Monmouth College - Ravelings Yearbook (Monmouth, IL)

Page 19 text:

EAST PAST THE CAMPUS.

Page 18 text:

9 reps, k NCE more the kind Junior has given us a page on which to m M tell of ourselves. To be sure we are still young and have never S had much of a chance to she; forth what we. may do, but know, kind friend, that i.i us lies the future of the college. They tell you of battles won and victories sained but our deeds are yet to be done. We are as yet but making preparations for things to come. We are learning the ways of the colleges, so as to be ready when we get to be Freshmen to celebrate in true Washington style. But you m- ' St never think that we do not play an important part in college affairs. In athletics we have furnished our share both of foot ball men and of base ball players. Basket ball, was however, our great speciality and we were able to show the whole school points on the game Our bo s are brave and gallant, our girls — well you should see our girls! You can pick them out in a crowd. They may be perhaps not so wise as the other girls but they are as fair as the daughters of Job, and as sweet as maple molasses, and when you see us together, both girls and boys, you are tempted to believe with Tennyson, Man with the head and woman with the heart. ' '

Page 20 text:

Fw TOOK a stroll recently out through the northwestern part of M the city, and lo, I found the old college building- all torn down, % even the foundation stone being razed; and as I stood where the front entrance was forty-six years ago, I naturally turned the tables of my menory back to that period, and there I found first the faculty: President D. A. Wallace, D. D., Prof. Morrison and Prof. Brown, men of great moral force and saintly memory: men of courage and perseverance; men of faith and works. All have passed over to their rewards, but their works are still bearing fruit. Monmouth College has found a new home, and more commodious, a new, and larger faculty, but the memory of that first faculty will be handed down from one generation to another, as long as the college has an existence. Next troop up the students with beaming faces, friendly greeting and occasional yells. The college yell had not been invented then but the individual yell was sufficient for all practical purposes, though on one occasion the yell simmered down into a groan. It was at the close of the winter term. March 1 57, we resolved to have an exhibition, and a committed of arrangements was appointed. A piano must b ' borrowed. and after canvassing the city for some time, one was found at the residence of Lawyer Madden, which we could have under certain restrictions, but they were .almost prohibitory, as we were not allowed to load it on to a wagon, and there were no springs strong- enough to bear it up. So the only way was to carry it, a distance from half to three quarters of a mile. It was one of the large square pianos weighing from 800 to loOO pounds. We called for vol- unteers and fortunately had a generous response, by Major Mc- Claughry, Dr. Norcross, Dr. Brown, Rev. W. S. McClanahan, Rev. N. H. Brown, Rev. Daniel, Harris, Rev. J. R. Harris. Q. Crawford, Scott Buswell, J. R. Jamison, W. H. Blair and others. Well, after a good deal of turning and twisting, we got the piano on the street and started. It was fun for a little while but it was wonderful how the weight increased as we proceeded. The first squad began to weaken, and how to change was the puzzle as it took as many to carry it as there was room to get hold, and we could not set it down in the prairie as the mud was deep. We finally passed a couple of rails under it, and then a few fresh fellows could slip in to the relief of their com- rades, and so we marched, our faces twitching, fingers cramping, shoulders aching, knees trembling and courage almost gone. But there were the young ladies, Misses Madden, Findley, Mitchell, Harding, Denman, McClanahan and many others o. the fair sex, watching from the upper window ready to cheer which ever side gained the day. So in silent desperation we staggered on and conquered. Thisjis a sample of the difficulties which we labored under, when Monmouth was in her infancy. But now we rejoice in her develop- ment, and now since the pipe organ is put in place, the days of piano carrying have forever ceased. First Tutor of monmouth College.