FOOT-BALL.

Now that the almost traditional trips to Canada by our university foot-ball teams will probably be discontinued, a few facts concerning past contests with our old rivals may prove interesting. In the fall of 1874 Harvard sent ten men, representing her foot-ball interests, to Montreal, in response to a challenge from McGill College of that city. One of our men was disabled before the match, so McGill kindly consented to play with nine men. The contest lasted three half hours and resulted in a victory for Harvard, with a score of three touchdowns to nothing. In the fall of '75 Harvard again defeated McGill at Montreal, with a score of two goals and two touchdowns to nothing. It may be well to mention here that all accounts of these two trips agree in expressing the utmost courtesy of our hosts and the corresponding gratitude of our teams. McGill did not neglect a single opportunity to do our men a favor or to show their hearty good will. In '76 Harvard twice defeated an "all Canada" team, the last time playing in Montreal with fifteen, making a score of two goals and four touchdowns to nothing. A few days after, they met the McGill team and also defeated them, one goal to nothing.

In 1877 the McGill fifteen visited Cambridge and were defeated by Harvard by a score of one goal and three touchdowns to nothing. In 1879 the Brittania team came down to Boston, and, after a rather exciting contest, were defeated, two goals and one touchdown to nothing. A few days later, Harvard played a return match with them in Montreal, scoring one goal to nothing for Brittania. The following Monday, in spite of snow and extremely disagreeable weather, a game was commenced with the McGill team, but, at the close of the first half, both teams were ready to withdraw and the game was called, with the score, one goal and one touchdown to nothing, in Harvard's favor.

In 1880 our team played three games with the Canadians, winning two and tieing one with Montreal; Brittania was defeated in Boston, two goals to nothing, and the Ottawa team in Ottawa, after a very close and exciting game, with the score of two goals and one touchdown to one goal and one touchdown, was defeated. Both of our goals were very prettily kicked from the field. In 1881 we defeated the Montreal team in Boston, playing with fourteen men, the score standing two goals to nothing.

The Ottawa team was met soon after on Holmes field, the first match on that ground, and was easily defeated. The score stood seven goals, two touchdowns to one goal - that goal will be remembered as coming from the only touchdown made against our team of that year.

During the trip to Montreal a match was played with Brittania, but, after a very disagreeable game, the score was left blank for each side.

In 1882 the trip to Canada was given up and the only match played with Canadians was with McGill, in which our team was victorious, with a score of two goals and two touchdowns to nothing.

It will be seen that Harvard has not yet lost a game to the Canadians, though the scores have been frequently close and twice tied. Probably the chief reason for this is that success in the Canadian game lies more with weight and muscle than with skill, while it has been the aim of Harvard to combine the three. In doing this her style of play was continually changing, while the Canadians never modified their game; so to defeat one was to defeat them all. Foot-ball men personally will regret giving up the famous trip to Canada and the hearty reception always granted by our friends there, but the change seems necessary.