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Show - , HAROLD S. OFSTIE, Ag-1 i gies' new coach, who is getting line on his hoop mate- j 'ial. j i 1 ; A " C r i f " V i j i n ! H h .5 " v Stage Grid Battle by Aid of Auto Searchlights The tuwn or jrartiii's Ferry, Ohio, proudly bears the distinction of being the only one in tiie entire world where a football game, was staged in the night, 1 aided by the rays of scores of automobile . searchlights. i Toward the fa?r end of the season, the Martin's Ferry high school team was scheduled to combat with the gridiron warriors from East Palestine, Ohio. For some reason the Palestine iVani did not arrive at the playing field until the twilight twi-light shadows were mantling the Ohio landscape. "Too dark to play, now," articulated the Palestine manager, when he arrived at the field with his squad. "Jlobbe so, inr-hbe so," said Ahe Martin's Mar-tin's Kerry official. "l ehbe it Is quiie dark, but it's not too dark to p'ay. In fact, it would be dan erf reus for all of us and especially you fellows if we didn't play." "Howzat?" queried the Palestine party. "See that crowd".'" asked the Martin's Ferry man, pointing to the packed stands. "Well, those birds eaine here for the purpose pur-pose of watching a football game between Martin's Ferry and Fast Palestine, and if that game isn't played there are some persons who will contract busted heads." "Bui we can't play in the dark and there ain't no moon a'shinin' right now," interposed the Palestine manager. "S'all right, kid; s'all rip; lu; just leave it to me." said the Martin's Ferry manager. man-ager. "You .1usL go ahead and get your ga ng Into uniforms and we'll stage this ga me." And then the Martin's Ferry genius made an announcement to the crowd. He called for volunteers with searchlights. "It's loo dark to play without light, but we can play this game if you fellows that own autot mobiles will back 'em up against the sidelines, turn on the searchlights search-lights and let them sweep the the field," he said. The call was answered immediately. About thirty autos were wheeled into position at once and their searchlights blazed up and down and across the field. "Fairly good, fairly good," said the Martin's Ferry manager, "hut it would be better if we had more light." So he delegated several auto owners to rush around the neighborhood, a la Paul. Revere, and bring more autos and motorcycles motor-cycles with sen rob lights. The call was answered quickly and when the game finally began, long after darkness had fallen, about fitly automobiles were in position, blazing the field with their bril- liant lights. j And so the game began. . From a scientific football standpoint, j it was something of a flivver. From the' viewpoint of novel tv it was a remarkable success. The players found it difficult to handle punts and" kick-offs beca us just a lou t t lie moment they would "spot" a hall and be ready lo grab It, they would , lose It itt the glare of a searchlight. Sonic parts of the field, of course, were onlv slightly illuminated and several times the bail was f umbied in those sections and temporarily lot. In such cases, the hastily made rules brought back the ball to the place where it had last hnn seen. This rule was similar to that which gov-erns'a gov-erns'a bull out of bounds. The officials carried lanterns, and Ken-' net h C. Perry. Cue Mart iu's Ferry sport wiiter, who "covered" the game for his paper, declares t ha I the prescncp of so many lanterns reminded hitn of a night Com"ml ion of railroad hi a k "men. Th home team lost the game, 19 to 0, but it has an alibi. |