Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-12-09
MISSOURI mem
RECALL TRIP
OF OLD TEAM
Back in 1896 University Of
Missouri Squad Journeyed
to- Mexico City.

Kansas City, Mo-, Dec. 9.-No re-
union of old Missouri university men
Is ever quite regular Or complete un-
til somebody retells the story of The
Missouri team that went to the City of
Mexico in 1896. That team did not
win many scheduled football cams,
but it is unique in the annals of Mis-
souri, football. .. e
Never before or since has a whole
a de-camped. gone A. W. o. L.,
left the territorial boundaries of the
United States. as that team did. some
or Its adventures were recalled here
recently when Holmes Hall of Sedalia,
MO. now federal referee in bank
ruptcy but in 1896. M%issouri's quar-
terback. met George H. English, Jr.,
a colonel in the world war, and now a
practicing attorney. but in those by
cones days manager of M.ssouri's foot
pail team. They went over the whole
thing once more, while grad
yates. 10 whirn the story Of the vag~
rant football team was only a tradi-
ton. listened w~ide-eared.
Telling about it, Colonel English
smiled.
All Swellcd Up.
THE year before" he said. Mis-
u had a wonderfully good team,
And We got all swelled up about it,
ana decided we could beat the world.
When l become football ina
they a left me a schedule that
called for anne with Purdue, Illinois
and Vanderbilt at st. Louis. They all
beat us. and we couldn't persuade
much of anybody living in St. Louis
that football was a good enough game
to pay money to watch. So we lost
money. as we'll as games. We flush
ed the season with a 80 to 0 defeat at
the hands Of Kansas, and then we
played a post-season game with the
University of Texas team. And that
was how the football invasion OF
Mexico began.
When we got to Austin. Texas. we
found a team that We could beat.
There also we found a mar named
George A. Hill. who was promoting a
christmas excursion to the City Of
Mexico. One of the attractions he
had advertised to take along was two
football teams. the University of
Texas can and a picked team OF all
stars. old players. Our defeat of
Iexas rather put a crimp in his plans.
and besides he had been unable to
line up his all stat team satisfactorily.
80 he asked us whether we wouldn't
like to go along, with all expenses
paid. and play the University of Texas
again, at Laredo. Monterey. the City of
Mexico and outlying Joints. AS there
was nothing to restrain US except col
lege discipline. we sal we'd love to-.
We didn't communicate with college
authorities back in Columbia at all.
What would have been the use? They
would only have ordered US to come
home. 1t was on December IL that
we played u scheduled post season
game with Texas at Austin. The
Hill expedition was not due to start
until December "a. So we stuck
around Austin. playing football games,
for Hill. as he was paying out ex-
penses. We played the deaf and dumb
school and one or two other teams of
that genera caliher. M found we
could handle them nicely.
Had Wonderful Time.
Then we all entrained for Mexico.
where everybody had u wonderful
time. We played Texas once at Mon
terey and twice in the City Of Mexico.
and once more in Laredo. Texas, on
the return trip. We beat them every
time.
The Mexicans did not lake the
least inte-est in football. They evil
IDENTIFY regarded it as merely another
bit of evidence pointing to madness of
all Americans. The American colonies
however turned out well for us. l re-
member Hill tried very hard to get
President Diaz of Mexico to come out
to the game. The president thanked
him. but didn't come. He sent out
some chief of staff or aide-de-camp to
occupy the the box that was rendered
him, to show nov he appreciated the
courtesy. And shortly after New
Years we came bac 10 the United
States and returned to Columbia
Here Colonel English smiled again..
"A rather painful period ensued at
Columbia. Their were star chamber
sessions with the disciplinary commit
tee of h faculty and it ended by
the coach of the Missouri team leav-
ing for pastures new. while Tom
Shawhan. captain and halfback. and
English, the manager. were suspended
from the university.
MY SUSPENSE however. was not
such a severe penalty" said the ex-
manager. at was made effective dur
ing the week of the mid-year ex-
aminationa, and os my standing was
luckily good enough to pass in all my
courses without examinations. it mere
ly gav me a weeks holiday while
everybody else was 'boning' for ex-
ANS"