Princeton University - Nassau Herald Yearbook (Princeton, NJ)

Text from Pages 1 - 117 of the 1896 volume:

KJIVAY BACK IN FRESHMAN YEAR.' THE I-IISTQQY OE THE CLASS of NINETY-Sax OE DIQINCETGN DAVID POTTER Y CE COLLE Q NCETON, NEW JEIQS 1596 - F' 'XX if XX W.. 1. X. X Xfrf .X X LT jing EXW it iff,-HIT Ep . ' Q' ' '1X? Xe.:.L . l' Xi - XXWX' Inf! ' ' 1 1 , , .Xfl L- 'TVA-LX X' .,- 'XX . 5 -,X.X ' r XJ, XL. X H I.: Vr:kLI...X1X,. N. ' 'if it ' ' 1. Z' 4' 1 ' 1-'Xl' X .XXX T i' 1 Xa,--Ai ' WX- ' ffm -1- 1, M ,XX g,.'XX - IX .V M-,f Qi!! X XX.,l. f-XrX.PX'f 4 'T':',' ' I 545'- X XX' X: .5--1e',If:q.,XTXXr 'M M. X' XX. 1 X -' ' I r iT HL!! X' X' XXI 'qv' .-1 X-.Z-X 'F H--- XIX'-X-XXX, V ,X In X. - .XXX V X -..,f,.A. X J, it Xu, --Xu.. ,X ...X I. X 1 X: ' ,, X AX.. Y-X - LX -'XXX 'ff' -X J X 1 1' X - ' X 'X X - ' 1 gn, X J. 5 ' ' . f fl A X Q LN +,. A ,..'iXa - X :Q 1 X - X51 X - XXX. . ' X' 'XX' X -V gX., Q iq . X .X X . V .:-NJ' W .. 9 V WX- . X X , l -.Y .1 . . , .. X X X X I ,X :fx '.X'1YX'-U: Xf,.l.QX: , M X. gl A X , X-X55f'X 'X',',j 1 jf! --, 'XX X -.WX ., ' ' X X . X'7.4- ' X XX X IX, , V 1,1 ' , ,X X X- F X ' uf, XXX. XXFJ'X'X'QXXXX X U ' W-I X, XXX- . XX X .X X X , X I X X WX' .XJ XX ..,..,!. Y A. t. ','X..v X X J . Q '9XLX.'? 23 C' . , X XXXXXXX .XX-',',XVJ- 'XMQXX X Lf I 1' YWIVZ I ' I I X YN- I +I' X'XX ' ' -M-, X .f -X :U ' ' .X ,'?fAf.:. X ..X42 X ,. 1 --X A Xe. .. '1 WX X . X - X--.-rw , V 5' X 4 A Qm- .f X X ' ' , X '- - HX., ' -7 X 4-1: X4- X , . . Y l XX' WX Y., -X..1 X-,X , f , , X X Xq V XX -l X . ' X X' 0 W- -' X XX1:.' IXXV X- ' 'X X.X:' ,XX'X. I I Xi' vm, 'l , f,.,.,'.l,'L ,' 1' .-' ',,'X.Xf .X XX ,X - -gg... X X X ... . . , . PSU? MPX 'ygj X ' , X --- XX-- X,'.X - - if H . X X-4..:':i, X-QXX, .1 . X TO FQIENDSHIPS TQIED FND TRUE- TO FRIENDS KNOWN 7-VND LOVED- TO N!NETY-SIX. - DREIZACE. AFTER the completion of any considerable work-even though that work be performed with ardor and sustained by the character of its subject-after the exhilaration of the moment a reaction is almost inevitable. Such was the experience of Herodotus, and such is the experience of the historian of the Class of Ninety-Six. Now that the words are irrevocably writ- ten, your historian is inclined to looklwith a somewhat melan- choly eye on his attempt to form a chronicle of your deeds. Perhaps this despondent feeling is only the natural result of too intimate an acquaintance with any production 5 perhaps it is because this record is really unworthy. The materials for a Class History are gathered from a thousand sources-from old P1'z'1zcezom'ms, from dusty B1fic-a- bwzcs, from scrap-books and letters,-from newspaper clippings, and diaries, and programmes innumerable, from the vague recollections and fading memories of early college days. To collect and sift and synthesize these into a homogeneous whole is a long task, a hard task, but withal a delightful task. The more I have written of OUR CLASS the more I have learned to respect and admire it. My one hope is, that from this little volume you may gain renewed strength for that feeling which makes a Princeton man regard his Class as second to nothing save his College. IZDESHNVXN YEAR. H Of youth and wit and merriment, Of college freaks and jovial song, A story true to all intent Here draws its careless length along. As Freshmen first we come to college, We ill our minds with useless knowledge. THREE HUNDRED AND THREE REGULARLY-MATRICULATED STU- DENTS-the largest class that ever entered Princeton. When we arrived the very walls tottered at our tread 3 the hitherto irre- pressible Sophomores stood aghast at our formidable appear- ance , Topley telegraphed to Penn's Neck for another proctor, while the trembling sun grew warm with fear. And O, how hot it was on that Wednesday, the 21st day of September, 1892 !- but what cared we, the glorious class of Ninety-Six? We were the LARGEST CLASS and knew it. Every class is the best class, but we only were the largest-in numbers, in brawn, in brain-so we thought then, so we think now. Pierre Ward was one of the iirst members of the class to strike town. In fact he had been here for some time, having played second base all summer for the Princeton Blacks, although he denies this now, and a broken arm had been his just reward. Next to Pierre the earliest bird was Talbot Pierce, Pretty Peter from th' ole Dominion, sah, with the bloom of the Virginia plantation on his cheek, as well as a good-sized hunk of the same bloom stowed away in his mouth. C75 8 Hz'sZo1g1 qf zfhe Class ey' '96, . Aleck Fordyce also came fussing down from Newark somewhat prematurely, in order to get off a few of his Cfuturej chemistry conditions by way of anticipation. These men and others were on hand to meet us at the station, but when the gallant Three Hundred arrived they were as naught, for there came Josh Billings, one of the real Green Mountain boys, Pin Dennis, the future vice-president of the college, Tommy Galt, the man with the Jupiter voice, sweet-faced Bertie Milbank with his eye already on the Senior presidency. There, too, loomed Louis Gray, this is not 'Gene, Shape Adams, the woman half-back 5 Biffy Lea, whose Sandowian fame was even then exciting the alarm of the Sophomoresg Chub Chandler, the lanky giant from New Jersey, Susie Sterry, the ladies' pet 3 Napoleon Godfrey, who furnished William Mulligan Sloane with his original inspiration, and C ye merciful godslj there for the first time we saw Amos Bissell. Amos lost not a moment, but on that very morning he collected a writhing coterie about him at the Nassau Hotel and told them of himself and his adventures at Exeter and Podunk, how he made this eighty-yard run and that phenomenal catch, how Hector Cowan begged him to come to Princeton and what inducements Yale offered, how Amos put out the i'iery lamp and how Amos missed his train while visiting his girl. At three o'clock on that same Wednesday of our appear- ance in classic shades we gathered together in Marquand Chapel. There President Patton doled out to us various warn- ings, diluted with a trifle of friendly admonition, in case we should dare think of such a wholly illegitimate thing as a rush. Oh, no, of course not. To tell the truth I do not think any of us paid much attention to either form of the discourse. What we did heed was each other's looks and general appear- ance, striving to find encouragement therein for the heavy trials of Freshman year which some of us realized must be HZTIUYQI qi the Class ef '96. 9 undergone. As we looked upon such manly forms as those of Buck Hall, Jake Beam, Dave Edwards, 'K Pop Faile, Joe Miller, Bill Hearn, Gordon Johnston, Fitzy Fitzgerald, Billy Parsons and Beef Turner, not to mention Farmer Thomson, Abe Roberts, Danny Glenn, Homer Snitcher, Sim Overton, Pip Frazer, Syd Bunting, Tom Gaskill and others, our bosoms swelled with the glad con- sciousness that these mighty men of valor were members of our class. There, too, we saw, with their faces already 'fsicklied over with the pale cast of thought, such men as Johnnie Trout, Poller Bishop, Buck Waters, Lloyd Smith, Hiram Doolittle, Billy Bush, Fred Loetscher, Bob McElroy, Ed Hamilton, his room-mate J, J, Nell Gaskill, Ned Hodge and Phil Churchman. When our eyes fell on them we felt that the forensic and literary ability of Ninety-Six would be equal to the best. Presi- dent Patton did not detain us long with extracts from his sesquipedalian vocabulary, and escaping from chapel we de- parted to our several domiciles in the stealthy manner charac- teristic of Freshmen. A That night was, in one way, rather uneventful and the Sophomores, as a whole, must have kept very low, for the historian can find but few accounts of any games that took place. Perhaps ,QS was overawed by the ubiquitous Topley, who was new that year and Wanted to prove he was not quite so green as the other newcomers. Some of the gang that roomed at Vanderbilt's on University Place were so emboldened by the apparent absence of Sophomorical enthusiasm that they determined to get up a little expedition on their own account. So Brownie Orr, Fred Howell, Billy Leonard and two or three others, all more or less affected from prolonged contemplation of the moonshine, started over to haze the Seminoles. On Mercer Street they were discovered by a band of Sophs, who IO Hzkiarjy of Zke Class Q' '96, gave chase with loud shouts and a pair of mastiffs. Brownie and Fred being hard pressed down Mercer, dodged into Mar- quand's, thus throwing their human enemies off the track, but not so with their four-footed pursuers. These ferocious beasts ran them up through the Rookery, and there Brownie, who owns a clean pair of heels, escaped altogether. Fred Howell, however, must have fallen by the wayside, for he did not show up at Vanderbilt's until nearly three A.M., and then his clothes would have been a disgrace to Fred Parker, and his face was torn and wan. I tell you what, fellows, he said, with that peculiar waving motion of his hands, I don't mind dog, nor I don't mind barbed wire, but barbed wire ami dog is too much. The next day, which was Thursday, we all attended recita- tions and were there notified of a 'meeting of our class to be held at twelve o'clock in the old chapel. We were also again warned, by Sammy Winans, I think it was, not to participate in any row either then or subsequently. ,We began to think this must be a very warlike sort of college if even the Freshmen had to be begged not to iight. We felt proud of ourselves and, of course, went to the class-meeting en masse. The object of the meeting was disclosed by prominent upper-classmen and we were told just what was right and what was wrong for Freshmen to do. We had small regard for the prohibitive clause-s at the time, but they were impressed upon us forcibly at a later date. When nominations for class-presi- dent were called for, no less than seven, all honorable men, were named, but as the stalwart form and handsome features of Langdon Lea ascended the platform we knew there was no need to seek' further. For, you know, a Freshman president rnust be a fighting man, not ex-Wjcio but gbso facfof besides, Freshmen always like a good-looker to represent them in order that the upper-classmen may perceive what a fine lot they are. Hence Biff was elected temporary president without much Hz'St01gf qf the Class gf '96, II opposition, while William Strong McGuire polled a heavy Lawrenceville vote and was declared secretary-treasurer. Then an athletic committee, devised for nobody knew what, not even themselves, was chosen after a desperate contest. They were: On football, Barnett and Parsons, on baseball, Anderson, on track athletics, Alford. This last important business over, the Junior president in- formed us that '95 would tender us a reception outside 5 we must keep together and not try to avoid the kind offices of the recep- tion committee, but charge Sffdlghl ahead Our newly-made president put himself at our front and with the rest just chucked in anyhow, we burst forth from the Old Chapel and pell-mell into the Waiting Sophomores. It was lively work for a couple of minutes, and I can see the astonished Sophomores yet as they reeled before our thronging hosts. We burst their ranks asunder and marching down in front of Dickinson gave a lusty cheer for our own prowess. We then separated to repair the ravages of war, and to wonder if ,QS would dare to dally with us. Well, they did. O, yes, they did! That very night the fun began. T About eight P.M., Sally Bostwick and Monk Godfrey were seized while buying some fruit at Zazzali's, and led quietly but firmly out Vandeventer Street. There they were relieved of their purchase,with remarks of ff how appropriate, and made to kneel down together. Then one of the Sophs produced a small can of green paint and-but why describe so painftjful a scene? When the two horror-stricken Freshmen were released, Bos's face resembled the campus on a spring day, while Godfrey be- came known as the Princeton Zebra. Fred Mudge has always lived here in Princeton and been mixed up in college affairs, nevertheless, when three men called at his house that evening, representing themselves as collectors for the Philaclelphian, Fred, being a minister's son, took the careworn bluff in good faith, Indeed, he invited them right up to his room and begged them I2 Hisfafy Q' like Class Qf '96. to make themselves at home. They required no urging, but it wasn't money for the college Y. M. C. A. that they were after- what they wanted was a real live Freshman. Mudge did all kinds of stunts that night Qby requestj, and when assistance came he was discovered balanced on his stomach along the top of the door, swimming for dear life. Friday, the third day of our college experience, dawned not bright and clear, but all in a death-dumb, autumn-dripping gloom, in plain words, rainy, as Princeton days are very apt to be. The day passed uneventfully for us, except for such trilies as being shoved off the sidewalk at every opportunity, removing our caps whenever the imperative two fingers were raised, and undergoing brief but animated colloquies with bands of Sopho- mores gathered about the entrances of Dickinson. As evening drew on, the suppressed tone of excitement among us showed that something was afoot, and, indeed, the word had been passed that the rush was to take place that night. . About eight o'clock we assembled on University Place in front of Goldie's and marched up to Nassau Street, gathering our men as we went. Down Nassau Street to 'Washington we marched, and up Washington to the east entrance of the campus. We were by this time a formidable body, in column of fours and packed solidly rank on rank. Keep together, boys, keep close together, was the cry as we tramped up between East College and the Old Chapel. At this moment the dark masses of '9 5 were seen advancing toward us and with an exultant yell at seeing our hated foes delivered into our hands, we rushed them with thunderous speed. They were not backward and fell upon us with spirit. ' F We met them good and large, The Sophomores at the double and the Freshmen at the charge. The two columns collided with an awful shock, the iirst three HZiS'f07fj! qf the Class W' '96. I3 ranks being forced off their feet and into the air by the pressure behind, where they fought and kicked friend and foe alike. The pressure is terrible, suffocating, but shove! shove, boys! In another instant the opposing ranks weaken and give sullenly back and We know that we have defeated '95 in the first charge. Twice more did they gather and twice more did our resistless phalanx hurl itself upon them. Finally, after a fierce melie, in which order was abandoned to fight at will, the Sophomores broke incontinently and fled in confusion. We had won the rush and held the cannon, while giving cheer after cheer for our victory. Who in our class can ever forget that rush? The desperate strain of man against man, the fierce thrill which betokens the rousing of the slumbering barbarian, the wild excitement and gratification of the victorious moment. Some one has said that a rush presses the members of a class so close together that they can never grow entirely apart again, however diverse their aims and interests may be in the future, and I am sure it was so with us. Ours was the very last of the old-time struggles, for rushing is now no more, but it was a noble chapter with which to close the book. So we departed to our homes, celebrating our triumph in the words of the poet: ' Twas thus that we battled That night in September. They were rushed, riled and rattled- O, let them remember! The following day, Saturday, passed rapidly enough except for those lucky GQ mortals who were invited to dine with the Soph- omores-and thus peacefully closed the week. How full and busy those three or four days had been! We had bought our text-books, located the recitation rooms in Dickinson, battled with the Sophomores. I think none of us had ever lived quite so long in so short a time. On Monday of the next week practice for the class baseball I4 Hisfofgf W' Zke Class of '96. series began. A call was issued to our class to produce a team and a number of 'fwould-bes were inveigled down to the 'Varsity field. The following men appointed themselves a nine: Mary Anderson, catcher 3 Big Petty, first base, Arty Gunster, third base 5 Pierre Ward, short-stop, Cas Burt, left field 3 Curly Smith, right field, Jimmie Small, second base, Harry Bergen, centre field g Doo Wilson, pitcher. They played throughout the week, not indeed with varying fortune, for the wheel spun in one direction only, but very creditably for a Freshman team. On Saturday, October Ist, the great game of the week, that with the Sophomores, was played. It was like such games usually are- a terriiic din of horns and cheers, a gorgeous array of colors on the part of the Sophmores, much jeering and cat-calling on the part of the Freshmen directed by the Juniors. The band which 'QS had brought up from Trenton was completely silenced by the thunder of our voices and compelled to retire. As for the game, that was a secondary consideration, although I may remark, incidentally, that Dame Fortune still whirled her wheel unchecked, but only after our efforts at rattling the Sophomore pitcher had almost succeeded. Life had a keen variety and zest now for a while, owing to the tireless endeavors of our foes to impress upon us our general and particular unworthiness to be ranked as sons of Old Nassau. One night a crowd seized Frank McDonald on his way home from his club and perceived in him, at a glance, the poetical genius which has since made him so notorious. So they escorted him down Stockton Street for some distance and, stretching him flat on his back across a stepping-stone, suggested CPD that he compose a lyric for them, extempmfe z'1zsz'rmz'e1c In this posi- tion, which was one scarcely favorable to metrical arrangement, Mac couldn't think of an original line to save his frightened soul, so he began to recite in a pathetic tone, Now I lay me down to sleep. Thereupon one of the Sophs, wiping his eyes ' Hz'sio1y gf NE? Class of '96, I5 mournfully, ordered the rest to let Mac go, For, said he, I feel as if we were committing sacrilege when I hear that lamb- kin bleat. ' Charlie Bressler also fell into the hands of the Philistines. I-Ie was taken out into the country and there sent up an apple tree to kiss the moon, being handsomely bastinadoed as he went. When fairly up the tree one of his captors incautiously ordered him to sing You must ask of the man in the moon. Bress obediently took the padlocks off his vocal organs and let his whiskey tenor out of the kennel. When the trouble had sub- sided he descended the tree and looked about him. Near by, in a comatose condition, lay the huddled form of him who had given the fatal order, while afar across' the fields the moonlight played checkers on the coat-tails of the last of the retreating hazers. During the first week in October Henry Coulter came prom- inently to the fore. It is hereditary in his family to steal the clapper from the bell in Old North, and Hen vowed not to let the ancestral custom die. I-le had learned just how to do it from his big brothers, so one dark night he and Billy Baylis and Dan La Monte set about the perilous undertaking. Billy carried a long rope, Henry had a skeleton key, while Dan took himself. They reached the roof of Old North undiscovered and proceeded to unscrew the clapper. I They were getting along nicely until Dan said he must see how it felt to play Curfew shall not ring to-night, and grabbing hold of the clapper tried to swing out on it, a la Mrs. Leslie Carter in the Heart of Maryland. Before the other two could stop him the bell had made a hideous jangle and the proctors were heard issuing forth from their cave under the college offices. The fellows wrenched off the clapper, and while Coulter and La Monte beguiled the proctors in front of the building by taunting them from the roof, Baylis slipped down his rope at the back and escaped with the prize. The other two were captured, however, and compelled to pay the usual fine. A I6 Hisfofgf WC the Class qf '96. few days later almost any member of Ninety-Six might have been seen sporting a little silver clapper on his watch-chain. . On the same night that the clapper was stolen we issued our proclamations expressing in emphatic terms our contempt and disdain for '95, Most of the posting was done by two parties, one consisting of Bum Halsey and some Juniors, the other of George Blackmore and some Juniors. Strange to say the Soph- omores seemed to be caught napping and the only opposition encountered was from a few stragglers who, however, relied more on the long tongue than the strong arm, and these were easily persuaded not to touch the procs. Four of our fellows, however, were arrested in Trenton for decorating doorsteps and shop-fronts with these striking but somewhat gaudy trimmings. The magistrate before Whom they were brought could see no logic in the plea of mental aberration, and it took three dollars apiece and the Prosecutor of the Pleas to rescue Hungry Harriman and his associates. The day after, nevertheless, the procs., both within the borough of Princeton and for miles around, were setting forth the status of the Sophomore class as viewed from a Freshman standpoint. ' y On October 6th a mass-meeting was held to discuss the advisability of abolishing the rush. There was more or less argu- ment on the matter, but since our class had already defeated '9 5 we Were satisfied. Hence we cast in our vote with the affirma- tive and a resolution was passed doing away with the old-time rush. In return for this commendable bit of self-sacrifice, the faculty very graciously consented to legitimatize the cane-spree and it became a regular event in the Fall Handicap Games. Matters went along smoothly for a while, varied now and then by the experiences necessarily attendant upon the inferior position of a F reshman. A reception given us by Mrs. Patton was an oasis in this period and made some of us feel rather homesick and melancholy. FRESHMAN FOOTBALL TEAM Hixtofjx :gf the Class qf '96, I7 The Annual Fall Games occurred on the 19th. Our clss did exceedingly well in the events, Banker, Carnochan, Jesse Jones, Wilson and Fiscus all scoring points, besides Schaff, who broke the record for the Freshman quarter-mile run. It was the cane-spree, however, which absorbed everybody's attention. This was the first time it had been held in daylight, where the spectators as well as the contestants could see what was going on. Every move was watched with breathless interest, and when Beef Turner, our light-weight, took the cane from Reynolds '95, we truly thought we were a good line and signified the fact with stentorian lungs. Our hopes were soon clashed, however, for Hearn wastdefeated by Cochran '95 after a game struggle, and a similar fate overtook Faile, our heavy-weight representative, who on account of an injured leg was not at his best and was overcome at the hands of his Sophomore opponent. We didn't win the cane-spree that time-but then, Freshmen never do win that, you know-thus we consoled ourselves. During all this month football had been the most important topic of conversation to the college at large, and the 'Varsity had been practising and playing regularly. A goodly number of our class made a stab at the 'Varsity and several succeeded in winning iirst honors. Big Buck Hall had the reputation of being one of the most promising guards in the country. Biff Lea walked into right tackle too easy, while Fiscus and Barnett helped to swell the list of 'Varsity men. Our class tried a little football on its own account and devel- oped a team which was one of the best Freshman organizations ever known. Mac Pope was elected captain and Mollie McGuire was declared manager. Mac led his gallant canvass backs to victory in every game but two, and they were ties, play- ing Lawrenceville 6 -6, and the ,QS class team 0- 0. The members of our team were as follows: 2 . 18 Hzkiovgf zyf Ike Class Q' '96. HERITAGE - - - Lqfz .Eaai RAFFERTY ---- Left Tackle. MARTIN, EDWARDS - - - Ld! GZl6Z7'6Li MCFARLANE, CHAMBERLAIN Centre. FAILE ----- Rzlght Guard. HEARN ---- Rzlghz! Tackle. JOHNSTON - Rzlgkl Earl DWIGHT - Quafter-bade. GUNSTER - - Lrg? Hayback. BISSELL - Righz Hafback. ' POPE - - Pal! Back. They played clean, strong football from first to last, were a good-lot and one that Ninety-Six may be proud of. About this time Divisional Examinations arrived and we had the opportunity to determine our class stand for the next three months. Some of us were surprised at the amount we did not know, but then ours was always such a bright class and such a fast pace, intellectually speaking, was always set by Bob Pat- ton, Tommy Leonard, Joe Rosengarten, Bill Stockton and others, that an ordinary man could not keep up with the game. The two most notable divisions produced by these exams were the Bloody Third and the ff sixth division Math. The Solid Sixth fell to the tender mercies of instructor McGowan, and the unanimity with which Poe, Pope, Ridgway, Righter and Rosengarten would answer not prepared to the tutor's most carefully-put questions was at once that gentleman's aston- ishment and despair. It was in Dr. Cameron's Homer class that the Bloody Third got in its deadly work. Besides Mrs. Smithers, Aleck Easton, Windy Harkness and other eminent horsers, this division contained Curly. Bissell, and he alone was worth the price of admission. How we threw shot and chalk -how in answer to the inevitable Who knows? we yelled Hzlvtorgx Q' Ike Class mf '96, I9 with one voice Doolittle! -how we were led step by step, gentlemen, to an intimate knowledge of the verb o?Sa.