five or seven teams in the country which can at
present win from us. These are Yale, Harvard,
Princeton, U. of P., and Cornell; but neither
Wesleyan, nor University of Michigan, is to be
included. Stanford University gives us no oppor
tunity of course, for a comparison with eastern
play.
As the foot ball position has of late years be
come a kind of index to College standing for va
rious, and somewhat obvious reasons, it is seen
that the students of this College have pushed her
colors far beyond the most roseate expectations,
as the State College is by no means eighth, or
even tenth in rank.
Various causes for our success might be adduced,
but behind them would of course shine out deter
mination, pluck and muscle, backed by good
judgment and practice.
If we are to hold this position it will no doubt
be by practice upon the lines laid down by older
colleges. They may be summed up in three words,
— intelligent, concerted action.
THE evident unfairness of the account of the
Bucknell-State College game as given by
the Lewis burg Chronicle, of Nov. 19, is
only exceeded by its untruthfulness, and we do not
notice it because there is not a moments thought
that it was inspired by any student or friend of
Bucknell, but because such scribblers need to
know that “chewing the rag" (probably b:cause
professional betting proved an uncertain means of
sustenance) is despised by all manly men here and
everywhere. To further notice its silly "palaver
about brutality, sluggers, and a padded team would
be both useless and uncalled for.
T the past few years the organization
\\ of several chess clubs has been effected at
P. S. C., but they have as a rule been very
harmless affairs, whose ephemeral day was howev
er, sufficiently long to allow their members to
have their names handed down to posterity upon
THE FREE LANCE.
the plages of the College Annual. This ought not
so to be. There is at present a large chess playing
ability to be found among both students and fac
ulty, which will greatly augment upon organiza
tion. And, too, more time is undoubtedly lost
in irregular playing than would be consumed by
the scheduled games of a club.
This grandest of all games should have its parti
sans here. Let us have a chess club this winter
that has teeth, and can bite!
THE fire on the roof of the north wing of the
main building, Nov. 2nd, so quickly discov
ered and put out, demonstrated the necessi
ty for the formation of a trained fire-brigade at P.
S. C. Although two hundred students were quickly
on hand ready to do anything in their power, it was
evident that effective and concerted action
was lacking, and that had the fire been well under
way, the 20c would not have accomplished as
much as twenty, or even ten, previously trained
and instructed men.
Why would not the formation of a hook and
ladder company fall within the scope of athletics?
It will be sadly wanted down in the village some
of these days. Or why would not the Board of
Trustees provide an outfit for such a company ?
P! P! P. S. C. has a signally success
full rainbow painter in Mr. Silliman,
who while at work in the laboratory Wed
nesday afternoon told us how it fared with the
boys in Wilkesbaire. Quoth Mr. Silliman : “they
have now begun the second half, and the score
stands 12 to o for P. S. C.” He painted the rain
bows and over glorious old team brought them all
home!
IT is to be hoped that the fiend who perpetrated
the butyric acid outrage will be captured and
brought to justice. His malodorous deed
calls for punishment. He should be dieted on
stale cider, stale bread, and rancid butter.