heart throbbing beneath a parti-colored student waistcoat than that of Gid McNutt. He had sustained his place in the regard of the whole college community; he had conquered his own baser self in the process and upon his holiday raiment glistened the insignia of a Greek fraternity new to that western region-a scroll and stars upon a great lozenge of gold.

COLLEGE BEGINNINGS

First Intercollegiate Ball Game

For the accompanying very interesting account of the first intercollegiate ball game (old fashioned "round" base ball) we are indebted to Dr. Paul C. Phillips, of Amherst, whose sources of information are the recollections of the two living players and the umpire, and a contemporary account of the game in the Franklin and Hampshire Gazette under date of July 1, 1859. The data was collected by Mr. P. R. Carpenter, instructor in physical education at Amherst.

WHILE the account given in the October number of THE AMERICAN COLLEGE describes the first intercollegiate game of baseball under the present rules, the earliest game of all was one of old fashioned "round" ball between Amherst and Williams played at Pittsfield on July 1, 1859, and was won by Amherst by a score of 73 to 32. There are now hanging in the Amherst College trophy room the two balls which were used in this game, which bear the following inscription: "The veritable balls used in the first game of intercollegiate baseball ever played, July 1, 1859. Amherst vs. Williams, won by Amherst.".

This is how it came about: At a meeting of the college directly after morning prayers at which Mr. Smead of the senior class presided, Mr. Claflin made a motion that "Amherst challenge Williams to a friendly game of ball to be played at some intermediate spot on or before July 4," which was passed by a strong majority. A committee was appointed of J. T. Claflin, senior class; Walker, junior class; H. D. Hyde, sophomore, and T. Tomson, freshman, to make arrangements for the game. A challenge was immediately sent and accepted for thirteen picked men of each college to meet on June 27. A delegation from Williams was to meet that from Amherst at Chester Factories and draw up the rules and regulations for the game. Mr. Hyde of Amherst met the two Williams delegates, but nothing was agreed on. On Mr. Hyde's return negotiations were carried on by mail for two weeks till at last it was amicably settled that each party should use its own ball and it must always be caught on the fly, sixty-five runs to be the limit of the game. The Pittsfield Baseball Club offered its grounds and July I was appointed as the date.

There was to be but one drawback to the game. All Williams College was to be present, including the faculty, while Amherst sent only the players. It is interesting to note the manner of selecting the team for this game. The men were "chosen by ballot from the students at large." There was no long period of daily practice and no elimination from the squad at various times.

On Thursday afternoon Amherst's seventeen picked men started for Pittsfield. They arrived in Pittsfield eager for battle. Soon the Williams boys began pouring into town until it seemed as if Williamstown must be

deserted. Old men and women, young men and maidens, proprietors of female schools with their pupils-the great square of the ball ground was surrounded five or six deep.

The appearance of the teams on the field must have been very amusing, altho there was some attempt at uniformity of dress as "the Williams team were all dressed alike and wore belts marked Williams, but the appearance of the Amherst team was decidedly undress. The only attempt at a uniform was the blue ribbon which each man had pinned on his breast."

It seems that the question of professionalism entered even into the first game as it was "rumored that the Amherst thrower was the professional blacksmith who had been hired for the occasion." A bystander remarked that "the story must be true as nobody but a blacksmith could possibly throw for three and a half hours as he did."

The Amherst ball weighed two and one-half ounces and was about six inches in circumference. It was made by Henry Hebard of North Brookfield and was considered a work of art at the time.

The Williams ball was about seven inches in circumference, weighed about two ounces and was "covered with light colored leather so as to make it seen with difficulty by the batters."

About II o'clock the game started, with Amherst having the first inning, and at the end of the second round the score stood Amherst, 1; Williams, 9. This success called out from the Williams students a long universal clapping and cheering whenever one of their comrades gained a tally. Amherst grew desperate and at the end of the third round stood even; at the end of the fourth Amherst led, and continued to do so until the end of the game, sometimes having three tallies to one for Williams.

After four hours of steady playing, in which twenty-six rounds had been played with no intermission and with unabated interest on the part of the spectators, the game was decided finished and Amherst was declared the winner by the score of 73-32.

The batting order of the teams was as follows:

Referee, W. R. Plunkett, president Pittsfield baseball club.

