Football days : $b memories of the game and of the men behind the ballEdwards, William H. (William Hanford)
General
Football days : $b memories of the game and of the men behind the ball
Edwards, William H. (William Hanford)
Football
At a banquet for this championship team given by the Princeton Club of
Philadelphia, Lou Reichner, the toastmaster, in introducing Sam White,
the hero of the evening, quoted from First Samuel III, Chapter ii, 12th
and 1st verses--"And the Lord said unto Samuel, behold I will do a thing
in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall
tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli, all things which I have
spoken concerning his house; when I begin I will also make an end. And
The Child Samuel ministered unto the Lord Eli." Mr. Reichner then
presented to the Child Samuel the souvenir sleeve links and a silver box
containing the genuine soil from Yale Field.
After Sam had been sufficiently honored, Alfred T. Baker, Princeton '85,
a former Varsity football player, and his son Hobey Baker, who played on
Eddie Hart's team, were called before the toastmaster. There was a
triple cheer for Hobey and his father. Reichner said that he had nothing
for Papa Baker, but a souvenir for Hobey, and if the father was man
enough to take it away from him he could have it.
In speaking of the Yale-Princeton game at New Haven, some of the things
incidental to victory were told that evening by Sam White, who said:
"In the Yale game of 1911, Joe Duff, the Princeton guard, came over to
Hart, Captain of the Princeton team, and said:
"'Ed, I can't play any more. I can't stand on my left leg.'
"'That's all right,' answered Hart, 'go back and play on your right
one.'
"Joe did and that year he made the All-American guard.
"It was less than a week before the Harvard-Princeton game at Princeton,
1911, a friend of mine wrote down and asked me to get him four good
seats, and said if I'd mention my favorite cigar, he'd send me a box in
appreciation. I got the seats for him, but it was more or less of a
struggle, but in writing on did not mention cigars. He sent me a check
to cover the cost of the tickets and in the letter enclosed a small
scarf pin which he said was sure to bring me luck. He had done quite a
little running in his time and said it had never failed him and urged me
to be sure and put it in my tie the day of the Harvard-Princeton game. I
am not superstitious, but I did stick it in my tie when I dressed that
Saturday morning and it surely had a charm. It was in the first half
that I got away for my run, and as we came out of the field house at the
start of the second half, whom should I see but my friend, yelling like
a madman--
"'Did you wear it? Did you wear it?'
"I assured him I did, and it seemed to quiet and please him, for he
merely grinned and replied:
"'I told you! I told you!'
"After the game I said nothing of the episode, but did secretly decide
to keep the pin safely locked up until the day of the Yale-Princeton
game. I again stuck it in my tie that morning and the charm still held,
and I am still wondering to this day, if it doesn't pay to be a little
bit superstitious."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account