Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-10-13
TELLS or sLoooYMoNpAy
Charles Durham WsStes ~ lassssssaue
Letter From Harvard.

Charles Durham wssses ~ lassessssss
Letter From Harvard.
The first Monday of the new COL
lege year at most colleges 10 called
Bloody Monday" and ut Harvard,
especially. the natural antipsthiss Of
sophomore and freshmen, are given
considerable latitude on thss day.
Charlie Durham. who has lust en-
tered Harvard in the class of 1900.
thus describes what happened this
year in letter to his parents Col.
and Mrs. c. w. Durham: BLOODY
Monday was . vet. cloudy day. All
day the skies dipped. and tried 70
dissuade the freshmen and sophomores
from fighting out the struggle for
supremacy. The freshmen attended
at Memorial Hall at p. N. to hear
addresses from the president to the
teachers of the faculty 10 regard to
their college duties. and to be in
PRODUCED to their instructors. After
the refreshments during which the
students made . fearful din BY
crowding up to the tables and heating
time to their sppetites on the saucers
with their spoons. We left the bald.
ing.
1T was still drizzling. but We
heard shouting. rah, rsh. rsh, 1901
Rah. rah. rah, 80. So We hurried, ran
and stumbled over the quadraugle to
the lawn in front OF Weld hall
There they were. two large crowds,
one shouting hoarsely, this way 80.
the other, this way 1901 So VI
found our places and then came shs
charge. The advance Of the Sophs'
came up ut full speed and rolled
against our lines; then the main bod =
appeared, but the shock was over
1t was now a squeezing. gaspiug en-
deavor to penetrate the enemy, moi
the individuals, but the ranks. Sud.
denly down vent someone in front o,
me. then another ard l followed
chin foremost into the heap. Their
vas no turning back possible then
but the crowd separated slowly end
the heap dissolved except one, who
after . little time, limped
to his room on friend's
arm. My hat was snstchsd
the first rush and now most Of The
others were bareheaded, too. After
few desultory, fierce skirmishes We
organized wedge. Three or four
fellows now locked arms and the
rest backed them up. The result
was splendid. In spite OF our not
knowing each other I've have not yc,
had class meetipg) we rallied our
men by the cry, fas, developing into
croak with the strain and vet,
this way men Of 1900" Joined the
first of those wedges and from that
time until nearly the end I was in
front. They chose the large men
for that purpose. sometimes three,
sometimes four locking arms and
facing the tide Of sophomores. up
and down over the campus, on the
walks and against trees. everywhere
confusion and wet. A great many
sophomores wore their football suits
and were terrifying objects ut last.
One fellow came running full speed
right at me and 40 hard as he could,
but ] braced myself for the shock and
stopped him. Most Of the ground
was now worked into sort of paste
ankle deep. and according to the list
OF lost or missing. it must be q mix.
ture OF cuff buttons. hats and other
miscellaneous articles. 1t was our
victory; we had our moneys worth.
and the class of 1900 can crow for
the present. 1t would have been q
glorious affair but for the drizzle.
As it is. We are sore. but enthusi-
Astic."