Robert mason recollections
"My father's voting philosophy was not too bad. His advice was: If they're in, vote 'em out." - David Mason (1966)
Transcript of a 1984 audiotape conversation between James Mason and his son John:
John Mason: Your dad [Robert John Mason] told you about a football player named Osterman?
James Mason: Oosterbaan [Benjamin Gaylord “Bennie” Oosterbaan] -- a Dutchman. And he was a quarterback on this team up north. I forget which school. It might have been Dartmouth, or could be Michigan [Michigan is correct]. Doesn’t matter…
John: College.
James: Yeah, college. And his team was beating up on everybody down east, and the University of Chicago Stagg team was doing well, and Stagg [Amos Alonzo Stagg] invited this team and Oosterbaan to come and play at Stagg Field. And the visitors beat him 36-6.
And after the game was over the quarterbacks for Chicago and Dartmouth got together to talk it over, and the Chicago man said, “What’s your secret?”
And Oosterbaan said, “Well, my receiver and I have a little rhyme that we use. It goes, ‘Ten thousand Swedes jumped out of the weeds at the Battle of CopenHAGEN!’”
John: And then he threw it. And that was before your time that happened?
James: In the ‘30s, I think.
John: Oh in the ‘30s. Oh, but your dad told you about it?
James: Yes, he found it in the paper, I guess.
John: The 1930s? Your dad died in ’29.
James: Oh, then it was late ‘20s.
====================================
From the Chicago Tribune Archives for November 6th, 1927 (this appears to be the only time that Chicago played Michigan while Oosterbaan was on the Michigan team):
60,000 WATCH MICHIGAN DEFEAT CHICAGO, 14 TO 0
CRUSH MAROON LINE AS ROUSE LEAVES GAME
Gilbert and Oosterbaan Lead Offense.
Maroons Lose
60,000 WATCH MICHIGAN BEAT CHICAG0, 14-0
Maroon Line Crumbles as Rouse Goes Out.
Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963) - Chicago, Ill.
Author: Maxwell, Don
Date: Nov 6, 1927
Start Page: A1
Pages: 3
Abstract (Document Summary)
Louis Gilbert, the campus sheik from the neighborhood of Kalamazoo, and Benny Oosterbaan, twice named an all-American end, juggled a football out on Stagg field yesterday and before their show was over each at them had planted the ball behind the goal line, with the result that... [remainder of abstract only available for a fee]
John Mason: Your dad [Robert John Mason] told you about a football player named Osterman?
James Mason: Oosterbaan [Benjamin Gaylord “Bennie” Oosterbaan] -- a Dutchman. And he was a quarterback on this team up north. I forget which school. It might have been Dartmouth, or could be Michigan [Michigan is correct]. Doesn’t matter…
John: College.
James: Yeah, college. And his team was beating up on everybody down east, and the University of Chicago Stagg team was doing well, and Stagg [Amos Alonzo Stagg] invited this team and Oosterbaan to come and play at Stagg Field. And the visitors beat him 36-6.
And after the game was over the quarterbacks for Chicago and Dartmouth got together to talk it over, and the Chicago man said, “What’s your secret?”
And Oosterbaan said, “Well, my receiver and I have a little rhyme that we use. It goes, ‘Ten thousand Swedes jumped out of the weeds at the Battle of CopenHAGEN!’”
John: And then he threw it. And that was before your time that happened?
James: In the ‘30s, I think.
John: Oh in the ‘30s. Oh, but your dad told you about it?
James: Yes, he found it in the paper, I guess.
John: The 1930s? Your dad died in ’29.
James: Oh, then it was late ‘20s.
====================================
From the Chicago Tribune Archives for November 6th, 1927 (this appears to be the only time that Chicago played Michigan while Oosterbaan was on the Michigan team):
60,000 WATCH MICHIGAN DEFEAT CHICAGO, 14 TO 0
CRUSH MAROON LINE AS ROUSE LEAVES GAME
Gilbert and Oosterbaan Lead Offense.
Maroons Lose
60,000 WATCH MICHIGAN BEAT CHICAG0, 14-0
Maroon Line Crumbles as Rouse Goes Out.
Chicago Daily Tribune (1923-1963) - Chicago, Ill.
Author: Maxwell, Don
Date: Nov 6, 1927
Start Page: A1
Pages: 3
Abstract (Document Summary)
Louis Gilbert, the campus sheik from the neighborhood of Kalamazoo, and Benny Oosterbaan, twice named an all-American end, juggled a football out on Stagg field yesterday and before their show was over each at them had planted the ball behind the goal line, with the result that... [remainder of abstract only available for a fee]