-how Bissell spilled asafoetida on the floor and nearly suffocated the entire class, while Cam sat utterly unconcerned-how we used to hold spirited rushes in the doorway after every recitation until dispersed by the professor at the point of the umbrella! You know it is an ancient custom that each class shall borrow Dr. Carn- eron's hat, without leave, as a souvenir of happy days together. One day Piggie Long came running down stairs waving a derby wildly over his head and shouting Cam's hat, boys, Cam's hat! We tore it in shreds in spite of Piggie's protests, and only whenit was too late did we learn that he had meant it for a joke-it was Long's own hat. The joke was there, but the leg- pull wasn't on us. just as our class had a football team of its own, so we turned our efforts to things of a more xsthetic nature, and by hard work and faithful practice, developed a full Glee Club organization which either in ability or number of concerts given has never been equalled. Harry Briggs said that he used to play a church organ in Brooklyn and hence thought he ought to be leader of the Glee Club-he was elected. He then proceeded to gather about him such choice songsters as Woody Green, Russ Tag- gart, Syd Smithers and Harry Waring, and had a great repertoire of songs. The Banjo Club was under the direct supervision of E. F. Randolph. The Mandolin Club, which, by the way, was the first Freshman Mandolin everiorganized, was captained by Thornton Conover. These threeclubs were equally proficient, and when combined they made Rome howl. J. C. Kerr and Thomas Cadwalader drew first tenor on the 'Varsity Glee, R. D. Smith made the Banjo Club, while Dennis Miller twanged chords with .both the Banjos and Mandolins. There 'were three things which occurred during November. One was a game of football with the University of Pennsyl- 20 Hisloajf gf the Class WF '96, vania, but we do not speak of that. A second was the annual Thanksgiving-day game with Yale-that we do speak of, although in subdued tones, for it was a plucky fight and a good one for a Freshman to see. It showed us of what stuff our teams are made and why it is that Princeton can cope with colleges three times her size. The third event of importance in November was the Presidential election. The Republicans, the Democrats, the Prohibitionists-all organized themselves into marching clubs and made the night hideous with their endless parades. They wore uniforms, too, fearfully and wonderfully made, and invaded every hamlet in the county. Wherever there was a prospect of obtaining free refreshments and beer, thither would their patriotic ardor carry them. Princeton went over- whelmingly for Harrison, but for all that Cleveland became president-elect-we were downed again. It was Roy Leas who gave fitting expression to the general sense of disappointment in these words: First Corbett whipped Sullivan and we lost, then Penn beat Princeton, and we lost, then Cleveland swamped Harrison, and we lost again. Three times and out-why, the world is coming to an end, by damn ! After this, college life pursued theinoiseless tenor of its way, for there is always a lull in hazing about this time, and we Freshmen began to look forward to Christmas vacation. You see, Christmas is the first chance most Freshmen have to go home for any length of time, and they are anxious to display their newly-acquired college swagger to Her, to talk knowingly of all athletic events with their stay-at-home boy Cpardon me, menj friends, and to assume a man-of-the-world air generally. Therefore, as I intimated, when December arrived most of us were more than willing to rest from our college duties for a while, and lightly gat us homeward with glad hearts. To follow them all into their respective abodes would be utterly impossible, but one happening I will relate. There was Hzklofgf qf Ike Class gf '96, 2I then a certain member.of our class, by name Dan JJ. Hoyt, between whom and Roy Kirkman there had sprung up quite a friendship. That was all well enough here in Princeton, but to an unprejudiced mind it might seem a trifle ozmfcf that Hoyt should invite himself to spend his Christmas holidays with Kirk. That was what he did, however, and Kirk was so dumb- founded at his phenomenal nerve that he consented before he knew where he was at. So they went up to Port Jervis together and Hoyt made himself quite at home at Kirk's, telling them not to put themselves out for him, he'd take care of himself. Kirkman-stood it for several days, but when Hoyt began borrow- ing his underclothes and using his tooth-brush, Kirk struck and determined to rid himself of the incubus. Thereupon he gathered ffseven other devils worse than himself and one night started out to show Hoyt the town. There was a mid- night express then, leaving Port Jervis for the wilds of western New York, and by midnight they had Dan J. sound asleep. Then they bought him a ticket for the West, put him in the train and as it pulledlout Kirk danced on the station platform, singing merrily, Put him off at Buffalo. We were all back promptly on time from the holidays, for as Freshmen we were of course afraid to be late, and thought our presence imperatively needed. On January Ioth we held a class-meeting and selected officers for the remainder of the year. Langdon Lea had represented us so worthily in all the class rows hitherto, that he was again elected president. We felt the need of a vice-president and A. G. Milbank was de- clared the man. Mollie McGuire had been secretary in the early part of the year and might have been again had he not, in his anxiety to retain his position, written his name down on the blackboard before he was nominated. This action com- pletely soured the anti-Lawrenceville combine, so he was turned down and Gordon Johnston elected. Roland S. Morris 22 HiSZ07j! Qf the Clays of '96. was chosen as our Washington's Birthday Orator, and H. G. Pierce as '76 Prize Debater. MclVlurdy was appointed class historian for the year. One day we awoke to iind a heavy snow in the act of falling and we realized that the culmination of our troubles as Freshmen was at hand. At least if we did not realize it then we soon had it called to our attention. O, the long and dreary winter, O, the cold and cruel Winter, Ever deeper, deeper, deeper Fell the snow o'er all the landscape- F ell the covering snow, and drifted Thro' the rampzzs, 'round the bzzz'Zdi1zg.v. We did not mind the falling, though, it was the spherical, compact mass, propelled at a high rate of speed, which we feared. We cared not for snow in drifts-it was when We saw it in the hands of dead-shot Sophomores that we dodged and ran or started at a too intimate contact with our spinal column. The eastern end of Dickinson and the west entry of the Scientific School used to be worse places to pass than an Indian gauntlet. In former years a snowball fight, a regular pitched battle between the two classes, had been the final outcome of such assaults and we determined to force the issue and have our revenge as of yore. Some sixty of our class were divided into groups of ten, with the following instructions: The six groups shall march on the campus at two o'clock, from different directions. When the Sophs begin to snowball you encourage them to follow you towards the cannon-there the divisions will meet and begin to throw back. The plan was that the rest of our class should then rush on and the iight would become general. At the time appointed the organized parties marched on the campus, but lo! a wonder came to pass-the Hz'st01gf gf the Class of '96. V 23 Sophomores did not attack them. So the ight was averted, as for that time, but it would have occurred sooner or later had it not been for the actioniof the powers that be. The snowball encounters had attained of late a most gory reputation and the faculty determined that they must cease and took vigorous measures to suppress the projected fray. By sending notice to the officers both of Ninety-Six and '95 that if a fight took place they fthe officersj would be summarily expelled, whether they were personally engaged or not, our plan of retaliation was effectually squelched. But snowballing still continued and bye and bye developed into a sort of guerilla warfare, wherein we defended ourselves whenever we could, or rather dared. One of the most noteworthy of these exchanges of pleasantry befell when a certain Sophomore, on attacking McGuire with a 'fwater-soaker, received a well-merited rebuke. A hot argu- ment followed, which ended in the Sophomore being knocked down by the fist of the irate Mollie, much to the satisfaction of the spectators. ' But now all hostilities between classes were temporarily laid aside, for Examinations with a capital E, the much-dreaded Mid-Years, spoken of by Freshmen with bated breath, detested by Sophomores and annoying to all, were at hand and required the concentration of every nerve. But before the examinations had begun, a step was taken which must not be left unrecorded. It was in our Freshman year that the Princeton Honor System of conducting examinations was introduced. The mass-meeting at which the resolution, leading to this course, was passed, was one of the largest in the history of the college. The vote of our class, although not long from schools where quite a different method was in vogue, was unanimous for the new order of honor. And I am proud to say that no member of our class who has once put that pledge upon his paper has ever given us cause to regret that he was a part of Ninety-Six. 24 Hisfoijf gf the Class of ,96. As for the examinations, we polled, O yes, we polled-from Nassau Hall down to Brown, and from Albert Lybyer to Smith Homans, we polled hard. Possibly Bob Patton, Paul Loving and Robert Ormiston Brockway didn't do much in that line, but even they are reported to have put in a few good licks. I won't swear to this, however, especially in Bob's case, for Bob claims he has such a pull with the faculty that he doesn't need to study. At any rate, the most of us devoted some attention to the curriculum, as I just now intimated. All too soon the examinations leaped upon us like our collegiate tiger. After a furious struggle they passed on, leaving the vast majority of us conquerors in the fray-but some, alas, were wounded, the most only slightly, a few mortally. By which ambitious metaphor, worthy of Jap Potter himself, I mean that most of us passed the exams, but some were conditioned and a few,- very few I rejoice to state, were dropped from our goodly fellowship. The following men made first divisions in the three departments of Classics, Mathematics and Modern Languages: Alford, Beam, Bostvvick, Churchman, L. Gray, Hodge, Hamilton, Litch, Loetscher, Lybyer, Mather, Moment, Reese, Wayave and Worcester. V After the Mid-Years were over, hazing revived with re- doubled vigor, the period before Washington's Birthday being the last chance 195 would have to expend any latent spite upon us. Once more, for a while, we removed our hats, did the toothpick drill, the cornstalk march and went through all the merry games which now constitute such a delicious remem- brance of verdant days. The night before the 22d we determined to gather our forces and take possession of the town, all expected opposition from '95, notwithstanding. Biffy Lea sent out notice to the different eating clubs to gather at seven o'clock in front of Goldie's on University Place, At the appointed hour we HZlff07jl W the Class QF '96. ' 25 attempted to mass as agreed upon, going by circuitous routes across the railroad, down Edwards Place, and so on, in order to reach Goldie's undetected. Well, some of us arrived there all right, but more did not. The Sophomores had strong guards posted in commanding positions and every Freshman who appeared was pursued up to the very doors. I think more of us learned to do the high dive over the picket fence and through the hedge, than ever dreamed of attempting it before. It is so much easier to dive than to jump when you are really in a hurry, as we were. In Goldie's front yard, however, a number of our biggest men constituted a reserve battalion which the Sophomores did not dare attack. Little by little quite a force was assembled, and we were about to sally out and defy '95 when the arrival of General Topley, Colonel Leggitt and the army, jim Connor, put a stop to further hos- tilities-so, like the King of France and his ive thousand men, we all marched home again. About two o'clock that morning Skinny Hall, Barney Haines and some others sallied out and succeeded in hanging a couple of '96 banners, one from the Art Museum and one from Dickinson. These were, of course, torn down by the Sophomores as soon as the daylight enabled them to be seen. N- The anniversary of the great George's nativity dawned cold and clear, and although there is no record of the fact that it was a particularly hilarious occasion for little George, never- theless we proceeded to whoop things up at a lively rate, and to hold our final contest with '95, We gathered early in the gymnasium and cheered ourselves, jeered the Sophomores, reminding them of various pleasant episodes, and made things very entertaining for all concerned. We hung up a huge '96 banner in the face of '95 and defied them to tear it down, only removing it ourselves to allow our class orator to be heard. Roy Morris was our representative and even the P7'Z'7ZC6f07Zid7Z 26 Histofgf of Zhe Class of '96. said that his speech, The Untold Millions, created a very favorable impression. After this we threw around billet-doux containing the following remarks anent the attributes and actions of '95: T '95. You Easy Fruits! You lost the Rush to '96! You were afraid of '96 in Football! You Paint-Slingers ! You class of Cribbers! Take off your hats to '96 ! You Tutti-Frutti Freaks! Thus did we pour out the vials of our wrath upon them, Such was our parting word with the ,Sophomores as such, and so ended our enmity with '95. Thereafter they were regarded by us, and we by them, only as college mates and friends and fellow-Princetonians always. On the afternoon of the 22d the Winter Sports were held in the gymnasium, and in the gymnastic team exhibition Beef Turner and Charlie Browne easily distinguished them- selves. That night Gordon Pierce upheld the honor of our class in elegant shape, in the '76 Prize Debate. When the excitement attendant on Washington's Birthday had died away, our fellows resorted to various schemes to while away the intervals between polling and sleeping, during those long winter days when there is really very little to do except to talk over past hazings and to plan how we would act when our turn came. Many things were devised by way of relief from efmui, but Charlie Williams' small affair in Trenton was one of the most interesting, at least to Charlie. You see, it is gener- ally about this time that the average Freshman is attacked by the sign-stealing fever, and Charlie Williams was taken with it in a very virulent form-he 'fswiped everything from a book- HZ.5f07jf of Ike Class of ,96. 27 iron in the library to a tombstone in the Westminster of America. Now there is a certain sign in the Trenton railway station which has been like the golden fleece of the ancient myth to generations of Freshmen. Many have endeavored to win it, but all in one way or another have failed. Williams determined to be the jason who should bear the prize away. He gathered a band of 'gallant Argonauts and set forth to Trenton on his perilous emprise. They entered the station and while Alford attracted the attention of the ticket-agent with solicitous inquiries as to the fare to Cranbury, and while Jesse Jones bought a lot of papers from the Union News man, Williams succeeded in swiping the coveted sign and hiding it under his coat undetected. So far so good, but when they went downstairs to take the train for Princeton they found to their 'dismay that they would have to wait half an hour before they could get away. Charlie had inserted the sign up his back under his overcoat and, in consequence, was forced to assume a very martial stiffness and strut as he walked. By the time the train for Princeton was nearly due, the station officials had dis- covered the loss of the sign and at once suspecting them Princeton doods, hurried down to investigate. Of course our boys denied all knowledge of it and they might have escaped scot-free had not a keen-eyed sandwich boy noticed Charlie's peculiar gait. ff Well, he said, 'fmebbe yous ain't got that, but yous swallowed an ironin'-board, anyways. So our jason was discovered and slept that night in durance vile, Before he was released the presidents of several railroads were compelled to interest themselves actively in the case. Another diversion which afforded us a welcome topic of conversation at this time, was the f' Fresh fire which occurred in early March. Since our failure to hold a parade on the night of February 21st, Gordon Johnston had been chaiing under the thought that something must be done. He and Jimmie Small 28 HZkf07j! QI fha Class of '96. concocted a mysterious scheme. One night about twenty bold spirits were ordered to gather with the utmost secrecy in Gordon's room on Chambers Street, and there the plan was unfolded. Each man was to provide himself with a supply of combustibles and one week from that night, when the bell in Old North should toll the witching hour of two A.M., was to sally forth from some convenient hiding-place, pile his fuel around the cannon, light it, whoop things up for a moment and then be gone as quickly as he came. Such was the programme and the air of deep dark mystery about it lent a weird fascina- tion which commended it to all. The twenty conspirators throbbed with excitement for a week and slyly gathered wood, oil and tar. The fateful night arrived-scarce had the slow, sad, solemn strokes bespoke the hour, when the cannon was surrounded by a throng of busy figures, rapidly piling up the wood. In another moment it was ablaze, but, alas, in another the proctors were on hand, armed with long poles. In vain our firebugs attempted to rekindle the flames, the proctors beat them out, and it was only when Tommy Galt and some others brought up a burning tar-barrel that they were able to get things going and made the welkin ring with triumphant shouts. Baseball now usurped all other interests, even distracting our attention from Livy Westcott's Horace or Freddie Wilson's Graphics. The whack of the bat and the whizz of the merry grounder might have been heard at any hour of the day, aye, even of the night, among some of the more enthusi- astic who used to practise by moonlight in front of Wither- spoon. CFact D Only one of our class made the Varsity nine- that was Arthur Gunster. But he was equal to three or four and became that season what he has been ever since, one of the very best third basemen in the country and the coolest player on any diamond. In the early spring Ninety-Six held a class-meeting for the HiXf07jf qf Ike Class qv '96. 29 purpose of arranging matters relating to the class baseball team, which we expected soon to have. Persifer Frazer was elected manager, and Hall, Kingsbury and Waring were ap- pointed baseball directors, whatever that means. Then candi- dates for the '96 class nine buckled down to work and the contest for positions was very warm and close. Lesperance, a 'long-legged individual who had entered in February, said he was sure of catcher, and Amos Bissell had a cinch on pitcher, but for all that when the grass greyv green these two did not occupy the battery points. The team taken to the training table was as follows 1 W. D. WARD, ANDERSON, - - - Catchers. H. B. WILSON, KERR, HODGE, - - Pifckevfs. GOULD, ------ Mkt! Base. SMALL, - - Second Base. E. GRAY, - - Z-hZ.7'62Z Bare. E. P. WARD, ------ Show' Siop. JOHNSTON, POTTER, SMITH, BEROEN, - Fztlders. They played more games and aroused more general interest than any Freshman team ever did. Their schedule was: CAMDEN A. C. Vs. '96, ---- 8- O PRINCETON PREPARATORY vs. 96,- 4-I5 PENNINGTON vs. '96, - - IO- 9 HARVARD FRESHMEN vs. ,96, - 8- 9 HILL SCHOOL vs. '96, - - 4-I2 HARVARD FRESHMEN vs. '96 - 2-I1 LAWRENCEVILLE vs. '96, - - 7- 4 Pierre Ward captained the nine until after the first Har- vard game, and then Jimmie Small took charge of affairs. It was after winning the first game with the Harvard Freshmen 30 Hz'sZo1g1 qf like Class Qf '96. on April 29th, in a close and brilliant struggle, that we held a bonfire to celebrate our victory. The whole college had been in attendance at this game and now cheered us on to the task of gathering wood. We took everything we could lay our hands upon, from the scaffolding around Alexander Hall to corpse preseffvefs, and had a royal old fire about the cannon. We were the first class to meet the Harvard Freshmen, and since we had started our games with them so auspiciously for us, we rejoiced accordingly. The next event of interest was the annual handicap games, open to all amateurs, held on the 'Varsity field in early May. In these Carnochan and Hall were point-winners from our class, Rolla Wilson also covered himself with glory by winning the 440-yard run in the face of the entire field. Lesperance had undertaken to capture the 120-yard hurdle without effort, but for some reason failed to connect. He was trying to explain the reason to some anxious friends the next day: 'f You see, he said, the whole trouble was I lost my stride? 'f Yes, said joe Righter, who was one of his inquisitors, I saw it going out toward Lawrenceville early this morning. I tried to put it in my buggy, but the thing was too long to fit. After this we heard no more of the lost stride, although Les continued to fall down persistently in every race he attempted to run. Little by little the beautiful spring days grew longer and longer, white ducks took the place of corduroys, and the Seniors began to sing on the steps. It was then our chief occupation and delight to lie on the grass in front of Old North and listen to the songs of those rulers of the college world. There are no Seniors like the first Seniors-the men, I mean, who occupy that proud position when one is a Freshman. None so old, none so dignified, none so worthy of that reverend name as they! Now and then a baseball game with Yale or Harvard would cause a strong ripple in the even flow of undergraduate life, yet Hz'sZ01jf W' Ike Class qt '96. 31 as the 'Varsity nine lost those games with an admirable consist- ency the excitement would soon subside, and we had no more bonfires. To be sure, we did beat Pennsylvania, but they did not count. Almost before we were aware the final examinations were upon us, and O, how hard it was to poll during those soft sum- mer evenings! From without the faint sound of the Senior singing would be Wafted up to us, or the tantalizing tinkle of a mandolin would urge us to throw aside our, books and join the throng on the front campus. But the examinations were inevita- ble and we had to meet them with as much resignation as we could command. So we endured the hot lamp, the hotter brow and the aching eye for yet a little while, and lo ! the exams were over. And then came the night of the Sophomore parade, when we, the late Freshmen, became full-fledged Sophomores and cel- ebrated the event in fitting style. We had carried our newly- purchased class caps -with the orange '96 upon them-in our pockets as we went to our last examination, and on emerging from the final test had donned them with a joyous thrill. But now we must hold a parade to commemorate our emancipation. Do you remember, classmates, how we gathered at the head of Nassau Street, arrayed in fantastic combinations of orange and black ?-how with the band in front playing that stirring Triangle Song we marched down the street, three hundred strong, singing the brave old tune:- Nassau ! Nassau ! ring out the chorus free ! Nassau ! Nassau ! thy jolly sons are we, Cares shall be forgotten, all oui' sorrows Hung away, While we are marching through Princeton. Ah, that indeed was a glorious night ! 