Ruggles banters with Naismith

Four page document containing copies of letters written by captains of Springfield College basketball teams in 1894. Ruggles and Albert Chase initiate the challenge, which Dr. James Naismith and W. V. Dinman, captains of two other teams, respond to using slam poetry.

Edwin Ruggles' success in early basketball games was equal to his passion for the new sport.

In an early form of what would now be considered intramural games, Ruggles and friend/teammate Albert Chase issued a challenge to any students and faculty of the training school to play their team in a game.

Chase served as the team's manager, while Ruggles was the team's captain and top scorer.

In this lighthearted challenge and trash talk issued January 11, 1894, Chase and Ruggles mention that students living in their dorm made "some remarks detrimental to the excellent reputation" of their team, which they named the "Jungle Basket Ball Team."

They would like to challenge any group to face the "inhabitants," or members of their team. In this satirical poetry, 

W.V. Dinman, manager of the Midway Plaisance Basket Ball team, responds to this request and says that his team will compete on the floor rather than on paper.

Dr. James Naismith, their former professor, also responded to the challenge.

Dr. Naismith's response is a bit more long-winded and states that his faculty team will take on any of the student teams.

In regard to the Ruggles' challenge, Naismith says his team of faculty will make "the forest-tops droop in The Jungle."