New Ulm review., 1912-09-25

the sophomores, in their oldest and
] most dilapidated costumes, eagerly
; await the exit.
The gymnasium stands on slope,
, which ends in a sandy beach, and the
object of the rush" is to assure all
contestants, and as many of the on
lockers as possible, very thorough
ducking.
| The members of the classes identify
themselves by various devices, but 1t
happened one year, either by accident
or arrangement between individuals,
that both classes used lampblack or
burnt cork on the left side OF the face.
The resulting mixup was worth going
miles to see. and when the battle
royal ended, both classes combined to
see that the spectators of every de-
| gree were properly immersed.
Several professors, unknown to the
contestants, were given impromptu
baths, and, in turn, helped to duck
, their associates and those dignified
townspeople who had not fled to
safety.
Another old and very interesting
form of contest is the cane rush at
Northwestern, which originated when
college men sported the walking
| stick as matter of course.
The two classes, meeting more or
| less by arrangement, would endeavor
to confiscate their opponents canes
and hats, which resulted many times
in rather serious conflicts, and large
hospital list.
The multiplicity of accidents and
the exceedingly lively nature of this
form of argument, led to modification, |
so that today it is carried on with one
six-foot hickory pole or gas pipe, and |
the class having most hands upon the |
article at the call of time is victor.
The posting of proclamations, de-
rogatory to the opposition, is one of |
the preliminaries to the final rush"
The broadsides are pasted upon |
fences, sidewalks and buildings sur
rounding the campus, and are master
pieces of vituperation and extravagant |
abuse.
The attempts to prevent this posting
by opponents, and to accomplish it
for themselves, lead to many skir-
mishes.
Kidnapping the officers of the other
class, breaking up social festivities
and stealing class records and insig |
MIA lend zest to the warfare and keep |
things moving toward the climax.
These semi-organized combats and |
"rushes' seldom end in any outbreaks |
that interest the law, but more spon |
taneous celebrations, following vic |
tories upon the baseball or football |
fields often become riots of town and
gown-the police and citizens vainly |
trying to stem the tide of college
youth and eXuberance.
Such disturbances sometimes arise
from the preference of village bellies
for college men and the resulting |
jealousy on the part of town boys.
Shortly after the football season. a |
husky football man, and one of his |
satellites. attended a freman's ball in |
a western college town. After several
dances, one of the two became in
volved in an argument as to the own
ership Of a dance with one of the town |
girls. with the net result that both |
college men were urgently assisted
otherwise thrown-down two flights |
of stairs
The telephone was useful. Fifteen
minutes later the whole football |
]
ing for an outlet for their energy, |
climbed these two flights of stairs and |
proceeded to throw every man out Of
the hall.
Police and reinforcements from
both sides made the affair look SER
ious. but the fight reached the street
and the fire hose turned it into a good |
natured frolic.
And this is the usual outcome of
such difficulties, for the townsman, as
rule, is very lenient with college
enthusiasm and the college man is
always willing to pay for the damage
his pranks have caused.
Both the townsman and the profess
sor, seeing their chicken coops walk
away on nattily clad legs, headed for
a huge bonfire, to celebrate football
victory, reflect that tomorrow will
bring sober thought and enough ma
terial recompense to build several bet
ter coops than the ones destroyed.
For with all his enthusiasm, love of
excitement and hair trigger impulses,
the American college man is blessed