games. In no instance has the question of supremacy been in doubt. The scores have told the tale, and no tie game has left the matter undecided. Such is the bare statement of fact regarding these six contests. Their history, if such a dignified term can be applied to a series of athletic events, involves far more. We must touch upon the story of each game so far as its main features stand out boldly on the interesting record. We must trace the development of football

"COUNT" VILLA.

science in the West as is indicated by these, the most important annual games that have been played by western teams. We must glance at the changes in methods of coaching and training. And, finally, we must pay some attention to the great names in football, for the history of the college game, like any other history, centers largely around its great men.

By way of introduction, it may be of interest to learn that Michigan and Chicago met in a football game for the first time in 1892. Previous to this Michigan teams had played in Chicago, but not with. elevens representing Chicago Uni

versity. Michigan had met all-star aggregations, in which such men as "Snake" Ames, "Sport" Donnelly and "Babe" Malley-players whose names are very familiar to the football enthusiasts of a decade agowere always to be found. In 1892 Alonzo A. Stagg came to Chicage University, and since that time the eleven of that institution has been a prom.nent factor in western football calculations. The game in 1892 was played in To.edo, and Michigan won by the score of 18 to 10. A game had been scheduled with Lehigh and all arrangements made in Toledo for such a contest. At the last moment Leh gh cancelled the game, and without communicating this fact to the general public, Manager Griffin, of the Michigan team, secured the Chicago team as a substitute. Toledo was already b.lled for a Michigan-Lehigh game, an excursion train was run from Ann Arbor to that game. and was well on its way to Toledo, when the news leaked out that Chicago and Michigan were to play. The manager's nerve had carr.el him through, and the game was successfully pulled off. Stagg himself played with the Chicago team.

This brings us down to the season of 1893, when the first of the famous Thanksgiving Day games was played in Chicago. The Michigan team had no trainer, but was coached by Frank Barbour, a form

s.tuation was reversed, and Michigan was an easy victor, scoring 28 points to Chicago's 10. It was not uni Michigan had placed the score at 24 to o that Chicago was able to do anyth.ng at all. At that point in the game a heavy snowstorm set in, and the Michigan players, wearied by their continued. aggressive paying, allowed Chicago to force the ball across their goal line for two touchdowns. In the accounts of that game no mention is made of punting. Instead

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of kicking off from the center of the field, the game was opened by the "flying wedge," which was abolished the following year. Momentum plays, like the "flying. wedge,' were the destructive feature of the game as it was then played. In these plays the whole eleven was in motion before the ball was passed. In the wedge play the side having the ball would form in the shape of a wedge back of the ball as it lay at the center of the field. Then the whole team would start on a run toward their opponents' goal, the center rush putting the ball in play as he passed it, while one of the backs carried the ball. This play opened the game, where we now have a kick-off. So many accidents resulted from this style of playing that momentum plays were relegated to the background. In this game of 1893 the Michigan team was made up as follows: Ends, Senter and Greenleaf; tackles, Villa and Griffin; guards, Henninger and Hooper; center, Smith; quarterback, Baird; halfbacks, Ferbert and Hollister; fullback, Dyer. Of some of these men more remains to be said later.

The success of this game was a strong argument for future contests of the same kind. The attendance was large, the spectators enthusiastic, and the alumni and student body of both institutions

anxious for more of the same sport. Accord.ngy, a three years' contract was entered into with Chicago for an annual game, and the Michigan-Chicago series put upon a firm basis.

The 1894 game closed a highly successful season with another victory over Chicago, although the game was won by the close score of 6 to 4. The narrowness of Michigan's margin of victory was a source of great disappointment to Michigan, as the superiority of the team was unquestioned; but Chicago had been underestimated, and the reports of the game state that the Chicago team knew the Michigan signals. One report says: "He (Stagg) came to the Cornell game with two players, and also umpired the Oberlin game. These facts are significant when we learn that in Thursday's game Chicago knew all of Michigan's plays, and. would mass to meet them. Whether there is a traitor in the Michigan camp or Stagg learned our signals,. it matters not.'

Michigan's small score is also to be partly explained by the fact that Cornell had been played and defeated the Saturday before in a desperately desperately hard and wearing game. The score at the end of the first half was 4 to o in Chicago's favor. The Maroons had hammered the ball through the Michigan line for their touchdown, massing on center and tackle. The second half showed no change until the last ten minutes of play. the center of the field at that time "Jimmie" Baird called the men together and made an appeal to them. In the next minute and a half Michgan had made the 55 yards and scored her touchdown, while Bloomingston kicked goal. As a touchdown counted four points at that time, while a goal was good for two points, Michigan had a

At

good lead. It was a wonderful exhibition of ground gaining, and the play which ended in the touchdown was a sample of the cleverness of Michigan's quarterback. With three downs on Chicago's 10-yard line, Baird called a tackle play. Chicago knew the signal and massed

J. W. F. BENNETT, CAPTAIN 1893.

to meet it, but Baird had whispered into Ferbert's ready ear to take the ball around the end alone. The play was successfully executed, and Ferbert crossed the line without opposition. Time was called just as Michigan was about to score again. In view of the fact that much has been said of a trick practiced by some of the western elev

this season, the following comment on a game played six years ago will be of interest: "Three times Michigan made a speedy onslaught on Chicago's

goal, but fumbled the ball. This was owing to Chicago's peculiar way of tackling. Instead of getting the man, her tackies would hit the ball out of the runner's hands if possib.e." So we see that the trick is no innovation this season. Michigan's eleven was as follows: Ends, Senter and Price; tackles, Villa and Hadden; guards, Carr and Henninger; center, Smith; quarterback, Laird; halfbacks, Dyer and Ferbert; fullback, Bloomingston. On the Chicago team we find the first mention of Herschberger, from whose skill as a kicker Michigan was to suffer in the future. Others of the Maroons whose names are prominent in football annals of the West, were Roby, Phil Allen, Gale, and Nichols. The game rough one, as the feeling between the players ran high.

was a

The season of 1895 has always stood out as the most glorious in Michigan's history, as far as football is concerned. In that year "Jimmie" Baird had gathered around him as fine a body of men as ever lived. It was the greatest team Michigan ever had, and, in the opinion of Keene Fitzpatrick, was physically the finest set of men he ever saw or expects to see. It had been defeated by the score of 4 to o at Harvard, but in the opinion of eastern critics outplayed the crack eastern team. In the West its prowess was unquestioned, and on Thanksgiving Day Chicago was defeated with comparative ease by the score of 12 to o. Michigan had her greatest kicker, Bloomingston, that season, and we now begin to hear of more punting. It was a game of long end runs behind the most perfect Yale interference. Michigan's fast and powerful guards led the interference, and made possible the long runs. Chicago started off aggressively, but was unable to do anything effective