Oldtimer Recalls Wildcat's Origin

Title

Oldtimer Recalls Wildcat's Origin

Description

Oldtimer recalls Wildcat's Origin

Creator

Montgomery, Charles '93

Date

1952-02-08

Text

Dear Sir:
As to the origin of the name "Wildcats," I can give you a little story which may help out a little.
In the winter of '92-'93 a rumor started on the campus of D.C.- no one will ever know who started it. Thus it ran: So and so, as he was going from one building to an- other at night, heard a wildcat or bobcat scream. That cat screamed from every nook and corner, night by night, from the woods and little stream he kept up his serenade, if it could be called a serenade. No one had ever seen him; as was his nature, he prowled only at night.
Something had to be done. Nim Hunter called his cohorts to his room. Voss, Darrow (?) Lawrence Mills are all I heard about; there may have been more. Their glory rests with them. No one having seen him, it wasn't so hard to fashion a wildcat, so with wire, rags and a long cord the cat took up existence, was put on ground outside of Mill's room, second floor South, with the long cord running to other side. It wasn't real dark and at a given sign Mills ran across the hall to Morrison Brown's room, all agog, crying, "Brown, that wildcat is on the outside of my window; let me have your gun, quick."
Mills knew that Brown had a gun, and knew also that he would not let him have it. "No," says Brown, "I'll come and shoot him." So across the hall they run and out the window popped their heads. Sure enough there the cat was waddling about. It took no time to shoot. What jumping was then done by the Cat! Brown had only one more shell. He let go with that one. The cat moderated his leaps. Brown and Mills had no more need of the gun, so down the stairs and out the back door they ran. And as they turned the corner they ran into the string Darrow was using to make the cat jump.
Needless to say Brown was in his room immediately.
Two shots at that time of night got every body in Chambers out. They all gathered at Brown's room, which was locked. After much per- suasion he opened up and lit into Darrow, the string puller. They had a nice little fight, but were soon pulled apart. Those who would forget were not permitted to, so the cat stayed around D. C. until the athletes needed a name, and the next I knew "Wildcats" were leading the athletes.-C. M. '93.

Publisher

Davidson College

Source

The Davidsonian