St Johns College - Yearbook (Annapolis, MD)

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so wise Cyet so ignar'nt J, wemade a record to be proud of. Halbert played astar game during the whole season. It was his touchdown that defeated our old and confident rivals, Western Maryland. ' Tarbert, who left college to prepare for the Naval Academy, has returned, and is again captain of the track team. He has slept all winter, but will no doubt awake in due time. 4 Our Senior year has been by no means dry and uninteresting. When we have graduated, we shall look back upon our college career with pleasure, if not with pride. Many things we will remember, and some things we shall probably tell our grand-children. Beautiful thought! Perhaps we will remember longest those things which happened in our Senior year. We will not soon forget that morning in November when Dr. Fell announced in Chapel that the new Hall was at last ready for occupation. A whoop went up from the Seniors, followed by cheers from the other classes. The whole class skipped all recitations that morning to move from the old quarters into the new. What a change! New rooms, new furniture, all modern conveniences, everything bright and clean. But when snugly housed in our different apartments that night, our feelings were not altogether pleasant. Was this the old St. John's we had learned to love? Our surroundings said, No. We did not realize before what an attachment we had formed for the dark halls of old Pinkney. When we were Freshmen, they had witnessed our home-sickness, when Sophomores, our ghostly midnight prowlings, and when Juniors, they were our studies. We had left those halls now for good. Never more would we engage in a Fourth Floor rampage or a water battle. It seemed, too, that we were separating from the under- classmen whom we had learned to love. With those thoughts in our minds we went to sleep that night. Next morning when we were awakened by the bright sunlight on the snow-white walls and glistening furniture, we felt glad of the change. In a few days we had become accustomed to our new surroundings, yet there still lingers in our hearts a warm affection for old Pinkney Hall and her clinging memories. And now the show begins. Being no longer under the watchful eyes of those for whom we should set an example, we turned ourselves loose. Mooney again began to do stunts, Old Lady to give vent to unearthly shrieks practiced and perfected in the heart of a West Virginia forest, and even Wilmer began to sing disconnected snatches of rag-time accompanied by jigs. We were boys again, with all a boy's love for fun. The first part of each evening was usually spent in preparing lessons, but about 10 o'clock some one would rush out into the hall and cast his vote for United States Senator. This would start the ball rolling. i The exercises were different each night. Sometimes they would take the form of a deliberative assembly with everybody chairman and all speaking at once. The subject was generally Theology, about which not a Senior knew his own mind. Benny, Mallory and Somer were the loudest speakers. Above the noise which filled every nook and corner of the building could be heard the soft, musical UD tones of Scabby's voice swelling out on The Village by the'Sea. The discussion would continue until the participants became disgusttddg and they would all rush out to join Scabby, walking 55

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Jenior History - It is 19045-a year since a history has been written. In our opinion, the greatest mistake in that time was made when we elected the same Historian to succeed himself. The class has 'many strong features -to quote Burroughs-but it lacks entirely an idea of the importance of being well published, for the Historian is reported to be the biggest bum and the laziest man in the Senior Hall. He won't lace his shoes before breakfast one morning in three months, he won't take part in athletics, he won't do nothin', but sit on his fencing-girl cushion and smoke dopes. Another great mistake was to make Strange treasurer. With the propensities common to all Jews, he duns the fellows before their bills are due, and when fortunate enough to get a dollar, lives on cough-drops forthe next week. As a consequence of our error, we shall have to detail Rube, Somer, and Mooney to swipe 'possum skins and rob potato holes 'in the country to get a class shield. But we compliment ourselves upon our choice for president. You should see Wirt Wilmer since he is both president and Major. He has all his hats made to order now, but, to be confidential, he is still the same boy of old, with a few crazy notions added. He imagines that he is responsible for all that goes on around him, and continually harps on what he calls devotion to duty. Every night at 11.15 sharp, despite the anathemas, howls, and mumbled Sunday School words, he turns out every light in the hall. We don't like this, though we can not blame one vested with so much authority. Old Lady Wilson was again made vice-president, not at all because she deserved it,'but, being a very sensitive dame, she would feel slighted if not given some considera- tion. But then it doesn't matter who is vice-president. The position is simply honorary. We still retain Somerville as secretary, because he never writes minutes and we are not troubled with hearing them read. His duty seems to be to callthe roll. He is still in the fluttering state mentioned last year. Perhaps this accounts for his not being able to keep still long enough to journalize our momentous proceedings. But in justice to him, I will say that he has carefully considered, and finally determined upon one thing- marriage soon after graduation. We wish him well, but pity the girl. Our achievements in athletics .during the past year have been gratifying. Mudd made an excellent baseball captain, and was re-electedunanimously to the same position thigigear. This action on the part of the team is a high tribute to his ability. . To express general opinion, Halbert was the best football captain in the history of St. Joh.n's. Q His work on the gridiron is a direct contradiction to the saying, a captain never plays' good ball. , Our schedule this year was a hard one, but through the com- bined efforts, of boys men's fearlessnesst and men's aggressiveness, directed by a head A . I . 54. 1

