The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-12
FRESHMEN WIN.
Carry Their Canes Into the
Chapel and Out Again.

After a short, sharp tuGsle, the Fresh
men of Washburn succeeded in carry
ing their precious canes to the annual
open meeting of the Washburn College
Literary society at Washburn college
last night. and in getting away safely
with the canes after the entertainment
was over. The rush was decisive VIC
tory for the Freshmen. The Sopho-
nores were fairly outrushed.
The cane rush custom at Washburn
originated in 1898. It has been an an
nual event since that date. 1t occurs at
the first public college entertainment of
the school year. which usually happens
to be the open meeting Of one of the
literary societies. The Freshmen en-
deavor to take their canes into the
meeting.
When the first of the annual cane
rushes occurred. the participants wore
their ordinary clothes. Experience
proved that football clothes were bet
ter for such an occasion, and in recent
rushes, the active combatants have
been CARRIED a la gridiron. Last night,
there were 80 or 40 young men on each
side, and nearly all of them were dress
ed not only in football suits, but wore
nose guards. football helmets and shin
protectors as well.
The Sophomores guarded all the en-
frances to the chapel. The Freshmen
Meantime, the entire audience which
has assembled for the open m Getting,
waited outside of the chapel building to
see the conflict. At last, with wild
rush, and yells of defiance, the Fresh
men advanced on the front entrance of
the chapel The opposing sides crashed
together at the foot of the chapel steps.
For few minutes the rush of the
Freshmen was checked, but finally, the
struggling, fighting mass slowly pushed
upstairs, and in five minutes. the Fresh
men, with wild bowls of victory. plung-
ed through the chapel doors with the
big bundle of canes in their midst
1t must be understood that in the
modern cane rush, the canes are all
tied into one bundle. The rushers go on
the theory that IT 10 easier to put all
their eggs in one basket and watch
that basket.
After the entertainment. which was
abbreviated because of the late arrival
of the Freshmen, the Sophomores made
another desperate effort to capture the
bundle of canes. They tried to block
the chapel door, but the Freshmen
formed an old-fashioned flying wedge
with the canes in the middle, and came
down upon their opponents with such
terrific force that they were clear of the
building before any other part of the
audience.
The literary programme was given by
the society under difficulties. There was
too much suppressed excitement for
much attention on the part of the au-
dience. A piano duet was played by
Miss Morton and Miss Bishop, and Miss
Lu Celia Clarke played violin solo.
The rest of the programme was fur
nished by members of the society. A
male quartette composed of Sutton. AL
len, Shirts and Johnson, made quite a
hit with some college songs.
The Sophomores claim that they re-
trieved their defeat in part by stealing
a bundle of canes which the Freshmen
had hidden in the barn loft at S. d.
Lees premises in Seabrook One of Mr.
Lees sons is in the Freshman class. The
Freshmen, however. had two bundles of
canes hidden in the loft, and the Sophie
mores got only one of the bundles.
1--WE had two bundles of canes" said
one of the Freshmen this morning. "One
bundle we carried through the rush.
The other bundle, containing an equal
number of canes. we hid in the barn
loft to present to the girls of the class
as souvenirs of the rush. The SophO-
mores stole the second bundle. We still |
have the canes which went through the |
rush"
The Sophomores discovered the hiding |
place of the canes by shadowing the |
man who took the canes away with him |
after the rush was over last night.
Any old soap answers for the laun- |
dry, but use exclusively Satin-Skin |
Co.., oorpnlovi0u toilet or hath