I stumbled across some interesting items will looking at the Fond du Lac High School 'newsletter' for 1906. I believe that this is a monthly, or semi-monthly newsletter, although the Historical society only has two different issues.
The following articles appears in the March 1906 issue, and concern the upcoming debate between the high schools of Fond du Lac and Sheboygan.
An Open Letter
Sheboygan High School
Sheboygan, Wis.
March 3, 1906
To the members of the Fond du Lac High School –
Congratulations upon your High School paper! You have
made a brave beginning. You launched out into the world of school papers with
wonderful success. But of course you will meet with competition on all sides
for the schools of today are aggressive. They never reach their ideal, yet they
are always improving – for as they gain in efficiency their standard rises to a
height, which they realize may be reached, but only with the most strenuous
efforts. Hence, Fond du Lac: Spare neither time nor talent, strain every muscle
and exercise your every faculty to extend and widen your sphere of activity in
this line, and here’s to your success! You have at least one well wisher – The Lake
Breeze.
But, to the point – that prospective joint debate between
our schools. We have met in friendly rivalry in Basket Ball and now are glad
that the opportunity is to be afforded to try our skill against you in the
intellectual field – in joint debate.
What are you doing relative to the approaching contest? We are striving
for efficiency of the highest type. We have two debates to meet this year – one
beside the one with you – with Appleton. We realize that both you and Appleton
are capable of strong forensic opposition and hence we have put our six best
men up to represent us.
It has been reported that you have held several preliminary
debates upon the subject. Your basket ball boys told us somewhat of the plan in
execution at your school when they were here not long since. We also hear that
in the semi final debate you chose Harold Wilke, John Crosby and Ryan Duffy for
your representatives and that the debate is to be held at the Henry Boyle Theatre.
These are interesting details to our students, altho of course we are
personally unacquainted with debaters.
To oppose you, we have chosen Fred Grube, ’07; Walter
Telgenier, ’07 and Albert Axley, ’06.
Prin. Tarnutzer is coaching our team. It is taken for
granted that both schools are all enthusiasm. We shall meet in friendly rivalry
– both schools determined to win. Let both “the Fountain City” and “the Chair
City” prepare for an ideal debate.
When our boys go to Fond du Lac they will doubtlessly be
accompanied by numerous rooters, who will probably be well trained in Sheboygan’s
yells. Of course in this one respect you people have the advantage for you can
get scores and hundreds of rooters for the evening.
Let us employ due diligence and exhaustively study the
subject. We both have good debaters and coaches. Let us have a raft of rooters,
well provided with ribbons, banners, badges, songs and yells. Let us both be
determined to win.
Sincerely yours,
The Sheboygan Highs
From the March, 1906 High
School Life, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
The newsletter then went on to state:
Committee on Songs and Yells
The following yells are recommended to the school by the
Committee on Songs and Yells:
U! Rah! Rah! Fond du Lac!
U! Rah! Rah! Fond du Lac
U! Rah!
U! Rah!
Fond du!
Fond du!
Fond du Lac!
Heitzig! Solo!
Vorwartz! March!
Rashun! Lashun!
Lashun! Rashun!
Rashun! Lashun!
Achtung! Hail – Rah! Rah!
Fond du Lac!
Ya! Ya!
Yea-a-a, Ryan!
Yea-a-a, Ryan!
R-Y-A-N!
Rah! Rah! Ryan!
An’ a Bevo, an’ a Bivo!
An’ a Bevo, Bivo, Bum!
Bum, get a rat-trap bigger than a cat-trap,
Bum, get a car-trap bigger than a rat-trap,
Cannibal!
Cannibal!
Zip! Boom! Bah!
Fond du Lac High School,
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Ge He! Ge
Haw! Ge Haw, Haw, Haw,
(Crosby!)
(Wilkie!)
Rah! Rah! Zip Boom!
Razzle Razzle! Give us room!
Rah! Si! Ki! Yi!
Hot, cold, Wet or Dry!
Get there Eli,
Fond du Lac!
From the March, 1906 High
School Life, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
The Debate of March 30
Doubtless everyone in the school now knows that there will
be a debating contest between Fond du Lac and Sheboygan on March 30th.
According to the figures given by the Sheboygan school paper, we will find one
hundred and fifty “Chair City” students waiting for us at the theatre that
evening with one hundred and fifty pairs of lungs and possibly an equal number
of rousing yells. Do we want to meet them unprepared? Not much! We will meet
them, fully prepared to beat them in every possible manner. Fond du Lac has never
yet been out-yelled by Sheboygan and we must maintain our reputation. There are
three hundred and fifty students attending this high school and there will be
room for every one of them in the theatre on that evening. We confidently expect
to fill every seat and if we do, it means not only a triumph for the school in
debating but also the liquidating of the athletic debt; for it has been decided
by the Inner Circle debating society to turn eighty percent of the profits over
to the Athletic association for that purpose. "GET OUT!” “GET IN THE BUNCH!” and “YELL!”
Show the Sheboygan people that we know what good, old-fashioned SCHOOL
SPIRIT is like.
From the March, 1906 High
School Life, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin
