We continue our picture of the 1931 Tyrone football team with the first actual game on the Eagles’ schedule. The first game with Bigler Township was canceled at Bigler’s request.
On Saturday, Sept. 26, 1931, Tyrone defeated Roaring Spring 37-0 to begin the season on a high note.
The nearby borough of Philipsburg became the first to test voting machines, even though the county commissioners refused to pay for them.
The American pastime of major league baseball included eight teams in each league. The National League consisted of the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Giants, Chicago Cubs, Brooklyn Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Boston Braves, Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds. The American League consisted of the Philadelphia Athletics, Washington (D.C.) Senators, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Browns, Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox. Most of those teams you no doubt recognize from major league baseball today. The Dodgers, and Giants moved to the west coast. The Braves moved first to Milwaukee, then to Atlanta. The Athletics moved to Kansas City, then to Oakland. The Browns moved to Baltimore to become the Orioles. The Senators moved to Seattle, then to Texas where they became the Rangers.
The Pirates were in the middle of the standings in 1931 hovering for most of the Summer between fifth and seventh place, struggling to stay above the .500 mark.
Shorty Cantlon of Detroit won the annual Labor Day International Race at the Altoona Speedway at Tipton. The area is now the Ardie Dillen Industrial Park. Cantlon took home the top prize of $1,500 and 120 A.A.A. points. The American Automobile Association (A.A.A.) was the NASCAR of the day and although the Depression was signaling the end of the then world-famous racetrack, crowds in excess of 50,000 were common for the Labor Day Races held there between the end of World War I and the late 1920s.
The annual classic at Tipton clinched the 1931 A.A.A. championship for Lou Schneider of Los Angeles, who added 50 points to his total for a sixth place finish in the 100-mile feature. Schneider also received 22.5 points in the 25-mile race before the feature and had a total of 712.5 points with only a race at Syracuse the following week to finish the season.
Thomas Edison was reported in failing health, but it was relayed from his doctor that the 84-year old inventor was in no immediate danger. Edison had been reported to be slightly delirious following after collapsing several weeks before.
Pennsylvania governor Gifford Pinchot declared that he would call a special session of the legislature before the end of the 1931 to deal with unemployment relief and would recommend to the assembly the issue of long term “prosperity bonds” to relieve distress and restore prosperity to the Commonwealth.
Pinchot took the occasion to hit out at the policies of the Hoover administration regarding unemployment relief.
“I have asked for Federal Relief for unemployment,” he said. “And I have urged the national administration the calling of an extra session of Congress to provide relief in time. My demand has apparently gone unheeded. Nevertheless, I maintain that federal aid is indispensable to meet the needed in full.”
What President Herbert Hoover was doing was giving thought to the possible appeal of Prohibition. The return of three percent beer was being thought of as a measure of economic relief during the Depression.
In 1914 when about half the states were dry, approximately 75,000 were employed in the manufacture of beer. After nine years of prohibition, however, only about 6,500 were employed in manufacturing near-beer.
The Federal Treasury derived over $67 million from taxes on beer and ale in 1914.
Locally, John Shollenberger of West 18th Street had just completed his second successful season as a life guard and instructor at the Athletic Park swimming pool. Not one incident had been reported. Shollenberger entered his second year at Oberlin College, aspiring to take up either YMCA or high school work in physical education.
Assisting Shollenberger at the pool was John Derr, son of Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Derr of Park Avenue. Miss Dorothy Knight had charge of the younger girls and also conducted a course in archery.
At the El Patio Theatre, “Ex-Bad Boy” with Robert Armstrong and Jean Arthur was playing on Monday and Tuesday. Sylvia Sidney starred in “Confessions of a Co-Ed,” Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday you could see Bessie Love, Slim Summerville and Harry Langdon in “See America Thirst,” and Saturday Ken Maynard in “Two Gun Man” and Joan Bennett in “Hush Money” were on the big screen.
Opening the football season before a large and enthusiastic crowd at the Athletic Park, Tyrone (1-0) got off to a quick start recovering the opening kickoff. Getz recovered at the Spring-20 for the Orange and Black. Jim Hildebrand scored the first touchdown of the season several pays later. Hildebrand’s PAT kick was blocked by the Yellow Jackets.
Tyrone picked up another fumble, early in the second quarter. An Alex Hagg to Getz pass netted 15 yards. A series of plays pushed the ball down the field for Ben Calderwood to slip through a hole at center for the six-pointer.
The Eagles forced the Roaring Spring squad, coached by “Mule” Benford, former Tyrone grid star, to punt on the next series and then marched down the field, plugging away until Fisher took the ball in for the second Td of the quarter and a 19-0 lead at the half.
Tyrone took the kick and before the fans had much of a chance to relax, Jim Hildebrand dashed 95 yards for a touchdown.
The Eagles held Roaring Spring again and went quickly downfield for their second tally of the quarter. This time it was a pass from Hagg to Fisher for the score.
Following a series of possessions by both teams, with the only play of note, a 20-yard pickup by Hagg behind some excellent interference by his teammates, Tyrone took over at the Spring-25.
Hildebrand chopped off 10 yards around right end and Fisher went through a hole over center for 10 more. Hagg then dropped back and tossed beauty into the arms of Getz standing in the endzone for the final score of the game.
The alert Tyrone defense recovered four Roaring Spring fumbles, while the offense out-rushed the Yellow jackets 159-54 and completed two of six passes for 39 yards to Springs’ two of eight for 18 yards.
