The Axe

The Stanford Axe. We have it. They want it. Originally stolen in 1899.

Archie J. Cloud, Class of 1900, and one of the original Cal men who liberated the blade:

It should be abundantly clear that this fantastic feat could not have been pre-planned. Look at the extraordinary breaks - or coincidences - only through which did the coup succeed:

1. The exit from the baseball park of three Stanford men only, leaving the Axe unguarded, and these men unsuspicious;
2. The non-interference of the police at the start;
3. The sudden and perfectly timed arrival of the great sprinter, [Billy] Drum;
4. The unexpected appearance of the "girl" or "young lady" near the Ferry Building at the exact moment when the "jig" seemed to be up.

Moreover, in view of the razor-like edge of the blade, it seems almost miraculous that no one of the several participants incurred serious injury.

Without loss of time, the dramatic saga of the original seizure of the Stanford Axe hit the first editions of dailies in San Francisco. It splashed over from the sports columns to the front pages as a stirring feature story, setting the stage for the birth of a great, and then greater, college tradition. - Archie J. Cloud, The Stanford Axe

Go Bears! Let's keep it!