TO be
for hire.
Meanwhile. the country colleges
are at great disadvantage One is
not greatly surprised that, as in
tercollcgiate football organization
grows becomes more complex and
costly. larger difficulty in maintain
ing elevens is experienced by such
institutions as Sewanee and Clen-
son. They can do little playing at
home
Ten years ago. even three years
ago. football was. comparatively. n
backward sport in this part Of the
country. 1t has made great strides
lately. 1t is costing moro money
Wherever is 4 city having a coI!esv
are men to put the money up. \
church college in Birmingham has
offered one of the praying Col
onels" of Kentucky $35.00o to
coac!, its team five years And