Glances at our Letter File
Glances at our Letter File
THEfollowing communication will have much interest, especially to our college readers:
The December number of OUTINGsays: “The first game of football in the United States was played in New Haven, in 1840, between the class of ’42 and ’43 of Yale College.” I am a graduate of the class of ’28. Immediately after the opening of the fall term in 1824, the then Freshman class were summoned to a class meeting, at which they were informed that by an established custom from time immemorial it devolved on the Freshman class to furnish footballs for the use of the college. The time-honored custom was recognized at once by the class and by every succeeding Freshman class during my student life. The games were played on the upper part of the public square directly in front of the college. There were frequent contests between the two lower classes; but the great games, played as often as convenience and weather allowed, were contested by the whole body of the students, divided into two parties known respectively as “North Entries” and “South Entries.” There were then standing on the college campus four dormitory buildings, each having two halls or entries. Those students who roomed in a north entry, or if rooming anywhere north of the central building, known then as now as the Lyceum, were on one side; the rest of the students were on the other. Those were famous games, where three or four hundred men engaged in earnest contest. The long-used ground was necessarily abandoned when the civil authorities decided, in 1828, to build the State House upon it.YALENSISSEXAGENARIUS.
The December number of OUTINGsays: “The first game of football in the United States was played in New Haven, in 1840, between the class of ’42 and ’43 of Yale College.” I am a graduate of the class of ’28. Immediately after the opening of the fall term in 1824, the then Freshman class were summoned to a class meeting, at which they were informed that by an established custom from time immemorial it devolved on the Freshman class to furnish footballs for the use of the college. The time-honored custom was recognized at once by the class and by every succeeding Freshman class during my student life. The games were played on the upper part of the public square directly in front of the college. There were frequent contests between the two lower classes; but the great games, played as often as convenience and weather allowed, were contested by the whole body of the students, divided into two parties known respectively as “North Entries” and “South Entries.” There were then standing on the college campus four dormitory buildings, each having two halls or entries. Those students who roomed in a north entry, or if rooming anywhere north of the central building, known then as now as the Lyceum, were on one side; the rest of the students were on the other. Those were famous games, where three or four hundred men engaged in earnest contest. The long-used ground was necessarily abandoned when the civil authorities decided, in 1828, to build the State House upon it.
YALENSISSEXAGENARIUS.
To the Editor ofOUTING:DEARSIR,—I was extremely pleased to note in your Open Window of the January edition that a word was spoken in behalf of rabbit coursing. Since the late cases at Hempstead an intolerable amount of nonsense has been written in the daily and weekly publications, and wholesale condemnation has been meted out to this sport, presumably by people who have never seen coursing, either with greyhounds or terriers. Those who have will, I feel sure, join with me in affirming that there is certainly no more cruelty in one sport than another; as is the greyhound to the hare or jack rabbit, so is the terrier to the ordinary rabbit, and in both cases the chance of escape is, in truth, but very small. But in rabbit coursing, as usually practiced in England, the rabbits are both found and coursed on their “native heath,” and therefore they have a very considerable advantage. I am not, however, trying to defend this or any other sport from the imputation of cruelty, for in every field-sport, properly so called, cruelty must exist. What better antidote exists to the emasculating tendencies of our boasted nineteenth century civilization? Or, who will contend that the natural propensity of the Englishman, as affirmed by the French, “to go out and kill something,” has not had much to do in placing the old country in her present position? I fail to see, myself, why the imputation of cruelty, which every journalist seems to be trying to fix on rabbit coursers, should not equally well apply to a man who will fire a gun at a partridge or pheasant. But with the curious logic of the present day, such is by no means the case. In conclusion, I must apologize for trespassing so far on your space, and heartily congratulate OUTINGon having spoken bravely on the matter. It is too frequently the case that where one publication leads, the others follow like a flock of sheep. Yours respectfully,ANOLD-TIMESPORTSMAN.
