Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-09
JOY OF THE TIGERS.
How They Celebrated Their Great
Victory Over Yale.
WITH A BONFIRE And FIREWORKS.
The Brawny Heroes Carried in a
TriumphaI Car.
FRESHMEN BROUGHT WOOD.
FRESHMEN BROUGHT WOOD,
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

One cOulQ feel tnaI something WAS dpout "
happen. There was an expectant look In the
freshmen's faces; they were soon to witness
their first Yale game wear their first bit of
orange ribbon and cheer their first cheer for
old Nassau. The exodus to New York be-
gan Wednesday. Numbers of men left town
on every train. Thursday morning the spe-
cial carried away most of the remaining
students, and the regular train took all but
handful of the rest. A more deserted and
desolate town than Princeton on Thanks
giving day would have been hard to find.
The ominous hush settled into silence.
John, the college policeman, was the only
soul of the campus. and when two persons
met on Nassau street they merely nodded,
and did not speak.
At 5 o'clock, when the final score was an
nounced, the little krot around the office
went wild, the bell in Old North began to
ring and was kept ringing continuously for
five hours; the local band was called out
and ordered to head an impromptu parade,
consisting of handful Of students, several
club walters and all the small boys DR..
Patton was seen coming in from the first
train with broad smile wreathing his
severe features. None was happier over the
victory than he. To him it meant a large
freshman class next fall, and the vindica-
He was particularly pleased with the way
the students conducted themselves in New
York. He had appealed to their better ma
ture, and had succeeded in his effort to
prove that college men are gentlemen. The
new rules requiring the registration of the
students before II on Thanksgiving night
worked well. About 700 men packed the spe-
cial train to its very platforms, and reach
ed Princeton in time to sign their names
and be checked off in the college offices or
the English room. Those who did not ap-
pear either had permission from their
guardians to remain away or were running
the risk of being disciplined. A happy
crowd came in that night. Every face,
from FRESHMAN to senior was in grin, which
broadened as the full meaning of the
Thanksgiving victory became realized by
each man.
What 1t Meant.
Princeton's defeat of Yale means to the
students, first. the winning of the intercol-
legiate championship from college that
had been considered invincible: second, the
death of the hated Harvar-Yale dual
league proposition, and third, the bright
prospect of a series of foot ball victories no
less signal than this years. Phil King is
the only member of this eleven who will not
be here next year. All the other members
of the team are in or under their junior
year. Moreover, there are men on the
varsity players. Princeton's foot ball out
look is bright.
A mass meeting of the college was held
on Saturday to appoint committee to ar
range and conduct the celebration tonight.
The town was canvassed and the faculty
solicited No one declined. The hardware
stores donated tar and kerosene, the drug
stores sent in all their packing cases. Prof.
Marquand gave part of the fence around
Guernsey Hail. his residence; other men,
bers OF the faculty gave cord-wood or sup
piled fireworks. All day the freshmen. whose
special prerogative Ii is to haul lumber on
celebration days, have been bringing in load
after load of material for the bonfire
Twenty-four cords of wood were stacked
around the cannon in the center of the
quadrangle behind Old North, and around
and above this solid foundation was heaped
a mass of material soaked with kerosene
and daubed with tar. Yales funeral pyre,
as someone called 1t, was solid pyramid
thirty-five to forty feet high, with diameter
of at least fifty feet at the base
The announcement of the celebration
brought in crowds of alumni. and when the
triumphal procession came up Nassau street
the campus was thronged with visitors
The noise was deafening. and almost suffi-
Gent to rouse the old Princeton heroes lying
in the famous graveyard down Witherspoon
street Such celebration Princeton has
not seen since the night, years and years
ago, when the students in their velvet knee
breeches and three-cornered hats built a
bonfire and cremated the odious stamp act
and DR.. John Witherspoon was living then
Princeton latest effort was tonights, with
DR.. F. l.. Patton In the presidential chair of
the college.
The Celebration Was Immense.
Master of ceremonies, President Brodnax
of the senior class. led the line, marching
ahead of the local band, which turned out
in full dress and made the street echo with
the famous Princeton triangle song. Close
men holding the long ropes attached to the
triumphal car on which, perched far above
the crowd, and sheltered by frame work
of Chinese lanterns and orange banners, sat
the champion eleven with Jack McMasters
their trainer. Then came another string of
men dragging the humber chariot of the
gallant scrub teanl-the team on which the
Varsity practices. Behind the scrub came
the rank and file of the undergraduate
body led by a relic of the last Presidential
campaign in the shape of the democratic
Kazoo Band, in full zouave costume-and
consisting chiefly, 1t must be said, of cos
tunes and drums. 1t was too cold night for
effective work on kazoos. The wildly dane
ing mob of yelling undergraduates was lit
up by torches and enlivened by horns; and
winding up the procession came cart bear
ing the committee on fireworks. who sat in
continual blaze of glory, letting off rock
cts. Roman candles, colored fires, and can
non crackers. The cart nearly blew up at
one time-for bomb fell into the midst of
the colored fire. but prompt and heroic
measures by the occupants averted a catas-
trophe Every house on Nassau street was
Illuminated; and the windows of the Nassau
Hotel were filled with ladies, whereat the
procession of enthusiasts howled and cheer
ed until they were hoarse.
From the steps of Old North speeches
were made by Capt. Trenchard, who is
modesty personifed. by Phil. King, the
king of the Tigers" and other members
of the team. James Johnson, an old dar-
key commonly known Jim who sells
peanuts, fuit and candy, was given a place
on the steps, and asked for a speech. Jim
is old; he is toothless and bowed; he slut
tiers so badly that any effort at words is
agony to him, though irresistibly ridiculous
to his hearers Jim, however has an active
brain under his gray wool. He knew he
would be called on for a speech, and he had
taken the precaution to write one out and
tack it on a stick. When his name was
called, Jim tottered up to Brodnax and slut
tered, "Y-y-y-you r-r-r-read dat!' This was
Jim's speech: II have been here since 1899
and l never saw the tigers play SO well.
Yale played hard, but we played better
Princeton is the stuff. Yale is nowhere
James Johnson" The reading ELECTED much
applause. Had Jim attempted to deliver the
speech himself he would not have finished
yet.
Rutgers Was on Hand.
A pleasant feature of the celebration was
the arrival of a band of Rutgers men
cheering for Princeton and New Jersey
One of their number made a speech from
the steps, after the coachers had finished