Millsaps College - Bobashela Yearbook (Jackson, MS)

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Many class historians like to relate how their clasies, as Freshmen, were hazed by the Sophs, and how, as Sophomores, they compelled the Freshies to walk in certain strait and narrow paths. But we were too numerous for the Sophomores to interfere with, and when we became Sophomores ourselves, we decided it would be inhuman and beneath our dignity to haze green and defenseless Freshmen. We began our Sophomore ' ear by electing C. A. Bowen Pres ' dent, and during the year we did many clever things that added to our laurels. We wrote some excellent stories that were published in the Collcnian, and at Commencement we would have greatly benefited suffering humanity, but unfortunately the good seed sown by us, fell upon stony ground. We somehow managed to pass out of Trig and Analyt, and at Commencement we called ourselves Juniors, though many still persisted in calling us Sophs. However, at the next opening everj ' one, except the new men, recognized us as Juniors, and of course they could not be expected to locate us at first. Why, one of them even •mistook a member of the Faculty for a Freshman ! We began our good work as Juniors by electing our coed. Miss France.; Park, President. We continued it by swearing off on jacking, and being the first to adopt the Honor System. As usual, many of our names appeared on the distinction list at Commencement, and we assumed the dignity of Sen- ' ors. I regret that I canno, write of our doings as Seniors. Space will not permit me to tell of everything we have done, and it is as yet too soon to determine what have been our greatest dasds. There are onlv ten of us, but what we lack in numbers we make up in dignity and importance. Each member of the Class is a genius in his own line of business. 1 could go on and tell of the great things that ill be accompHshed by the members of the great Class of 1906, but that belongs rather to the Class Prophet than lo the His- torian Besides, it will not be necessary, for the great daily papers will keep the public informed of our deeds as we perform them and future historians will delight to write of them . 29

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HISTORY OF THE SENIOR CLASS- Like all other great organizations, the Class of igc6 had its beginning in obscurity. No one seems to remember the exact date on which our Class entered Millsaps College as First Preps, but tradition fixes the latter part of September, in the Year of Our Lord 1900, as the time Finally, after passing through all the terrors of entrance exams, the embryo Class settled down to work. We spent our Prep days pretty much as any other class does, and if anybody wants to know how that is they can come here and try it for themselves, or ask some of the more recent Preps about it. As for us, we are Seniors now, and do not like to discuss Preps nor Preppish ways. They are such light-headed creatures and so noisy and undignified ! We were a model Class, made good grades, knew that the Seniors were the greatest people on the earth, and had a good time generally. The Catalog says we all studied Geometry and Algebra and Latin and sorne of us studied Greek. Perhaps so; I never like to dispute such things, and it doesn ' t make any difference now, anyway. To show the rest of the school that we were a Class of real importance and dignity, we decided to hold a class election in our second year. L. E. Price was elected President ; R. E Turner, Vice-President; and L. J. Spence, Secretary and Treasurer. We deserve great credit for being the first Preparatory Class to have a class election, for all the Prep Classes since then have followed our example. At Commencement, the Faculty told us to put aside our Prep books, and we became Freshmen. Two coeds and a lot of new boys joined us when school opened in the fall of 1902. I want to say right here that I hope we were not as silly as the Freshmen Classes have been since then — and I don ' t believe we were, either, for we have always been an exceptionally fine Class. Finally, we got settled down to business, and everything went along smoothly enough until an election for class officers was called. Then the non- frat men combined against the frat men, and at a caucus held by them the night before the election it was decided to support O. C. Luper for President. A non-frat ticket was- prepared, and it was carried in the election next day. But the victory was short-lived, for the frats afterwards initiated nearly all those who had been placed in office by the others. Now, it was real clever in us to get up real politics in a class election. In the cla s-room we made fewer busts and more tens than any other Freshman Class, and not one of our number failed in Bible. Of course, some members of our Class rode jacks in Greek and Latin, but as they always managed to keep that fact concealed from the Faculty, it didn ' t matter much. Besides, who doesn ' t ride when they can and walking is tiresome? r8

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SENIOR CLASS PROPHECY. The night preceding our graduating day was clear and bright. The moon was full, shedd ' ng its sioft rays with unusual splendor upon the Prep and Senior alike. But we, of all people, were in the mood to most fully appreciate its grandeur and magnificence. Thus, while contemplating the glory of the moon and attributing its brightness to the hope and oy of receiving my degree on the morrow, I fell asleep and dreamed o he uture of each member of the Class. As though by magic, a lonely covmtry road springs out before me, and I ee a tramp, plodding his weary way along it. The expression on his face is that of one engrossed in great mental labor, of one deep in thought. He comes to a clean place in the road, and, picking up a stick, begins to make strange characters and igures in the earth. A farmer comes up and stands amazed, while the tramp mathematician tries to explain to him his newly-discovered theory of the Quadratic Equation that will mak the most difficult prob- lems merely a short mental process. Some harmless, demented professor of mathemat- ics, murmurs the farmer, and then, when the tramp has passed on, he reads a name scrawled at the bottom. I shudder as he recoils in horror and excla ' ms: Is it possible that this is Joe Baker, of the Class of 1906? Where a e his ambitions, his hopes, his mag- nificent prospects? The ?cene changes, and I see Hugh Brister just entering upon his life-work, with great prospects and opportunities before him. I see him when a few years later, happy and prosperous, and enjoying the full blessings of a married life, his face is still full, and his eyes have not lost their youthful gleam. Again I see him, but what a change! His cheeks are sunken and colorless, and his hair is streaked with gray. Old age and sorrow and dis- appointment have worked havoc with my old classmate. His step is weak and uncert in, and his voice sharp and querulous. A ripe old age has he reached, but what has he at- tained? I see him as he reviews the past ; his lost opportunities present themselves one by one, and he weeps to think of what might have been. Bob Carr, sitting in a small furniture store, is next presented to my view. A customer enters, and Bob rises to wait on him, the prospects of a sale overcoming his desire to remain seated. But his prices are too high, and the customer withdraws. Theie is no marked change a few years later. The store and business are about the same. Bob is seriously debating the subject of matrimony, but is unable to decide whether it is a good investment. In the decline of life, however, fortune smiles lightly on him, and he is more prosperous. Finally, old age comes on, but he is still substantially the same, except that he is married. When asked why he waited so long before marrying, he answers that he waited until he was able — Bob, from beginning to end; no change in him. With pleasure, I observe Jim Heidelberg, still a sport and ladies ' man. He reckons 30