North Central College - Spectrum Yearbook (Naperville, IL)

Page 24 text:

INORTHVVESTERN SPECTRUM Soon after the new wing was built in 1890, the Commercial Department was moved into new quarters on the top floor of the new wing. The rooms were large and the department grew apace. Then the library was moved down into the basement rooms vacated by the Commercial Department. In 1891, President Kiekhoefer was inaugurated and the third administration of our College began. Of all my tender memories A Snap Shot. of North Western I hold our then Preceptress most dear, Nancy Knicker- bocker, from Whose presence we went out enobled, purer because she had lived. The most characteristic picture of her I remember as one was a snap shot out on the campus, and it is of special interest because it includes both retiring preceptress and her successor, Miss Mary Bucks. ' The Library in the Basement. You don 't have a field day any more, do you? Well, now I tell you that was the day looked forward to by all. It was held on the anniversary of the 18

Page 23 text:

Nolail-IWESTEIQN SPECTRUM part over into the new wing too, and say! I must tell you the joke we played on the new janitor. This all happened on a Sunday night, well no, it was by rights Monday morning on the lst of March, 189-. It was a wild night. A crowd of us fel- lows met at one of the rooms and togged out in rubber-soled shoes and masks. Of course, this had all been planned out, and so very quietly and unobtru- sively we made our way over to the college building. We entered by a basement window in the Commercial room that was then in the basement of the chapel wing and lit our dark lantern, then single file we marched up the stairway of the new wind, and passed the ladies' dor- mitory on the second floor. We had to go up mighty quiet, so we climbed upstairs on our hands and knees and into the chapel where we rested for quite a while. Finally all plans were accomplished and single file we left the chapel, climbed up the society stairs and into the Museum. Here some were left to stand guard and one climbed up into the tower, removed the clapper and tied the loose end of the rope to a beam-but the toller was left free. Well, it was exciting to say the least, for those boards were a little loose and any mis-step made an awful noise. We came down very quietly and went back into the chapel where we hid the clapper in a place we were sure wouldn't be used until the next Sunday. Oh yes, . and l forgot to tell about those big doors up to the society floor,-we stuck the key- hole full of shavings. We found we hadn't quite expended all our energy, so we decorated the trees on the campus with the chairs from the chapel, then formed a circle under the big tree right out here in front of the steps and took an oath never to make this known. 4'Say! there wasnft much sleep for us the rest of that night. The next morning much to everyone is dismay there was no rising bell sounded at five o'clock. Of course, there was a new janitor and first it was thought that perhaps he had over- slept, but no, he declared he had gone to ring the bell but there had been no re- sponse. An investigation was started at once. The basement rooms were searched, every nook and crevice that could be l thought of was carefully searched, but all l to no avail. There was no bell but the toller, and solemnly and mournfully the tones echoed about the college community. The Faculty was mystified-the new janitor was not able to cope with the situation, so the old janitor was sent for, special Faculty meetings were called at frequent intervals. It was even thought best to engage a detective from Chicago. HMy! I tell you, I've had some hard things to bump up against in my life, but I think having to sit there in Prof. Heidner's classroom while the bell tolled its solemn news that the clapper was still unfound, was the hardest. Finally they began to blame the commercial students, so one of our crowd sent an unsigned card to the janitor telling him where the clapper could be found. For a whole school week it had been lost and we were all really glad to hear of its return. Oh, how those memories all come back to me! 17 President Kiekhoefer. I ig h ,, Am, ,Al ,Jw I Y

Page 25 text:

NORTHVVESTERN- SPECTRUM founding of the College here in Naperville and was celebrated by having field events. We had contests in running, jumping, and the girls were always on hand in club swinging and drills. The College band had a prominent part and the day was given over to a most happy sportsmanlike spirit. We began to have College yells in those days too. 1 In 1896 a picture was taken of the College and all the students. The open field extended to the east of the College and houses were very scarce on every side. Say, do you see that big stone there on the picture? Well, one night that stone disappeared. Cf course now we couldn't blame anyone for taking it, but it just disappeared. With all these pranks that I've been telling you about you can easily understand that there was altogether too much surplus energy in the students. They needed a place where they could work off a little of it and still not do any damage. Then the talk for a gymnasium began. The material was here as was being shown every field day, but we had no place for training. In 1901 the late J. L. Nichols donated means for the erection of a modern gymnasium. My connections with the College soon ceased, but my love for her has not been slackened by years of absence. And here I've been telling you all these things when we should have been going long ago. I love my Alma Mater, for- Other bards may sing the glories Of their Alma strong and fair, They may cheer for other colors Till they rend the very air. But we'll never raise our voices, Till the strong and pure 's in sight, Then we'll shout for all that 's in us For the Cardinal and White. L As we daily sit and study Truths that live long ages through As we wrestle with them ever, Will We keep this thought in view That when College days are ended Crowding cares our spirits blight, There is succor in the memory- Of the Cardinal and White.' '--f,-we---7-K-.mwv1A -'wv -1- I . The Students of '96, With a smile and a wave of the hand they were gone. Gone-why had I been standing here? What had been my troubles so short a time before? Had I been dreaming? No, surely not. I had been fussing about that history for The Annual and here it was all up to very recent dates. Well do we recall the erection of the Gymnasium and the interest of all the students to Go to Gymi'-even to the flunking of classes, so ardent were they. But other changes too have been made. Up to four years ago the sciences were taught in the main building. Chemistry was taught in the pres- ent Y. M. C. A. Committee room and the Laboratory occupied what is now the 19