32 Hisiofgf of Me Class cy' ,96. The next day occurred the Caledonian games, then the de- ciding game of the series with Yale, and then, for most Fresh- men do not wait through Commencement, came the long vacation. We departed, ffsorne for Rahway, some for Rome, but more, far more, for the World's Fair at Chicago. Thus ended our first year at Princeton-a year peculiar to itself, mi gmwfis. We had been thrust suddenly upon the col- lege World and our reception had at first been somewhat harsh, nevertheless, we had held our own in almost every case and had liked the experiences we had undergone. No right-minded fel- low could have gone through our Freshman year without being the better and more manly for it. The classical information which we had imbibed had been of service to us, giving us, I hope, something of the broadmindedness of the Greeks and something of the resolution of the Romans. We had long since begun to love our dear old college and to acquire that respect for her cus- toms and traditions, that reverence for her institutions, that desire for her welfare, which has ever been the chief character- istic of the class of Ninety-Six. Hz'sf01jf cyf Ike Class WI '96. 1ln fllbemomam EDWARD I HERRING DIED NOVEMBER 6 1892 DIED MAY I 1893 ERNEST CLAUDE I-IERR DIED JUNE 3 1893 O . HADLEY VVYMAN. Sonuomolai Vrana 'Tis twenty years and something more, Since all athirst for useful knowledge I took some draughts of classic lore, Drawn very mild, at that old collegeg Yet I remember all that one Could wish to hold in recollection, The boys, the joys, the noise, the fun, But not a single conic section. As Sophomores we have our task- ' Tis best performed by torch and maskf' AFTER taking in the whole of the Columbian Exposition, after rnashing all the chocolate girls in the food exhibit, after singing our bacchanalian choruses in Old Vienna, after painting the entire Midway a most sanguinary scarlet, our class showed up bright and early for the opening of Sophomore year on Wednesday, September 20, 1893. But how different was our return as gay young Sophomores from our first appearance in Old Nassau as verdant Freshmen. Then we were, well, simnge, to put it mildlyg scarcely daring to call our souls our own, now we were bold, deliant, knowing it all and something more beside. Then we had dressed as quietly and unobtrusively as possibleg now we donned all the orange and black we could find room for, and the more attention we attracted the better were we pleased. I say we showed up bright and early on time, but some camera few days late and a number, ah, far too great a number, never returned 4345 V Histafy ay' Me Class of '96. 5 5 at all. The summer of 1893 was the period of the great finan- cial crisis, and largely in 'consequence of this, although, of course, there were other reasons, our class was sadly reduced. We were nearly seventy-five less in numbers than we had been the year before. But the departed ones had once been identified with us and they shall never be forgotten. May those of our fellows who are with us no more ever count themselves, as they shall always be counted, a real part of the class of Ninety-Six. However, most of us were here in good time, including sev- eral new members, who were made welcome, and we all began to get in our good work without undue delay. We began to practise on others those pleasant diversions which we had had such an excellent opportunity of learning during the previous year. Any member of ,Q7 within telescopic range was given the cap-lifting signal, and if he failed to respond promptly there was trouble before him. If a Freshman ventured to occupy aportion of the sidewalk when we passed, he was assisted to the gutter. On University Place no lights were allowed to be burning after eight o'clock each night. These were some of the more general regulations enforced by our all-conquering class, but as to more particular and per- sona! ones their name was legion. During the day or two before college fairly began we escorted many select parties of '97 for delightful walks in the country, most of which, I will wager, left a certain impression on the mind Qand bodyj of the Freshmen aforesaid. A prominent relaxation was to make them play Hunt the coon, a very merry game indeed,-for the spectators. The running of hundred-yard dashes and carrying us pick-a-back furnished never-failing sources of amusement. Many a sweet melody did they favor us with, also-they sang because they could not choose but sing, and the Tinker's Chorus, which seemed a favorite, became as familiar as a mother's lullaby. But all this had another side, and that not a humorous one, 36 Hisiofjf fyf Ike Class QC '96, ' for two or three of our class who happened to be caught fiagiwzie delicto. jack Crispin and 'Gene Gray were two of these unfor- tunates, or rather they themselves did the catching. It was then the custom to take a few Freshmen out to the water-tower every evening and point out the glories of the firmament to them or give an illustrated lecture on subterranean passages. jack and ' Gene did this the night before college opened and had just got a Freshman nicely interred in the man-hole when they thought they saw another one close at hand. Thereupon they tackled him heavily and after rolling the newcomer around in the mud and stamping on his prostrate form they discovered, horrible to relate ! that they were mauling proctor Bill Topley. They recog- nized him all too late, for he had already done them the same courtesy and-but let us drawa veil. Suffice it to say that Gray and Crispin left town on the 9.08 the following day and for some weeks classic shades knew them no more. On Wednesday afternoon the customary opening exercises were held in Marquand Chapel, and the customary speech was delivered. We, as Sophomores, were particularly addressed this time and stimulated to our high duty of rubbing the green off the Freshmen and keeping them in order generally. We smiled upon our charges and picked out some specimens for future reference. After the exercises were over, and more especially that evening, there was a series of indoor games, held mainly on University Place. Sparring and wrestling matches figured con- spicuously in the list of events, but the two things with which our fellows secured the most entertainment from '97 were the games of Cuckoo, cuckoo, and the putting of the Freshmen through the human tunnel, commonly called in schoolboy days, the ff slapjacks -Joe Righter and Babe H Bowman were pecu- liarly proficient in the science of this last. The next. day, which was Thursday, the Freshmen ought to HZ'Sf07jl qt Ike Class cy' '96, -37 have held a class-meeting, as is the custom, in Old Chapel. They were so alarmed, however, at the ferocious throng of Sophomores gathered about the building, that not enough were present to form 'a quorum. The meeting was, therefore, post- poned a day, much to our disappointment. Ninety-Six had a meeting a little later for the purpose of electing officers to serve during the ensuing year. Gordon Johnston, whose hot Southern blood would never suffer any insolence from the Freshmen, was unanimously chosen presi- dent-Langdon Lea receiving the office of vice-president. F.. B. Hodge made his iirst appearance in office and assumed the onerous duties of secretary. J. H. Scheide became a rival of Carlisle, for to him fell the care of the class funds-when we had any. Meanwhile the fun with the Freshmen went happily on, and I think it was that night that our Sophomore horse- song iirst made Nassau Street ring. It went about like this: It This is Princeton town- -taran tara, taran tara, Most ancient in renown-taran tara, No better college found -taran tara, taran tara In all the world around-taran tara.. 'Tis guarded by a force taran tara, taran tara, The Sophomore class, of course-taran tarag They look so very fine, marching down the stree Searching for the Freshman freak. Sophomores, Sophomores on their nightly beat, Watching, watching at the corner of the street, Horsing with the Freshman class, ' Freshman, quick-put out your gas ! ' Happy is the life they lead? 7 t in line On Friday, 4,97 was at last able to ,hold a full class-meeting, and after the usual election of officers they proceeded to adjourn. Well, they found us awaiting them just outside. Oh, yes, we were there, large and square, and the welcome we gave them was warm and emphatic. They had to run a veritable 38 Histofjf qf file Class gf '96. gantlet and scarcely a man of them escaped the weight of a Sophomore kafzdshake before they succeeded in getting away. There were a few stragglers who gathered back of the Library for the purpose of giving a cheer, but we charged upon them and scattered them to the four winds of heaven. The college proctors had been busy during this little scene, however, and Walter Titus and Curly Smith were spotted as unnecessarily active in the earnestness of their reception to the Freshmen. Alas! the Dean, upon later investigation, deemed the charge well founded and Walter and Curly were invited to see if they weren't wanted at home for a while. We cheered them off at the station and saw them no more until after the Yale game. , On Friday night, according to old custom, the rush would have taken place, but you remember ,the previous fall it had been decided to abolish this feature. Nevertheless, it was rumored that the Freshmen were determined to appear on the campus that night in spite of the abolition. By no means loath ourselves, because Ninety-Six always has enjoyed a little fun, we gathered in full force back of East College. We were marshaled in solid and eager column and marched about the quadrangle, singing our song and waiting for the warlike QD Freshmen. But no '97 appeared, and it was discovered that the Juniors could not induce enough of them to come out to form a 'fiirst group, and the few that did materialize were dispersed by the proctors before getting near the campus. On receipt of this news, although somewhat dis- appointed, we gave a cheer for Ninety-Six and separated about our business, which, at that period, generally had some con- nection with a Freshman. The next Monday the class baseball games began and the series continued throughout the week. Our nine consisted of Petey Ward, the professional short-stop, Go'dun John- ston, the lanky right-Helder, ff Gunny, a smooth third base, HZ'Sf07j! Qf Me Class of '96. 39 Jimmie Small, a good enough second, 'f Thirsty Howell, who swallowed everything in centre field, Byce Bergen, a weary man on first bag, Cas Burt, the handsome left-fielder, Pip Frazer, a would-be catcher, only, Doc Wilson and Jack Carnochan, pitchers g they were good. We had no better fortune than the year before, although, no doubt, we would have won the championship had it not been for our hard luck in losing players. 'Gene Gray and Walter Titus were gone Cby requesty and in the game with the Freshmen the very first ball pitched struck Pierre Ward on the head and knocked him senseless. We had the fun of playing, however, and in this same game with '97, for gaudiness of orange apparel, kazoo bands and for noise and racket we could not be surpassed. That night a crowd of juniors and a few Freshmen attempted to hold a tire and celebration, back of Brown. At the first indication of such a proceeding our fellows were on hand, and for some time things were very lively around that fire. When the smoke cleared' away we were masters of the field and the Ere had been effectually extinguished. The same week in which the baseball series was played occurred the examination for the Stinnecke Prize Scholarship. Our brainiest men did some of the tallest kind of mental exer- cise, covering countless books with the translation of every Latin and Greek author, known or unknown, past or present, living or dead. The struggle was a close one, but the prize was eventually won by C. B. Bostwick, with L. H. Gray a close second. About this time we lost an eminent member of our class, to wit, Carmencita Wilkins, who was detected taking a moonlight ramble with a Freshman friend of his. The Com- mittee on Discipline said that walks at one o'clock in the morn- ing were altogether too friendly for Princeton society and that Mr. Wilkins must be made an example of. Poor Carmencita 40 Hz'5!01g1 Qf Zke Class Q' '96 departed for an indefinite period and eventually continued his collegiate career at Cornell. But this wasn't all, for the faculty had it in for us and were determined to break up hazing -the way they rubbed it in was a caution. This was shown by an affair which occurred in the first week of October. There was a member of the Freshman class, by name Leipold. He was fresh, particularly so, and jarred on the sensi- bilities of a number of our representatives-especially was he annoying to those Sophomores who were at the 'Varsity training- table. So one quiet evening he was seized by several of our fellows and taken down to the canal. There the fun began and ended in Leipold's swimming across the canal and hiding in the woods on the other side. This was all right as far as it went, but some canal-boatmen had seen the trifling episode and the next day the New York papers came out with scare headlines, reporting the murder of a Princeton Freshman at the hands of hazers. The faculty was compelled to take the matter up, and in some way-how, I do not pretend to state-the names of all concerned were discovered. There was a great hullabaloo over the Whole matter and a number of our class suffered in conse- quence. Eddie Schaff and Mary Anderson left us for good, as did also Mac Pope, who betook himself to the University of Virginia, and Fitzgerald, who went to Lehigh. Dave Edwards was given a vacation until after Christmas and Gordon john- ston was relieved from duty as class president for about as long. It was very hard lines, not only for the men suspended, but for the class also, and Leipold led a rather unpleasant life for many a day. While we were engaged in instructing '97 in the mysteries of college etiquette, the 'Varsity football squad had been hard at work and were already displaying a form which promised great things. Our class was again represented by Lea, Hall and Barnett, and they sustained their previous high reputation, HZ'5f07j! of Zlie Class qf '96, 41 The practice games in October were very encouraging and some of our sports already began to speculate on the prospects of a championship team. The class football games were played a little later and proved very close and exciting Qthis last is sarcasmj. Our '96 team was heavily handicapped on account of the number of men we had on the 'Varsity and Scrub. Nevertheless, we held our own, although we did not win the class cup. A The trials for the 'Varsity Glee Club organization now drew on and in addition to the men 'who were already on the Club, these individuals bloomed forth as musical stars: Corser developed into a first tenor, Woody Green and DeWitt Talmage became second basses on the Glee 5 Billy Baylis and Randolph fell heir to places on the Banjo, while Pat lVIcLanahan and Thornton Conover accepted positions on the Mandolin Club. Now all these first few weeks of college we had been engaged in an occupation, exciting and absorbing, sub rosa, or at any rate undercover of night-I mean watching for the Freshman proclamations. Our president, with masterly strategy, had divided the class into squads of ive or ten, and every night from midnight until dawn we guarded the roads leading into Princeton, so that a chicken would have been detected had it attempted to run our blockade. Every carriage which was seen abroad at such an unseemly hour was halted, often at the muzzle of a revolver, and thoroughly searched lest it should be attempting to convey the proclamations in from Trenton or New York. Our officers used to try to run the pickets in order to test our vigilance, but were invariably captured. As might be supposed, many strange and comic scenes were enacted in the course of this night-post duty. There was the woman who threatened to shoot Chick Heritage off the canal derrick at three A.M. 5 there was the old darkey who was stopped by a picket on Stockton Street and who pleaded fran- 42 Hisiozgf of the Class qt' '96. tically, Don' shoot, don' shoot! Fo' de Lawd, massa, I wa'n't doin' nothin' ! there was the time that Dr. Duffield was way- laid by mistake 3 there was Arty Gunster's furious chase after an imaginary load of procs.g there was the frightful occasion when Brat Fisher and Skidsy Dewey were fired on at Mar- gerun'1's and wanted to go back and shell the house with a Winchester. But perhaps the best of these adventures was adventured when Paul Tillinghast and Freddie Paul and Paul Weed Qwhat an appalling array of strong inenj stopped a buggy at the canal bridge on Washington Street. The farmer who was driving had been jogging peacefully along half-asleep, and to be awakened rudely by a lot of slouch-hatted, sweatered and clubbed figures, naturally aroused his ire. He began to threaten and used his whip right and left, and in the confusion some- body shot his pistol in the air. Away went the horse in a fright straight into the canal, buggy, farmer and all, with a Sophomore or two to boot. Then there was trouble and a wild running for ropes and poles, but eventually everything was saved except the farmer's temper-that was lost irretrievably. He departed vowing vengeance on all college fellers and Southmores in particular. After three or four weeks of watching, the Juniors, on behalf of ,97, at last ventured out in an endeavor to paste procs.-but our forces were too many and too vigilant to be eluded. Parties were dispatched all over the surrounding country and every proc. pasted up was immediately torn down by our men. A certain crowd of juniors was particularly active through the town in embellishing walls and fences with these dainty posters and we resolved to settle with them forth- with. As they were passing through the gate near the Scien- tific School we fell upon them with a hearty will-although we got a good deal of paste in our hair, they got much more of the same medicine, besides being completely done up. We fJiS2f07fjf :yr Me Class Qf '96. 43 searched them thoroughly and confiscated every proclamation they possessed. When rosy-lingered Aurora, the daughter of the morning, illumined the east, there was not a single Fresh- man proc in sight, and they might just as well not have tried to post them at all, for all the good it did them. The Annual Fall Handicap Games took place on October 18th, and Ninety-Six was all there, anxious to avenge our defeat in baseball by winning the cane-spree. Well, we did it in great shape. Very little attention was paid to the track events, but when Charlie Stewart, our light-weight spreer, began to drag Barclay, '97, in the dust, then, indeed, we woke up. It was prob- ably the gamest struggle ever seen in a cane-spree, and that, dear reader, requires more nerve and grit than football. The Freshman made a great tight, but Charlie made a greater. After two exhausting rounds, the Freshman was carried from the field in a faint, and Charlie Stewart had won the cane. We took our gallant representative off, shoulder-high. The middle-weight spree was short, but fierce enough while it lasted. Charlie Pat- ton fought for us, and Geer for '97, Geer did his best, but Pat- ton had him down, and was showing him 'fwhat for with all his might. In a moment, Charlie straightened himself out like an uncoiling spring, and in his hands was the coveted cane. Gar- rett, ,Q7, had no better fortune in the contest with our heavy- weight, Philip. ff Phil got the fall on him at the start and stood over him, taking things easy, resting first one hand and then the other, and enjoying himself hugely. When he was quite ready, Phil gave a pull and walked away with the cane. So we won all three canes, the baseball game was avenged, and we were satisfied with our glory. Shortly after this, we issued our proclamations, containing some choice reflections on the persomze! of the class of '97. It opened with : 44 4 h'isz'01gf rj the Class qt '96, FROWSY! FRUITY! FREAKY! FRIGHTENED! and closed with an emphatic remark in relation to SCARED, SKURRYING, SCREAMING SHYSTERS! There were also a number of admonitions, threats and Be- wares, as to what the Freshmen should not do. We met with no opposition whatever in displaying these handsome bills, and valuable information concerning the Freshman class was dis- pensed to all northern Jersey for many weeks. This proclama- tion was notable as being the last ever posted in Princeton. Withthe action taken the next year, in regard to hazing in all its forms, the custom of procs passed away forever. Remember the 4th of November! We must do, or diel Who died? Pennsylvanii ! Yes, that was exactly what hap- pened. As I said, a few pages back, our football team had shown unusually fine form from the very first, and by the time the gamewith Pennsylvania was due, we knew we had a good thing. We did,n't say so very much, we simply kept quiet, and picked up any small bets that drifted our way. On the 4th of November, the whole college went down to Manheim to see the fun. It was regular duck weather, nevertheless, the city of Philadelphia and the girls were there, and everything went with us from the start. 4-0 was the score, and Pennsylvania fairly quivered with the shock of its fall. We owned the entire town that night, and returned to our own borough in palace cars. The team immediately settled down to harder work than ever, for they had an eye on the championship sure, and we in N inety-Six amused ourselves as Sophomores only can. Now, the hazing generally languishes about this time, and so it might have done in our case, had not ,97 contained a singu- larly choice specimen of the verdant green, which his name was Kirkwood. Some of our class had collided with this Freshman on divers occasions, and had been impressed with his general HZ.Sf07jl of the Class q '96. 45 and particular uniqueness-it was decided that he must be vis- ited in his home. Therefore, Henry Coulter, Ostrich Bressler, Billy Parsons, Barney Haines and Billy Silkworth went down, one evening, to look after his welfare, and inquire about his studies. It seems that Kirkwood mistook the purpose of their call, for he became excited, and even violent, in their presence, so that they were compelled to defend themselves with some emphasis. After enjoying a social time, the boys left, taking a kind farewell, and thought no more of the matter-but Kirk- wood did, and there the trouble began! In some way QI-low ?j the matter reached the ears of the faculty, and, what is worse, the names of several of the fellows were learned QHOW Pj. Hen Coulter left us until Junior year, Barney Haines received a vaca- tion until May Ist, and Billy Parsons vanished for about the same time. At last, Thanksgiving Day was at hand, and everything else was forgotten in discussing probability and chance as to the Yale game. Do you recall, fellow-classmates, how we watched for long weeks that greatest of football teams develop, how we talked and compared notes, and quarrelled over the possibility of winning 3 how we cheered, or even swore, in our enthusiasm at the 'Varsity practice ? But it was all as nothing when the great day really came, and the town and college went forth as one man to New York and Manhattan Field. We had defeated Pennsylvania, we thought we could defeat Yale-and we were right that time. U Some of the fellows went up the day before the game, in order to get a good start at celebrating, and among these were Oscar Brown and Hattie Adams, Brownie kept himself in good order, but Hattie always was an enthusiastic individual, and went down into the Tenderloin to show its innocent inhab- itants how they did things in St. Louis. just how it all hap- pened, I do not know, but when Adams awoke the next morn- 46 Histofjf cy' the Class fy' '96. ing, his couch was of stone, and the door of his bedroom was made of iron bars. When the police-captain asked him what he had to say for himself, Hattie shook back his Byronic locks and made reply: Your honor, I am a student-we college men must have our fling, it is expected of us. ff So that's the way you look at it? inquired the judge. Yes sir, that's it, re- sponded Adams, hopefully. Your View will cost you ten dol- lars, said his honor, and we do business on a cash basis only. Alas ! I-Iattie hadn't a cent, and, as the iron door clanged behind him, he sadly wailed: I must see that game, I must see that game I He did see the game, although not until Brownie ap- peared and rescued him from durance vile. It was a glorious afternoon at Manhattan Field-fifty thou- sand thousand spectators, the papers said-and Princeion was in it all the time. What a game that was! The mighty rushes of the Stonewall centre, the lightning plays of the little quarter-back, the dashing work of our own Biff, -all combined to make our team irresistible. How we sang, Do you want to know who we are! How we showed Our old-time spirit! Yes, we beat Yale in the greatest game of football ever played in this coun- try by the score of 6-O. That night New York bowed before us, the theatres sang songs and cracked jokes in our honor, and if we had come back from the Penn game in palace cars, we now bought the whole road and travelled in our private conveyances. The following Monday night, we held a celebration in Princeton over our victory. Alumni poured in to show us how to do it, and even Rutgers came down to lend a neighborly hand in rejoicing. The fire around the cannon made the burn- ing of Rome seem small and lit up the surrounding country like the rising sun. We dragged the throne, on which the team was precariously perched, all over the town, and then demanded a speech from each player. They all said the same thing : This is the happiest moment of my life 5 but we were content. There Hz'sZo1gf qt Zke Class qt '96. 