Wednesday, July 15, 2020

Memories Of 1903

The Daily Princetonian of Nov. 16, 1903, had an interesting story on Page 2.

It had a headline "A Wonderful Invention," which of course got TigerBlog's attention. And what was that invention?

It was the electric comb. This wasn't just any comb of course. This was the electric comb, by Dr. White, and it could do it all.

Seriously, it could cure dandruff and hair fallout and get rid of nervous headaches. Even better, when used in connection with Dr. White's electric hair brush it "positively guaranteed to make straight hair curly in 25 days' time."

How great is that?

And how much would you pay for such a miraculous product? Did you say 35 cents? Because that's how much it cost.

By the way, 35 cents in 1903 is the equivalent of $10.20 today. Who wouldn't pay that for everything you get for it?

Alas, for TB, he didn't get it in time to prevent the hair fallout, which renders the curling feature useless. TB does have old pictures of himself with long, wavy hair, so maybe if he could have found one of these back in the 1970s or ’80s, he might have had something.

In fact, his long-time friend Corey recently texted TB his high school graduation photo. Yes, once upon a time TB did have a lot of hair. Where was Dr. White when he needed him.

The electric comb story was on Page 2, as TB said. The big story on Page 1 of the Daily Princetonian that day was about the 11-6 win over Yale in football that clinched a perfect season and national championship.

Princeton went 11-0 in 1903, and the six points that Yale scored that day in New Haven (this was before the Yale Bowl opened) were the only six points Princeton allowed all season. The 1903 Tigers played six of the same teams the 2019 team did - Bucknell, Lafayette, Cornell, Brown, Dartmouth and Yale.

This was in the middle of a long stretch where Princeton and Harvard did not play each other in any sports due to a major brawl at the 1895 game; the teams would not play again until 1911.

As for the game against Yale in 1903, Princeton scored 11 points, all by captain John R. DeWitt. How'd Princeton get to 11?

Back then, touchdowns were worth five points, as were field goals, which were drop-kicked. A conversion after a touchdown and a safety were already worth the totals they're still worth today.

As a result, Princeton had a touchdown, a PAT and a field goal. Yale had a touchdown and a PAT.

There were 30,000 fans in attendance at the 1903 Princeton-Yale game. Here is how the Daily Princetonian described things:

In as hard and as well fought a game as has ever been played between the two Universities, Princeton defeated Yale last Saturday on Yale field by the score of 11 to 6. Replete throughout with clean tackles, wonderful kicking and excellent team work, the game was at the same time stubbornly contested by both teams, and it was only the brilliant head work and unwavering determination of the Princeton captain and players that landed the championship for Princeton. DeWitt, in his wonderful playing, was backed from start to finish by the other men on the team, and credit is due not only to the captain but to the team that stood by him. At the same time, the support, of the Princeton undergraduates, unsurpassed on any other occasion, was a great factor in winning the game.

Why bring this up now?

Well, TB saw something on Twitter from a handle called "Old Football Film," and it had a clip from that 1903 game:

That's pretty cool stuff, no?

Lastly, for today at least, there was also this from Twitter and Princeton Football. It's a piece of an interview that head coach Bob Surace recently did, where he talks about Detroit Lions' head coach Matt Patricia's wedding in Aruba, how he attended - and the interaction he had with another particular NFL coach.

It's pretty good as well.

Yes it is.


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