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slowly to and fro, lost in his song. Then Scabby would display his fine chest and broad shoulders, Masey would set up the cigars, Wirt would turn out the lights C1113 p.m.D and all would go to bed. At other times the exercises would take the form of a comic opera, in which Mooney was always star comedian. Music was furnished by those who got hold of the instru- ments first, and everybody joined in a march up and down the hall to the tune of You Don't Belong to the Regularsj' or some other popular song. Mooney would break out from the crowd and give us an imitation o' dem goo-goo eyes. Instruments would be thrown aside and attention given to that veritable mimic. He, being instructor, would hear a recitation in Greek from Mr. Mudd. That gentleman having responded, and having received three zips and reported once or twice, Mooney would proceed to show how Booby Hall dances, how Mallory draws his sword, and several other hows, after which he would rush to his room. Upon being implored to come out and prolong the exhibition, he would stick his head out of the door and say Hain' goin' tell ye, slam the door, and go to bed. Then a general entertainment would ensue. Mersey and Scabby would perform the illustrated joke 5 Old Lady would sing If I Were Only Sam Montgomery, Masey would refuse the cigars, and we would retire to our respective dens. Thus has time passed, with never a day lacking its quota of fun. We were much surprised one day when Beachley contributed a mite and sprung 'a joke. It is his best, worst, and only joke and deserves repetition. H Once upon a time a man owned a big speckled hen which laid an egg every day. One day he put a large porcelain egg in the nest and to his surprise the hen laid one that he could not tell from it. 'By J ove,' he thought. aloud, 'if she will only lay one as large as the nest egg every day, I have a fortune' So he put in a goose egg next time. The hen deposited one just as large. With the dream of 'get-rich-quick,' he whitewashed a foot- ball and put it in the nest. Next day he was rewarded with an egg as large as the pigskin, but was startled by a label on it saying, 'What do you take me for, an ostrich?' He broke the egg and-the hen was inside. Q . Do you see the joke? 'No one did when he told it,.but the sickly grin he produced was the cause of some merriment. ' This reminds me of Scabby's frog tale Eve used to tell Abel. We won't tell it, nor will weadmit that Scabby is not original. If he can't construct a good joke, he can make a house from cellar to attic in a week Cthat is, on paperj, and do it well. He is going to plan a club house for Morgan next summer. We have ponies, automobiles and almost every other kind of conveyance in the Hall, but the most peculiar and most dreaded is the water-wagon. It probably derives its name from the fact that nothing stronger than water may be used to lubricate its many and intricate parts. It rides hard, especially on Saturday nights 5 and a throw is dangerous, chiefly because the victim must nurse his injuries in silence. You remember that earth- quake shock at Annapolis,,reported some time ago? That shock was caused by Hick and Old Lady falling simultaneously from the awe-inspiring wagon. They escaped with their lives, but both suffered painful injuries. Old Lady had the jim-jams, and Hick an abnormal enlargement of the cranium. Since the fall, Hick has retired to his den, and opens up for neither saint nor sinner. Sometimes we see him go out to the letter box and back again. When he talks he says he is taking a correspondence course. it 56