47 was one incident, or person, in the parade, however, which, who, deserves more particularmention. It, he, was Billy Reed. You see, Reed always likes to assume positions of responsibility and an important air, so when the parade was formed, he immedi- atel appointed himself marshal. William Belden Reed, mar- shal! O, my! How he ordered us about! How he swelled with pride, as he walked beside jack Delafieldl How he conducted the entire procession-Nit ! When the football frenzy had somewhat toned down, there was really very little to do to pass the winter evenings. Polling was not yet in order, because examinations were still a long way off. I confess, however, that Harry Fine's Conic Sections kept some of us alive to their existence, but this was only by the way. Among certain crowds, story-telling became a principal amuse- ment, but since the Coochi-coochi was dragged in every few minutes, and the same old Midway yarns were related ad mm- seam, all World's Fair romances were finally ruled out, These, however, constituted the main staple of the stock, so story-telling died a violent death. It was about this time that Peter Pierce, Dave Fentress and Bob Patton learned to chew tobacco-or rather Peter had always known the use of the weed, but he taught the other two and the amount of pig-twist they consumed would have killed anyone else. But you can't kill Dave Fentress, the man with the iron nerve, and you can't kill Bob Patton, who is too lazy to be aroused, even if he devoured hot lead. Say, Bob, got any chewin' about you? In this same period of repose Trilby Wright fell a victim to a wily trick, that is, he had been falling a victim ever since Freshman year, but the trick reached its culmination at this time. Wright, you know, lived in Edward's mansion and there he made the acquaintance ofa member of the class of '94, called for short, 'f Borneo. This astute wild man, detecting in Wright 48 Hisiofjf of Ike Class gf '96. the evidences of a bucolic training, resolved to amuse himself and educate Trilby in the ways of the world. Hence in a mo- ment of feigned coniidence he told Wright that he QBorneoj was the victim of a terrible drug, namely, essence of banana peel, which had the same effect upon him as opium and was slowly destroying him. Also, said Borneo, after I play a game of chess, I sometimes become violently insane for a short time. If I come into your room then and maltreat you, you must humor me or I will not be answerable for the consequences. After I calm down, I implore you to put me to bed and rub my feet for thirty minutes in order to draw the blood from my head. Wright swallowed this preposterous statement without awriggle and for many a day had cause to regret the f' awful habits of Borneo. The latter, in moments of insanity, would make the Farmer say his prayers at the muzzle of a shotgun, would pour a pitcher of water over his body and then cast the contents of the coal-scuttle over that, and would do many other absurd things to hapless Wright, who in the goodness of his heart bore it all patiently for poor Borneo's sake. Then, after a parox- ysm was over, Wright would rub the soles of the wild man's feet by the hour. O Farmer, you were easy! Christmas vacation came and we were all ready for a rest from our labors. Not that we had studied remarkably hard as far as the curriculum went, yet we had learned a good deal about human nature and some of us had been initiated into the inner workings of the Committee on Discipline. We had lost several of our best men through our determination in preserving time- honored customs, yet we were by no means subdued by that. We went home to explain to our people all about those hazing affairs, to gracefully evade pointed questions as to whether you ever hazed, my son, and above everything to tell how we won the championship in football and brag about our team. Almost all our class either went home or visited somebocly's Hz'sZ01g1 of the Class qf '96. 49 brother, and when they returned all had the usual society tales to relate of success or blunder. There are always a few unfor- tunates, however, from Oregon or Honolulu, who are condemned to remain in Princeton during Christmas vacation. Were you ever here at that time? If you were you have had a foretaste of Sheol. Well, Beef Turner and Rolla Wilson were among the half dozen men from our class who could not go home when col- lege closed. They were hard put to it for amusement and used to wander around the town o' nights picking scraps with the muck- ers, and wishing they were somewhere else. One night they wandered down Witherspoon Street, just to pass the time away, and while there encountered a drunken man and proceeded to do him up in true badger style. Having relieved him of his whiskey and one or two other things they determined to escort him home. The fellow was sober enough to walk, and urged the boys along, saying: Come on, fellowsh, take y' home wish me 5 have good time. Scare me ole woman. The fellowsh, nothing loath, accompanied him to a house halfway to Tus- culum. Now, said their friend, I'll g'win back window an y' come after, have high ole time ! With that he smashed in the window with a stone and crawled in, followed by Beef and Rolla. Hardly were they inside, however, when the door of the room was thrown open, and three girlish forms, lamps in hand and clad in evmifzg dress, appeared. A frightful chorus of screams greeted the sight of their visitors, the lamps dropped on the floor, and bedlam seemed let loose. Turner and Wilson heard a man's voice asking what the 1 was the matter, and heavy feet descending the stairway. Shay,', exclaimed their drunken friend, I gesh this mus' be 'nosher house, 'taint minef' so saying he collapsed. Turner didn't wait to see if it was 'f nosher house -he did one of his famous gymnastic dives out of the window and lit out towards town. Wilson was a trifle slower in getting out, but when he did he ran past Beef faster 4 50 hfzlvtofjf qf the Class gf '96. than he ever ran the 440, while a man tired a seven-shooter at them from the second-story. Shortly after our return from Christmas vacation, Ninety-Six held a class-meeting for the transaction of certain business. J. Moment was selected to represent us on Washington's Birthday, as Sophomore orator, and on R. B. Perry fell our choice for '76 Prize Debater. The '96 Bffic-cz-bras committee was also to be made up at this time, and as we desired to outdo all previous efforts, the contest for positions was close. Event- ually the following committee was named: Chairman, C. B. Bostwickg editors, A. B. Roberts, W. H. Schoonmaker, W. F. M. Sowers , artists, G. G. Blackmore, C. I-I. Grant, W. P. Thom- son. This was our committee and a good one it proved. Between the return from vacation and the examinations, there was nothing of intense interest on the programme. We attended a Spencer Trask lecture or two and hazing began to revive. Attending tires and hindering the efforts of the Fire department were the chief amusements, that is when the gods granted us a real fire, which was very seldom. When there was an alarm, however, we all turned out, and in the words of the song- Called to my wife for my old gum-boots, And kissed my girl Irene, Then Bill jones and I went whizzing down the street, As we ran with the old machine. How we ran with the old machine, by gum, How we ran with the old machine. But it generally happened, as someone beautifully expressed it, that there was, or rather there wasn't a fire, and we all- went to see where it wasn't, but couldn't even find out where it ought to have been. ' Now let me get a new grip on my trusty graphite, for I must speak of more serious things, to wit, Exami1zfzz'z'o1zs. Hzktofjf of the Class zyf '96, SI I wonder who invented that relic of barbarism. Surely there must be some other means of getting at what we know than the one in vogue of cram and poll, and dig and bone, and grind just for a two hours' .veafzce with some professor. Mama Wiestling might possibly devise a method A if he would but set his massive intellect at work, for you know Wies is a genius in his way-he doesn't weigh much, Oh no! Should we venture to ask him, however, no doubt he would reply with that graceful bow of his, Ladies, excuse me. To return-the examinations were upon us hotfoot, and we lost no time in idle speculation, but settled down to work. Mineralogy and Geodesy, with a touch of the Deutsche, were the studies to which the Scientifs devoted their midnight petroleum, while the Academs dipped into De Senectute and Lysias, or meddled with the Linnman classification of plants and the eccentricities of the Amphibia. In the Zoology examina- tion, Bum Urban, who of course was unacquainted with the subject, handed in this remarkable paper to Dr. Macloskie, Quadrupeds are divided into two kinds, these 'uns and those 'uns, just. These 'uns, observe ye look, have four legs-those 'uns just, have two only, look ye mark. Those 'uns are better than these 'uns, just. Needless to state, Bum was conditioned. Worse than all other studies combined Qmay the shades of a thousand conditions haunt it foreverlj was Conic Sections. I really think this exact science has been responsible for more profanity and crimson oaths than even Sport Doty or Danny Glenn would care to monkey with. Johnnie Waterhouse was always extremely good at Math., so he did not have to study much, but Frank Baker is reported to have worked every exam- ple in the book, and was quite ready when the day came. We were all more or less prepared by january 26th, and went into exams not with a light heart-nobody ever did that, not even Fred Loetscher or Sam Davis-yet at least schooled to 52 Hislofgf Q' the Class rf '96. abide the issue. It was entirely over by February 7th, and we looked about our ranks, hardly depleted this time by the loss of a man, with genuine satisfaction and relief. There was only a short space left us in which to assert the innate superiority of our class over '97, and the snowfall which came just after exams, gave us an opportunity of doing so with redoubled vigor. I will wager that no Freshman class ever ex- perienced a more unpleasant winter than did 797. A lot of our fellows developed into phenomenal throwers, and could curve a snow-ball around a corner, or throw a hundred yards on the line with equal facility. Clarence johnson excelled in this species of sharp-shooting, as did also Clarie Rodgers, and many a Freshman had cause to rue the accuracy of their aim. The east end of Dickinson was as usual the place where the sport was most in- teresting, although the Scientific School was almost as bad to enter. The Freshmen used to .crowd in, the narrow doorway, there, clapping their hands to various portions of their anatomy, and tingling as if pricked with a thousand needles, while the pat- pat of the snow-balls was as rapid as Roy Morris' walk on a windy day. Hazing took a new brace, and things brightened up gen- erally with the approach of Washington's Birthday. Freshmen who had been spotted before the holidays were now attended to, and old scores wiped away by our fellows. In fact we pretty thoroughly canvassed the Freshman class before it was too late. The usual rumor was circulated, that on the night of Feb- ruary 2ISt the Freshmen would attempt to hold a parade. Ninety- Six, you will remember, had done that very thing, but we re- solved that no such effort should be made by '97. We held a special class-meeting on the matter, and organized in military fashion, to guard the town and campus, not only from Freshmen but also from banner-hanging Juniors. By live o'clock in the afternoon of the 2Ist,our cohorts were stationed from Washington Street to Mercer, and from Nassau to the Brokaw building. We Hz's!01j1 of Zke Class Qf '96. 53 were armed to the teeth with billiard cues and bludgeons, and it would indeed have gone hard with the Freshmen had they ven- tured out. That, however, is what they did not do. Only two Freshmen appeared during the entire night-we were up till broad daylight of the 22d-and they were promptly captured and stowed in University Hall. As I remarked, scarcely a Freshman left his downy couch that night, nevertheless, a good deal of commotion was created in the course of our long vigil. Biffy Lea, Harry Waring, and others, ran some '97 men into a house on Dickinson Street, and then got into a row with the owner of the house, which resulted in a smashed window and a terrified Freshman eating-club. A town mucker picked a fight with Gordon Johnston, and was immediately rolled in the slush by our genial president, who was always ready for a fracas in the path of duty. Dan La Monte found the ice on Nassau Street very slippery and took a tumble on the pavement, break- ing his arm. Several '97 banners were captured on the western part of the campus. These banners, of course, had been hung by Juniors, but they accomplished nothing, and not a one saw the light of day. The Freshmen did not even succeed in painting the water-tower, as our pickets were too sharp for them. When morning dawned the campus was bare of Freshmen, juniors, and banners 3 sidewalks and fences were painted in green '97, and orange '96, and after a last patrol to see that all was clear we went to bed to rest a little before the exercises in the gymnasium began. The exercises commenced at half-past ten, and we were there long before that in order to search the Freshmen, as they entered, for cards or horns, and to swipe their hats-this duty satisfactorily accomplished, we took our seats within, and the meeting got under way. Johnnie Moment outdid even him- self in his speech, The Universal Inspiration, but of course the main interest of the assemblage was the able manner in 54 Hislofgf Q' Me Class gf '96. which our class horsed the Freshmen. Our gags on them were eminently apropos and forcible. Fred. jones produced a guinea-hen wrapped in green ribbons, which when released flew straight to the Freshmen. A '97 flag which the Freshmen tried to suspend from a beam was immediately torn down. Then we began to hurl a square card among the Freshmen and visitors-it had a green border and trimmings, and read some- what as follows : RECORD OF THE CLASS OF ,97 UP TO DATE. Owing to the poor showing made by our class up to the present time, we take this opportunity of offering the following facts in explanation. We have shied all athletic contests, not on account of lack of courage, but from chronic cold feet. We would rather not have you look at us as we have forgotten to bring ice, and we wonlt keep. We forgot to eat our usual supply of camphor this fall, hence our moth-eaten appearance. Our Papas and Mamas told us not to tear our jeans in Rushes and apple-fights, hence our graceful non-appearance. The Cane Spree oughter be abolished, it is too darn rough, and it ain't lady-like. The Sophs, alas! were easy winners, and can you blame them P Such was our information to the world at large regarding 797, and with the publication of this card our experience as hazers was over. We had enjoyed it, most of us, and it had added largely to the spice of college life. The faculty had tried hard to stamp out hazing in our class, to make an example of us, but they had by no means succeeded. What Ninety-Six considers its duty and privilege, that it has always done, though the earth gaped-nevertheless we were the very last of the hazers, and after our Sophomore year hazing died. This I will explain later. In the afternoon of the 22d the gymnastic exhibition was held, and Beef Turner, Fred Paul, and Charlie Browne easily bore off the honors. That same evening Ralph Perry defended Hiriozgf rf the Class of '96, 55 the affirmative in the '76 Debate, and did himself and his class all possible credit. I Now that hazing was only a memory, we devoted more attention to a few of our studies -to some because we could not help it, to others for the horse we got out of them. In the former class was Chemistry under Bunny McCay, because oxides and valences always worried some of us terribly. Ask Aleck Fordyce, he loves McCay and my assistant, and things chemical, and he ought to know all about it. In this same class also was Mechanics, in which, under the kindly eye of Brother Waterman, we learned how to estimate the velocity of a cannon ball, and what simple harmonic motion is. In the horse class, Pop I-linton's Conic Sections held an easy first, not,that Conics was particularly easy, but Papa was beyond a doubt. He used to furnish us with charts on which to lay out the elusive parabola, or to trace the course of the diabolic hyperbola, which we would do with consistent success GQ. And then the ff two bits along and three bits up, you know, and the jf : mx -1- c by means of which he deduced every known formula from Zoroaster to himself-these were notable among what was far from avale of tears. The Dutch students used to tear their hair at the machinations of Runt Herdler, who would con- dition every man in his class if he had half a chance. They often beguiled him, however, by getting him to brag about his fencing bouts at Heidelberg, and thus passing the hour away. On March 7th the election of the assistant football manager, who is always chosen from the Sophomore class, occurred on time. Harry Waring and Bert Milbank were the two chief can- didates, although there had been others, and the preliminary canvass was very exhausting, not only to the canvassers, but much more so to those innocent victims, the canvassed. So the election was held and the vote was a very close one. Bert Milbank was the lucky man, however, and he assumed the responsibilities of the proud position. 56 Hz'sZ01j1 zyf Zhe Class cf '96. The 'Varsity baseball team had begun practice about the middle of February, and by this month the team was pretty well made up. We had three representatives on the nine this year- Arthur Gunster at third bag, Pierre Ward did short-stop duty, while Jimmie Small developed into an outfielder. The early work was very encouraging, and we began to think that this was indeed Princeton's year. A couple of weeks after the football elections came Spring recess, as the catalogue puts it, Easter vacation the students say. The baseball team traveled south to Washington and Georges town,'while our fellows went whithersoever they listed. Proba- bly a less number go home at Easter than at any other vacation' time. The period allowed is so short, only five or six days, that it seems a better occasion for short visits to Her home, or for the consummation of some other little scheme which has been planned out in the winter days. One of this latter kind was a March to the Sea, which was undertaken by Harold North- rup, Georgie Blackmore, and one or two others. They deter- mined to travel incognito and so each disguised himself with an alias-having never read any but yellow-backed fiction they drew their names from the works of A. C. Gunter, and registered as Mr. Barnes, of New York, and Mr. Nobody, of Nowhere. That last just fitted Northie. It was a pedestrian tour, you un- derstand, and they started out one sunny morning toward Long Branch, via Princeton Junction and Freehold. I cannot enter into the details of that trip-George will do that for you-but will jot down a few of the more salient points. At Hightstown it began to rain and kept it up steadily for the entire four days of their journey-pleasant for the boys. Two miles beyond, at a farmhouse where they applied for shelter, a bull-dog played sick' em with the pedestrians. At Freehold they became mixed in a row with a pool-room keeper and dusted his stairway with their persons. A little further on Northie's shoes gave out H?'5f07j! of the Class of '96, 57 and he played barefoot boy with cheek of tan the rest of the way. In Long Branchthey slept all night in the streets, for nobody would receive such disreputable-looking tramps as they seemed by this time. The following morning they were run out of town by the police, without catching even a glimpse of the sea, except at a distance. Yes, they had a lovely time on that trip- didn't you, boys? In the meantime the baseball nine had been doing itself proud in the early games in the South, and when we were all gathered together after Easter we watched the field practice with more interest than ever. In the long spring afternoons we would sit in the grand stand and there applaud the good plays or sing How can they beat us, beat us, Old Nassau? In the early spring occurred the election of assistant base- ball manager. I. I. Elliott, that staunch Republican from Ten- nessee, had once made a futile stab as a baseball player, and on that ground laid claim to the managerial office. Jim was elected, and immediately joined Milbank in the sporting of a 'Varsity monogram. ' X May 3d and 4th, the Hon Julius Caesar, a legitimate Shakspearean Tragedy in Three Large Acts and Five Transcen- dental Pageantsf' was presented to a convulsed audience. From Ninety-Six the Francis Wilsons and De Wolf Hoppers who took part were :- CINNA-A study in Shamrock-accent copied from Roman bas-reliefs-also a Kon- spirator ------- D. R. B. GLENN. NOBONIUS-A Roman Dohm - - - J. IVICIVIURDY. JAMES-Valet to Macallus ---- J. C. SHERRIFF. ANTOINETTE-A Housemaid - - - P. F RAZER. ANCHON-An ancient Wandering Willie- Senator from the Provinces - - - J. C. KERR. 58 Hz'sZo1gf qf zke Class qf '96. E B TURNER TUMBLERS - - ' ' ' CHARLES BROWNE. STATE FENCIBLES Q W. K. GREENE, X and THOMAS CADWALADER, CONQUERING LEGroNs lA. A. TALMAGE. The same night of the second production of the Hon. juliusf' the Senior Dance was produced, which many Hsassety dukes from our class managed to attend. Indeed, I am credit- ably informed that it was upon this occasion Scott McLanahan first began to get in his deadly work with those wicked black eyes ' of his. The following morning the Fifth Annual Handicap Track Games were tracked, and in the afternoon we played Harvard baseball. We taught them a few points about the national game, for 12-5 in our favor was the way the score stood. Gne of the star features of the game happened when somebody popped up an easy fly to Arthur Gunster at third base. A pretty Scranton maiden, who is much interested in Gunny, screamed right out loud, Oh, you dear thing. Catch it, dear, do catch it! Of course f' Gunny muffed it. Senior-singing now started in vigorously and we gay young Sophomores stretched our lazy limbs on the front campus and listened to the melody produced. Nor did we sit modestly at a distance, as in Freshman year-we pushed well to the front where we could hear and criticise the solos. For, you must know, your Sophomore is the only impartial critic of Senior singing-the Freshman is sure it is good, the junior is positive it is bad, the Sophomore listens with unbiased ear and applauds or deprecates as he really thinks. So we hearkened to the Seniors sing and were glad of the music, of the soft grass, of the rustling trees, of the classmates whom, even then, we seemed to have known all our lives. About half our class journeyed up to New Haven to see the Hzktoagf fy Ike Class qt 'ge 59 nine play Yale on May 19th. They went by the Fall River line, and when they once were embarked they owned the boat till the end of the trip. Pretty much everybody got decidedly seasick CPD and things were very lively all night. Games of baseball were organized on the deck of the steamer, with life-preservers for bases, and some very foxy plays were executed. joe Rosengarten, especially, gracefully attired in his robe de mmf, made a great hit sliding bases. Skidsy Dewey declared himself an able sea- man, and when almost at their destination wanted the captain to let him steer the steamboat back around the Liberty Light and up the Sound again, which feat he guaranteed to accom- plish before daylight. The game in New Haven was not played until May 21st, being postponed on account of rain. We did not win, yet returned to Princeton by no means disheartened, for we had had a jolly lark and the game was a pleasure to see, even if it did not result in our favor. It was time that the assistant manager of the Track Asso- ciation should be chosen, and the candidates began to hustle for votes. E. B. Turner was elected without much of a contest, his chief qualification being that he had never run a race in his life, and thus there would be no likelihood of his placing himself on the track team. A committee which had been chosen a little earlier was our Sophomore Reception Committee-the men who do the heavy business act for our class functions and are floor-managers at the dances. These men were: I. C. Kerr, chairman 3 M. Brooks, S. S. Bunting, T. Cadwalader, W. K. Greene, L. Lea, R. F. Little, Ir., W. S. McGuire, S. McLanahan, A. G. Milbank, R. S. Morris, A. B. Roberts, J. H. Scheide, W. F. M. Sowers, A. A. Talmage. june 2d, the Caledonian Games claimed the attention of the college. In this our class did not score the most points, but, principally through the good work of Corser, Hanlon, Edward and Fordyce, made a very creditable showing. l 60 ffzlftovgf of Zhe Class cy' '96. Examinations now put in their inevitable appearance, and the same mill had to be ground again. It was harder to poll that year than it has ever been before or since, nevertheless, a great deal of conscientious work was done by our class. No, Puss Hammill, this is not meant for sarcasm! However little may be said, in this book, of the study and curriculum duty per- formed by Ninety-Six, know, dear reader, that a vast amount was accomplished at all times. Ninety-Six has always been counted, both by professors and the general opinion of the world, as one of the brainiest, if not the brainiest, class that ever en- tered' these studious halls. We faced the exams, therefore, like men, and passed them with a hurrah-to be sure, some of us caught Chemistry, but that was a trifle. We held a bonfire of thehated Conic Section books and saw them fade to ashes with the most intense satisfaction ever experienced. We cheered QD Harry Fine and Hinton to our heart's content-we were through with Conics forever and ever and ever, Amen ! The examinations being over, we put on high hats for a while and wore them in commemoration and signalization of having turned juniors. This is a rare old custom which ought not to be allowed to fade. If you put tacks enough in the crown of your hat, points outward, and carry a club yourself, it can be worn for several days. ' So the year drew rapidly to a close. We lost a baseball game with Harvard, but took the third, thus Winning the series. With Pennsylvania we stood tie, each college winning one game. On June 9th we met Yale on our own grounds and defeated her in a splendid game. All the pretty girls from Rochester to Richmond were here to see us do it, and we did it in great shape -4-1 was the score. The same morning the Gun Club defeated Yale in the annual shoot by 130-II2, so it was a big day for our side. , Commencement was now fairly on us and we watched with HZ.Sl07j! Q' Ike Class Qf '96. 