Perhaps the fact that the Transcript does not appear until after all the morning papers have explained in great detail the features of the games and practices, that makes Mr. Carens a searcher after side-lights. It would be patently ridiculous for him to write a play-by-play account of the Saturday games, or even discuss the strategy of the rival elevens, on Monday afternoon after all the others papers had done this. Thus it is that Mr. Carnes is driven to seeking boudoir interviews with the Crimson athletes, the recording of quaint statistics, and the unearthing of other "an'des".
Even more important is the work that Mr. Carens does as the undeniable authority on Harvard athletic policy. No man, at least so it seems, is so thoroughly informed as to what is going on inside Mr. Bingham's mind as the genial Transcript news gatherer. He is seldom seen on Soldiers Field for the afternoon practice sessions, but he spends a good deal of time at the Harvard Athletic Association during the morning hours. He but seldom waits for Harvard news to be released through the official spokesman, much preferring to get his stuff straight from Harvard's athletic head in an intimate manner.
Mr. Carens is, of course, a very welcome guest at the H.A.A. He is to be envied and is by the other Harvard correspondents his "entree." Perhaps the fact that he always has something nice to say, no matter how badly the team played, no matter what evil deeds were done, may have something to do with his having the goodwill and confidence of the Harvard sports authorities.
The Boston Traveler
The Boston Herald's sister sheet, the evening Traveler, is graced with having on its staff, the greatest athlete who ever graduated from Boston Latin. In his final year at school, Frank Ryan played on no less than four major teams--football, hockey, baseball, and track, we think it was. Nor was he any mere substitute in these sports, a specialty drop kicker or a pinch hitter. Quite contrary, he captained three of the four teams on which he played.
From school, Mr. Ryan went to Boston College, but transferred after a year to Harvard. But at Harvard, Mr. Ryan was not known for his athletic ability but as one of the most brilliant scholars of his class, a man who graduated with honors in English in three years.
If these two careers are taken into consideration, it is natural that Mr. Ryan should be an expert writer on football and sports in general. He has, besides, a manner that makes it hard, evidently, to refuse him news. It would not be kind, or perhaps even safe, to tell Mr. Ryan that there is "nothing for publication".
Incidentally, Mr. Ryan, besides knowing the King's English and Harvard's football, also knows his college spirit. Vide, for instance the following, taken from his account of the Penn game:
"For one thing, this Harvard indifference is being worked to death. The team left Cambridge with no demonstration.... There were two graduates waiting for it when it arirved in New York. Rather a poor way to support even a losing team. The Harvard undergraduate body shows that it hasn't much spirit, and the editors of the Crimson show they have none." As nice a lift of straight forward reasoning as ever clinched a point for an expert on college spirit.
Attaches
The men who, though they seldom write a line aid vastly in the dissemination of Harvard football news, can scarcely be forgotten. Sitting, nominally at least, at the top of the hierarchy of the H.A.A. publicity department, is S. deJ. Osborne '26, while in college manager of both the football and track team. A step below him stand George Baker '25 and A.M. Blackburn '28, acting publicity direc-