some of their best players might be hurt, they
would only be more tired out than ever and, tak
ing it into account the horribly loose playing they
put up against Lafayette a few days before, we
might hold them down to a low score and even
by some lucky flunks or fumble win the game.
They were most certainly justified in calling the
game, but, to do the honorable thing and to
make proper amends for the disappointment they
caused us, they should make us' a handsome offer
for the coming season.
Then there is Lehigh. Lehigh is without
doubt our natural rival. A technical school with
not a great many more students than we have and
situated nearer to us than any of the other more
important colleges, what is more natural than that
we should be rivals in athletics. For the last
three years our football teams have been on a par,
and it is doubtful on which side the advantage
would lie. There is in reality not the slightest
reason why we should not have a game with them
every year, that would call forth as much enthu
siasm, effort and rivalry as any game we play.
Bucknell several years ago was such a rival; but
we have distanced her in the race, and our con
tests are always too one sided to be of much im
portance.
It has certainly not been our fault that we have
not met Lehigh in recent years. Our managers
for the last three seasons, have tried in every way
to arrange a game on satisfactory terms, but in
one way or another they have been disappointed.
Last fall we offered them an enormous guarantee
to play us here on our own grounds, or, if that
was not satisfactory, they should name any neu
tralg rounds in the State, and we would play them
there for half the gate receipts. The only ans
wer we could get was that they would only play
us on their own grounds, and they would not of
fer us half the amount we guaranteed them. We
do not like to*think that Lehigh is afiaid of us,
but there is no other apparent reason.
So right here we make the challenge—if she is
not afraid to meet us. let her prove it. by giving
THE FREE LANCE.
us a satisfactory date this coming season. We do
not ask an exorbitant figure to go down there to
South Bethlehem. We only ask something near
the amount of our expenses. If she cannot af
ford that and and will not play us on our home
grounds, we will meet her on any neutral grounds
her management may name and divide the receipts
equally. Could anyone make a fairer proposition ?
There need not be the least financial risk about
a game in any of the large towns of the State.
Scranton, Wilkesbarre, Altoona and Pittsburg
are football crazy, while Harrisburg, Williams
port, Lancaster and even staid old Reading take
a great deal ot interest in it. Even in Philadel
phia a meeting on the gridiron between Lehigh
and State at any time that the University does
not have a game at home would be a drawing
card of the first quality. Especially would this
be the case on Thanksgiving Day. The Univer
sity will play at Cambridge, and the people, hav
ing had a taste of Thanksgiving football last No
vember, would eagerly seize at a game between
two such strong and well matched colleges. It
would not be rash to say that good weather would
bring out an attendance of five thousand people.
May we not have such a battle royal next Thanks
giving?
This communication has merely been written
to embody a few thoughts and suggestions that
have occurred to the writer since the close of the
last season. It would be well for the students to
think over them seriously. If we have a good
schedule of dates with strong colleges and foemen
worthy of our steel, there need be no fear that
our team will not rise nobly to the occasion.
We will suffer few losses in June, and there is
good material developing. The pure, free ozone
of our mountain air and our excellent limestone
water make men of us. They are better than any
system of training ever devised. That is the rea
son that we, a small college with some three hun
dred and fifty students to draw upon can turn out
a team capable of defeating some of the best col
leges in the country, while giving even member