The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-09-27
John, THE ORANGE MAN
Glimpses of Harvard Univer-
sity's Famous Old Character.
BELOVED BY ALL THE STUDENTS

where and Only Once Made q Mis-
take. Says a Chicago Alumni.
The Harvard colony in Chicago is in
mourning for old John, the orange
man. In fact hundreds of Harvard
graduates throughout the country are
mourning the loss of this famous old
character.
Since the early fifties the late John
Lovett Che was seldom called by his
full nance was the crimson mascot,
says the Chicago Post. Nobody ever
knew how old he was. John himself
didn't But he was a fruit peddler at
Harvard when President Eliot was
studying 1.-THE Anabasis."
1--WE all thought a good deal Of
john" declared a prominent Harvard
man recently. "As en- orange man he
was indispensable. AS mascot We
could never have got along without
him. 1t was John, in, his silk hat and
red ribbons, who pulled Harvard
through many a trying ninth inning,
who rallied the exhausted football
giants In the last five minutes at the
stadium. Dear old John! He was as
much a part Of Harvard as the college
yard"
II you ever have attended one Of the
, big games on an eastern gridiron; If
/. you have ever been a unit In that half
delirious mob at triennial: If you have
ever watched breathless from the OBJ
! servation train the crimson crew sweep
down the Hudson or the Thames, you
must remember John, the orange
! man.
When they used to hold the cham
pionship football games at Springfield,
! there was always John with the red
fringe around his head, pranked out
in good old crimson, riotously leading
the student crowd out to the battle
field. The girls in red-and many Of
the girls In blue-had smiles for him.
! The coaches listened to his sage ad-
vice.
The football captains took him into
their secret councils. To him the crew
manager applied for green apples,
when it became necessary to reduce
the weight of the cockswain. 1t was
old John who led the cheering-even
when he could hardly stand on his feet
for enthusiasm; who, later, led the col
lege band, waving a ribbon bedecked
cane for a baton to the measured
rhythm of "Fair Harvard"
But now "Fair Harvard" knows him
no more. The subfreshmen who have
looked forward so proudly to meeting
him are doomed to disappointment
The sophomores and Juniors who once
knew him will discover what a big
place the little old Irishman held in
their affections. His CHEEKY Good
evening, friend" and Good night
friend" will be heard no more about
the campus rooms at night-nor his
well known shuttle in the hallway.
1--WE knew him." said +. Herman
Gade, Gin gray days and gold. When
Harvard lost, old John was as discon
ISOLATE as the manager Of the team
could be. The riotous days would have
been nothing without old John, in his
red coat and crimson banded silk hat
reeling at the head of the student
crowd while they carried the victorious
football captain on their shoulders.
1--WE took him everywhere, and
everywhere be was mascot. Only
once did he make a mistake. 1t was
at New Haven, and the old man evi
IDENTIFY got stwisted or forgot that the
goals had. been changed during the sec
ond.haR. A Yale man grabbed the bal
out of a scrimmage and, lodging OuI
half back, hurding the quarter back
plunged eighty yards down the field
for a touchdown.
"The Yale stands rose with mighty
roar. Seat cushions, hats and canes
flew into the air. On the Harvard
stands, however, all was silence and
depression. But there was old John
thinking that Harvard had scored
waving his arms and belching forth
husky 'Rah! rahsv
at was almost more than we could
stand. why don't you cheer, boys
be yelled, and We've were In tears
Then, up In the corner, the crimson
band began to play Fair Harvard.
One by one the students took it up, ant
old John stood IN front leading US ON
When he learned his mistake later III
was inconsolable.
"In his business life John was won
der. He never kept books, nor did we
but he could remember accurately how
much each fellow owed him-to a cent
HE would shuttle into your room
when you were grinding for exams
With a Good evening, friend h
would leave some oranges or banana
or figs where you might want them. L
you weren't there he would leave then
anyway. At the end Of the month
when the remittances came in, n
made his collections, and If he cheatet
any one it was himself.
"He grew feeble few years ago ant
his friends bought him a donkey and
cart. The cart had two big H's on it
sides, and In this equpage John woult
ride down the yard as If he was tn
nresjdent He was Hike q pet child I,