The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-10-18
Twenty Men Make Trip With Team For Annual Clash. Only Eight In Group Who Made Trip Last Year

ABOARD PLAINSMEN SPECIAL Oct. 17.-(SpecaD- members of the Auburn team, the lightest that over represented the Orange and Blue of the gridiron, concluded the first day of their eastward journey for Army Wednesday, with an hours s close attention to head football Coach Johh Pitts as he outlined vari- ous formations in use this year by the Army. Coach Pitts used small blackboard in his explanations, being assisted by Coaches Hutsell, Wilson and Cole, who gathered the squad at one end of the car for instruction.
 With West Point their destination and their objective the Army Mule, the Tigers who compose the squad on their jaunt up the Hudson are having an interesting trip punctured with many entertaining features Upon their arrival in Washington early Thursday morning, they will be conducted over the national capitol on a sightseeing tour which will end at noon with sumptuous lunch con at the New Willard hotel.
 To Practice Thursday.
 At o'clock. Thursday afternoon the Plainsmen will hold a light work out on the Georgetown gridiron. Fol lowing their practice the Auburn gridders will have supper and attend a show before turning into theiI berths for a good nights sleep in preparation for an early arrival in New York city Friday morning. After spending several hours in the big town the Plainsmen will entrain again at noon for the last lap of their intersectional trip, arriving in West Point in time for a long signal drill on the playng field of the cadets Friday afternoon.
 Captain Reagan had a bad half hour with photographers as the Plainsmen special halted twenty min utes in Atlanta Wednesday morning. The wiry Tiger leader found it diff ficult to assume fighting pose for the photographers when faced by a grinning squad of teammates who seriously interferred with the mod esty of Captain Rip" The squad posed for several newspaper photo graphers who met the train!
 The entire coaching staff of the Georgia Tech eleven met the train in Atlanta and conversed with the Tiger coaching staff while the train halted In the party were Coast Alex Al exander, Joe Bean and-several mem bers of the Golden Tornado varsity We also recognized Al" Doonan whom Montgomerians will remem- Der as the field judge of the col legiate tract meet held at Cramtor howl in May. All of them had smiles and hearty good wishes for the sue cess of the Tigers on their sectior intersectional game with the Wes' Pointers.
 Only Eight Old Men.
 Looking over the car we recognized but eight of the squad of Plains men who made the West Point triI last year. In addition to the missing faces of the Wizened Irishman, Mike Donahoe. and large majority of the Paterson family of Montgomery theres is also missing the grinnine face of John Shirley, the Guin wild hare, and the handsome features ol Shine" Sherlng, who was termec in eastern papers prior to last years game as the Prince Charming o1 Southern Gridirons.' Other members Charlie Gibson, Gene Wynne, Pierce Slick" Morlton and dozen others
 We remember it was a magnificient series of plays that accounted fol the Plainsmen touchdown in the game last year that came near tc routing the hopes of the cadets ano bringing victory to the Auburn eleven Receiving a punt on his own 20-yaro line the fleet Charley Gibson raced it back 55 yards before he was edged out of bounds by the mighty breid ster, captain and center of thu Pointers last year. From the cadets 20-yard line it was the suberb lin' plunging of Sherling, the unstop- able Tiger fullback who literall, pushed himself over the Army goa with the second touchdown an Au burn team ever made against an east ern eleven.
 We also find it easy to remember the eXcruicating happiness registered by the several hundred Auburn sup porters who gathered in West Point for the game last October. For 5; minutes of actual playing time the Tigers. had the advantage over theil eastern opponents. They maintained their lead of six points through the second and third quarters only tc weaken from sheer phyNcal ex- haustion in the last seven minutes oi the fourth quarter and allow the cadets to rush across three touch downs.
 O O O
 Coaches Puzzled.
 But the Auburn coaching staff is puzzled over the 1923 cadet eleven and are hard put flop a solution ot several pertinent facts regarding their chances with the heavier ano