To the Editor ofOUTING:
DEARSIR,—I was extremely pleased to note in your Open Window of the January edition that a word was spoken in behalf of rabbit coursing. Since the late cases at Hempstead an intolerable amount of nonsense has been written in the daily and weekly publications, and wholesale condemnation has been meted out to this sport, presumably by people who have never seen coursing, either with greyhounds or terriers. Those who have will, I feel sure, join with me in affirming that there is certainly no more cruelty in one sport than another; as is the greyhound to the hare or jack rabbit, so is the terrier to the ordinary rabbit, and in both cases the chance of escape is, in truth, but very small. But in rabbit coursing, as usually practiced in England, the rabbits are both found and coursed on their “native heath,” and therefore they have a very considerable advantage. I am not, however, trying to defend this or any other sport from the imputation of cruelty, for in every field-sport, properly so called, cruelty must exist. What better antidote exists to the emasculating tendencies of our boasted nineteenth century civilization? Or, who will contend that the natural propensity of the Englishman, as affirmed by the French, “to go out and kill something,” has not had much to do in placing the old country in her present position? I fail to see, myself, why the imputation of cruelty, which every journalist seems to be trying to fix on rabbit coursers, should not equally well apply to a man who will fire a gun at a partridge or pheasant. But with the curious logic of the present day, such is by no means the case. In conclusion, I must apologize for trespassing so far on your space, and heartily congratulate OUTINGon having spoken bravely on the matter. It is too frequently the case that where one publication leads, the others follow like a flock of sheep. Yours respectfully,
ANOLD-TIMESPORTSMAN.
To the Editor ofOUTING:DEARSIR,—In the January number of OUTINGthere is among the Answers to Correspondents a point which I should like to see developed in your valuable magazine. It is in reference to the new Forest ponies, about which some questions had been asked by “Breeder.” The words to which I specially refer are, “they are handy and useful.” In proportion to their inches, ponies can accomplish vastly more work than full-sized horses. In fact, this remark applies equally well to donkeys. Why is it that we see no donkeys and scarcely any ponies put to do useful work in America? In England the costermonger’s “moke” has become proverbial, and it is an inspiriting sight to see a well-tended donkey trotting cheerily along, with a heavy load behind him of which he makes most marvelously light. And, again, in London every small shop-keeper has one ambition at least, and that is to own a fast-trotting pony, and a smart cart, in which to take the “missus” for her Sunday outing. The same pony pays very amply for food and lodging by taking goods to customers’ houses during the week. How different is it in New York! Here we have broken-down old car-horses, with very palpable ribs, dejectedly sauntering wearily along in the shafts of the street vendor’s wagon, and the smart pony and the patient “moke” are unknown.Can not and will not OUTINGdo something towards inaugurating a movement to popularize the smaller and more useful breed? Yours truly,A LOVER OFANIMALS.
To the Editor ofOUTING:
DEARSIR,—In the January number of OUTINGthere is among the Answers to Correspondents a point which I should like to see developed in your valuable magazine. It is in reference to the new Forest ponies, about which some questions had been asked by “Breeder.” The words to which I specially refer are, “they are handy and useful.” In proportion to their inches, ponies can accomplish vastly more work than full-sized horses. In fact, this remark applies equally well to donkeys. Why is it that we see no donkeys and scarcely any ponies put to do useful work in America? In England the costermonger’s “moke” has become proverbial, and it is an inspiriting sight to see a well-tended donkey trotting cheerily along, with a heavy load behind him of which he makes most marvelously light. And, again, in London every small shop-keeper has one ambition at least, and that is to own a fast-trotting pony, and a smart cart, in which to take the “missus” for her Sunday outing. The same pony pays very amply for food and lodging by taking goods to customers’ houses during the week. How different is it in New York! Here we have broken-down old car-horses, with very palpable ribs, dejectedly sauntering wearily along in the shafts of the street vendor’s wagon, and the smart pony and the patient “moke” are unknown.
Can not and will not OUTINGdo something towards inaugurating a movement to popularize the smaller and more useful breed? Yours truly,
A LOVER OFANIMALS.
To the Editor ofOUTING:DEARSIR,—I have read with great pleasure Mr. Hallowell’s article on Harvard Athletics, and look forward to the account of Yale pastimes, which I understand are to be described in the February number. I am not a graduate of either institution, but I like to read about them and the other colleges and learn of their doings in athletics, and the method OUTINGhas adopted of presenting from time to time an account of some college athletic organization is to be highly commended. We all know the position athletics nowadays hold in the collegian’s life, and the many objections which the uninformed raise to an indulgence in sport on the part of students. OUTINGis doing a noble work in showing that good results from them, not harm.A WESTERNER.
To the Editor ofOUTING:
DEARSIR,—I have read with great pleasure Mr. Hallowell’s article on Harvard Athletics, and look forward to the account of Yale pastimes, which I understand are to be described in the February number. I am not a graduate of either institution, but I like to read about them and the other colleges and learn of their doings in athletics, and the method OUTINGhas adopted of presenting from time to time an account of some college athletic organization is to be highly commended. We all know the position athletics nowadays hold in the collegian’s life, and the many objections which the uninformed raise to an indulgence in sport on the part of students. OUTINGis doing a noble work in showing that good results from them, not harm.
A WESTERNER.