Tip Top Weekly No. 80: Frank Merriwell as 'Anchor'

Tip Top Weekly No. 80 (October 23, 1897) Frank Merriwell as "Anchor"; or, The Winning Pull in the Tug of War is the principal serial. Frank Merriwell, a Yale junior and athletic specialist, directs tryouts for Yale's tug-of-war team for an intercollegiate meet involving Yale, Harvard, Cornell, and Princeton. Rather than compete himself in specialized events, Merriwell accepts responsibility for training the team. His selection method emphasizes timing and coordination over raw strength; he tests candidates' ability to drop synchronously at command. After ten days of trials, he selects Bruce Browning as anchor, with Taylor and Jackson as team members, eventually joining the team himself. The team proves formidable in practice against college competitors. The narrative follows Yale's preparations to compete against Princeton, which has dominated recent tug-of-war competitions with experienced veterans. The issue concludes with Yale athletes departing for New York City on Monday for the Wednesday competitions.