61 regret the preparations for the departure of ,Q4, our natural allies and friends. At any rate, they left us in a blaze of glory, and Ninety-Six gave them a dance on the Tuesday of Commence- ment week. This dance was a great success, financially, I mean, as well as every other way, for the first time in years. Another day and it was all over-all over, that is, except the deciding baseball game with Yale in Brooklyn on June 16th. That we lost by 9-5 and they won the championship after all. Yet we did not mind so much, for the cheering at Eastern Park that day was in itself worth going miles to hear. Our Sophomore year was ended, and nothing remained but to separate for thesummer. As Sophomores We had weathered many a storm and stress. The year just passed had been one of unrest and change, one of the most eventful, in many ways, in the history of the college, yet Ninety-Six had, I think, done its duty manfully and with hearts fixed for the best interests of Princeton. To the officers of our class that year too much credit cannot be given. Especially to our president, Gordon Johnston, who through thick and thin, through ill report and good, upheld the honor of NinetylSix, all praise is due. There was no Wor1d's Fair to go to this time, but there was a foreign shore for some and home and kindly faces for all. So we shook hands all around and for a brief three months forsook the old town, singing as we pulled out from the little station, Where, O where are the gay young Sophomores ? Safe now in the junior class. Histozgf of the Chss J '96 1ln fllbemotiam. CHARLES BORLAND STEWART DIED JANUARY 4 1894 i JLINIUD YEM2. 4' Thro' many an hour of summer suns, By many pleasant Ways, Against its fountain upward runs The current of my days: I kiss the lips I once have kissedg The gas-light wavers dimmer, And softly, thro' a vinous mist, My college friendships glimmer. As juniors now we take our ease - We smoke our pipes and sing our gleesf' JUNIOR year, the Elysium of the college course, the most halcyon period of those halcyon four years, the acme of all that ,a college man loves, the happiest, the laziest, the most thoroughly delightful of alifetime! These Elysian fields were opened for us on Wednesday, September 19, 1894, at three P.M. precisely. They were opened then to our pleasure, but, I confess, many of us did not enter them exactly at that time-I see I am growing figura- tive and Buck Waters will be jealous-I mean that Ninety-Six was rather slow in returning to these cloistered walks. Why should we return until we were good and ready ? Were we not UPPER-CLASSMEN, possessed of all the privileges which that magic word implies? Yea, verily! So we stayed by mountain and sea, by lake and shore, till the last drop of pleasure was squeezed Qhuggedy from the summer, and then dropped casually in on Princeton, not because We must, but because we wished C653 64 Hz'sZofj1 cy: the Class mf '96. and because we realized that without us the college could not really go on. We were needed to look after the welfare of the Freshmen, to restrain the belligerency of the Sophomores, and to assume our rightful positions at the Inn and Dohm's. ' Dr. Patton happened to be abroad, probably forming a sec- tional club along the Rhine, and Dean Murray made his little speech in Marquand Chapel. The same old tales were told, for the most part. To be sure the incoming Freshman class was no! the largest in years, but- the Brokaw Tank, it was announced, would be ready for use in a few days, at which statement we of course- rejoiced. Subsequent to the adjournment of this inter- esting meeting we dispersed around the town to shake hands with our Freshman friends and to assure them of our paternal interest in their welfare. V That night there were gatherings in many a den, and the campus rang with our songs. Most assuredly we were the people and wisdom would die with us. Upper-classmen ! juniors! It was hard to get used to the idea, and at first we would persist in thinking of ourselves as Sophomores, although we soon got over such self-depreciation. Yes, that night and many nights thereafter we made ourselves free of all that the town or college contained in the amusement line. We f' sang a song, together, boys, sang it loud and clear, and told each other how in many a happy summer scene we had turned our memories back to dear old Princeton. On Thursday the Freshmen formed their class organization and under the direction of our '96 officers prepared themselves for an affray as they issued from Old Chapel. But lo ! so many of our class were there gathered, as well as the heavy infantry of Bill Topley Sz Co., that the gay young Sophomores were owerawed and permitted the members of '98 to pass almost undisturbed. Thus died another of the rare old customs. Hazing this year, of course, had no personal interest for us, ffisloagf qf Me Class ry' '96. 65 and our attention was directed toward other things. One of these was a certain steam yacht, the Vamoose, which was besieged in the canal near the Washington Street bridge. It had reached that point about midnight on Saturday and the old Dutchman who tends the bridge had refused to let it pass. Then the Vamoose blew her siren whistle till all the farmers in Mercer County were aroused and came down to the canal to suppress'the screamer. They didn't sink the vessel in spite of their shotguns, but blockaded it there for a day or two. In the meanwhile about half the college went down to take a hand, and some of our class in particular made themselves quite at home on board thefasz Vamoosef' I quote from a New York daily: Among the prominent studentsiwho visited the handsome yacht were Langdon Lea, Cadwalader, Brooks, Barnett and others. I wonder what attracted those fellows so strongly. I-Iadn't they ever seen a steam yacht before ? Oh yes, my son, but never a one sofast as the Y Vamoosef' Ninety-Six held a class-meeting shortly after this for the purpose of electing officers for junior year. There was no can- vassing for votes, and no forming of combines to defeat some- body. Indeed, I will remark by way of parenthesis, that our class-meetings have always been singularly free of any such wire-pulling and the man elected has been desired by all. In this case there was no opposition to the choice of Arthur Gunster for class president, and he thereupon assumed the chair. C. B. Bostwick took the next place, that of vice-president. I. J. Mo- ment had the office of treasurer thrust upon him, 12016125 wlefzs. There was only class secretary left and some wagrproposed Brat Fisher, it was carried with a rush, and William Alexander Fisher, jr., took possession of the class bills and ledgers. The same week saw the beginning of the series of baseball games for the class championship. After considerable effort nine men rallied to the supportof Ninety-Six and upheld our 5 66 Hz'si01j1 mf Mae Clasx of '96. skill on the diamond in a very creditable manner. Victory did not, to be sure, uniformly perch upon our banners, but we downed one and caused heartache in both our other opponents. It was in these games that Walter Titus first blossomed out as a catcher, and that Barney Haines, as a first baseman, became the eighth wonder of the world-Dode Sinnickson, by the way, is the ninth, but that's another story. But now a matter was brought before the college, which was one of the most important it has ever had to confront. Not since the Honor System was adopted by the student body in the fall of our Freshman year had there been such a mass-meeting as there was assembled to discuss the question of the abolishing of hazing. X ' To haze, or not to haze, that was the question- Whether 'twere nobler in the neck to suffer- The jibes and guyings of outrageous Sophomores, Or to take arms against a sea of hazers And by opposing end them. The abolishing gf hlZZZ'7Zg' I Do you appreciate, reader, what that meant to us? Not unless you have walked beneath these elms for four short years, not unless you have toiled and fought for the honor of your class, in short, not unless you are a Prince- ton man can you understand what the abolition of hazing implied. Who was to subdue the Freshman, who generally arrives in Princeton fresh from some prep. school where he was the biggest frog in the puddle and who really needs subduing, if hazing were abolished ? Who, on the other hand, was to annoy the arrogant Sophomore if the Freshman were not obliged to do it in self-defence? Would there be no more painting of the water-tower, no more hanging of banners, no more posting of proclamations ? The horse-play on Washington's Birthday would surely degenerate into empty form and die of sheer inanition, if hazing were abolished. Would not college life at Princeton be .Hislozgf Qf the Class qf '96. - 67 a poorer thing when hazing was no more? These then were some of the problems -and queries which confronted the solution of' this matter. I am proud to say it was answered bravely by all and in particular by our class to the effect that hazing must and ought to be abolished. The motion was passed on Septem- ber 28th, with scarcely a dissenting vote, and thus hazing re- ceived its quietus and 'incidentally our athletes of the gridiron were enabled to resume play. u When we had safely settled this matter we were able to fix our attention a little more carefully on the subjects which we had incautiously elected or which had been craftily forced upon an unsuspecting class. Of the electives I will not speak, because History and Philosophy and Bible were not really so very hard, but of the required studies, to wit, viz., namely, z'. e., e. g., Psy- chology and Physics, I will speak-of the latter particularly in words of fire. Psychology was not essentially bad, nevertheless, it was often ffredolent of ennui, as Sing Outhwaite aptly ex- pressed it. We learned a little about the beliefs of Spinoza, and more about Correlative Association and the Law of Trend. The faculty of Attention also was presented to our consideration, al- though Bill Oglesby said he never heerd nawthin' about it. Attention, said Jeremy Ormond, is the active effort of the mind. I wonder why Heine Hurnes can never pay attention to anything. I come now to that Mia noifg that torture of the inqui- sition, that worst of sciences-Physics, as taught by William Francis Magie, Ph.D. Hurrah for the 'Fessor sent to we, To cram us with electricity, Rare boy he, and rare boys we, The best in all the 'Varsity. A Three hours a week we sat in that amphitheatre, his lecture- room, and three hours a week were we served up as a spectacle 68 Hislozgf qf Ike Class cyf '96, . for gods and men. The Professor seemed to take a genuine delight in rolling his eyes up and down the seats and transfixing one of us with ff Mr. Barret, please explain the process of elec- trolysis. ff Booth always was fond of compounds, yet he sometimes yielded the floor to another upon such an occasion. We heard about atoms and molecules until even water became a terror to us. We were instructed in the mystery of wave mo- tion until the outer air seemed a raging sea. A certain wearied youthf during one yellow lecture, attempted to quietly steal away, but the stern query, Don't I miss someone, gentlemen- where is Mr. Johnston ? soon stopped that desirable game. O yes, Professor, it was very tiresome, although we know you did your best by us. Speaking of Physics or anything in the polling line naturally reminds me of Ned Hodge. Ned, you know, is an awful poller, although he scarcely has the reputation he so richly deserves. However, that is not what I wanted to say about him, there is another tale I have to tell at present of this Burlington Apollo. There is a house on Mercer Street, not far from the Seminary, where resides someone to whom Ned is very muchi devoted. Now this someone puts implicit trust in him and was sure, upon a certain occasion, that her Neddie would never do anything undignifiedf'-she little knew the avaricious soul beneath that fair exterior. The bet was a bag of Bull Durham Qbah lj, the dis- tance was to Nassau Street, and the manner was barefoot. So Ned removed his shoes and socks, rolled up his trousers, and in the pouring rain, before scores of wondering eyes, tramped up Mercer. Oh, Neddie, Neddie! how could you expose those dainty Trilbies to the raging elementsland the jeering muck- yer, how could you stub those tender toes against the project- ing bricks, and how did you have the nerve to go back and claim the forfeit ! Ah, he met his just reward, for now Histofjf qf lhe Class fy' '96. ' 69 Ned can't play in her yard, She don't like him any more, She just cuts him since she saw him Walking barefoot to her door. I may not have mentioned that several new men joined our class at the beginning of junior year. Having heard what a fine class Ninety-Six was they preferred to enter it even if they had to omit two years of Princeton life to do so. At any rate they say that was the excuse that Fred. Saussy offered for his appear- ance. One might think he needed to offer an excuse for his appearance under any circumstances, yet we are satisfied with him even if he did not get the position which Willy Atkinson won. Another worthy who dropped in upon us was Dick Mc- Grann, a special student in the Scientific School. Dick had been engaged in hunting wild QQ turkey in Mercersburg and had also, in his off-days, been an ardent Yale supporter. His unique mental powers receiving no recognition from Eli, he had come here, you know, having nothing else to do, you know. There were other notable additions to our class-among these were the two Bruens, Harry and jim, Big Bear and Little Bear. An- tiquary Bower and Frank Van Syckel appeared, and Father Critchlow, ffbearded like the pard, and known as the great modern language shark. ' The 'Varsity football team was already getting in some good work for old Nassau, and with almost the whole champion team of ,93 back, things were more than promising. Biffy Lea was at his old place at tackle, and Barnett as a half-back was as good a man as one would care to see. In fact, we thought our eleven would be winners sure. The class football games now commenced and were fought out during the next two or three weeks. The series was, as usual, not more than three parts played, and quite unsatisfactory for all concerned-spectators doing half the work and the players hopelessly confused. When 70 Hz'sZ01g1 Qf fha Class of '96. it was all over nobody had any clear idea as to who beat who, or which class had the championship for the year. The Annual Fall Handicap Games put in their appearance promptly on October 17th, and most of us attended the contests on the cinder track. They were productive of no very brilliant results, and We juniors looked on with a somewhat bias? air. Even the cane-spree created but slight emotion in our experi- enced souls, for we had been through it all long ago-or so it seemed-and our interest in the Freshmen was only a distant and impersonal one. We cheered everything impartially, and were content no matter how a race went or who won an event. Steam yachts seemed to form an immmense attraction for some of our class that fall, for besides the affair of the Vamoose, above mentioned, a regular expedition was organ- ized for a trip down the Delaware from Trenton to Philadelphia. Frank Baker, Fred Leas, jack Carnochan, George Blackmore, and a number of others constituted the party, but the chief member was Deacon johnson, who as supercargo and hoodoo was shortly to become prominent. After a visit to Schaum- loeffel 81 Co., bottlers, the fellows got started down the river on the steamer f' Gazelle. About ten miles down this boat broke its walking-beam, or propeller, or something of that kind, and they were compelled to return to Trenton for a new transport. At length they were fairly embarked in the ff Calypsof' whose sirenic name alone should have warned them, and soon were miles on their way. Opposite Bristol, however, they ran aground and it took two hours to get ailoat again. By this time Blackmore and Paton Thomson declared there was a Jonah on board and fixed on Deacon johnson as the man. Overboard with the Jonah ! they cried, and made a rush for the unfortunate Deacon. You know Deac -he fled wildly up and down the deck 3 he hid in the coal hole, they routed him outg he crouched behind smokestacks, and the villains still pursued him, he hung HZ-Sf07j! Qt Me Class fy' '96. 71 over the bulwarks, they pretended to search for him in the water, they peered in the draught pipes and inspected coils of rope for the terrified Jonah, while the rest of the crowd sat on Deacon, at his earnest request, in order to conceal him from his foes. Finally Blackie gave up the search lest Deac, in his fright, should jump overboard and drown himself. The first, second and third trials for the Princeton Univer- sity Glee Banjo and Mandolin Clubs U were experienced about this period, and the men from Ninety-Six who drew the lucky numbers were as follows: Aleck Fordyce became a first tenor, Paul Tillinghast played on the old banjo, jack Scheide made a mandolinist, and Charlie Marvin growled out music on a 'cello. On November Ioth, if I recollect aright, we played a game of football at Trenton with the University of Pennsylvania. It was not a pleasant game either to look upon or to think of after- ward, and as for talking over the points of the play, that is strictly tabooed anywhere in this neighborhood. We will let the game with Penn pass-it was only notable as the last contest between the two colleges. The 16th of November saw all Princeton in mourning, for on that day Dr. james McCosh, the dear old doctor, left ff his college forever. Our class had never been instructed beneath his kindly eye, but many of us knew and reverenced the vener- able old man. We lamented his loss as deeply as any, realizing that in him the college was bereaved of its most devoted and self-sacrificing friend. In the latter part of November a new member was added to the Faculty-an instructor in the manly art of boxing. A num- ber of our class took lessons of the professor, and black eyes became a common sight about the campus. Prize-fighting also became suddenly prominent in the adjacent country. A great fistic carnival of students was actually arranged and advertised g 72 Hz's!01j1 Q' Me Class of '96. but this was prevented by the college authorities. Two or three combats between outside parties did occur, however, much to the satisfaction of the boxing class. A desperate QD battle of one round was fought in a barn on Witherspoon Street, where the spectators balanced themselves on a beam, and, by the light of a single lantern, watched the pugilists dodge each other around the ring. There was also a series of bouts held one night in Kingston, to attend which many of us tramped over and saw the frantic struggle between Reddy and the Un- known. The 'Varsity football team, in spite of difficulties and dis- asters, had pluckily kept at work, determined if possible to give Yale a hard rub on December ISt. A mass meeting was held a day or two before to encourage our men, and the enthusiasm was tremendous. But, alas, when the expected day arrived our tackle, Biff Lea, was unable to play at all, and there were others of the team as badly off. The game took place and was a gal- lant struggle on our part against overwhelming odds. The day itself was the most miserable in years, Weatherly speaking, and when it was done our feelings were in accord with the gloomi- ness of the day. 24-O was how the bulletin board read and we came home somewhat silently, knowing our men had made a plucky fight and resolved to do better next time. The follow- ing week Langdon Lea was elected captain of the team for ,95, and we felt assured that with him at our head luck would be sure to turn our way once more. It was in early December that Aleck Easton began to take long walks in the country, for the sake of that toe of his, also he conceived the bright idea of gathering water-cresses, if he could find them. Water-cresses in December-you may smile-but if you know Aleck, you know that he is always behind. He was usually accompanied on these rambles by Farmer Dod, who would much rather have been eating, yet who went with Hi5f01jl fy' Me Class of '96. 73 Easton out of pure friendship. One day they were walking near Rocky Hill, when Aleck spied some kind of green plant in a neighboring field which he declared was water-cress, and started in to get it. Farmer Dod, however, saw that here was an opportunity to check Easton's peripatetic propensities, so, mak- ing a wide circuit, he crept up behind a hedge near where the unconscious Aleck was at work. Pointing a stick through the hedge at the toiler, Dod exclaimed in a fearful voice : Gol darn ye, ye sneakin' thief. I've caught ye at last, hev I! Ye will rob my truck patch, will ye ? Git, gosh hang ye, or I'1l blow ye full of buckshot ! Don't shoot, don't shoot ! screamed Eas- ton, frantically, ff I didn't mean any harm. He lit out on a run for the fence. For God's sake, don't shoot-I'll pay for the cresses, I'll pay ! Aleck could never see the joke in that incident. The '96 Bffzk-a-bm: was put on sale this month and proved to be a beauty. The committee had labored and written and collected ads and drawn pictures for almost a year, and the result was worthy their efforts and a credit to the class. EX- cellent innovations were made in the shape of views of the dor- mitories and different parts of the campus. A photograph of Professor McCay ornamented the front of the book, and alto- gether it was far and away the best Brzk-a-dmc that had ever been published. We patted Charlie Bostwick and his faithful assistants on the back, and bought many copies to send to our friends and Sweethearts. The Washington's Birthday orators had yet to be elected, and we held a class meeting for the purpose. A man was chosen from each Hall in order that everybody should be satisfied. E. W. Hamilton, in whose oratorical ability we had every confi- dence, was named as class orator. I. M. Trout was the lucky individual to whom the right was given to represent us in the '76 Prize Debate. 