The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-02-10
COLLEGE WARFARE.
Harvard's Bloody Monday" and
It's Origin.
scrimmages In Which Donnybrook Tactics
ProvAil-Tumultuous Sports Which
Often Result in Serious
Injury.


sort of informal football match in
which all four classes Joined, the
seniors siding with the sophomores and
the juniors with the freshmen. Assem-
bling after supper on the delta, the
triangular lot Of land on which Memo
rial hall now stands, the two opposing
sides used to Zine up" and prepare for
o mighty struggle. Taunts, jeers and
yells Of defiance filled the air. Some
times, says writer in the Boston
Transcript, doughty champion from
either side would step forth, and then q
truly Homeric contest would ensue be-
tween the devoted pair, while the two
hosts, like the Grecian and Trojan
camps, stood looking on and frantically
cheering. Finally enthusiasm boiled
over and general scrimmage fol-
lowed In which the tactics Of Donny-
brook fair chiefly prevailed, the burn
ing desire of each combatant being to
"down" some other combatant, no
matter who. In the course of years
these annual scrimmages degenerated
into brutal fights in which eyes were
blaclsened, joints dislocated and bones
not infrequently broken. After at
tempting in vain to moderate them, the
faculty at last, in 1850, peremptorily
forbade these encounters. An account
Of the obsequies OF the sport is to be
found In Mr.. Sibley's journal.
Diverted from this channel, the spirit
Of class rivalry quickly broke out in the
form of hazing. For dozen years the
fun was carried to excess. Men were
dragged from their beds and held under
the pump, doors were broken down,
furniture smashed and freshman rugs
and mattresses carried into the quad
rangle and kindled into merry bon
fires.
1t was during this period that the
name "Bloody Monday" was given to
the first Monday of the college year.
Hazing continued, by flts and starts,
until 1878, when some fragrant outrages
brought down once more the wrath Of
the faculty. Drastic remedies were ap-
piled In the way Of discipline. For the
past fifteen years or more hazing has
been practically unknown at Harvard,
and to-day there is nothing here re-
sembling 1t or evincing the spirit from
which hazing springs. It is doubtful
whether as much can be said with re.
gard to any other American college.
What is "Bloody Monday" at pres
ent? The visitor to the college campus
on a recent evening would have found
a full answer to the question. About
eight o'clock members Of the freshmen
and sophomore classes begin to as
semble in the corner between Mat
thews' and Gray's. There are perhaps
a hundred and fifty or two hundred
students on each side. They have on
rough clothes and are mostly bare
headed Yells, groans, taunts are free
ly interchanged. In the confusion and
darkness it is hard to distinguish friend
from foe. There are full rs many
spectators as combatants. The Cam
bridge "muclxer" pervades the entire
gloom, lends his voice TO the yelling,
and loudly and impartially adjures both
sides TO show more sandl'' Half a
dozen policemen are on hand to pre-
vent serious disturbance. From time
to time the opposing sides form in
solid column and rush madly together.
Clothes, eyes and noses sometimes
suffer. 1t is said that one man last |
year had his collarbone broken. But
generally speaking, it is mild enough |
collision. There are no fisticuffs, no III |
humor, no brutality. In fact, 1t must |
on the whole be called tame, mean
ingless affair. The students themselves
have an air Of rather wondering what |
they are there for, anyway. by ten
o'clock all pretense of enthusiasm Is
past. The sophomores amuse them
selves by chatting one Of the policemen,
snatching his hat off, and rushing"
him. This sport soon polls, the stu.
dents stroll away, and before midnight
the yard is as quiet as ever.
There is a growing custom among
freshmen Of "giving punches" to the
sophomores on "Bloody Monday" night
in the bibulous and not the pugnacious
sense. Especially, 1t is said, are the
punches given by wealthy and roister-
ing newcomers who aspire to Join the
choice band OF spirits composing the
"Dickey." Some Of these depraved lit
tie noodles, with unlimited pocket mon
ey and burning ambition to be thought
fast" have begun the custom Of dis
tributing free liquor. How far the GUS
tom is growing it would be hard to say.
l am told that there is movement
among colleges to welcome freshmen in
D fashion quite unlike the traditional
one and that In one or two places ban
4uets have been given them by the
Here is change indeed.
How far this movement will go is also
doubtful. At all events there Is no per-
,ecution OF the freshmen at Harvard,
nor the slightest tendency in that direc-
lion. His cap is safe upon his. curly
head; his toes are untrod; his cane Is
nnmolested; no shudders shake his bed
by night. He swells around the yard
and dormitories TO his hearts content,
with none TO make afraid. Ilazing is
so wholly and completely thing Of the
past at Harvard that no thought is given
70 the subject.
Football has resumed its place among
college sports; the prophecy Of its ad-
nirers has been fulfilled. But all con-
,ection with "Bloody Monday" has
ong since disappeared. Class spirit is
ieeble and the ''rushes" will soon die
,ut. II they give place to toadyiag and
yuzzling Of punches the change wi. be
-egretable. Mars exacts far less ig-
noble devotion than Bacchus. There Is