Iowa City Press-Citizen from Iowa City, Iowa • Page 8

1 OA Iowa City Press-Citizen Thursday, September 15, 1977 Jimmy Berry guarded gates at Iowa-Ames games By IRVING B. WEBER "Hit nut I r.it mifo tWot All nf vol I know ye! I know every one of ye! If I dont know ye, I know ye father! If I dont know ye father, I know ye grand- father! Git out!" That was Jimmy Berry, the fiery little Irishman, barking at the horde of boys trying to break into Iowa Field to see the Iowa-Ames football game of 1913. Jimmy was the 81-year-old Si. w. il venerame ana Deiovea guaraian ot Iowa Field.

The situation was the same at every home football game at the old field along the Iowa River between Burlington Street and Iowa Avenue. At that time it was said that no one had served the University for a longer period than Jimmy. Nor was anyone better known and liked on the Iowa campus. fra rt Vito Aiiine woo a awt1 Via football game were taken of the 1913 Iowa-Ames game: One thousand feet were taken and they were shown at Tom Brown's American Theater, located at 124 East Washington Street, where St. Clair-Johnson Clothing Store is today.

I "attended" my first Iowa-Ames game from a vantage point, high in a tree, on Burlington Street, just outside of the fence. That was the 1911 game when I was 10. My cousin, Leslie Weber, two years older initiated me into the joys of football viewing from a tree. Iowa lost to Ames that year 9-0. Delmer Sample, present day Iowa Citian, who lived close-by on Melrose Avenue at the time, recalls seeing Iowa games from those same trees.

Two young fellows who had access to "the spikes" that telephone workers use to climb telephone poles, had borrowed them, and watched the game from high on a pole close to "our tree." Ill-feeling in 1919 The 1919 game, the next to the last in the original series, developed the most ill-feeling, although it definitely was not one of the better games of the series. It was the last game of the season, and was anti-climatic, and especially for Iowa, which had just completed an excellent Big Ten record, with only two losses close ones, 9 to 7 against Illinois and 9 to 6 against Chicago. Iowa definitely was not up for the Ames game; Ames was. However, Iowa did win, 10 to 0, Exactly what happened after the final whistle is hazy, tt never was reported. I can recall seeing a fight erupt between the teams as they were leaving the field, through the single gate at the northeast corner of the field.

west. Huge white letters "IOWA "FIGHTS" were on the inside of the fence facing the field and stands. Some of the boys would come down the night before and dig holes under the fence and camouflage them with leaves. Then the next afternoon at the opportune time, they'd slide under the fence and make a mad dash inside to mix with the crowd. Other boys came in during the morning and played under the west stands until game time.

Laurence Short, Ed Seydel, Clyde Ackerman, and many others remember the fun of sneaking in. It would have been an insult to pay, even if they could. It was a challenge to get in free. A special way As an Iowa City youngster, I got in to see the 1913 Iowa-Ame3 game in a special way under, the blanket of Iowa's stellar guard, Jimmy Wilson. I became acquainted with Wilson delivering the old Iowa City Citizen to his rooming house at 325 Iowa Avenue.

By pre-arrangement, Wilson told me that when the Iowa team ran onto the fieid from the dressing room in the Old Men's Gym (Armory), opposite present University Library, he would tuck me under his I blanket. It worked, and once inside, unseen by Jimmy Berry, I lost myself in the crowd. Iowa had an outstanding team in 1913 one of its greatest defeated Ames 45 to 6, the most decisive victory in the series. It was played before the largest home crowd in Iowa history 8,000. That Iowa team averaged 66 points per game, despite Josses to the University of Chicago (national co-champion with Harvard that year) and Nebraska.

The first moving pictures of an Iowa ihmA-Klnnlr nnet faA fn (Tama Aara iftlllllifc v-. a av Is see that non-paying spectators did not break into the field. It was no small task but Jimmy accepted the responsibility. Besides the football field and stands, the three-block area included the baseball diamond and stands, the running track (originally a half-mile track) and a practice football field. "Knothole Clubs" were unknown in those years.