The score by innings as given in newspapers develops several interesting facts. It was allowable to put a man out between bases by spotting him with the ball. A foul ball was termed a "ticked" ball. The batter was allowed to knock the ball in any direction which he chose, hence the terms "back knocks," "side strikes," etc. No gloves of any sort were worn at this time, nor was there any thought of mask, breast protector or any of the baseball paraphernalia of to-day.

First inning.-Claflin (A.), home run, back strike. Tower (A.) caught out by Bush (W.). Parker (W.) put out on fourth base by Storrs (A.). Amherst, I.

Second.-Evans (A.) caught out by Pratt (W.). Parker (W.) put out by Tower (A.). Amherst, 1; Williams, 9.

Tenth.-Cushman hit between first and second base by Beecher (W.). Fourteenth.-Fenn (A.) made the longest knock of the game. Twenty-sixth. The last inning. The Amherst boys ran around regardless of danger or appearances. They made their bases as tho 75 tallies was the limit of the game instead of 65.

These few examples of innings show their method of scoring and indicate the fact that one man out on each side constituted an inning. A criticism of the game by this Franklin and Hampshire Gazette gives us some of the details of the game and tells the relative merits of the teams:

Amherst certainly played the better, we think, in every department of the game. Indeed so great a victory cannot be accounted for otherwise. In knocking they had the advantage of side knocks and back strikes; in running Williams certainly excelled as far as speed was concerned, but lost at least eight or ten minutes by premature efforts, while the Amherst players ran only at the word of their captain. In fielding Williams made equally good catches, but in passing they threw too wildly, each where he pleased, and nothing is more injurious than bad outplay. Mr. Beecher (W.) threw swift and strong, but was suffering from a lame shoulder. Many of his balls were too high to be caught and so Amherst gained tallies. Mr. Hyde (A.) threw every ball at the beck of the catcher with a precision and a strength which was remarkable; more faultless and scientific throwing we have never seen. The catching on the part of Amherst was undoubtedly much superior, no balls were allowed to pass the catcher which were within his reach and very few were allowed to drop which he touched. He missed but one ticked ball in the course of the whole game, which was a remarkable feat when the striking was as quick

and strong as was that of Williams. More than all, Amherst took the lead by its perfect military discipline. The Amherst captain governed his men with great skill and not more than six errors were made by the team. It was the unanimous opinion of both the Pittsfield and the Williams clubs that they had never seen such fine amateur playing. It is often remarked nowadays that the players in times past used to play each for himself without any regard for team work, but the following extract proves that this was not so: "The throwing of the two parties was about equal, the catching of Amherst superior, but the pivot on which the whole game turned was the drill. Every Amherst player had bound himself to obey all the commands of the captain, let the result be what it might, trusting to his oversight. The game was a silent one, no unnecessary conversation was carried on and every man played as if the reputation of his college rested on his getting a tally. All this drill, however, was not attained by frequent meetings of the club but by placing one man at the head.

"The game passed off pleasantly and there was great good will between the colleges. The players from Amherst spoke in the highest terms of their opponents, and it was the general opinion of the players that they never played with more gentlemanly, more upright players than those from Williams. Nothing was decided before it was referred to the umpires and no decision was complained of at least openly."

Of the Amherst men who played in that first game but two are now liv ing besides the Amherst umpire. F. E. Tower, class of 1860, is now a clergyman in Poughkeepsie, N. Y.; Marshall B. Cushman can be found at the Patent Office in Washington, D. C., and the umpire, L. R. Smith, is now a United States Senator. He was at one time Judge of the Circuit Court of Alabama. Henry D. Hyde was a prominent lawyer in Boston for many years, a trustee and also a great benefactor to his alma mater, whose reputation he so well upheld by his skillful pitching. Capt. J. T. Claflin was later president of Tougaloo University.

"The Ancient Customs of Harvard College"
Anno 1734-5

"1. No Freshman shall ware his hat in the College yard except it rains, snows, or hails, or he be on horse back or haith both hands full.

"2. No Freshman shall ware his hat in his Seniors Chamber, or in his own if his Senior be there.

"3. No Freshman shall go by his Senior, without taking his hat of if it be on.

"4. No Freshman shall intrude into his Seniors company.

"5. No Freshman shall laugh in his Seniors face.