The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-20

signal for the mass attack on the ball
and incidentally, the other fellows.
The latter feature was by long odds
the most zealously performed, and
within half minute about 125 pairs or
arms and legs waved wildly about, ana
for the nonce the sphere was lost sight
Of Barked shins raised bowls that en-
livened the opening fracas, and when
the real chase for the yellow sphere
was instituted, the sophs appeared
satisfied with the class display OF
strength.
Twice the ball was kicked over the
fence, but each time an army OF the
struggling classmen perched on the
fence, and the ball found its way into
the arena again. Up and down the
field, the classes jostled, now and then
dividing into scouting parties anxious
to follow the trouble trail. No man
who wished to thump a member of the
rival class was robbed of chance, and
in this respect, the Association foot
ball game exceeded the cane rush as
an outlet for the kind of class spirit
that makes successful engagements in
fisticuffs the mark of a hero. For 10
minutes the sophs appeared to have
slight advantage, the ball being in
freshmen territory the greater part of
the time. The sophs massed, and the
ball was worked to a point about ten
feet in front of the goal defended by
the naughty five men.
Then the freshies rallied and the
game showed all the features of cane
rush for several minutes, the 1875
students being pressed into a compact
lump of rapidly weakening freshman
sophomore beef. Finally the sophs
wore down the freshies and crossed the
line, but no point was allowed. the of
ficials claiming that the rules plainly
provided for a score only in case of the
ball being kicked beneath the cross bar
The freshies were granted free kick
and Chickering sent the ball into soph
territory and the wrangle was on
again.
When near the fence at the east side
of the Oval, Soph booted the ball over
the fence. Naughty four men mounted
the fence and then the cry of Whose
got the ball?" was raised. Emanating
from a soph source, it looked suspi-
cious and it didn't take the freshies
more than a few seconds to discover
that the sophs had schemed to gain
possession of the leather Every known
name that might be construed by '04
men as meaning that freshies held
that class in contempt was hurled
about, and "squealer' and gutter"
were such common terms that the
freshies wearied of addressing sophs
by such gentle descriptive titles, and
the Kings English with positively no
soothing polish was used by the dis
gusted freshies.
The sophs were housed in the club
house and 'O5 men surrounded the
north end of the building and Kissed
like a hungry mob preparing for an
attack on a bakery. The sophs gloried
in the trickery that had gained them
the ball, and each boastfull shout was
cruel prod to the freshies
But the worm turned, and when
Perry 04 a 210 pound contestant, ap-
peared on the steps of the clubhouse
wearing a tall hat it was too much
and naughty five showed it's fighting
blood. Perry carried himself with the
air Of a prize winning peacock and this
in itself was tantalizing enough, but
when he inquired, Whose got the
ball?" even the strange hold wasn't
barred, and in about four seconds,
plump Mr.. Perry was buried beneath
a score of ff'eshies, and the glossy top
piece found its way into the hands Of
a naughty five man who was stroking
it lovingly in an attempt to restore it
to its original shape when about 30
sophs headed for him. The freshies
streaked for the fence and had reached
the top when a soph pulled him back
into the very jaws of the mob. But the
hat had gone to the other side of the
fence and an 'O5 man had clutched it.
Half a dozen attacks on sophs by
freshies for the purpose of searching
dress suit cases for the missing ball
awaited nothing, and shortly before
six o'clock the scene of the battle of
classes was transferred sectionally
from the Oval to the heart of the city
where each car emptied loads of howl
ing students proud of the tattered
clothes and bruised skin and ever
mindful of the class of '04 and the pill
fered prize.