74 ffzlrlafjf qi Ike Class qf '96, Once more Christmas vacation with all its jolly times was at hand, and we were ready to leave college for awhile to enjoy sleigh rides and skating parties, dances and dinners to the ut- most. I think Christmas vacation in junior year is, perhaps, the very best of all college vacations. As an upper-classman you are serenely conscious of your dignity, and even at home are looked up to and enjoy yourself accordingly, while you are not de- pressed, as is the Senior, by the thought that this is the last Christ- mas vacation, not only of your course, but probably of your life. Most of us were anxious to return to the scene of former con- quests, for we had left many a fair face behind us when college opened in the fall. Who is there who has not a sweetheart underneath the rose, a tender spot for some red-lipped maid? Even Jimmie Cochran, it is said, cherishes a lovely damsel in the depths of northern New jersey. But I am straying from the subject. Christmas saw most of us widely scattered, and the University Glee, Banjo, and Mandolin Clubs' engaged in making their western trip. If nothing has been said in the record of former years concerning the Glee Club Christmas trip it was because these journeys are pre-eminently upper-class jauntsg that is, the juniors and Seniors see all the fun, while the Freshmen and Sophomores are kept decidedly in the back- ground. This time, however, our fellows began to get in the games. I cannot pretend to relate the half of what was done, but a little experience which befell two of our esteemed classmates happened this way. Scott McLanahan and Aleck Fordyce, both being from the country, are naturally very fond of riding, so, when they arrived in Colorado, they looked out for cowboys and Indians and tried to ride everything they could lay hands on. One Sunday, mounted on a pair of fiery mustangs, they started for a ride to the Garden of the Gods and Manitou Springs. In the town of Manitou they determined to have a Hisiwjf yt Me Class gf '96. 75 race, and up the single long street they dashed helter-skelter, in spite of the cries of indignant pedestrians. A blue-coated official attempted to check their headlong course, but was nearly trampled, and on they dashed. Finally the boys pulled up at the Spring and dismounted for a refreshing drink. At that moment up came the panting policeman and arrested both the jockeys for violation of the Sabbath and the fast-riding ordinance of the village. Grasping Scott's horse by the bridle, and with Aleck, pale with fear, trailing behind, the policeman led them back up the street 'mid the gaze of the assembled people. I am the officer of the law in Manitou, said that worthy, and I intend to have the law respected. Scott at first took the matter as a joke, and at intervals would announce: We are officers of the law in Manitou, and we intend to have the law respected. Arrived at the magistrate's office they were placed before a stern white-haired old judge for trial. Aleck Fordyce, with that confidential air of his, immediately stepped up to his honor, and patting him on the back, remarked: f' 'I'hat's all right, old boy, we were just out taking a ride. How did we know anything about the rules in your condemned town? It's all right, old boy. The judge bade him sit down, and the policeman lodged his complaint. Said he: I have been an officer of the law in Manitou for twenty years. I have fought thugs and Chinamen and Indians, and Mormons and cowboys, and bad-men and rustlers and train robbers, but I was never so abused as by that young villain there, he pointed at the trembling Scott. One hundred dollars fine is what they ought to get. The boys wilted at this, and pleaded hard for mercy from the white-haired judge. His honor was obdurate for a long time, but at length released Scott in consideration of his youth. As for you, said he to Aleck, that ' old boy' grates on me. I will fine you five dollars for contempt of court. Another incident connected with the journey took place at i 76 Hislofgf of the Class mf '96. the El Paso Club smoker. Was it Paul Tillinghast or was it Skinny Baylis who wanted to show everybody how to play bot- tle-pool? Perhaps we would better not inquire further lest we should hurt somebody's feelings. After our return from Christmas holidays matters went on somewhat slowly, yet always pleasantly during the winter months. It is a fine thing to be a stately Junior. Some of us arose in time for chapel, some did not-we all ate breakfast pretty much when we pleased. There was emphatically no hurry and we acquired many characteristics of the Oriental, to whom time is unknown. In the evenings we played whist or discussed the chess tournament, or sang our glees at the Inn. We also attended a concert or two given in the Second Presby- terian Church. One of these was rendered by the Verdi Quar- tette, whose choicest number was, Half-Past Kissing Time, Time to Kiss Again. This selection secured enthusiastic and osculatory applause. The Washington Lady Quartette also cut a wide swath in our hearts. Their songs were immediately taken up by the foremost musicians in our class, assembled in the building, who sang: Weel may the keel row, the keel row, the keel row, Weel may the keel row, with a tiger, siss, boom, ah ! The quartette was in doubt whether to laugh or cry, but decided. in favor of the former. The Kneisel Company also began their series of concerts that winter. Our fellows attended them somewhat, but the amusement there afforded was of a more dignified nature and scarcely became popular. The old inevitables, the uniformly detestables, the term examinations, retained their place in the calendar and struck us on january 25th. Our class took things a great deal more easily this time than ever before. We were juniors and who ever heard of dropping a junior? To be sure, conditions were X Hisiofjf qf Me Class gf '96. 77 still liable to come in occasionally, but after two years experi- ence nobody minded them except, perhaps, joe Myers or Mel Gray. joe would have shed tears at the receipt of an ominous postal from the registrar, while Mel doted on conditions just to see how many a man could safely carry. I remarked above that we were not much agitated at the advent of exams, but from the list of the non-agitated I must exclude jack Scheide. Jack had hitherto prided himself on the easy manner in which he could survive any intellectual test-it was now discovered that he had all along adopted a different method. I-le had become a crafty, greasy grind, a secret student, a sly poller. Yes, a .rbfpaller was the title which fitted him and from that day to this Scheide has preserved his reputation as the foxiest grind in college. The examinations continued a couple of weeks and during this period we were more or less interested in what was going on. Psychology proved a trifle and was passed without a tremor. -Physics was more of a wrestle, but spurred on by the recollection of what we had suffered from this in the past term, we killed it dead and packed it away on the dusty shelf where slumber Conics, Mechanics, Chemistry, and numerous other has beensf' Thus the Mid-years were safely disposed of, and Logic and Polly Con being now required studies for the ensuing term, we took them up with our accus- tomed success and soon had them running smoothly. Our Junior Promenade was held in the gymnasium on Feb- ruary I5'Elf1. Rob Little was chairman of the Promenade Com- mittee and the dignity and responsibility were enough to un- balance a steadier head, I-le exerted his authority at every opportunity and even after dancing had fairly begun he stopped the music and had a Workman come up and put a finishing polish on the floor. Nevertheless, he engineered the thing successfully-the arrangements were as perfect as they could be in that two-by-four gym. and the crowd was tremendous. 78 Hislozgl qf the Class qf '96, , Perhaps the best thing about the prom was the supper, which was excellent, if you were lucky enough to get hold of any. A seething mob fought up and down the bowling alley in a mad quest for food, and the number of dresscoats and tempers spoiled in the grub-spree was simply appalling. As-remarked, however, it was a rare success, more than one heart was there lost forever Cor a weekj and the Tzlgwfand Liz were subsequently inundated with gags and stories reminiscent of the prom. Washington's Birthday, for the third time since Ninety- Six took possession of Princeton, was again at hand. A year previous we would have been hunting Freshmen all over the borough-two years previous we would have been the huntedf this year we were almost indifferent except for the hanging of a banner or two in the interests of the Freshmen. On the night of the 21st of February, therefore, instead of patrolling the town all night long, in sleet and snow, we made ourselves comfortable with feast and song in cozy rooms, or if some of us did venture out it was only to compare the bitter lot of the Freshmen and Sophomores with the blessed portion of the upper-classmen. We had some cards printed at Zapf's for the use of the Freshmen the next day. This took some trifling exertion, as the Sophomores tried to force their way in to destroy the type, they did not succeed in their attempt. On the morning of the 22d we gathered, not in a body this time, in the gymnasium and applauded every speech and noteworthy bit of horse-play from any class. Our orator, Ed Hamilton, did not disappoint our expectations, for his speech, The Spirit of Reform, was a masterpiece and bore off the prize offered by the Nassau Lit. Previous to the exercises in the gymnasium the '76 Prize Debate had been held in Alexan- der Hall for the first time. It was the aim of the Faculty to attract a larger audience than usual to this debate, but their success was not marked, even though John Trout made a great ffistofjf of Zke Class of '96. 79 argument. In the afternoon the indoor winter sports were held and the gymnastic team gave their usual first-class, Bob Huntington's railroad shows, exhibition. Tommy Leonard was manager of the team this year and had everything arranged capitally. The feature of the afternoon was Freddy Paul's work on the balancing trapeze, where his dangerous feats would have made Blondin turn pale. Our class was always top in the gymnastic arena, and from a dual contest with Yale to skipping up and down a Brooklyn fire-escape, they were easily kings. That night the old grads were on hand at the Inn, and regaled us with mendacious stories of how they used to do it all when'76 was in college. Things now settled down again for the remaining few weeks prior to Easter and we amused ourselves as best we could. General Gordon's speech in the Spencer Trask lecture course was one of the best things presented to the under-graduate body at this period. For days afterward any of our class who had their eye on the I. O. medals were trying to imitate the General's style and spouting floods of extemporaneous oratory. None of them equalled the original, however, unless it were Kid'f Cross, who, although it is not commonly known, is an extraordinary speaker. On March 13th, the Princeton under-graduates in mass- meeting assembled, elected Milbank football manager for the following year. There was no excitement over this, as, of course, it was a foregone conclusion that Milbank, who had been assistant in the fall, should be manager the next season. I say there was no excitement, yet soft ! You know Roy Morris and that Roy rooms with Bert Milbank. Roy chose to take the new honor very seriously, and returning to 8 U. after the election, addressed to Bert winged words in his solemn, Billy Mattingly style. Bert, I have to report to you that you are now the manager of the Princeton University Football Eleven. 80 Hisiary Q' Zhe Class rj '96. You have attained that lofty position solely through my efforts. I ask of you no thanks, nor do I expect a rewardg simply re member that it was I who done it and be grateful that you have known me. Immediately after examinations in February the candidates for the baseball team had commenced to display their ability in getting whacked on the shins with the ball, in eating dirt as they slid for the bag, in dodging wild pitches, in chasing sky- scrapers, and by the middle of March the nine was about picked. The prospects for a baseball championship were the brightest in years and as the P1fim'et0m'a1z put it, enthusiasm and a greater amount of cheering from the bleachers will insure a victory in every game. So we enthused ,and cheered at the' practice as much as our throats could endure. Speaking of the .P7'i7Z6'EZ'07ZiCZ7Z reminds me that toward the last of March the election of the editors for the '96 board took place. Jake'Beam had been pulling sufficient wires to form an Atlantic cable, hence he was chosen managing editor. Phil Churchman and Gordon Johnston wedged themselves in as associate managers. Phil, I believe, is an expert typesetter, while Gordon positively couldn't be suppressed. Roy Morris became business manager, because Roy is a good all-around man, anyway. Jim Elliott, Randy Graham and Jimmie Small made up the rest of the board. Jimmie Small's claim to a place lay in the fact that he had once played a game with the 'Varsity nine and would make a valuable sporting editor. Jim Elliott achieved renown by a series of articles on the New South. Randy Graham was elected because-well, just be- cause. The chairmanship of the Alumni Pfincezoniczfz fell into the relentless clutches of Pin Dennis, who that spring was beginning the career of enterprise and government which has made him the Cecil Rhodes of our class. On March 29th, the following men were elected from Hz'sZ01j1 qt the Class cf '96, 81 Ninety-Six to compose the board of editors of the Nassau Lizeffavfy Magazine for the ensuing year: Managing editor, A. L. P. Dennis 5 business' manager, H. G. Pierce, associate editors, L. F. Bower, Francis C. McDonald, John -I. Moment, Roland S. Morris, David Potter. I said a few lines back that jake Beam pulled wires and it is a fact that he is all kinds of an agitator. I-Ie is upto any old game if it promises some advantage to J. N. B. One of the things that he agitated in the early spring was that the Freshman baseball team was unable to take care of itself. What they need, quoth Beam, is a junior manager, a man of affairs and of the world, one who knows life and the business centres of the United States. If such a man is not found the Freshman class will certainly be crippled financially before the end of the season. Such a man is me. Of course, as the foxy jake had foreseen, this plan was adopted by the Executive Committee and jake himself was appointed manager of the Freshmen, whereby he obtained divers excursions to Cambridge and New Haven sans expense to himself. An amusement which afforded -boundless amusement to somebody-I do not know to whom-just previous to Easter, was monkeying with the statue of the gladiator in front of the gymnasium. Surely it was not Billy Mitchell who tore loose the gladiator's arm as a souvenir of some joyous occasion. Perhaps it was Phil-but no, he only took a monument from Witherspoon Street-I give it up, anyway. From April 12th to April 16th were our Easter holidays. The baseball nine again won laurels on its southern trip and encouraged us to hope for the best against Yale and Harvard- Pennsylvania was not on our schedule this year. A number of our class heeled the nine during its brief tour, some went home or visiting, more staid right here in Princeton and passed the time away. ' 6 82 Hisloagf Q' the Class Q' '96. One of the first things which engaged our attention after our return from listening to the Palms and other Easter selections, was the new trolley line which threatened to extend its iron vertebra down Nassau Street. What, pass in front of our campus! Could not the iconoclastic hand of civilization leave even these revolutionary elms in tranquillity! Shades of Madison and Freneau, shall they be allowed to desecrate the very spot where once the Continental Congress in mass-meeting assembled ? No, a thousand times, no! Thus spoke our political leaders, professors and others, and a special borough election was-held to put the matter to the present push. Trolley and Anti-trolley were the two parties, and owing mainly to the efforts of some of the Parkhursts in our class the Anti-trolley ticket was elected and the danger thus averted. There was a rumor that tive hundred Dagos were coming up from Trenton to lay the trolley by force, but the fellows were so enthusiastic at the bare idea of a ruction that the rumor came to naught. Marbles now came suddenly in vogue, only Juniors being allowed to play the game, and the phrases of our schoolboy days were resurrected. We again talked wisely of agate's and shooters and alleys and-fftommy-trollers, or quar- relled zealously over f' shoves and fens. In this latter part of April the Relay Race for the class championship cup was held and proved to be one of the most exciting and plucky races ever run in Princeton. Our representatives were Paul, Hanlon, Wilson and Fordyce, and nobody could have put up a liner mile than they did. They did not win the cup, but if you saw that race you will remember that it was not their fault. They won second place, however, after a beautiful struggle from start to finish, and it was universally agreed that Ninety-Six had run the best race, even if they did not capture the prize. ' Princeton debated with Yale in New Haven on May ISt. n Hisiofjx qf the Class QF '96, 83 Our team was made up of two Seniors and one man from our class, R. M. McElroy, says the Pffifzcezonzkzn, the audience, composed chiefly of students, was very appreciative and enthu- siastic. The enthusiasm was manifested by repeated applause before and after each speech. There was fierce cheering on every down, and when Princeton scored a goal the rooters went wild. Seriously, however, that is just what we did-I mean scored a goal-for the debate was decided in favor of Princeton. There was not a bonfire that night to celebrate the victory, nevertheless, we were very proud of our success in the debating arena. May they come early and often. We took an active interest in the coach-line which in early May began to run daily between New York and Philadelphia. The coaching parties stopped to lunch at the Inn, and when the bugle was heard from afar, there would generally be a crowd of Juniors waiting to welcome the travellers and to compare time and distances. Amid all these diversions it must not be supposed that our curriculum duties were neglected-very much. In particular the Scientifs were having quite a Wrastle with Professor Loomis and his Physics. One of the men who devoted con- siderable attention to this course was Judson, Percy Ogden Judson, of East Arlington, Vermont. There were other things he devoted some attention to, also, and one day getting a trifle borey-eyed he sauntered into Physics class and placidly sat down. By and by the Professor innocently asked him a question and getting no intelligible reply, sharply inquired : What's the matter with you, Mr. Judson, anyway? Jud arose to the occa- sion. Keep right on, 'Fessor, he remarked, waving his lily hand in the astonished instructor's face. Keep right on, you're doing well. 'Fessor-keep ri' on. In the second week of May we were overwhelmed with the crowd of events and pretty girls which descended upon us. On 84 HZTf07Q! Q' ike Class gf '96. the night of May Ioth the Senior Dance was danced, and thither resorted many of the lady-killers from our class just to keep their hands in, although I know of no startling results of the evening's pleasure. The following morning the first Dual Games between Princeton and the University of California were run and put and thrown. They proved on the whole very in- teresting, but it was the baseball game with Harvard in the afternoon which absorbed everybody's enthusiasm and hurrah. If you could not afford to have your ff queen down to the dance, why you could ask her down for the Harvard game, you know, and ship her off just as soon as it was over. That is the way Jess Jones did, and that is the course Josie Hoffman fol4 lowed-I know, because Josie told me himself. It's dead easy, said Josie. Well, the baseball game was played and was pro- ductive of much cheering and victory for our side. We cast our voices from Guttenberg to Gloucester and took Harvard into camp to the tune of 7-2. There was, of course, more or less rejoicing over this happy event, and the Senior-singing that night was quite hilarious. H J If I have said nothing hitherto about the Senior-singing it was not because this did not play as important a part in the life of the college as in former years.. As soon as the voice of the duck was heard in the land the singing began, and we listened as of yore. With the smoke from our pipes upward curling we Juniors reclined on the greensward and were lulled by the tender melodies of long ago-some of them very long ago. But then, as has been said already in this volume, your Junior is -always apt to be hypercritical, especially with regard to the quality of the Seniors' songs. However 'that may be, there are some songs which never grow old and of which a Princeton man can never tire. And though Girl Wanted, or All Over Now, or even 'f Rum ske-ho, may lose its savor, yet New Jersee, and the Triangle Song, Orange and the Blackf' and f' Old Histozgf qf the Class qf '96. 85 Nassau, can never sound to unappreciative ears when they are chanted on the steps of Old North. So we listened and criti- cised and applauded, or talked of how we would do it next spring when we should occupy the proud position on the steps as our own peculiar prerogative. The first game with Yale fell due on May 18th, and a goodly number of our class determined to invade old Eli's home as aforetime. We journeyed up on the Fall River line again, but they were prepared for us this time, and a lot of brawny roust- abouts, stevedores and stokers were on hand to guarantee that nobody except themselves should run that boat. They were about right, although enough fun was afloat to relieve the per- ilous voyage from emzzzi. The game took place on schedule time, and was a beautiful exhibition during the whole nine in- nings. It was heart-breaking all the time, for you never could tell but what your side would begin to lam the ball all over the lot at any moment.. There was not much lamming done, how- ever, and we lost the game, I-O. On our return trip to Princeton we felt by no means discouraged-we thought we would cer- tainly have our fun in the next game, which was to be on our own grounds. The annual games with Columbia occurred on the same day as the baseball game with Yale, and though the Princeton men who attended the former did not number into the thou- sands, yet we scored more points than Columbia in spite of the lack of cheerers. For Ninety-Six, Edwards and Hanlon distinguished themselves-Edwards winning the shot-put and Hanlon taking second place in the half-mile run. May 30th was, of course, Memorial Day, and the nine cele- brated the occasion in a fitting manner by defeating Harvard on her own grounds, I4-o. We had expected an easy victory here, so when we .had won the series from Harvard we took it very coolly and no bohfires were held in Princeton. 86 Hisiafjf ry' Zine Clay: Q' '96. I-leigh-ho! are examinations upon us so soon again? How short the spring term has been-here we are at the Finals already, immediately. We have scarcely turned over for a last spring sleep when the chapel bell of exams rouses us from dreams of summer days. Well, I suppose there is nothing else to do but to rise and buckle to it. Courage, classmates all, think how much worse off you were a year before, worse still two years before. This is really the last lap, because next year examinations will be a regular cinch. See the pleasant Haven of Loaf beyond the stormy Poller Sea. Courage, he said, and pointed toward the land, This mounting wave will roll us shoreward, soon. it We had courage and concentrated our minds on Logic-so hard, so hard-also on Polly Con, Physics and Dutch, and struggled to make first group at the last moment. g Some of us succeeded in establishing a record for brilliant scholarship even in arli- culo moriis-more, far more, failed to get past that old standby, third group. There is a difference, by the way, between third groups in under-class years and the third group one gets as a junior or Senior. A lot of fellows did not want me to state this, as it may involve disagreeable explanations at home, but duty is duty, and a historian cannot slight the truth as Billy Sloane has frequently remarked. To return-we encountered the examinations in our usual nonchalant manner and sustained our former brilliant record of exhaustive mentality. Although junior Finals are bound to be easy, as of course, neverthe- less it is safe to say that we were thoroughly glad when they were all over, when they had become only the shadow of a dream. For some time we had been fixing for Yale and met, as pre- arranged, in Princeton on june Sth. There was a lot of noise, of cheers, of pretty girls, of smiles, of songs, of baseball. History ayf the Class QC '96. 