The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1936-11-27

COfASh O14 VOVxGNGA
of Travis presence. Romney sought
out Travis and inquired why Jack didn't
take his customary place at guard.
II won't go our for the team this
year, unless I play in the backfield,"
replied Travis.
Romney, wise as an owl, who knew
all the answers, readily agreed to insert
Travis in the backfield.
Jack" said Romney, II need a full
back. I think you're just the man for
presence will pep up the squad. I want
the team to have a touchdown COM
plex this year. You ought to be good TOR
a touchdown a game"
Travis elated, told all of his friends
that he would be out for practice on
the morrow, and that he was to be a
scoring fullback.
Heavier than he was the year be-
fore, Jack, next day, squeezed into his
old suit. The squad welcomed him.
That year ROmney had more back
field men than he could place. Good
linesmen were his greatest need: Travis,
at guard, would solve one of his prob
lens. The practice session would give
Travis his chance to play in the back
field and send the news to his head
that as a backfield man, he was a good
lineSman.
Romney lined up two teams for
varsity to let the scrubs break through
and stop Travis in his tracks. He told
the scrubs to crash the line before the
ball was snapped; he told them not to
bother about being -offside; he in
structed them that Travis had to be
stopped every time he carried the
ball, and he would inform the scrubs
when Jack was to take the pigskin.
After five or six attempts to carry
the ball, Travis net gain was Is yards
loss. He was tackled on the shins,
the neck, from behind and n masse.
He never came up with the ball in his
possession after he hit the ground, be-
cause tt was the duty of two players
to take it away from him. Travis
was sent to the sidelines and a regu-
lar fullback took his position. BY ar
rangement, the fullback was to race
through the field every time his signal
was called, to impress Travis with con-
traSt.
Just before the workout ended, Trav-
is was sent in at guard, Romney told
him to stop the fullback. The fullback
was stopped, each time by Travis, be-
cause the fullback was told by the
coach to let Travis stop him.
Romney complimented Travis on his
great tackling and told the squad that
if he had another guard like Travis,
the Bobcats would be a football team.
The next day the squad worked out
and the next, and so on. Travis was
a fixture at guard. His yen for playing
the backfield was forgotten. Forgotten,
because he was framed by his coach
and mates.
This line is a postscript. Travis was
a good guard.
This line is also a postscript. Jack
can tell his children he was a good
guard.
I think it was in 1916 that the writer
elected to become an automobile racing
and trick flyer impresario for a day.
The experience, which was designed to
fatten a lean bank account, resulted
in making the b.. a. leaner than ever.
j, Alec Sloan, an old friend, the
head man, then as now, in automobile
racing circles, had his staff or crew of
speed demons at the state fair. De
Lloyd Thompson, n OF the first OF
trick flyers was also an outstanding
attraction at Helena. Sloan called me
er and racers show in Billings on a
Sunday. I wasn't interested, but Sloan
put the bee to me so stoutly that I
The picture that Sloan painted was
a masterpiece. He insisted that I hire
the fairgrounds; that at least 10000
tickets should be printed and that my
percentage cut would run around the
So, 900 mark. And 50 I set to work. I
hired the fairgrounds, advertised the
show, engaged special policemen, ticket
sellers and takers, and was ready to
cash in.
I was looking forward to the Sep
TENDER Sunday morn. My days program
called for getting up at 6 O'Clock to
meet the train that carried the troupe
and racing machines; see to it that all
details were cared for a. far as the
program was concerned; vas due at a
side-door of a bank at 9 o'clock to Dor
row 1000 for change purposes; was to
preside at a luncheon honoring Sloan,
Thompson and the drivers; then go
out to the fairgrounds and watch the
turnstiles click rapidly; look at the
races, and take my cut of $4,000 or
better.
I got up at 8 O'Clock. The ground was
covered with snow: it was raining and