Lawrenceville School - Olla Podrida Yearbook (Lawrenceville, NJ)

Page 31 text:

The members of ,og were now Third Formers and worthy of due respect. There were no more study hours for them now, for they knew Cthat is, were considered to knowb how to study without supervision. However, amid the joys of meeting all our old comrades and exciting the reverence of the new-comers, there was hidden deep in our hearts a lurking fear. This was due to the fact that a new system of grading was to be put into use. Now, to many of our class this meant a very serious affair, for we might through this new process be dropped in a few days, and none of us, after eating so many jiggersf' were prepared for such a fall. The new process soon began to show results one by one. Those of our class whose habits were not of the most studious kind were forced to join the ranks of 'o4. Curiously enough, however, the number of members of 'og did not diminish, for in the process of the patent weeder -the new grading system-'o2 kept us continually supplied with new-comers to till the gaps left by unfortunate friends who had been forced to leave our company. All things have a11 end-so it was with this new dropping machine. After a time it ceased to run and gave us a chance to see just where we stood. p Qur officers had been elected in a much more orderly manner this year, than that of the former. We chose Bummyii Ritter as President, Pop Raynor as Vice-President and Iken Williams again was selected for Secretary and Treasurer. Under these leaders 'og could not help but pass onward through a successful year. We were proud of our officers and of our class, and out of this pride there grew in our hearts a strong desire to make 'og count for something in Lawrenceville--the school we all loved so well. This desire soon grew to a determination which, we hope, has characterized us throughout our career. For years it has been the fond desire of the school to have a gymnasium. Other schools had them. Why shouldnit we? Thus we reasoned and waited, until at last there came those welcome pamphlets with the encouraging words, On the Fourth of July, 1901, ground was broken for the new gymnasiumfi etc. It was among our first thoughts when we returned. We had dreamt of seeing a stately structure l1alf completed, and soon to be ready for us, but, much to our disappointment, the sight that met our eyes was nothing but a hole in the ground, where we I9

Page 30 text:

thought it was the thing to do, so they joined in the stampede, and in less time than it takes to tell, the whole class was raising one general rough house H in the study. We had no leader, as our old chief, jock, had not returned. Soon the desk tops began to slam, everybody was making, in his own way, the greatest confusion possible. But, at last Mr. Jamieson came to the rescue. He opened the door and looked in. A sh-s s-s went around the room and a hush fell on our company as he stepped into the room. We didn't know just what was going to happen. We expected something, but it didn't come, for our friend Mr. Jamieson merely opened nomina- tions' for President. A After a little discussion we elected Rube U Lake to that worthy position. Then things went on more smoothly. ' 'Fatty Steinbach became Vice-'President and Ike H Williams filled the Secretary and Treasurer's office. Thus 'o3 entered on its second year. The football season passed, and at its end three of our men had made the team-Holden, Bummy Ritter and Pop Raynor. Thanksgiving and Christmas vacations passed quickly by, and we turned again to work through the long winter term when there was so little doing except work and indoor exercise. How we hated that hour of would-ben exercise in the old study where they took out the seats to make room for fi little apparatus. However, they kept us busy at our work andgave us many good enter- tainments, so that the long term passed by more quickly than might be expected, and almost before we knew it Easter vacation was over and we were back to finish our year amid base ball games and track meets. Summer vacation rushed down upon us, school closed and the members of 'og scattered over the land to rest until school again recalled them. , As usual., summer, with its magic swiftness, was gone before we knew it. September, with its falling leaves, bore down upon us and another year of school life lay in the dim future. As the trolleys swung around the turn, old Lawrenceville, with its red brick buildings and slated roofs, once more came into view. We piled out of the cars, and as soon as we got our coats and valises thrown into our room we followed the ever-increasing crowd over to Al's to get, for the iirst time in many weeks, a Lawrenceville jigger and compare notes on the experiences of the summer. I8

Page 32 text:

expected to see a new and nearly completed gymnasium. However, we could do nothing but wait and console ourselves with the.fact that it was at least really started. Christmas vaca- tion came and went, but our hopes for the new 4' gym. now daily increased, as we saw its brown walls grow higher as time went on. Besides this evidence, was added the fact that our gymna- sium directors had been already engaged and would soon begin work in the cage, with all who were interested. Mr. Prentiss and Mr. Mason, who were to take charge of the work, began quickly and soon we were enjoying ourselves, to our great surprise, as much in the cage as we had expected to do in the new gym. . There was but one thing lacking now, and that was the tank. But our patience was at last rewarded by the following notice that was posted somewhat in the following manner: The tank will be open this afternoon for I and II Forms, 4.oo-4.553 IH and IV Forms, 5.oo--5.55.', The tank was finished, but not so with the rest of the building, and this fact made it necessary for us to do our dressing on the surrounding remnants of scaffolding. Notwithstanding this diffi- culty, we enjoyed our first swim immensely. The building each day took a stride towards its completion, and soon it was ready for the finishing touches and the apparatus. But as the days grew warmer and summer approached, track and baseball drew our atten- tion away fron1 the gym. The baseball team did its work beautifully, and in the end came off with a glorious victory over Hill. The track team was ,not quite so successful, however, but its members in 'o3, when the class-day meet came around, proved themselves worthy of their class and won the meet in spite of 'ozis best efforts to carry off the laurels of victory. Our third year was coming to its close. Summer spread out before us with its long days of recreation and enjoyment 3 but in the hearts of the members of our class there arose a strange feeling. We were about to select our rooms in the Upper. It is diflicult to explain to a stranger the feelings excited in the hearts of undergraduates on this occasion, for the Upper is the dream of every First Former, the ideal of every Second Former and the goal of every Third Former, in fact, at Lawrenceville, as at Rome in olden days, All roads lead to the Upperf' Like a Roman in the days of Caesar, so is the Upper House man regarded at Lawrenceville to-day. Thus, with 20