87 After the trouble had subsided we discovered we had not won- it was hard to tell how or why. The following Monday, June Ioth, our Junior orators were given their longed-for opportunity. For Weeks the woods had been full of strange, half-demented creatures, wildly crying to the senseless stocks and stones, Curtis Willock, who is very fond of a gun, was roaming down by the canal one morning with his trusty double-barrel on his shoulder when he thought he saw a gigantic bat flapping its wings in the marsh. He -stalked it cautiously, expecting soon to add a new bird to Pat MacLoskie's collection. Imagine his disgust, when just about to shoot, on discovering it was only Charlie Wisner practising his Philippic on the innocent bullfrogs. The contest at length came off and re- sulted thus :--First junior orator medal, J. -I. Moment 5 second, G. H. Waters, third, J. M. Troutg fourth, E. W. Hamiltong MacLean Prize, E. S. Worcester. As far as the curriculm went this contest was the close of the college year for our class, yet there were some things yet for us to do. A good many of us attended the Sophomore reception on Tuesday night and danced till the cool white dawn stole in upon us. Then we lounged on the grass for still another day and heard the Seniors sing for the last time. And then our proud privilege it was to take formal possession of the steps as they filed past after the last song and cheer. In a few heartfelt words the Senior president handed over to us the government of the college. Our president received the sacred trust. An- other cheer and Junior year was over. It had been the best of college years, as we had foreseen. We had enjoyed it to the full and were more in love with dear old Princeton than ever. So we scattered to the four corners of the earth, resolved to live while we lived, to avoid black sor- row for yet many a day, and to make the last long vacation the Blue Flower of them all. Simon Yniirxu. H My four short years in that old college Are of the sweetest of my life, The hours I might have vowed to knowledge Yet which with other things were rife, The glorious games in which l've striven, Convivial joys which laughed between, But best I hold, as half a heaven, The dear old ehns and village green. As Seniors now we do our parts, In making love and winning parts. ON VVednesday of the third week of the ninth month of the year, on September 18, 1895, our class began to re- assemble in this great rural university. I say began ad- visedly, for, like the year before, there was -no hurry. We were Seniors and who would dare say must or shall to Us. We were the king-pins of this college, cocks of the walk, grand Pooh-bahs, high muck-a-mucks, omnipotent rulers Whose word was law in undergraduate matters. We were bosses most emphatically, yet I do not think we swaggered unduly under our Senior responsibilities. All satisfaction at having reached the fourth milestone in college life was tempered with the thought that it was the last stone also. For three months we 'have been loitering by the roadside and now the coach is at the door,-in with you, classmates, there is room for all. One last drink to summer's delights, then the door is slammed, the guard blows his horn, and away we go on the last short stage of C333 'GRAVE OLD SENIORS.H Histofgf ry' Me Class gf '96. 89 our college course. Yes, I admit that those last few lines are modeled after Prexy Patton's remarkable metaphor about the Kantian coach, which he delivered to us in Ethics 3 it is a good one, however, in spite of its derivation. We returned to college largely from a sense of duty to the three lower classes, for we were needed to get the student machinery in running order, but when we were once here we wondered at the reluctance with which we had torn ourselves from the arms of summer. Where is grass so green, where hearts so true, where soft air so serene as it is in Princeton? It was pleasant to revisit the haunts of Junior year, to rally at the Inn, at Dohm's, or even hold an overflow meeting at Scudd's, to roar out what we had done or would do while marching through Princeton, or to chant tune- fully about the ancient faculty that rules the ancient college in New-Jer-see. ' We regarded the Freshmen with curious and wondering eyes. Had we ever been as young and small and green as they ?-Had we really ever been so submissive and subdued in -our demeanor? I trow we had, yet how long, long ago Freshman year seemed, yet how the intervening years had iiown! We were mere children then-we were men now and Oh, ever so much wiser than once we were. The Sophomores also under- went our carefully-disguised inspection. No doubt we had been as arrogant, as bellicose, as careless, as ribboned and buttoned and striped as they 3 we had certainly taken much more pains to annoy the verdant Freshmen-that, too, seemed to have been in some prehistoric period of our existence, an earlier life prior to the transformation of our souls into human bodies. A year before we had hardly been able to realize that we were at last upper-classmeng now as Seniors we had no such difficulty. Seniors grave and old, we were reverenced by all, our opinions deferred to more than they ever will be again, our advice sought by Freshmen, and even the stately Junior 90 Hisiofgf cgf Me Class Qf '96. applied to us for precedent and information concerning college happenings. Who knew just how we did not score in the Yale football game in 7Q2? Who knew just how and why the Honor Systemwas adopted? Who could impart valuable pointers as to the cinch elective? Why, the Senior, of course, and the Senior only. If aiire was to be built, a mass-meeting to be convened, a resolution to be passed, the Seniors fprojected, arranged and consummated the whole plan. Truly, we were the lords .of creation! During the iirst few days of the term many tales, more or less credible, were told of adventures which happened in the past summer. Some of the yarns were funny, some romantic and some just plain lies-of whatever brand they were they all furnished an opportunity for a that reminds me, and then we would get another one from somebody. One of the stories related was about Rolla Wilson. At the close of college the preceding june, Rolla had obtained possession of a minister's railroad pass to Denver, made out in the name of the Reverend Doctor Marteen,,and armed with this he started for Pike's Peak. Well, you know that Rolla doesn't look, speak, act or Z'hZ'7Zk like a theological student, and every conductor who inspected his pass was more than suspicious of the identity of the Reverend Mar- teen. He went along safely, however, until he had left St. Louis on Sunday morning, when the trouble began. The conduc- tor had passed through the smoking-car, where Wilson hap- pened to be, and the reverend doctor thought he would be un- molested for a while. So he begana quiet game of poker with three Pittsburg drummers and was just getting interested when he felt a tap on the shoulder and looked up to see the astounded conductor. You a minister, play cards and on Sunday? gasped the astonished official. You know Rolla always has something to say, and, although taken aback, he responded coolly, 'f Sir, I do not wonder at your astonishment, but the Hzkiory qf Zke Class qf '96. QI explanation is simple. These three men were playing the game and would not listen 'to my persuasions to desist, therefore I joined with them in their godless recreation, hoping to shame them into ceasing. The conductor was only half convinced: Young man, said he, I am surprised in you. I do not believe you came 'by that ticket rightfully, but there is an emi- grant car on this train, and if you can hold divine service for them I won't put you off. l This was more than Wilson had bar- gained for, yet there was no way out of it, so he went forward cheerfully with the conductor to find the emigrants. He was gone about half an hour and then came back looking much relieved. It's all right, is it? inquired one of the drummers. How'd you make out? Yes, all right, answered Rolla. I could preach first rate, but coulcln't pray worth a --. Sam Miller was mixed up in a weird adventure, the details of which cannot be accurately learned. Horse-races and girls and bets and candy were mingled in one delicious maze in the centre of which was the gentle Sam. Sam, you know, is a professed masher, a genuine double-dyed lady-killer, although he never does any more than just squeeze their hands. Sam, how about those thirty-five pounds of Huyler's best which you lost at the Greensburg fair and paid to the fair of Greensburg ? Be sure, your sins will find you out, Samuel. Thirty-five pounds! Now, O Muse, lend me thine aid and bear thither a pen from many-peaked Olympus-a quill from the wing of the eagle, the bird sacred to cloud-compelling Zeus! I sing of arms and heroes, of deeds more fell than the battle of the centaurs, of an adventure as perilous as the Wandering of Odysseus-I mean the Princeton Geological Expedition to the West in the summer of 1895. First, then, will I name the god-like men from our class: Sam Davis, the only living pen- sum, Pin Dennis, king of the universe 3 Bert Milbank, oscu- 92 Hz'si07j1 ff the Class qt' '96. latory champion of the Bannock Indians, Peter Pierce, hand- somer than sin 3 jack Scheide, the modern Dr. johnson. Well, this redoubtable aggregation started West shortly after the close of college. The first thing of note occurred a few miles beyond Chicago, where Bert exercised his fascinations on a rosy country lass to such good effect that she staid on the train for fifty miles, 'fjust to be able to kiss that lovely Mr. Milbank. In due time the expedition arrived in Wyoming, and went to roughing it in regular style. They lived on whatever they could carry and depended somewhat on hunting and fishing. In this latter art Jack Scheide was very proficient, and used to catch large strings. Now jack is very fond of big words and uses, them whenever he gets a chance, without regard for man or devil, so one day, after he had caught several huge fish, he returned to camp and hold- ing up his bunch exclaimed, gleefully-'f Hey, fellows, see what an epistolary cuspidorian I am ! I-Ie meant piscatorial custo- dian, but even that was bad enough. You may not be aware that Pin Dennis never drinks whiskey, because it makes him sick, ex- cept occasionally. One of these occasionals was in the howling, shoot-iirst--and-ask-afterward town of Dayton. In this place Pin made the acquaintance of the newspaper editor and this individual invited him into the Red Onion Saloon to have a drink. The editor was tall and fierce-looking and carried a huge revolver in his belt and Dennis did not dare refuse. Into the Red Onion they went and the editor ordered up two whiskeys, the genuine blue murder and vitriol kind, and Pin, gritting his teeth, managed to swallow his portion. Have another F said the editor. f' No, no, thank you, responded Pin. Have an- other ? urged the editor with his hand at his belt. Dennis yielded gracefully and gulped down a second whiskey in sheer desperation. By this time he was so ill he could hardly stand and looked pale as a ghost. Escaping from his hospitable friend as soon as possible, he returned to the shanty Where the party I Ifiszfovgf ry' the Class qf '96, 93 was lodged, entering they room with his face White and drawn. What's the matter, Pin, exclaimed everybody, are you sick ? Pin's pride was up in arms: No, oh no, he gasped, fair- haired people never tan, you know-fair-haired people never tan. There is not space to relate all the adventures of the Princeton Geological Expedition-how they discovered Mount McCosh and the Princeton Trail, how they dodged the hostile Bannocks in Jackson's Hole 5 even how Sam Davis and Bob Little were de- tected shooting big game out of season and were pursued over the border by the Governor of Wyoming and his militia-these things must be passed over in regretful silence. Such were some of the incidents in which our class had been mixed up in the summer, but their name was legion and they Were like grasshoppers for multitude. We had all started out with the full intention of having a royal time in our last vacation and, succeeding in this, we had made the name of Princeton and Ninety-Six respected Wherever we Went. The chief thing, however, which seems to have engaged the atten- tion of many, both gospel-sharks and sports, loafers and pollers, was that which makes the world go round-I do not mean drink or even money, but love, sweet love. This sounds rather senti- mental and so it is-I am quoting Clarence johnson. we have a song which goes like this : ' 'L As Seniors now we do our parts, F01 de roll, de rol rol rol, In making love and winning hearts, F01 de roll, de rol rol rol. There is a tender airy grace in this rhyme which is peculiarly appropriate to the action of some of the fellows, for that is just what they did. I will have more to say on this touching subject in another place. Scarcely had the class become re-established in Old Nassau when the baseball games for the class championship began. Q4 History Q' the Class Q5 '96-. - Ninety-Six was represented by the following team: Titus, catcher 5 Wayave, second base, Gunster, third base, Ward, short-stopg Cross, centre tieldg Bruen, left field, Orr, first base 3 Potter, right field, Carnochen, pitcher. These men mixed themselves up conspicuously in the conflict and excited more enthusiasm than any of our class teams since Freshman year. When the tense strain of emotion always attendant on these games had been relaxed, these scores were the result : '96 vs. '98 ------- 3- I '96 vs. ,QQ - - 4- 8 '95 VS- ,97 ' - - '- 9' 7 '95 VS- '97 ----'- 4-I3 The class games being over we had an opportunity to look about us and see where we were at, in other words, that is to say Cwide any of Daniel's lecturesj we had time to observe who of our fellows were at the head of the various 'organizations peculiar to the college. First as to the periodicals-the Prime- zfafzizm was managed by Beam' and the Lit by Dennis. Only two of our class fell into the facetious maw of the Tzlgwg these were Sally Bostwick, who became business manager, and Ralph Perry--the latter developed into a remarkable paraphraser and convulsed the undergraduate body with his comic GJ sketches. In the musical line-Jack Kerr had sung a giddy first tenor for three long years 5 he had shrieked at the dress circle and flirted with the boxes from Massachusetts Bay to the 'Golden Gate, and from the Great Lakes to the Montezumas-he' deserved the leadership of the Glee Club and it was awarded him amid general approbation. R. D. Smith, known familiarly as the tiger-lily of Binghamton or just plain Posy, received his due in the first place of the Banjo Club. The Mandolin Club needed a man to govern it who possessed peculiar qualities. He must be Hrm, but not too much so lest he should fret the strings, he Hislovjf Qf Ike Class QC '96, 95 must be able to bridge over all difficulties and not pick at the players continuallyg he must be sufficiently good-looking to conciliate the audience, yet not handsome enough to distract attention from the music. A harmonious combination of all these requisites was found in Scott McLanahan, and he took possession of the leader's chair. The Football Team had Bert Milbank for its manager and Biffy Lea made a noble captain. Beef Turner became manager of the Track Team, and being an eminent tumbler, trapeze performer, dumb-bell expert, hori- zontal-bar artist, wrestling champion and general gymnastic shark, he was elected Captain of the Gym Team. Somebody appointed Paul Weed treasurer of this latter organization and he fulfilled his duties to the satisfaction of all. jim Elliott took charge of the finances of the Baseball Association and hustled as lively and cheerful as ever. The Gun Club found its cham- pion in Curtis Willock, who has probably ruined more clay pigeons than any living man, and to him fell the captaincy of the double-barrelled brigade. Danny Delahanty Glenn, the Irish comedian, had been playing in the Princeton stock com- pany for several years and was at length deemed Worthy of a leading part-he became president of the Triangle Club and at once began to rehearse for the Mummy, The Whist Club has, during the last decade, held only one tournament and that is still in progress, there must be someone, however, to give out notices and sign per order -Frank Ward assumed the responsibility. Jimmie Cochran was elected president of the Philadelphian Society and director of Murray Hall. The Mona day Night Club, that collection of brilliant minds Qand Tommy Leonardj, was effectually engineered by Ed. Hamilton. There is one institution which I see has been omitted, one scintillating light not yet turned on. I would be doing the class and college, as well as the institution himself, a gross injus- tice did I fail to mention that lily-loo bird from Chicago, that 96 Hz'sZ01g1 QF Zize Class W '96. large and square son of old Nassau, David Richard Fentress. Dick came out gleamingly, even for him, in the first week or two of the term. He appointed himself chief coach of the football eleven 5 he developed into a winning orator in Whig Hall 5 he whooped things up in all kinds of ways, but especially as a leader of triple cheers he made himself notorious. The way his arms would work on the Princeton! Princeton! Princefon! Why don't you fellows make more noise there, you aren't cheer- ing a little bit, was a pleasure to see, and his voice was like a trumpet peal of victory--for his voice, you know, is as loud as his shirt and his socks 5 yes, as loud as Charlie Henshaw. In curriculum matters we enjoyed a wider latitude than ever before. Ethics was the only required study, and by elect- mg the other six judiciously any kind of a course could be secured--literary, biological or plain snap The civil engi- neers were delivered over to the tender mercies of Big Mack, and Roofs and Bridges seven hours a week prematurely aged many an industrious youth. You can always tell a C. E. man, he looks so sourballed-witness Frank Stewart and Arthur Winter, not to mention Dutch Kurtzeborn and Arthur Brown and John Kilpatrick. Ethics under President Patton provided the most amusement for the class at large, and was attended by an enthusiastic throng, so large was the crowd that the President had to address us frequently on subjects quite aside from the categorical imperative-a special spotter had also to be engaged. Several new faces were noticed in our class at this time. They were mostly A. B.'s from Tarkio, Missouri, or Albia, Iowa, or Chingchang, China, men who had learned all that could be taught them in Grove City College or the University of Oklahoma, and had come on to Princeton for afinal batch of knowledge. Among these newcomers were john Calvin French, Jr., Joseph Herbert Stopp and jesse Rhinehart Zeigler. joe Stopp and John French are nice quiet boys, who quickly N ,af HiSf07jl of Ike Class cyf '96. 97 imbibed the Princeton spirit and made patriotic sons of Nassau. jesse Zeigler is notable in another way, I mean as a poet. Even now the fact is not commonly known that he has composed poetry GD that would make the gargoyles on Alexander Hall shed briny tears. Here is a specimen which he actually had the presumption, the unmitigated nerve, to send to a member of the neighboring college : There's a girl down at Evelyn, who wears a plaid cape, I adore her, yet she knows it not, And I am always round there devilin', but dare not let a word escape For fear I might perhaps be shot. By the musical rhymes of Frank McDonald, now isn't that disgusting! The 'Varsity football squad had begun earnest work imme- diately after the opening of college, and by the middle of October the indications were promising. The material on hand seemed rather scant, but Lea devoted himself to his task and we knew that he, if it were possible, would make us champions once again. Besides Lea, who played in his old position of tackle, our class was represented by Bill Hearn, who astonished the world at left end. jim Knight also played end for a while with considerable dash and skill. The Fall Handicap Games were held on October 19th. I cannot say that they were very interesting, except, possibly, to the Freshmen. These games are really designed more to give the track magnates an opportunity to study the Freshmen ma- terial, than for anything else. Of course there is a 'financial consideration also, although the gate receipts are seldom half as large as they ought to be-but I digress. The games took place as stated and the old standbys of our class were again in evi- dence as point-winners, Hanlon, Fordyce, Edwards and Wilson all securing places. ' 7 98 Hz'si01jf of the Cfass zyf '96, The class football games were next endured with even more than their usual hurry, flurry, skurry, worry and uncer- tainty. Teams were picked up anywhere and anyhow, and played at any old time. This year -there was very little interfe- rence on the part of the spectators-no touchdowns, were made with their aid as had been the case the previous year. ,The record of our representatives was not phenomenal, although some very good work was done-two tie games and one hard- fought defeat was the net result. For three years the Freshman-Sophomore cane-spree had been held in broad daylight on the 'Varsity grounds. This year it occurred to some of the leading spirits in our class that it would be a highly interesting and romantic affair to have the spree at night, as was the custom of yore. The Wire-pulling and mass-meeting and resolution-passing began, and ended in permission from the Faculty to hold the cane-spree in front of Witherspoon, provided the Senior class would guarantee that there would be no rushes between the Freshmen and Sophomores. Well, we guaranteed that, and the spree was held according to .the ancient programme, minus the ancient roughness. Thus, although Ninety-Six has seen the disappearance of many old- time customs, the moonlight cane-spree owes its revival to us. Another thing, and one of far more importance, which was revived about this time, was the annual game of football with Harvard. Since '89 we had been endeavoring in vain to arrange a game with the crimson, at last they agreed to meet us in Princeton, on November 2, 1895. .It was commonly believed that our eleven was weak and unable to beat eggs, but We had confidence in our captain, and having seen the team practise a few days before the game, we were willing to take a few 3 to I. November 2d was a day of genuine Princeton fall weather, wet underfoot and overhead and damp everywhere. But the stands at the 'Varsity grounds were crowded and merrily we cheered Hisiofgf mf zfhe Clays of '96. Q9 and sang They had never bucked the Princeton tiger. Prince- ton has never been defeated in football on her own grounds, and this is' one of the times she wasn't. Who will ever forget that game? How Harvard seemed to outplay us all during the first half 3 how in the second We broke through their line at will, the heart-breaking runs and the low, fierce tackles! It was a game to remember and to dream of. What wonder that-we sang Biff ran, Bill ran, the Harvard men they lost their grip, for when it was over, the score stood 12-4 and we had won ! The gubernatorial election which occurred a few days later was a most momentous occasion, not only because of the elec- tion of john W. Griggs to the position of ff ex-ojicio presi- dent of the Board of Trustees, but also because of the dis- tinguished figure cut by Senator William Mayo Atkinson. The Republican and Democratic clubs and committees had been very active through the early autumn. They had had speeches and mass-meetings and bands, and the Democrats had had Willy Atkinson. Atkins, the Thomas Platt of Princeton, the Matthew Quay of Nassau Hall, the greatest political boss since the days of Tweed! On election day Willy went from precinct to pre- cinct, and from poll to poll with his private lawyer and half a dozen town heelers at his back, confident that his presence alone would be sufficient to turn the scale. It was, it was! and for the first time -in thirty years a Republican governor was chosen in New jersey. The annual debate with Yale was the next thing of note. Our class was represented by Ed Hamilton and Bob McElroy, and when Yale came down to face them in Alexander Hall we were all on hand to encourage the gallant team. Alas, it was Yale's year this time, and something went wrong-probably McElroy got his speech mixed up with some other debate he was ,preparing-at any rate we lost by a narrow margin. . Somewhere about this period Mother Weistling made a dis- IOO Hz'st01g1 gf Me Class Qt '96. covery concerning his wearing apparel. A good many of us had made the discovery about him. three years before, but we do not always say what we would like to say to a classmate, so we had suffered in silence. As I remarked, however, Weis's eyes were opened at last and he' wrote a letter home. This was how it read : ' Dear Faflzer.