A Strike At Foot Ball

II. o the Editor of The Register : - I took Johnnie home with me. When hera we talked the whole matter over with his mother, and held a family ounsel to determine what was best to o. Johnnie is a 9trong, vigorou9, earty boy, full of vitality and fun, and eally cannot live without companions. [e is very sincere and honest and alwaya sticks to tho truth. He cried biterly at the thoughtof having to give up his school and college course, and arnestly promised never to touch toacco again. We finally told him that he might return to Ann Arbor for anther trial, if he would sign the anti obacco pledgo. He eagerly agreed to this and signed the pledge, returned to Ann Arbor, and had been there about a month whpn, at the earnest solicitation of his mother, I again went down to Ann Abor to see how John was getting on. I arrived in tho evening as usual and went up to Johnnia's room. He was alone and in a very talkative mood. It was just after the great football games, and he seemed to be full of the subject, and the followinsr eonversation ensued. F. I see by the papers Johnnie that ou are having great times down here at football lateiy. S. Oh yes, we have been having a glorious time. F. I see by the papers Johnnie, that Pres. Angelí thinks that the western teams have wholly abandoned slugging and other objeetionable practices in thfiir football eontests. S. But pshaw, father, Prexy - I mean Dr. Angelí- is really, I thinkt talking for effect. F. But surely, now Johnny, Dr. Angelí would hardly do that. S. Oh well, father, I don't know about that. Dr. Angelí does not really know mueh about these games of lootball ; I never have soen him present at one of them and I don't think he evoi attends these games. Then too, you know tho Doctor is#a world-renowned diploraat. He is rery much interested in the affairs of the University financially as well as in all other respects. Nearly all his family are instructora in the University, and they all together receive, of course, over $10,000 ayear from the University, so that on this account as well as many others, the Doctor wishes to avoid all friction, remove all agitating and aggressive elements, and get on peaceably and smoothly with the boys. F. But, my son, that is what they would cali nepotism in national politics, and according to all your reports these valuable additions, do not after all seem to render all the faculties angelic in every respect. S. No, but every thing goes on the hill you know, and no one ever think of questioning what they do. F. Well, my boy, let's go back to football. Did you attend the game with the Oberlin boys? S. Why yes, of eourse I did. F. Was there any slugging in that gamo? S. I should say. F. AVhat would you say, my son? S. Why, that there was slugging, of course. It would not bo a football game if there was not. You might as wcll say you could have a pugilistic contcst without any blows. I stood at the north end of the grounds, and the fellow'S rushed up our way, and all at once they went into a big pile, then the pile rolled over, and they got untangled, there lay one of the Oberiin boys, and they were fanning him with their hats. He got bis breath after awhlle, but had to bo carried off the grounds totally disabled. I said ho was slugged, the other boys hooted at mo for making Buch an insinuation. A few days afterwards I asked'one of tho big fellows who tackled ttu Oberlin boy it happoned, and he replied, that the Oberlin chap had kicked one of our boys, and when ho tackled him h(3 punched his kneo into bis stomach so that he was not tfood forany more kicks in that game. Thoy carricd the Oberlin boy off and I didn't Bee him afterward. In the second part of the game they got rushing around naar the grand stand, that was neariy lillod vvith ladies. I didn't understand the gamo very well Dut they were in a general skirmish oj some sort very near the grand stand, when a lot of themcommenced to swear Hko pirates. I could hear a volley of oatha where I wes, although I was several rods away. lint then, our fellows beat them, and we had a glorious shout and hurrah for them. i oniinui i i:i l''i' ■'"■ir. HITS 'EM HARD. Contlnutd From l'age Ont. F. Well, my son, that looks a little ike slug-ging to me. And then what !id the ladies think of such swearinjj? i'ou know your mothcr and I never alowed you to swear, and we had supposed that the young gentlemen in the CJniversity were above such things. S. Well, I didn't likc it I confess. It dn't sound niec at all, but then ] súpose the boys g-ot so excited and angry a each other in the contest, that they rgot all about the ladies. P. Yes, possibly swearing may be i some ver.y exceptional instances, ardonable, still a game that makes oung men so angry at each other, that they utter a volley of oaths in or out of he presence of ladies, hardly tends to evelop the highest order of American útizens. But did you attend the game it Detroit, U. of M. against Cornell? S. Why certainly I did ; wouldnt lave missea ít for a farm. F. Wel], was there any sluggingnero? S. No. I think not, thcy all said that it was a very fair game, and no slugflng to speak of. But then the boys got hilarious after the game. F. What do you mean by hilarious. my son? S. Oh, I mean two or three hundred )f them visited the saloons and g-ot pretty full, aome. of them vvere run in v the pólice of Detroit, but they let them go again because they we re college boys. On th'e midnight train that I came home on. there were about two hundred, more or less intoxicated, and some of them so drunk that they had to be carried off the train. F. Well, my son, this looks a littlc to me as though slugging at football, was not wholly conflned to the New England states and eaetern colleges. J have just seen in one of the Detroit newspapers a report showing the list of football casualties in the United States during tho past year. This newspaper reports. that it had previously published a list of twenty-four fatalities whieh have ooourred in tlio prize-ring since the year 1888. In the list of football casualties given by this newspaper. thero were sixty-one seriously injured during the past year in the United States, most of these were serious ternal injuries or broken bones. Three were killed, and one isnow in the Insana asylum, as the fruit of this noble garae during one yoar. These games are not conflned fco New Kngland and her tlniyereities, but are scattered all through the New Kngland states, the western states and the south about equally in each section. Pugiliam in this country has never exhibitod any such record as this, and it is doubtful if pugilisrn can show any such record of brutality araong' its contcstants, or any greater amount af brutality developed among those who attead and wltness the contests. I ara enthusiastically in favor of athletios, and I believe that they should be encouragod in every way possible. I should like to have you take a regular course in the gymnasium, but I am Inclinad to think that you liad better avoid pugilistic encounters and football teams. Voung men cost 'a good deal, and are of great valué to parents and to the community, and it is hardlv worth while to have a half dozen of the brighteet and strongest in each university, crippled or ruined every year. S. But father, tlie members of the football team worc perfectly sober at Detroit, eonduetcd themselves like gentlemen, and ere not responsible lor the two kundrcd or more boys that got drunk. I don 't think it is fair to charge all the sins of the boys up to football. These fellows would probably gct drunk about so of ten any way. I' . i es, but ít ís quite apparent that the footballcontosts forma f requent excuse for a general drunk. Thenature and oxeitement of thc contest leads directly to sueh resulta. As to thc slugging, therc are dangerous elements onough in contests of this sort, without the additional element of intentional brutality, and if these elements cannot be elimlnated (rom western as well as casturn games, the líegents and facuitios of the Unlversity should prohibit thera, if thoy lind that they cannot reform them. S. I said father, that the footliall team didn't get drunk at Detroit and that I believo is true. I heard, however, from good authority that after the contost at Chicago, the team liad a night of it and usod up a larjjo quantity of benodictine and liad a rousine time all niglit long. I'. What is bénédictine niy son ? S. Well. Idon't really know, but I have heard that it was composed of very Btyrong whlekey and somo kind of drug that adds to the power of the whiskey to niake men drunk. F. Well. my son, from ycur report I am inclined to think that I shall liave to add an anti-football pledge toyonr anti-tobacco pledge, if you get throuyh the üniversity with a whole body and a sound moral (haractef.