It was something like the Thurbor cartoon: "Well I'm disenchanted too, we're all disenchanted."
The disembowelment of hard-to-kill illusions was accomplished by a remarkable bit of teamwork between a Princeton football squad and a thoroughly damping spate of rain. It is a matter of record that the intensity of the two forces increased as the long afternoon wore on, and that when the clock finally halted one, the other rose at once to new and depressing heights.
The thumping had a pulverizing effect even on those who, long ago, had disabused themselves of rose-colored notions, concerning R.C. Harlow and his merry band. A few hearts remained in spiringly stout until it was learned that a team from providence had convincingly defeated a team from New Haven.
The rain started drifting down into soldiers Field even before the game's first kickoff caromed off the side of guard Emil Drvaric's shoe to be smothered by a Tiger forward operative 55 yards away from his objective. Halfway through the first quarter, the precipitation lost its casual demean, as did the Tiger pack.
Raincoats and umbrellas blossomed, with H.A.A. programs taking over the rain shedding chore for those lacking in meteorological foresight. The Princeton band appeared in uniform yellow slickers; in direct contrast, the Harvard musicians pulled on assorted raincoats, sweaters and hats-or just sat taking the downpour in silence.
This observer remembers being consoled by his father's observation, at the close of Princeton's 35-0 shellacking of Harvard in 1935, that "anyway, our band was much better." History, it seems, has a way of repeating itself.
The outcome of the 1935 battle of the goalposts is not, unfortunately, recorded but this year's three-ring defense of the north, or Harvard uprights was aided very materially by the Princeton band, which held souvenir-hungry Bengals immobile in their stands for nearly five minutes with a rendition of the alma mater, "Old Nassau." Finding the proper posts well-guarded, the visitors somewhat illogically tore down their own standards, which were as illogically (and weakly) defended.
If the evening found Crimson adherents downcast gridiron wise, it also found them attending what conservative observes called the most extensive bacchanalia since last year's Yale game. The discouragement lasted through the first few hours, but after that nobody cared very much.
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