CHAPTER XXV
BATTLE CRIES, HAILING SHOUTS, AND COLLEGE YELLS
The American Indians, like the uncivilized of all lands, had their own peculiar battle cry or war-whoop, which it is impossible to reproduce by letters. During our Civil War the Confederates gave a thrilling imitation of it in their famous "Rebel Yell," which every old soldier recalls with more or less admiration.
The ancient Greeks joined in battle with shouts of "Eleleu!" The Welsh cry was "Ubub!" from whence comes our word hubbub, meaning a confusion. The Irish war shout was nearly like that of the Greek, being "Ullulu!" The Scotch clans had each its own shout or slogan; the pibroch being the chant of the march to battle.
Of old, the Hungarian horseman, when charging shouted "Huzza!" and so the name Hussar is given to the light cavalry regiments of many of the European armies. The Australian herders have a hailing cry, learned from the natives, which, properly done, carries a great distance. It sounds like "Coo-ee!" the first syllable being made deep in the chest, and the other a shrill head note.
The Yaqui Indians of northern Mexico take their name from their peculiar war cry, "Ya-kee," which is produced like the Australian coo- ee. I have heard this thrilling cry for a distance of over one mile in the Sierra Madre mountains.
All boys, whether bound for college or not, are always interested in what are known as "College Yells." Each college has its own yell, and in some of them great pains, if not great originality, is shown in the construction of the words. Here are a few:
Princeton—"Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah! Tiger-siss-boom-ah! PRINCETON!" And the sturdy sons of
Yale—"Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah! Rah! YALE!" quickly and sharply enunciated.
Harvard boys cry, with long-drawn deep notes, "Rah! rah! rah! Rah! rah! rah! Rah! rah! rah! HARVARD!"
Cornell—"Cornell I yell! yell! yell! CORNELL!"
Williams College—"Rah! rah! rah! yums! yams! yums! WILLYUMS!" Trinity College—"Rah! rah! rah! Trinity! Boom-rah! Boom-rah! TRIN- EYE-TEE!"
Wesleyan College—"Rah! rah! rah! rah! Wesleyan! Rah! rah! rah! rah!"
Brown College—"Rah, rah, rah, rah! BROWN!"
Colorado College—"Rah! rah! rah! Pike's Peak or bust! Colorado College! Yell we MUST!"
The Leland Stanford, Jr.—"Wah hoo! Ya hoo! L. S. J. U.! STANFORD!"
Dartmouth College—"Hi! hi! hi! Rah! rah! rah! D-d-d-d-Dartmouth, wah, who, wah!" or, "Wah, who, wah! Wah, who, wah! Da, di, di, Dartmouth! Wah, who wah!"
Union College—"Rah, rah, rah! U-N-I-O-N. Hikah! hikah! hikah!"
University of Illinois—"Rah, hoo, rah! Zipp, boom, ah! Hip-zoo! Rah-zoo. Jimmy blow your bazoo! Ip-sidi-iki U. off I. campaign!"
Hanover—"Han, Han! HANOVER!"
Westminster-"Rah, rah, rah! Oh, yes, sir! Vive-la, Vive-la! WESTMINSTER!"
Cornell, of Iowa-"Zip-siss-boom! Cor-cor-nell! C-C. tiger-la! Zipp- siss-hur-rah!"
Amherst—"Rah! rah! rah!" etc., and terminating with the name of their institution. Boston University—"Boston, B-B-BOSTON! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity! Rah! rah! rah!"
Rutgers—"Rah, rah, rah! Bow-wow-wow! RUTGERS!"
Rochester University—"Waxico, waxico, waxico, wax! Waxico, waxico, waxico, wax! Brek-k-ks—Brek-k-ks, ah-h-ah! ROCHESTER!"
University of Washington—"U. of W.! Hiah! Hiah! U. of W.! U. of W.!
Siah! Siah! Shooken' Shookem! WASHINGTON!"
Hobart College—"Hip-ho-bart! Hip-ho-bart! Hip-ho, hip-ho, HIP-HO-
BART!"
Syracuse University—"Srah—Srah—Srah Sy-ra-cuse!"
This list by no means comprises all the college cries, but it will serve to illustrate the most striking of them.
Even the women's colleges have their own distinctive cries, and for oddness they quite equal those of the men. And now the high schools, and even the separate classes and school societies are indulging in original cries. But so long as these things keep up the class spirit and make for sound lungs and high spirits, why should old fogies object?