Despite Jimmy's herculean efforts, the boys of Iowa City did seem to get in to see the Iowa games. Those living adjacent to the field were most adept at sneaking in. They knew the ropes since the field was their playground during the week. (The houses in which they lived now are almost all gone.) An eight-foot-high, unpainted board fence was located around three sides of the field and the Iowa River was on the youngsters, who nonetheless usually managed to watch football games without In the early days of the century, Jimmy Berry guarded old Iowa Field from the town's Rumors later spread that Slater, Iowa's black Ail-American tackle, was harassed by some name-calling by the Ames team. Others present at the game recall fights breaking out between the rival fans.

'Disappearing' bell pealed out '33 victory When If was Ames Iowa State was called Ames in all the games played with Iowa from 1895 through the 1920 game. Some news stories even used the name Ames in the 1933 game, although the official name was Iowa State College. Iowa State University came later. Iowa State has only played once in Iowa Stadium, now Kinnick Stadium. That one game was in 1933, before a crowd of 25,000.

Iowa won decisively 27 to 7. The Nov. 4, 1933 Press-Citizen noted: "As Iowa scored its first touchdown, a flock of 50 pigeons, carrying the Hawkeye colors, were released. The long lost victory bell found here this week, tolled out Iowa's points as each touchdown was scored. The 1934 game in which Iowa State upset the vaunted Iowa team, with the illustrious Ozzie Simmons, 31 to 6, is still the most talked about game in the long series.

Nothing went right for Iowa that day. While Iowa State reportedly had its best team in years, Iowa was the odds-on favorite. It was one of the most surprising upsets in the Midwest that year. As it was, Iowa stopped one Iowa State drive on the one foot line to avert an even more disastrous defeat. Thus, Ames won the last game of the series prior to Saturday's contest as it did the first, in 1894 by 244.

Iowa however, leads in the series, 16 wins to 8. big one the second game they played 1897. It was one cf the strangest games in Iowa- football history. Ames won by a forfeit 6 to 0, after Iowa "walked off the field" following a controversial decision. Iowa led at the end of the first half, 4 to 0.

The teams each scored touchdowns in the fourth period, giving Iowa a lead 10 to 6 (touchdowns counted 5 points then; point after, 1 point). Late in the game Parker of Ames ran 40 yards to score. Iowa protested the touchdown, claiming Johnny Griffith 'of Iowa was deliberately fouled. The umpire reported he had not seen the infraction and allowed the touchdown. Iowa left the field, and Ames was awarded the victory by forfeit.

Strained athletic relations between Iowa and Ames followed the 1907 season, too. Ames' fullback, Tod Willetts was discovered to have played for Grinnell in 1902-03, and then at Ames in 1904, 1905, 1906 and 1907. Also that year Ames had tackled and injured Iowa's star back, Chick when he signalled for a fair catch. There was much controversy over both incidents and Iowa severed all relations between the two schools but they were playing again in 1909.. The Friday before the 1934 game, Ossie Solem, Iowa football coach and athletic director, announced that "Ames and Iowa will not meet again after the 1934 game" because of the inability of the two schools to work out a date agreeable to both institutions.

"Friendly relations will be resumed later," Solem added. They were and will be 43 years later on Saturday. Ames game. According to the Nov. 2, 1933 Press-Citizen, George Veenker, Iowa State coach declared: "We're coming down to our best to take the bell back home.

You can count on a hard fought game." In the same issue, it was reported: "Ossie Solem of the Hawks was equally sure that the ambitious Iowa eleven would do its best to keep the ball on the Iowa Campus." The bell seems to have a "now you hear me, now you don't" character, however. Nothing is remembered or can be found about it after the Iowa-Ames game of 1933. Again it disappeared, and it was not mentioned at the time of the 1934 game. Then 12 years ago, Ben Irwin, also of the university Physical Plant Department, discovered it in a storage closet in the basement of the Old Armory. Remembering its long tradition, Irwin took it to storage at Oakdale with historic furniture destined for Old I Jj till NIIIiliiBitllf f.

if (JOfiRPW m. I t. I The "Iowa Victory Bell" which had peeled out the Iowa scores in many an Iowa-Ames games disappeared after the 1913 game, and was lost for 20 years. Ed Lauer, Iowa director of athletics in 1933, had been asked by old-time Iowa alumni what had ever happened to the bell and instituted a search. Art Smith, superintendent of buildings and grounds at the university, found it in the belfry of the Universalis Church (sometimes called Unitarian Church), which stood then on the northeast corner of Iowa Avenue and Clinton Street, where Phillips Hall is today.

