New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-19

color under which you intend to row on Sara
toga Lake next July. We claim the right to the
color magenta because of priority of adoption,
Union College having chosen it as her college
color as early as 1850, when Harvard has Dut
recently adopted it,
we raise the question now in view Of our ad-
mission to the Rowing Association of American
Colleges and our consequent necessary appear
ance ON Saratoga Lake next summer when 1t
would not be desirable for two colleges to ap-
pear under the same color.
we desire that you will communicate your
intention at the earliest date convenient Yours
respectfully A. V. V. RAYMOND.
Commenting on this letter THE Magenta"
whose very name attacked. says in It's
next issue:
t. b. c.. the II. t. B. b. c. and the II. U. +. b.
c. ETC. that the magenta, which has graced so
many victories. which was first displayed on
Lake WinnipiseoGee in lS"1, and now adorns
our commons crOckery. must be removed. Union
College has finally signifed her willingness to
enter the next regatta; Union College bears
magenta standard: and Union College desires
Us 70 change our colors.
THE CONTROVERSY WITH UNION.
Immediately. however. a controversy arose
about the right which Harvard had to magenta
one graduate was sure that magenta was Har-
wards color. another was sure that crimson was
Harvard's color. one produced clippings from
old newspapers. both college and BOstonian, in
which the word crimson was USED TO designate
articles of clothing worn 10y college crews in
races Another asserted that both sets Of clip
pings misapplied the word crimson to the color
magenta, and in turn produced clippings OF the
same sort in which the word used was magenta.
one graduate wrote to say that he had
handkerchief and CraVat Of the old college color,
both magenta. Another had crimson ribbon
which he had worn as an undergraduate, as a
symbol Of his attachment Within two weeks
the college prints acknowledged that there was
no general certainty whether crimson had
meant crimson magenta, whether magenta
had meant magenta or crimson.
on March II appeared in print letter dated
Milton, March |. The Graduate Of 1861 who
wrote to The Magenta" seemed to have not only
a fine scrapbook but a good memory. He
touched on the defeat Of 1851, the victory of
ISIS when President Eliot 0hen tutor pulled
No. >. and Professor AgassiZ then Mr. AgassZ)
pulled bow; on the victory of 1893 and on that
of 1860 when, he declared categOrcally, the
crew won in magenta. The color worn in that
race was one of the most disputed points in the
whole controversy The writer therefore did
not stop at flat assertion; he quoted from his
scrapbOok one clipping concerning a regatta
at Charlestown, June II, 1860. contained the
words. red turbans of old Harvard" one from
"The Spirit of the Times" of the same date con-
tanned THE Harvards were loudly cheered the
moment their well known red handkerchiefs
were seem; one from the same paper concerning
the all-important race at Worcester referred TO
white shirts and red handkerchefs" Of Har-
ward. The writer declares that he remembered
what red" in those articles meant; that II
meant magenta; and he further recalled certain
light feminine Chaff about Haryards taste in
selecting 50 homely color" lie added that, In