Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-28
"A FRIENDLIE KIND OF FIGHT"
By Horace Butterworth

Butterworth Indians. The sport was most
exciting and dangerous; but
it developed courage, self re-
lance, self control, and certain strategy most
necessary to success in life in those days.
Not many wears elapsed however, before this
"friendlie kind of fight" was entirely displaced
by football, football played with bladder
covered with leather of such size that col
lege poet of the day described it as:
"A ball like this, so monstrous and SO hard
Six eager freshmen scarce could KICK yard.
1t was not until 1871 that a rubber ball OF
reasonable weight and size was used.
Princeton's first game away from home was
PLAYED at New Brunswick in 1869, when, play
ing with twenty-five men on side, Rutgers
defeated her. six to four but the return game
was won by Princeton eight to nothing.
The first regular uniforms were bought tor
the season of 1S76-77, and consisted OF orange
shirts with black P on the breast, orange
stockings, black belt and cap, pants OF black
cheviot, and canvas baseball shoes. They were
expected to last for several years, as they were
to be worn only in matches. They were partly
superseded in the fall of 1878 by canvas jack
cts and white knee breeches. From 1869 to
1873 Princeton played twenty-four games;
won twenty, lost three, and tied one.
Yales Steeple Hats
YOUNG Yale played football in steeple hats,
hats on the order of our full dress variety,
only more so. This statement can readily be
verified by anyone who cares to look up picture
of Yale College drawn in the earlier part OF the
last century. This picture will also prove in
cidentally, that the game at that time held
more important place IN the he OF the college
than it does even to-day.
The ball was provided by the freshmen, who
were invited to see if they could kick it across
the green. Before play had been IN progress
more than minute the neophytes realized. IN
" stung''; for the sophs devoted well organ
lied attention to covering the faces OF the
freshmen with their steeples, so that the brim
touched the shoulders, to making poorly
feigned attack upon the ball which resulted un.
fortunately in kicking the shins of the Trash,
and to chasing wildly such headgear as at
tempted to escape the fray by jumping to the
ground and rolling over the green.
Custom soon demanded fairer deal for the
freshmen, and it became the usual thing for
them to post challenge at the Lyceum door,
which was replied to by the sophs posting their
acceptance at the east door of the Athenaum.
The following was the last challenge ever
posted:
lenges the class of go to a game of football,
best two in three.
I'm behalf of the class:
''R. L. Chamberlain,
lanes w. McLane,
"a. Sheridan Burt,
COMMITTEE"
In due time the acceptance:
And like sacrifices in their train
To the fire eyed naiads of smoky
All hot and bleeding, will we offer you!
ITO our youthful friends of the class of
Sixty-One: We hereby accept your challenge
to play the noble and time honored game of
football, and appoint p o'clock P. NJ. on Satur-
day. October 10, 81, the football grounds, as
the time and place.
I'm behalf of the class of Sixty:
II. J. Post,
"E. G. Massey,
"A. C. Palfrey,
COMMITTEE"
Here is another specimen of the verse that at
times graced these challenges:
LIT them come on, the base born crew,
Each soil stained churl, alack!
What gain they but splitter skull.
A sod for their base back"
The game between the classes of 1856 and
1857, played on October 10, 1853 was declared
a tie but the women who thronged the State
House steps and the balcony of the New Haven
Hotel decided the contest to their own salts
faction by sending an enormous bouquet to the
freshmen.
A match was arranged by the captain of the
team in 1873 with G. c. Allen of Elton to bring
eleven Englishmen to New Haven to play
friendly game under Elton rules, so far as Yale
could understand them. Yale won, two to one.
Science Unscence
THE Yale Record" of October Is, 1873, states
that Harvard declined to join in a confer
ence for the formation of football associa-
tion RI he cornDOSed of Princeton RItpers