Repository: UIHistories Project: Book - Banks of the Boneyard (Charles Kiler) [PAGE 10]

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I4

On the Banks of the Boneyard

purpose. The show was well attended and much good talent was discovered among the boys, but when the grand stand, built at the north end of Illinois Field, was finished, the contractor wanted his money and the funds were short $350 5 John Chester was chairman of the committee in charge of building the grand stand and when the contractor got ready to file a mechanics lien, John took him over to Acting President Burrill. The contractor still insisted that he must have his money or else—he said the new boys coming in next year might not recognize the debt; Dr. Burrill couldn't talk him out of his determination to file that lien, so the dear old doctor paid the $350 and the Trustees reimbursed him at their next meeting. After a few years of useful and honorable existence the grand stand was burned—probably as a bit of Halloween fun. From the Champaign Gazette of January 30, 1891, comes the following account of the athletes and athletics of our time: Students of the University of Illinois have for years been advancing in athletics. A good baseball team has always been the boast of the institution. Recently however, lawn tennis and football have become deservedly popular. Champaign* has its own chartered athletic association. An annual field day is held near the close of the spring term. In 1889 was formed the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Association embracing Champaign and six other of the leading colleges in the state. The annual field day is held in conjunction with the intercollegiate oratorical contest. Champaign has the honor of taking the championship cup at the field days held since the organization of the association, being especially successful in baseball and general athletics. Champaign holds her own with any of the western colleges, and her records compare favorably with those of the eastern colleges; although nature has never bestowed good weather on the annual field day, thus spoiling our chance to break records. Among the best records on our books are the following: Mile run—time 5.11; standing broad jump without weights, from toe to heel, distance nine feet, ten inches; go as you please kick, height eight feet six inches; putting shot 16 pounds, distance 33 feet five inches; throwing hammer 16 pounds, distance field day record, 86 feet, special record, 100 feet six inches; throwing baseball, Gunn '92 field day record, 347 feet four inches; special record, 360 feet; one-half mile run, Cody '91, 2.15; hop, step and jump, Bates 40 feet l g /2 inches; hitch and kick, Clark 8 feet one-half inch; high jump, Morehouse '92, six feet eight inches. [I think this last record is a mistake.] •In my time it was common practice to refer to colleges by the names

of the cities in which they were located—thus our University was referred to 1 in this Gazette story as "Champaign;" Michigan was called "Ann Arbor; Wisconsin was called "Madison;" and so on.