Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Big ThurQ Shows Cok By GLENNA BRYANT Editor Born amid the partisan passions created by "Pitchfork" Ben Tillman, South Carolina governor of the 1890's, the Carolina-Clemson rivalry is indeed worthy of recall. Tillman, favorite of the farm and factory vote, said USC was a center of "floppery and snobbery" and as a result Tom Clemson, son-in-law of John C. Calhoun, offered to bequeath land and money to start a state school for agricultural and military train mng. The first meeting of the football teams was in 1896 when Clemson, coached by Pro fessor Walter M. Riggs, declared that "While it did not intend to play Harvard or Yale, it fully intended to beat the South Carolina College." The faculty minutes of November 10 state that "the football team was allowed to play a match game with Clemson College on Thursday, November 12." IN 1896, USC WINS 12-6 A capacity crowd of 2,000 fans witnessed the first game which was played at the Elm wood fairgrounds at 11 a.m. The University won this encounter 12-6. From 1897-1900, the Tigers, now a power in football, won four victories over the Game cocks. The game began as an added attrac tion to the State Fair but quickly grew to wider proportions. Paul V. Moore, veteran secretary of the Fair Association, once stated, "The Carolina Clemson fracas can no more get along with out the festival background and carnival atmosphere of the fair, than grits without gravy." COLOR OF GAME The occasion of the Carolina-Clemson game combines the state's fall fashion show, unofficial D)emocratic caucus, annual re union, and not to mention, the very tops in * football. The rivalry was keen from the outset and the series was still young when the "big fight of 1902" severed relations for six years. 1902 RIOT The score of this memorable game was USC 12, Clemson 6. That night Clemson s4tudents and the madly cerebrating USC'ans clashed in a fist fight over a "transparency" dlepicting the crowing Gamecock atop the bleeding Tiger. The next night the Univer sity boys put the transparency in a parade of student bodies down Main Street. Real trouble flared when the parade ended, the boys bearing the transparency lit a rag for their nearby campus. The Clemsons then marshalled their strength and word spread over the Carolina campus that the Clemson (adets were coming enmasse and wearing their bayonets or "side arms." Out. numbered, Carolina boys brought out shot. guns and pistols. J. Rion McKissick, freshman, was accosted by a senior. "Mr. McKissick, are you armed ?" "1 have a pistol, sir." "How many rounds of ammunition?" "Eight, sir." ;day Story or Of Game "Mr. McKissick, make every shot count." Carolina's faculty voted to discontinue the game but it was resumed in 1909: Clemson 6, USC 0. NEW STADIUM In the 1930's Coach Billy Laval and his "Gaffney Ghost won three in a row from the agriculture college. (Earl Clary, the. "Ghost," sidestepped so hard he sprung his cleats and had to have new shoes for every game.) In 1934 the outdated creaking stadium inside the fair grounds was supplanted by more modern steel stands on Stadium Road. The city of Columbia obtained the money to build the new stands and erected a Municipal Stadium. The Municipal Stadium was not a paying venture and in 1935, when it was felt the stadium might fall into a receivership, the city dumped the stadium right into the lap of the University. The State Fair showed its good faith by kicking in $1,700 to get the stadium's financial status in order and con sented to help the University $1,000 a year. DEBT PAID OFF The state legislature then took up the stadium bonds, but the Fair continued to fork over its $1,000 a year to Carolina - and made it right back tagging autos at the game on Big Thursday. In the 1940's a new tradition was insti tuted when Carolina students worked in shifts tending fires at the horseshoe gates to frighten away wild animals - mainly tigers. The year 1946 proved unforgettable when the general admission gate gave way undei 10,000 frenzied fans. 10,000 STORM GATE Head ticket man asked the internal revenue agent "What (10 we do now ?" and, without a moment's hesitation, the agent snapped, "I don't know about you, buddy, but I'm going to get the heck out of here before I get killed." 90,000 people had ap plied for 25,000 seats. Thousands with and without tickets stormed the gates and the first wave carried the ticket man to the 50-yard line. This game was filled wvith color from start to finish, such as the scene of the lady from a small Palmetto state town who dropped down on Coach Enright's bench. A passing man, inebriated variety, patted her on the shoulder and consolingly said, "Thash all right lady, keep your seat, we'll put you in jus' a minute." Carolina won 26-14. LOYAL FAN The game has been filled with color and _ tradition and loyalty unsurpassed in this area. One USC alum came all the way from the island of Jamaica to see this annual affair and after a pre-game celebration went to bed. When he came (down from his hotel room, it was Friday. And so passes into memories - the color ful and sad, the winning and the losing of the great tradlition known as "Big Thurs dlay."