Chicago State University - Emblem Yearbook (Chicago, IL)

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expected of us, and a little bit more, perhaps, -whicli is known here as social effi- ciency (a very elastic tenn), we would he released upon the following June. The monotony of our prison life, however, was somewhat relieved by the advent of a new sheriff upon the promotion of our former one. He was a pleas- ant-faced, good-natured individual, and we immediately dropped some of our re- sponsibilities, thinking to give him a view of, if not how much liberty we had had, at least, how much we would like to have. And did it work? Let this suffice: he knew what was good for us ! It was now, also, that we became divided. There was need for laborers in the stoneyards, of which this prison had three. They were called the Harri- son, Carter and Normal yards, and contained stones in varying c onditions. Not only was the stone to be broken by the laborers, but plans must also be made for the care of the stone, the bettering of existing conditions, suggestions for the development of a better grade and so forth. And here— here of all places, were our grinding tasks almost beyond belief. Unto each poor prodigal was allotted the work of breaking stones into various shapes. Some were blessed by being al- lowed to cut the hard-heads into lumps like Little Gypsy Dandelion or I ' m a Beautiful Red, l ed Drum on Mondays and Wednesdays, then on Tiiesdays, Thursdays and Fridays these self-same lum])s were to be slivere l into the causes of the French and Indian War, or Why did Napoleon cross the Rnbicon and not the Delaware? Other less well-faring inmates were appointed to powder smaller stones in- to the inevitable idols of School Gardens or What kind of a leaf does an oak tree have? Last, but not least, came the drill in stone cutting to the count of one— one- one— one— one— ready, break! Sixty cracks to a minute, with a curve of the body. It was not, however, merely the task of breaking the crusted earth ' s sur- face. Imagine if you can— an individual standing before a pile of rough stones, all sizes and grades; about the lower ankle is elapsed a ball, a ball of fear, dread and self-consciousness. In the right hand the convict holds a mallet. At a table not far distant sits the boss of the realms before you. At the sound of a gong, a deep, hollow, gruesome-sounding clang, the convict commences to knock. Slowly, oh, so quietly and ghost-like, the door opens, and the clanking of an officer ' s spurs are heard crossing the cold stoney floor of the yard. Almost as if by magic, enters the sheritT of the great ])rison, followed by the turnkey of the stone yard. Bear in mind, the knocking of the stone continues— until the bell announces quit- ting time. Then the convict limps to the table at which the grand conference is held. Here, he finds out, that the stones he has brok( n are all of the wrong size, the turnkey says that he swings his arm with too slack a force, the sheriff, that he does not hit in the right direction, that he does not stand properly, and what not and whatnot. Is it a wonder, friends, that you behold before you a class of al- most ex-convicts, from which the springy step of freedom has completely van- ished? While half of our nunilier were out working in the stone yard, the rest of us were still within the walls of the prison, jireparing for our future tussle with the stones. We studied the nature of stone, its development through every little stage, what men in bygone years thought of it, what they had done for it, and also the result of environment upon the grade of stone. Keeper IcManis held the iron lod over our heads, directing us in our labor. Ding dong liell ! Kittens and Miss AVells! It may not be iiistory but it surely was hers! From the ( aic of Small Cats we worked nut Immigration, Then the treatment of ])ovs and how we built our nation.

