- Fall River, Kansas 1917
“In October of 1917 Mr. and Mrs. I.W. Brodrick of Fall River were both seriously injured when their automobile in which they were riding, turned over an embankment at the little bridge one-half mile west of town. Mrs. Brodrick was driving and in approaching the bridge from the south evidently hit the edge of the platform, which is a bad edge with quite a drop, throwing her out of the seat and losing control of the steering wheel, the car passing on across the bridge and over a ten-foot embankment. The car turned over once and a half, throwing Mrs. Brodrick out and pinning Mr. Brodrick beneath the car. Mr. Orr, who lives close by heard the crash and call from Mrs. Brodrick for help and running to the scene, succeeded in lifting the car high enough so Mr. Brodrick could crawl out. They were brought to their home in the north part of the city immediately following the accident, where Dr. Dodge and Dr. Flack of Fredonia were called.
Mr. Brodrick is in a very critical condition and little hope given for his recovery, while Mrs. Brodrick is getting along very nicely. Mr. Brodrick is the president of the local bank.
In October of 1917 the Commissioner of Pensions issued the following statement: The Congress of the U.S., adopted an amendment to the pension law increasing the rate of pension for a widow of an officer or enlisted man of the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States who served in the Civil War, the War with Spain, or the Philippine insurrection to $25 per month.
In November of 1917 Fredonia went down to defeat before the local team by a score of 6 to 0 in a hard-fought football game. The locals carried the ball on downs a total of 130 yards, and was penalized 20 yards. The ball was in the center of the field at the end of the game. The locals play Moline next and as many loyal rooters as can, should accompany the team.
An attempt is being made this week to stop the booze traffic through here. Mark McBee, U.S. Marshal, came over from Howard and having received word that three auto loads of booze would go thru and cross at the mill ford, a mile northwest of town, went to that place. He had notified the Sheriff of Greenwood County to be there with help at 2:30. While he was there however a man crossed the ford in a big Super-Hudson and when McBee stepped out and pulled a shot gun on him and told him to stop, the man took desperate chances on his life, reversed his car rapidly as possible, backed down the hill, turned around in the river bed, and escaped. But, while he was making the turn on the hill, McBee claims that he shot twice at him, the man dropping down in the front of the car. The shot passed thru the windshield. Later with Deputy U.S. Marshal Felker, a scouting car was stopped, but no booze was found, but evidence of booze was in the car. The posse from Eureka arrived later in the evening, and during the night it is said that a car was caught loaded with booze and taken to Eureka.
In November of 1917 Fall River played Moline in football at Moline and won 13 to 6. The editor was at the game and gives the following observations. The writer met the Moline High School Superintendent, also the coach, and they were fine gentlemen, also the team, but for the gang that crowded the side lines, they were the worst that we ever came in contact with. They accused our coach of stealing the game, called him a crook, and even surrounded him on the field after the game and a few of their hard losers called him names that would not look good in print. The small boys, no doubt encouraged by a few of the older persons, even threw clods at the Fall River boys after the game while in their cars and on their way up town from the football field. However, the home boys got back alive, and with them the long end of the score, and we will say, that when the Moline team visits Fall River on Thanksgiving Day, they will know what it is for a football team to play in a town where they will be treated gentlemanly and in sportsman like manner, for that is just what Fall River will do. This is merely printed so that the local people may know under what strain the local team and coach were up against.
Later that same month Fall River played Severy at home and the editor writes about that game. The game between Severy and Fall River turned out to be a display of lack of courage on the Severy coach’s part to continue the game after getting mad and hollering over a play in the third quarter. The score at this period stood 13 to 6 in favor of Fall River.
The third quarter opened with Severy receiving the ball. On an attempted forward pass Severy’s tackle was penalized 15 yards for holding on the line. On calling the play back and penalizing them their coach started to howl and wanted to quit, and did quit, following the next play, after a Severy player had deliberately jumped on Cornett’s head (Fall River player) while down. Cornett retaliated this movement, and no one blames him as they had been hitting him hard from the opening of the game, trying to put him out. The Severy coach made his man leave the field, and after trying to bluff coach Van Campen into putting Cornett off, took his men from the field and went home.
Following the first touch down made by Fall River, Umpire Maul (coach of Severy also) started in to argue every decision made by referee Van Campen (Fall River coach). (During this time the coach many times had to officiate the game due to lack of officials) At one time even arguing with the head linesman over downs, and talking to his players in the game, which is against the rules.
It was evident from the visitor’s style of play that their intentions were to get Cornett out of the game, and from the reports from other towns this must be their style of playing football, and until the opening of the third quarter the local team met their style of play with open clean football, when in that same quarter they seen (editor’s writing) that they were up against it unless they met the visitors’ tactics the same way.
The day turned out to be very nice, and the Severy team, accompanied by a large delegation of rooters, arrived at about 2 o’clock. The stores all closed at 2:30, and the band met on Main Street and played a couple of pieces, then led the parade, which was about two blocks or more long, to the football field. Severy was given a royal reception by the Fall River people, and the large crowd that turned out to see the game, were disappointed.
The receipts taken in at the field totaled about $50 and the local team is very thankful and appreciative of the support shown by the people of Fall River.
The last football game of the year for Fall River was played on Thanksgiving Day before one of the largest crowds seen here in years at any kind of an athletic contest and over $50 was taken in. The opponent was Moline and the conduct on and off the field was much better than the previous game between Fall River and Moline. Not a dispute or angry word was heard during the game, and it was the best and cleanest game played here this year. J. Gilmore, editor of the Fredonia Citizen, was referee and he did a mighty good job.
To begin the season Coach Van Campen had a bunch of green boys out for a football team, only two of the bunch knowing what football really was, Cornett and Mac Brown, who received their experience with the Fredonia High team last year under Coach J. Gilmore. But, the boys under the skillful training of Van Campen worked hard and won the last five straight games. After defeating Eureka’s second team in the fourth games of the season, the boys came to the front. This is some record for a green team and their first year of football at Fall River.
The season closed successfully financially, the treasury showing up with about $70 to the good. A large part of this sum is due to the fact that on the out-of-town games, conveyances (cars) for hauling the players were furnished free. The gymnasium at the new school building will soon be completed enough so that the boys can get on the floor and get practicing. Coach Van Campen already has offers for about six games.”
