Haverford College - Record Yearbook (Haverford, PA)

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and marches, which ended the cremation dear to the heart of every ' 88 man. With the last echoes of the retiring singers died out also the custom in the college history, for few cared to imitate what none could equal. About this time we played our second cricket match with ' 87, and, thanks to Collins ' bowling and Patterson ' s batting, we won the match and the college championship, with one wicket to spare. Out of the twelve cricket prizes awarded this year, ' 88 took eight, of which Patterson received four. The presentation of the spoon to the Freshmen was enliv ened by Tommy ' s cut- ting remarks, his Mothers and Gardeners being particularly taking. We think it was about this time that one of our mem- bers made the statement that, Savonarola went to Florence, and, for all we know, he may be there yet, for we have never heard of his getting away. And thus our Sophomore year came to an end. It was pleasanter than the Freshman year in many ways, and although in the course of it we had greatly neglected our studies, and had engaged in many youthful pranks, as it drew on to a close we began to catch a glimpse of the real meaning of a college course, and most of us went home resolving that another year should witness less wasted time and more hard work. Junior Year. On returning to college again we found that two of our men were missing. Chawles the Bearded had left us to go to the Institute of Technology, and the following verse in The H.-wer- FORi)i. x commemorated his departure: Alack, alack 1 our noble ' Chawles, ' We sorely mourn thy loss ; Thy sweet ' Gor ram ' and graceful spun, And ' smutty albatross ; ' And now, alas ! Thy wayward class Is left without a boss. 21

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had an effect, and the family disposition to use cricket bats, geological hammers, etc., with murderous intent, finally passed away. Our Sophomore year may be said to have been dedicated to the successful performance of one event, namely, cremation. We determined to have one that should eclipse all records, and to it we devoted all our energy and ingenuity. The novel ideas of having Japanese costumes and an execution originated in the fertile brains of two of our schemers early in the fall. Every committee did its work faithfully, and the Executive Committee, by frequent exercise of tact and skill, directed everything, and secured the harmonious working of the whole. Charles deserves especial credit for the construction of the effigy, which was a very difficult task. Another member, happily still with us, also con- tributed largely to the success of the affair. Who has forgotten the untiring perseverance with which Lewis endeavored to accus- tom us to complicated manoeuvers in the jolly rehearsals down by the creek ? How hard all of us had to work the morning of that great day ! How discouraging to have the platform break down when we thought it secure ! How lowering the sky all the morning and afternoon ! But, in spite of all, our cremation was an unparalleled success ! Never had a more glorious moon looked down upon a lovelier scene. Never before had so large and orderly a crowd been present to witness such a novel specta- cle. How vividly it all comes before us ! The procession from the gymnasium, while the big bell rang and the bugle sounded clear upon the still air ; the marching and counter- marching in the presence of an immense concourse of people ; the speeches, the conviction and binding of Wentworth, and the skillful substitution of the effigy ; the dull thud of the executioner ' s sword, and the blood gushing (?) from the headless trunk; the cremation ot the corpse, and the concluding songs

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Nevertheless, his loss was much regretted, as he had b en a very valuable member in many ways, and there was a label famine in the Laboratory for many years. Patterson grieved us deeply by falling from grace and entering the University, a loss from which the class and college cricket teams suffered severely. However, three new arrivals, Slocum, Cox and Leeds soon made up for these delinquencies. As is apt to be the case, our Junior year was rather destitute of incidents. In the sporting line we played a very exciting foot- ball game with ' 89. The two halves were played on separate days, and on the first we had the ball in their territory all the afternoon, and would probably have scored, had not two of our men been disqualified in a rather hasty manner. Sharp had not played any since his accident, but now he yielded to the entreaties of all his classmates, and it may be truly said that he saved the game by one or two splendid runs. ' 8y scored a touch-down but missed the goal, and just at the very end of the game Hilles shoved Sharp through the line and the latter secured a touch down. The time was too short, however, and the try-at-goal failed, and this most exciting game resulted in a tie. After this we settled down to work, and men who had formerly never been known to open a book, now studied industriously. Many of us took a lively interest in the literary societies, and we were certainly the life of them. In December of this year, two sad events took place, and, for a while, cast a gloom upon the college. One was the death of the revered and honored professor, of whom we had seen but little, yet enough to make him dear to all of us. The other sorrow, which came even nearer home, was the sudden death of our most gifted classmate, Edward Morrill Pope. An inflammation caused by a trifling bruise received while snow-balling, soon de- veloped into a most virulent fever, from which he never recovered.