These were the same now all High School freshmen who had stepped forward and offered to take Dick's place in fighting Fred Ripley.
Dick was now fourteen, and so were all his partners, except Tom Reade, who was a year older.

All of Dick's chums were boys belonging to families of average means.

This is but another way of saying that, as a usual thing, Dick and all his partners would have been unable to fish up a whole dollar among them all.
Fred Ripley, on the other hand, usually carried considerable money with him.

Lawyer Ripley usually allowed Fred much more money than that snobbish young man knew how to make good use of.
Fred and Clara Deane were undoubtedly the best-dressed pair in the High School, and the two best supplied with spending money.
There were a few other sons or daughters of well-to-do people in Gridley High School, but the average attendance came from families that were only just about well enough off to be able to maintain their youngsters at higher studies.
Fred Ripley, despite his mean nature, was not wholly without friends in the High School.

Some of his pocket money he spent on his closest intimates.