How it got there is a mystery today. The beU was turned over to Jack Patton, sports editor of the Press-Citizen at the time. The Press-Citizen had it mounted in a suitable frame. Remembering that Michigan and Minnesota have their "Little Brown Purdue and Indiana their "Old Oaken Iowa alumni suggested the bell be made a victory trophy, going to the winner of the Iowa-Ames game each year. The idea was adopted.

It appeared at the 1933 pep meeting and warmed the hearts of the old alumni when it was displayed at the new Iowa Stadium for the 1933 Iowa- Capitol kept there by Margaret Keyes, The furniture is in Old Capitol, but as i of this writing the historic "low KnUDOrDS, even Wen Victory Bell" is still stored at Oakdale, Ben Irwin of the University of Iowa Physical Plant Department examines Iowa's disappearing victory bell, now stored at Oakdale. and still in the frame arranged by Jack Patton of the Press-Citizen in 1933. Football controversies rhubarbs are nothing new. Iowa and Ames had a tfxMr. Hp wwwfc "towsjiv'f-MM-aW, wy i i I s-- i I I i I i I I I i I 1 i i (, i fcj, HAJm i -I r-i-f 1 -rV Big sellers in Iowa City modeled by Press-Citizen staffers If's easy fo show your feelings By STEVE HOLLAND Of the Press-Citizen Hawkeye and Cyclone fans wont have any excuse not to show their true colors Saturday when Iowa and Iowa C4n4A tlui tiwM mo linns IQO future Iowa and Iowa State clashes.

"This looks pretty good to us," says Costanzo, who adds that both sides are treated the same. We look to see what will be big. One year it was the moon shot. But this game looks pretty good right now." UKlbl. lllb bllV OUIWV They haven't for months.

Retailers in Iowa City, Ames and other parts of the state are making sure of that. Iowa and Iowa State fans can show off their feelings with bumper stickers, T-shirts, caps and hats, pennants, post cards and even underpants. Some of the novelties are innocuous. For instance, a Cyclone fan really more of let's say ribbing. They too can find just what they're looking for.

"Herky is a Turkey" plays big at Iowa State, and so does "Can Herky Come Out In Iowa City, "Go Hawk Beat Moo and "Iowa State -the Udder T-shirts are selling fast. And both schools have fans who are wearing a specially-made caps showing one bird or another stuffing a football down the other's throat. Harvey Garner of Garner Jewelers in Iowa City found himself suddenly in that hat business approximately four months ago. "I've forgotten how many I've sold," said Garner. "But I know it's a ton." Sending these hats to Iowa City has been the Vernon and Co.

of Newton, which also had sold similar hats around Ames. "It's hard telling how many we've sold," said Don Costanzo, the sales promotion and advertising manager of the company. "But between is a good guess." The company is looking ahead, too, planning to bring out other products for Some stores more non-partisian like Younkers where t-shirts cheering for neither side can be purchased. The store in Iowa City made plans last March to draw up designs for four shirts with slogans "Iowa Bowl," "Corn Bowl," "Super Game," and one that just says "Iowa-Iowa State." "I'm an Iowa fan all the way," says store manager Don Crum. "Iowa is going to win this game.

At the store here we just wanted to create some interest In this game." And, just in time for the game this year at Younkers, but for women only, are special bikini briefs with a Herky the Hawk emblem. "We've been working on getting these for a year," says Crum "They're one of the hottest items we've ever had." couldn't get too upset about an Iowa fan, true to his team, waving a black on4 ttnAA nannant (rw Vi KTr. would a Hawk fan be annoyed by a Cyclone with a banner. Fans who want to cheer at the game can find souvenirs like those right up to game time and, for that matter, thoughout the afternoon at the concession stands. But there are those people who would like to stick the other side with a little IN '77 EVEN MORE Topping fhe lisfs af Ames.