some of their best players might be hurt, they would only be more tired out than ever and, tak ing it into account the horribly loose playing they put up against Lafayette a few days before, we might hold them down to a low score and even by some lucky flunks or fumble win the game. They were most certainly justified in calling the game, but, to do the honorable thing and to make proper amends for the disappointment they caused us, they should make us' a handsome offer for the coming season. Then there is Lehigh. Lehigh is without doubt our natural rival. A technical school with not a great many more students than we have and situated nearer to us than any of the other more important colleges, what is more natural than that we should be rivals in athletics. For the last three years our football teams have been on a par, and it is doubtful on which side the advantage would lie. There is in reality not the slightest reason why we should not have a game with them every year, that would call forth as much enthu siasm, effort and rivalry as any game we play. Bucknell several years ago was such a rival; but we have distanced her in the race, and our con tests are always too one sided to be of much im portance. It has certainly not been our fault that we have not met Lehigh in recent years. Our managers for the last three seasons, have tried in every way to arrange a game on satisfactory terms, but in one way or another they have been disappointed. Last fall we offered them an enormous guarantee to play us here on our own grounds, or, if that was not satisfactory, they should name any neu tralg rounds in the State, and we would play them there for half the gate receipts. The only ans wer we could get was that they would only play us on their own grounds, and they would not of fer us half the amount we guaranteed them. We do not like to*think that Lehigh is afiaid of us, but there is no other apparent reason. So right here we make the challenge—if she is not afraid to meet us. let her prove it. by giving THE FREE LANCE. us a satisfactory date this coming season. We do not ask an exorbitant figure to go down there to South Bethlehem. We only ask something near the amount of our expenses. If she cannot af ford that and and will not play us on our home grounds, we will meet her on any neutral grounds her management may name and divide the receipts equally. Could anyone make a fairer proposition ? There need not be the least financial risk about a game in any of the large towns of the State. Scranton, Wilkesbarre, Altoona and Pittsburg are football crazy, while Harrisburg, Williams port, Lancaster and even staid old Reading take a great deal ot interest in it. Even in Philadel phia a meeting on the gridiron between Lehigh and State at any time that the University does not have a game at home would be a drawing card of the first quality. Especially would this be the case on Thanksgiving Day. The Univer sity will play at Cambridge, and the people, hav ing had a taste of Thanksgiving football last No vember, would eagerly seize at a game between two such strong and well matched colleges. It would not be rash to say that good weather would bring out an attendance of five thousand people. May we not have such a battle royal next Thanks giving? This communication has merely been written to embody a few thoughts and suggestions that have occurred to the writer since the close of the last season. It would be well for the students to think over them seriously. If we have a good schedule of dates with strong colleges and foemen worthy of our steel, there need be no fear that our team will not rise nobly to the occasion. We will suffer few losses in June, and there is good material developing. The pure, free ozone of our mountain air and our excellent limestone water make men of us. They are better than any system of training ever devised. That is the rea son that we, a small college with some three hun dred and fifty students to draw upon can turn out a team capable of defeating some of the best col leges in the country, while giving even member
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