The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1906-02-01
i. FRESHMAN AT U. OF M.
XXX.

week Will any especial plcdSuic, cS
you saw but little in the program which
appealed to you, with the exception of
the two ball games. The celebration was
heralded at the house, however, with
such thorough ''hoeing out" as had not
taken place for some time, and Fresh
men got such final dose of sweeping
and setting to rights generally as would
as YOU expressed it in heart to heart
talk with Jack on the disadvantages of
being a Freshman, 'hold you while
A house party was imminent, and sofa
pillows, pictures and kindred things
which had been carefully slowed away
were produced and arranged with an
effect that was as studiedly careless as
il was careful.
The visitors arrived in groups OF two
or three, or singly, and in a day the
house was quite transformed. Reclta-
tions went on for the undercassmen,
much as usual, with the exception OF
the afternoon hours, which were, IN
some cases, shortened bit. You
managed to see some of the prellml-
naries in the tennis tournament one
morning. owing to that occasional boon
of the college mans round OF reclta lions
"a cut The preliminarles took place
on the court in front of WIngate Hail,
partly shaded by pines which made
pretty background for the contestants
and spectators, among whom some OF
the visiting young ladies were con-
spicuous.
You and Jack, after due consldera-
ton and consultation, had decided to
indulge yourselves to the extent OF pur-
chasing tickets for the Junior Spread,
which was to take place in the gym on
the momentous afternoon of the BOW
dom game. That Bowdoin game was
what every collegian and friend in both
colleges had been looking forward to
for weeks. To win that game was the
hearts desire of every Maine man, and
Bowdoin supporters were equally ar
dent for victory. AS you had sized 1t
up if Maine won that afternoon you
would want to celebrate, and if Maine
was defeated-well, you would need
some consolation, SO you considered
Yourselves justified in providing for
either contingency and getting Spread
ticket. The afternoon of the BoWdoln
game was an ideal one for baseball
warm with little or no wind, and every
body had that air of expectancy that
makes evident at once that there Is TO
be ''soulething doing" Wisely enough
| the spectators did not wait for the ap-
pointed hour for the game, and long be-
fore three o'clock the bleachers were
packed with the host Of student enthusl-
asts. who were quite evidentlytindlng the
temperature anything but comfortable,
as the sun beat down on them and they
made themselves into as small com
pass as was possible. The cheer
leaders were hard at it before the
mines appeared, getting their men
into it" in regular college fashion
The grandstand was a verltable hot
! bed of color. for the warm weather
had brought out summer gowns, but
pleasing bits of contrast were blur
red together iii a mass with blue as
the keynote to the players who soon
trotted out on the field to warm up
OF course they were given as warm a
reception as was usual, and equally OF
course each man Oh the team recog-
nized the hope and trust that every
supporter Of the blue was volclng when
he put his heart into the "Rah, ran,
rah, varsity which rang out over the
field. Bowdoin, too, received her share
of applause and appreciation when she
appeared and after a few minutes OF
practice the umpire called PLAY pail.
The men out on the bleachers who had
been criticising the pitchers form stop
ped their discussion, and the girls up in
the grandstand who had been discus
sing their new spring hats were also
silent. The game was on, and every
phase of it was followed with an inter
est that was almost breathless. The
man who had reached third and who
almost got home, the man who caught
him out, the man who made the two
bagger and the tireless little catchers,
all came in for their share of excited
attention. 1t was, as everybody knew
it would be, a close game, and inning
after inning as the teams trotted in
from the field saw a zero put down by
the scorekeepers. At last there was a
score-several scores, with the balance
first on one side and then on the other.
Those minutes were exciting ones
which saw the end of the game, and a
score of to 6 i'll favor of Maine.
The bleachers were emptied in mo-
ment and a procession headed by the
band, and made up of the students in
rows of tours with arms over each
others shoulders, was soon vending
it's triumphant way toward the lawn in
front of Alumni to the accompaniment
of ringing of bells and footing OF
whistles. Where were the Bowdoir