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But the adult mind is prone to overestimate and exaggerate, e found that bv rooting-out squares, and by standing every time our number was caled, we were able to make a cross-cut to Liberty without the use of similar triangles. Hey diddle diddle, the next was a riddle. King Cole in cell one hundred ' leveu, By administrating his patented fluid. Was sending poor earthworms to heaven. Our time here was pleasantly spent and we began to wonder if perhaps our punishment was to be lighter than we had expected. Our protoplasm was daily examined our temperature tested, and when we had become profieient m hang- ing keys on the proper hooks, we were passed on to the soulful science. Little Cy Kology, come blow your horn, As Gabriel blow, for these prisoners forlorn. Oh, blow it so loud, and blow it so deep. For it seems every prisoner has gone fast asleep. After peacefully resting amidst instinct and reasoning, we were marched ■ Little Miss Mutfet sat on a piano stool. But she didn ' t sit there very long. For we volleyed and thundered. Up in three hundred— But they say ' ' Even ' soul hath its song. Now, where are you going, my convict niaidT I am going to Art, she perspeetively said. Do you high-light designs, or weave atmosphere? We construct possibilities, nothing else though, I fear. One of the necessary characteristics which we were obliged to cultivate in order to obtain freedom, was agility. , , , Now Jack, be nimble, and Jack, be cute, In a minute and a half, hop into your suit. First polka like babies, then swing clubs like men. With a one, two, and three and a hop out a gain. Oh, yes, we developed an agility wHch would have put lightning change artists to shame. . , „ , t But hist ! Be still ! We approach the tragic side of our dreary lives- Oh where, oh where is the Iliad gone? With a heigh and a lo and a heigh nonney no. ' Tis gone, packed in memory ' s faithless storehouse. Ting-a-ling, sweet students love the spring. Special orders from headquarters, a new jailer suddenly entered our lives. What, was it possible? A new theoiy was now to be put in practice. It was thought that if we learned to move our arms in a different way, for example, ac- cordhig to the Patiner method, our dispositions might be changed. Well, the refonnation was badly needed in most cases. It was See saw, new jailer Dows (pronounced Daws) The convicts shall have a new master. Six sheets of foolscap we write every day. Oh, ' twas an awful disaster. Here we learned to make fancy curves, to hold the body straight, and to count— up to one. Our Secn)id Year of Imprisonment. , ■ .■ It is customarv to i ardon prisoners and release them before the expiration of their term, upon good behavior, but not so here. It was with somewhat forcM energv that we took u]-i our tools for our second year ' s term, but our hearts light- ened as we looked forward with the assurance that if we did everything that was

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The prison authorities, of course, desired beautiful premises, but desired these at the expense of those prisoners who proposed to be Nature Study Fak- irs. On sunshiny days, near-by residents were almost moved to tears at the sight of a long line of convicts, armed with shovels, moving in lock-step fashion, slowly, ah, so slowly (as Keeper Smith can well testify), down the avenue, to dig up Ye purple asters and ye golden rod, With which to deck the grassy sod. What a dark and grewsome mystery was held in the closet of Eoom 207 is only known by those who shook the venerable hand of Brother Jones— or was it Tomkins ! Some claimed that it was George Washing-ton at the age of twenty-five, but were argued against strongly by believers in Alexander the Great ' s bony pres- ence. Whosoever it may have been, we all learned how to do the Adoration ex- ercise before his shrine. From thence we passed into the realms of Little Nemo, not a slumber- land, though (oh, no!) but a place where one might learn to digest a meal without eating it. Then came the time for a change about of conditions. The convicts were called in from the stone yards, their faces all scarred and wiinkled from ex- posure to the weather, now to be confined within doors to take up tasks for their own betterment. The heretofore indoor laborers were now sent out to try their mettle in the yards. We all worked with might and main, for in twenty weeks we knew we would be released and left to paddle our own canoe, as it were. At length the glorious day of freedom arrived. We threw back our shoul- ders and sniffed in the fresh air, in advance. We walked forward, freed of all our irons, up to the prison turnkey, received our pardons, and burst forth from the prison walls. Disguised in a new suit, with our pardons in our hands, we tii - ' idlv re-entered the world and mingled with our fellow-mortals. Some of us regained our former manner and seemed of the world, but some of us, alas, to this day bear the prison taint, and will, to the end of time. The Prophecy A MASK portraying five distinctive types of girls characteristic of the Normal School— given on class day. A prologue in verse describing a scene on Mount Olympus wherein the Gods and Goddesses, representatives of the College Faculty, discuss the tj pes of girls most pleasing to them, introduces the presentation. First appear the scientific girls, surrounded by the signs and sjT nbols of their favorite pursuit. The athletic group follows : the tennis girls decked in their outing costumes, the sturdy basket ball girls, the nimble gymnasts and the graceful dancers. The jolly girls next rush on the scene in a tumult of joyous laughter and while away ' the passing moments with quips and cranks and wanton wiles. Gowned in rustling fabrics and dainty colors, the society girls wheel and courtesy in the stately dance, sip their tea nnd chatter the latest Parir? fash ions. With jubilant burst of song the Muses of Art, Music, and Poetry bring the series to a dramatic close. The Epilogue portrays the decision made by the Rulers of the Universe, that no one type is supreme, but a well-balanced variety is necessary to make a happy world.