Haverford College - Record Yearbook (Haverford, PA)

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Second. The Sophomores havini been defeated by us played the Seniors, and were beaten by only fourteen runs. But when we played ' 87, Morris and Stokes made such a stand that before it was broken the issue of the game was decided, and with the loss of two more wickets they excelled our score of seventy-two, and gained the college championship, which we had held the year before. After undergoing the trying ordeal of seven examina- tions, we separated once more, intending, with the exception of Nields, who went to Harvard, to return to college again in the fall. Senior Year. We entered upon our Senior year in the usual manner by moving up to the end tables and assuming control of the college. Lewis left his old quarters and moved up to Barclay Mall, where his palatial apartments soon became an indoor Bummers ' Re- treat, and in which he presided in state as head of a bureau of statistics, which latter he obtained from huge census reports, etc., and inscribed on vast rolls of paper, which, if used as cam- paign documents, would undoubtedly secure the election of Cleve- land. For the second time we played ' 89 for the foot-ball championship, and another very exciting game was the result. The work of our backs was magnificent, but the stubborn resis- tance of ' 89 ' s rush-line was too much for them, and also owing to the slippery ground, our men failed to score. For awhile it looked as if neither side would score, but finally Branson, by a few irresistible rushes, secured a touch-down, and the game was lost after a memorable struggle. Our Senior year was pre-eminently a hard-working }-ear. As it went on, Sharp began to gain an appreciation of the prob- lems of Astronomy, Lewis reveled in advanced calculus, Martin plotted dynamite outrages, and the Local Editor started a sample room. Our indomitable schemer, England, no longer

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Junior day being the greatest occasion of this year, the nom- ination of the speakers soon claimed our attention. But the fact was soon developed that our class contained, over and above the usual number, a number of men who were both able and willing to speak. Hence, with our usual regard for the feelings of each individual, rather than make an arbitrary selection, we decided to have two nights and give everyone a chance to speak. Thirteen men presented themselves, and of these six spoke the first even- ing and seven the second. Quite a number of good-natured con- troversies took place before the affairs came off, on the questions of wearing gowns, and of sitting on the platform. The first pro- ject was given up, but the second was adhered to and proved a great success. The hall was well filled on both nights, and the labors of the decorating committee were much admired. The first night was perhaps the greatest success, as it was not marked by a single blemish, but the second was made memorable by Percy Nields ' oration on the Federal Convention. Thus we demon- strated to the world that the class of ' 88 contained twice the average amount of talent. Lewis, Battey, Cox and Nields all tried for the Alumni Prize, but none of them spoke as well as on Junior Day. However, the contest was very close between Percy and the winner, and many thought that the decision should have been the other vay. On the eighth of May we held our second class supper, the custom having meanwhile spread to the other classes. With the exception of certain foreign birds, it was a perfect success, — Cor- bit officiating as Toast Master, and calling upon the members to respond to prearranged toasts. In cricket this year we had hard luck. We defeated the Sophomores by five wickets and thirteen runs, mainly owing to Collins ' work with the bat and the ball, as in the use of the latter he had become remarkably expert, having taken seven wickets for five runs against the Young America 24

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havdng to meet the opposition of ' 87, now succeeded in persuading the students to wear gowns and to take charge of The Haver- FORDIAN. Weary of being led around by the nose by Dr. McCosh, the class ordered a kicking committee to get up a protest, and after a hundred or so had been prepared by the desperate committee, one was finally accepted, unanimously signed, and sent into the good old doctor, who was almost taken off his feet by such a demonstration. The misconceptions of a mathematician in regard to Evolution, which came later in the year, were very spicy, but the discussions which followed only served to show the old gentleman that the class, with one ex- ception, were all going to a warmer climate, whence they will probably frequently return to deceive the ignorant through the agency of the planchette, which, therefore, is synonymous with Tommy ' s H 1 on Wheels. The one exception, as a fit preparation to the perfect being which he will hereafter become, receives none but perfect marks. The Alumni Prize contest added another laurel to the many already in our possession. The judges pronounced the orations unusually good, and awarded the prize to H. S. England, and tzvo honorable mentions (an unusual thing), namely, W. D. Lewis and J. W. Sharp, Jr., and if there had been anything more to win, Cox was there to take it. The festivity of the class during this year was something re- markable. Never was a class as handsomely entertained by its members. C. R. Wood led off by giving us a dinner at his house, during the winter, and Lewis followed with another at his brother ' s house, in the spring. But perhaps the most successful of all was the garden party given for the class by Fred Morris. The hospitality and attentiveness of our host and hostesses was unexcelled, and everyone enjoyed himself immensely. But the climax was reached in our last supper, held at Devon Inn. 26