New-York tribune., 1921-11-27
Army Mascot
CetsDanpened,
Otherwise @. X.
Midshipmen's Money and
Confidence Are Strongly
in Evidence Before Came
By Jack Lawrence

tnc SeVern nad pun across thaN one
monumental touchdown the goat with
the gilded horn perked up considerably
and spent the remainder Of the after
noon eating grass along the sidelines,
much after the manner of one Hughey
Jennings.
We mention the gilded horn because
the other one was painted blue in a
color that was obviously not fast
enough for the existing weather condi-
tions. The blue trickled down into
Bills eye and was blending curiously
with his shaggy yellow beard when
hostilities ended.
The Annapolis mascot played prom
inent role in the great departmental
drama. He was seldom out of the
picture and, with couple Of ensigns
to keep him in touch with what was
going on, he ambled un and down the
field in the wake Of the battling
elevens. He looked damp and miserable
enough as he led the parade Of mid
saturated spectators roared tremend-
Gus greeting. However, he is a
sophisticated, almost supercilious goat,
even in q nor'east drizzle.
The result Of the game may have
Justified the superabundance of con-
fidence that the midshipmen and their
friends took to the Polo Grounds yes
terday. Fifteen minutes before the
game started there was so much Navy
money running around loose that the
odds in many cases were shot to all
sorts Of unwarranted figures. Anna
polls supporters were always ready to
offer two to one and as game time ap-
Ing to get their money down at almost
any figure. Two young ensigns tore
up and down the Army side five
minutes before the kickoff fourishing
wads of greenbacks. They were finally
giving the West Pointers five to one in
q frenzied effort to get their money
down. A similar display Of Navy
coin, with no such fortunate result for
the midshipmen, was seen last summer
just before Dick Glendon's crew went
down to defeat bsfore Princeton.
Yesterdays service struggle proved
eonclusively that meteorological dis
turbances have no terrors for the foot
ball public. The cold, penetrating
rain that blew down from what felt
like the coast of Labrador carried the
breath Of pneumonia, influenza and
rheumatism in its teeth. 1t drenched.
the spectators, ruined wondrous bon
nets, bedraggled expensive gowns and
made priceless furs look like some
thing the cat dragged in.
Was the crowd daunted? Not bit
of it. II there was an empty seat in
ko% nAn f0-
dium it was not visible from the
press stand. The ladies flung news
papers, blankets, wrapping paper and
other available protection over their
hats and forgot them once the absorb
ing affaiz on tho field got under way.
Persons familiar with Polo Grounds
crowds through years of experience
declared that the throng was the great
est ever assembled at sporting event
on Manhattan Island. The lowest esti-
from there up to $4,000. 1t is fairly
certain that there were $4,000 within
the historic Brush battlements by the
time the second quarter was under
way.
The crowd exceeded by many thou
sands any that ever saw a baseball
game at the Polo Grounds, even during
the recent worlds series. Temporary
wooden bleachers erected In left field
held extra thousands, while the side
line seats which surrounded the field
were jammed. There were at least
dition to the throng within the en-
closure hundreds Of ticketless fans
parked themselves along the slippery
crags of Mr.. Coogan's granite cluffs.
Others crowded the edges of the I'D
Jumel estate high up on the bluff,
from which the playing field must have
been mist-smeared and dismal blur.
Several sedate and middle-aged gents
sat throughout the game in the open
bleachers wearing silk toppers which
looked as though they needed non-skid
chains. The silken dicers will prob
ably be scrapped to-day along with
lot of other new bonnets that proved
poor substitutes for sou'westers.
Out on Eighfh Avenue bunch Of
thoughtful merchants sold rather dI
ous-looking umbrellas at SIS per
handle. An umbrella in the bleachers,
however, was worth two on Eighth
Avenue.
Captain Ezra Triplett, commander Of
the Kawa, was an early arrival. A
ripple Of applause ran through the
stands as the intrepid explorer took
his seat. He smiled gravely as some
one on the Army side megaphoned:
"Hey. Cap. where's Traprock?"
In the first half there was q lot Of
muddy milling over the spot in the in
field where Johnny Rawlings made that
historic stop with his teeth which end
ed the late worlds series and scaled
the Yankees down the skids of defeat.
The Navy goat and the Army mule
were photographed in the center of the
gridiron just before the battle, and it
was obvious that little love was lost
between them. In fact, the mule aimed
furtive kick in Bills direction which
was almost good for a touchdown.
That's about as close as the Army cams
to scoring.
Certain veteran fans In the stands
seemed to get some consolation out of
the fact that an Army and Navy game
mas been played right here in New
YORK under more depressing conditions
Una, 1mah tnose that prevailed yesterday
lnis, according to the vets, was in
1918, when President Wilson attended
the big show for the Arst time. On
that occasion the Army eleven tore
through rain. hail, sleet and snow for
q 22--9 victory.
President Harding was unable to
shake himself free of the arms confer