--Please send me nine more undershirts as soon as pos- sible-most of the fellows have ten. CHARLIE. Hygienic Fred Leas says he cannot see anything in this story-there is one there, nevertheless. November 23d was the fatal day, the day we went up to New York to play Yale a football game. We had slain john Harvard, we were fairly confident that we could take the scalp of old Eli. Bets were taken in reckless style and the whole college was at Manhattan Field with palpitating and eager hearts. It was a grand game, of that there can be no doubt, and the luck was really against us, yet in spite of all it looked for a while in the second half as if we might win. Kismet, Kismet, it was fate! In vain our gallant tigers fought the ball down the field and over the line, our doom for that time was sealed. 20-IO was the melancholy burden of our thoughts as we took the special train for Princeton. That was about the only thing we did take, however, for everyone had blundered and the financial deficit was almost unprecedented. Even the Senior Dance, which was to have taken place in early December, had to be postponed until our class had an opportunity to recover breath. After the Yale game there was a soft and dreamy hush over our life for several days. The attendance at the Inn 0' nights was strictly limited-limited to the faithful few, such as Harry Bergen, Macy Brooks, Billy Fisher and Booth Barrett, whom no turn of fortune can deter. If we win, they celebrate, and if Hixiow gf Me Class q' '96, IOI we lose they drown their sorrow-in winter a stein will warm you up and in summer it cools you off, you know. This is the doctrine of Harry- Bergen and he illustrates it by precept and example, and thereby hangs a tale. In the early autumn, when the Cambridge track athletes were in this country they had been offered the use of' our 'Varsity field as a training ground, and some time later, in acknowledgment of the courtesy, had pre- sented the Class of Ninety-Six with a silver stein. Ugh, said Booth Barret, when he heard of the gift, what does our class Want of another stein-haven't we Harry Bergen P As I was saying, Princeton was not particularly hilarious subsequent to November 23d, for a fortnight or so, and in this interval arrangements were consummated for Senior Class 'elec- tions. They were held on December 4th and in Examination Hall as usual, in spite of the opposition of Uriah Heep Os- borne. The Preliminary Committee carefully removed those one-hundred-and-sixty-dollar Qcentj busts and the class was turned loose in there at seven P.M. That was truly an auspicious occa- sion. Football games and Wild West shows helped to pass the time away. jack 'Crispin appointed himself ,Class Wizard and soon became renowned by his feats of legerdemain and his brave work at bull in the pen. Skinny Hall used his forehead as a skate and slid around the room. Dutch Hagar collided with a chair-rung during the festival and the subsequent proceedings interested him no more. Perhaps the most interesting affair of the evening was the series of rushes between the 'T Psi Us and the Phi Beta Kappasf' The Privzceionian remarked the next day: Of course there was a great. deal of horse-play and some roughness, but on the whole it is what must be expected and affords- great relief to what would otherwise be a very monoto- nous night. As usual the P7'i7Z6Ef07ZZ'6Z7Z was correct, and in spite of the horse-play a large amount of business was accom- plished. IO2 HZTf07jl Qf the Class :yt '96, The following are the men who were elected to iill the various class positions 2 Presz'dem'.-Albert G. Milbank, New York. Masfer of Ceremarziex.-Edward B. Turner, Iowa. Secremry.-Charles B. Bostwick, New York. Omior.-john I. Moment, Ontario. Past.-Francis C. MacDonald, Pennsylvania. hfisloffian.-David Potter, New jersey. Ivy Orafovf.-Edward W. Hamilton, New York. Prermtaizbfz Omfor.-David Fentress, Illinois. Prophet.-Roland S. Morris, California. Censor.-Wallace D. McLean, District of Columbia. WaslLz'1zgz'on's Bzkfhday Omtor.-Alexander N. Easton, New jersey. C lass Q' '76 Prize Debater.-Robert McN. McElroy, Missouri. Nassau Herald Commzfiee.-William E. Lampe, Maryland, Edward K. Mills, New jersey, Thomas Galt, Jr., Illinois, Ralph E. Urban, Penn- sylvania. Ode Commiiiee.-john C. Kerr, New Jersey, Alfred G. Killmer, New Jersey, Francis C. MacDonald, Pennsylvania, William W. Leonard, Mary- land. Zllemorial Commzffee.-Francis O. Allen, Pennsylvania, John P. Erd- man, New Jersey, Macy Brooks, Pennsylvania, H: Gordon Pierce, New York, Paul Tillinghast, New jersey. Class Day Conzmzffee.-Scott McLanahan, Pennsylvania, Arthur Gunster, Pennsylvania, Woodward K. Greene, Iowa, john C. Kerr, New jersey, james I. Elliott, Tennessee, Hugh W. Barnett, Ohio, Frederick M. Paul, New Jersey, Edward B. Hodge, New jersey, Minot C. Morgan, New York, Henry W. Coulter, Pennsylvania, jacob N. Beam, 'Pennsylva- nia, john H. Scheide, Pennsylvania, john R. Delaiield, New York, Alfred L. P. Dennis, New York, james D. Small, Maryland, Talbot E. Pierce, District of Columbia, Gordon Johnston, Alabama, Brutus I. Clay, Ken- tucky, Benjamin Dangeriield, Jr., Pennsylvania, james C. Cochran, New Jersey. During the past three months, while their comrades had been engaged in playing, or Watching others play, the glorious game of football, the University Glee, Banjo and Mandolin Clubs had been practising faithfully. The following were the Hz'st01j1 fy' Zhe Class fy' '96. IO3 new '96 men on the clubs: P. H. Churchman and I. D. Jones, both second tenors, W. Leonard and A. G. Killmer, second bassos g K. R. Kingsbury and F. T. Saussy, banjos. In addition to these there were two specialists, vaudeville performers to win the sympathy of the top gallery, namely, Wallace McLean and john Kilpatrick. The former's chaff afceuwfe was The Colored Baptism, while the 'fonly Killy relied on Delsarte to move the masses. On December 18th the Christmas holidays began, and two days previous the Glee Club Organization started on its southern trip. Leaving Washington they went south by way of Richmond, Charleston and Savannah to jacksonville and St. Augustine 5' thence westward through Atlanta and Mobile to New Orleans, then northward to Cincinnati, Cleveland and Buf- falo, taking in Memphis and Nashville enpassant. All these places were visited without a hitch, for Woody Greene, who was manager, saw to that. The audiences, to be sure, were not stu- pendous, 'but there was just as much fun-and that's no lie. I cannot pretend to mention half the adventures which befell our peregrinating Seniors, or rather the scrapes into which they plunged, but a few specimens might be in order. It was in Charleston that jack Kerr made a mistake which nearly cost him his life in that city of colonels and fiery fluids. You see, it was the custom at the close of each concert for the Glee Club to give a cheer for the city in which they happened to be, so in Charleston, after the clubs had rendered Dinah Doh in their best manner, John Kerr stepped to the front. Now, fellows, he yelled, let's have a strong cheer for the queen city of the South, all together, a triple cheer for Rich- mond! It took john half the night to explain to the Charles- ton alumni that the error was not intentional nor meant as a deliberate insult to the town. The Charleston Yacht Club gave a reception to our fellows after the concert, and Wallace McLean was there-so was the punch until after Wallace IO4 Hz'sZ01gf ay' Ike Class W' '96. appeared. How heartily you cheered on the street car that night, didn't you, Wallace? Phil Churchman stood by you nobly, however, and you lived to become the Albert Chevalier of Princeton. Way down in Tennessee, Fred Saussy got in his good work, although it is said he met his fate in Atlanta-but I am speak- of the time he had in Memphis. Saussy went to a tea there and fell very much in love with the graces of a witching dark- eyed Southern girl. By-and-bye his charmer prepared to leave, and the gallant Sauce insisted upon seeing her home. He hired a cab and off they drove. After riding some distance Sauce could not restrain his emotion and admiration of his com- panion, and turning to her he exclaimed : Oh, you are just the prettiest girl I ever saw. Why, Mr. Saussy, said the sur- prised beauty, 'f what do you mean ? ff You are just the pret- tiest girl I ever saw, answered Sauce, imperturbably. ff How dare you, sir, cried the offended fair one. Oh, you are just the prettiest girl I ever saw, quoth the other. And that was the only expression Saussy used during the drive of three miles. The last words the girl heard, as she fled up the steps into her home, being a remark to the effect that she was the most lovely female he had ever perceived. In St. Augustine, Alfred Killmer, now known as Klimper the drowned man, nearly found a watery grave. I-Ie, with sev- eral others, on the day of their arrival in the ancient city, went to look at the swimming pool of the 'f Alcazar. A row of rings was suspended over the pool and someone dared Kill to swing himself across, clothed as he was. Kill declared he would not be bluffed, and started over. He reached the middle all right, but at this point his-strength gave out and he could get no fur- ther. I-Ie clung desperately to the rings, unable to go backward or forward. I-Ielp! he screamed, help me down, I'll spoil my best clothes! It was impossible to reach him, and with a .H-Z'5f07j! mf the Class cyf '96. IOS cry of rage and fear he dropped into the depths below. He came up throwing his hands wildly about and yelling for help, for al- though he can swim he was so rattled he lost his nerve. It took some time for the bystanders to realize that he was really drown- ing, and when poor Killmer was at last rescued he was almost dead. The next day the St. Augustine papers contained a full ac- count of The Foolhardy Deed of a Princeton Studentg Young Klimper's Narrow Escape. Many other little incidents occurred on the trip-there was the famous utterance of Skinny Baylis 1 Say, Pat, am I going to do all the hard work ? -there was the time Tommy Cadwalader played football in Buffalo and would give his silk muffler to the Irish terrier g there was that horrible moment when Aleck Fordyce Cnot four aces j discovered he was paralyzed 5 also there was the serenade by R. D. Smith. During the stay at New Orleans, Smithy became enamored of a fair Creole and on the night of the concert started out with his banjo to serenade her. He didn't know much about the city but found the French quarter, and after some difficulty located the house of his adored, or thought he did. So he tuned up and commenced to sing a lot of tender melodies, Way down on the Old Plantation, 'f Nelly Gray, ff Dearest Mae, and a swarm of other darkey songs, for they are the only kind Posy knows. At first there came no response from the window of his Juliet, but just as the enamorado was pathetically wailing Old Dan Tucker, he was thrilled with these words delivered in a hoarse tone from the house of the Creole GD g Yeh Stonewall Jackson Crow, yeh, ef yeh don' g'way from dat windah mighty quick, I'll sen' mah husban' out dar t'carb yeh to de heart. Yeh loafin' laz' niggah, yeh. The romance ended right there. While the representatives of our class were cutting a wide swath in the Sunny South, the rest of us were enjoying ourselves all over this broad land. It was our very last Christmas vacation and, although the thought was depressing, we did not let it IO6 HZAJIOYQI qf Ike Class ry' '96. intrude itself very often-we ate, drank and were merry before to-morrow came. Foremost among the revellers were Billy Reed and Walter Titus. These two were members of a house-party in Peekskill, and aided in making things very lively. One after- noon, however, the fun grew rather dull and a certain coquettish queen QQ began to jolly Tite about various idiosyncrasies he has 3 finally Tite became angry and determined to have revenge. Drawing Billy Reed aside he proposed a villainous scheme. That girl is too fresh, growled Walter. Y ou and I will draw lots, and the man who gets the short piece must kiss her first. The other fellow will fall right in line. See ! Billy agreed, and the iirst lot came to him. Now, Billy Reed is a poor hand at this sort of thing, and is liable to get 'fcold feet at critical moments. However, he mustered up his courage and approached the unconscious victim. He was so bashful and hesitant that the girl detected his purpose and repulsed him with a scream. Billy retreated for re-inforcements. I-Iully gee, Tite, he gasped, I can't kiss that girl-just look at her face. Tite, however, is one of the nerviest devils in the world. Ah, go on, he said, in that soft tone he uses, Watch me do it. So saying, he rushed upon the lady like a thousand of brick, and grasping her firmly round the neck and shutting his eyes, he kissed her a dozen times. That same day he left for home. The Christmas holidays ended on january 2d, and most of us were on hand in good time to register. Our promptness was due largely to the fact that we began to realize how short was the time remaining to us in this dear old college, how brief the period of fun and frolic and work and toil here in Princeton. It took us only a day to settle down again, to discard store clothes, put on our golties and feel at home. At this time a meteor was suddenly projected into the social firmament of the town-not the college. When our dazzled eyes had recovered from the brilliant glare, we saw to our astonishment that it was one we Hislofgf Qf like Class qf '96. IO7 knew and had talked with, namely, Bob Brace, the Ward McAl- lister of Mercer County. Such notices as these appeared in the P1fi1zceI07zP1'es.r under Happenings in the Haut Ton. The cotillion at Penn's Neck was superbly led by Mr. Robert Walter Brace'of Princeton University, assisted by Miss Ara- minta Huskings. Mr. Brace is a chic and accomplished dancer. The cake-walk held in Odd Fellows' Hall last evening was a most successful affair. The walk was ably conducted by Mr. R. Walter Brace. Society Brace was certainly a unique success. Ian, 27-Feb. 5, Term Examinations. Thus reads the catalogue calendar of 1896, and such was the fact. There was very little else going on at this time and we really attended to the matter on hand. jurisprudence and Art and Poetics re- ceived the devotion of many, and Roman Law made some of our legal lights turn blue and burn long. The B. S. men, who ordinarily have a very easy time of it, were compelled to get a lively hustle on their Quantitative Chemistry and weighed and precipitated faster than ever. Every civil engineer, who had nothing else to fear, fell to boot-licking assiduously and studied Roofs! and Bridges till the very sky seemed sup- ported on trusses. In the examination in Physical Geography Pierre Ward discovered that he knew nothing about the ques- tions asked. He altered the pledge to suit his case and handed in his paper. This was the way the statement read: - I pledge my honor as a gentleman that, during this ex- amination, I have not given assistance. The instructor happened to glance at this just as Pierre was walking out and called him back. Mr. Ward, he asked, I am sorry to see that your pledge is not correct. Is this intentional ? Yes, sir, responded Pierre, look inside -sixteen blank pages was all the assistance received. It is a long lane that has no turning and Examination Lane was not a very hard road to travel upon this occasion. We IOS ffislofjf fy: the Class Q' '96, knew what we knew and were able to say it in words suited to the habit of the professor in whose subject we were being ex. amined. If it was History under W. M. Sloane we wandered from the Atlantic Ocean to the setting sun and from the South Pole to the Aurora Borealis. If it was Law under Woodrow Wilson- we set our feet down carefully and kept to the narrow way. If it, was Ethics under Dr. Patton we talked largely and vaguely of the Sense of Oughtness and the derivation of the Good-the more verbiage the better. As intimated a few lines above, Examination Lane turned at last and we entered the pleasant flowery fields of the second term. A Almost the first thing that leaped upon us was the Baird Prize Contest in Oratory, Poetry, and Disputation, which took place on February 6th, It is safe to say that never was such a torrent of words, such a cataclysm of eloquence poured forth upon an awe-struck people as was delivered by the competitors for the Baird Prizes. The poetry also was equal to Alfred Aus- tin's-I compare the poetry to Austinfs because I know that Frank McDonald admires him more than any other poet, living or dead. The Baird Prize was awarded to I. M. Trout, his ora- tion, U Hebraism and Culture, being one of the most notable of the age. John Moment is a born orator, and before his burning speech such men as Gough and Beecher and Depew must pale, for he unites the best points of all three-his Conservatism Won the prize for Oratory. One of the most graceful and accom- plished men in the class is Ralph 'Barton Perry-by means of his f' Culture he secured the prize for the best Delivery. The first Disputation prize was given to that professional debater, R. M. McElroy. The second Disputation prizecame to A. N. Easton, although how he happened to be there in time is a mys- tery. The Heart of the Old Oak Tree was the poem which had first place, and F. C. McDonald was, of course, the distin- guished author. Hz'sf01j1 W' Ike Class of '96, 109 Matters resumed their wonted course for a while, and our work was by no means arduous. Byron Northrup became known as the human fly, and for lack of other amusement practised walking up walls with phenomenal results. Joe Crawford, as boss of the Class Album Committee, made himself feared and respected throughout the entire college. Kid Cross delivered his famous speech on the Hpotsherd with increased fervor and vehemence. Brat Fisher continued to sing In Chine, in Chine with as much eclcizf as at first. Roy Leas was discovered alone in front of Old North, peevishly throwing pebbles at the erratic boulder from Neuchatel, and muttering over and over again, I haven'tihad a blame thing to do all day. The hours passed rapidly enough, however, and Washington's Birthday was again on time. On the night of the 21st many of us sallied out to partici- pate in any excitement which might be rife on the campus, but the old days were evidently dead. No frightened Freshman lied for his life along the street, no savage Sophomore guarded every corner, no jovial Junior swaggered from post to post. Since we could not look at other people's fun we devised a little on our own account. That night we attended a dozen spreads, and many a poller's sleep was broken by a gentle knock at his door. Over and over again we heard the magniloquent speech about 'fthrusting forth your hand into the cold refrigerator of the vast beyond, and how no man shall cross the Styx until he give a triple cheer for Princeton. February 22d-could it really be three years since we had first gone through the exercises held to commemorate that truly extraordinary event ? Again we were massed in a body and sat in the gymnasium on the side reserved for us. We were the cynosure of all eyes, for was not the entire affair especially de- signed for our sakes P The very walls above our heads proclaimed who and what we were. We contemplated the horseplay of the IIO Hz':!01fJf cf Zhe Class W' '96. under-classmen with. an amused glance and remembered when we had been as much in earnest, as anxious to put up and tear down banners as they were. We did not shrink from horse ourselves, but it was all in fun and good-fellowship, We handed each other up and down the benches, and had series of special chairs, one for Politician Atkinson, for Bob Patton, for Roy Morris and others 5 besides there were the deevils with the women and similar celebrities. After the three other speeches and much musicQ?j Milbank presented Aleck Easton, the late Mr. Easton, the president of the Byhind Club, the man who spent so much time in the Infirmary, you know. Aleck had neglected to write his 'speech until the night before, but when he turned loose on His Country's Pop, you might have thought it had been printed for years and the place rang with laughter inextinguishable. We sat and heard the gags of Fresh- man year and other times revived-we laughed while we still could feel merry, for this was our last Washington's Birthday celebration, as a class. ' Shortly after an event came to pass, the prospect of which had been disturbing the peace of mind of our class during almost four years. We had heard about it, we had sighed for it, but we had come to believe it would never be done in our day. The Brokaw Memorial Building was opened at last ! Incredible as it may seem this is actually what happened. In that building there is a room, in that room there is a tank, in that tank there is some water, and in that water many of our class were often found. The swimming-tank did, indeed, prove to be a delightful addition to the college curriculum, stunts of all kinds were invented and practised, and Macy Brooks, Brownie Orr, Nigger Barnett, Al Payne and Mother Weistling became wonderfully expert at the ff turn-dive, the 'fswing-dive, the bird's-nest, and feats equally dangerous-Kenneth Kingsbury was another trap artist Cnitj. Hislosjf :yr the Class Qjc '96. III Lectures both required and those delivered in Alexander Hall now occupied our time. Among the latter, discourses on the cathode ray and the theory of acting furnished most amusement-instruction is a better world. In..the required line, the studies standing out prominently in that sea of knowledge were Justinian's Institutes, Histology, Common Law and one other. You may be surprised that Prose Fiction and Evidences of Christianity are not included in the list, but it goes without saying that everybody elected Prose Fiction who possibly could, for a more fascinating course is not given in this college, unless it be Poetics of the previous term. As for Evidences, when I say that there were no cuts taken I say sufficient. The one other study just mentioned is 'f The Harmony of Science and Revealed Religion. There is really some excellent instruction on Biblical matters afforded in Senior year, and Science and Religion is the best of all. I affirm most heartily that Dr. Shield's lectures were superb in language and style, but Ninety- Six contains more horsers than any other class ever did, and a fair proportion was on hand at those four o'clock discourses. They whistled, they informed the Professor of the time, they spoke right out in meeting, they called each other out of class, they sang Throw out the life-line ! O, they were a real tough gang. ' In early March we held a hotly-contested debate with Har- vard. The preliminary contest had taken place several weeks previous, and the following men had been selected to talk for old Nassau: R. M. McElroy, F. W. Loetscher, Herbert Ure. They went up to Cambridge and the forensic struggle with the crim- son was waged to the bitter end. Fred Loetscher poured out his words so recklessly that the judges could not understand him, and chiefly on this account we did not win-the debate being awarded with hesitation to Harvard. The 'Varsity baseball team was by this time well selected 112 Hz'st01g1 fyf Ike Class of '96, and three men from Ninety-Six secured positionsj Arthur Gunster retained his old place at third base, playing better than ever. Pierre Ward received his rightful due, and made the best short-stop of the season. The place behind the bat was filled by Walter Titus-no better can be found. They played some fine practice games, and we looked for victory to wear again a wreath of tiger-lilies. V You may remember, that a promise was made, some pages back, to say something more about making love and win- ning heartsf' Dan Cupid's bow is never still and has always been very busy in the class of Ninety-Six-perhaps we are un- usually susceptible, perhaps only unusually winning in our ways --I know not the cause, yet the fact remains that not only Cupid but also Hymen has often been amongst us. Had I the romantic fervor of Mildner and Bernis Brien, or were I as much acquainted with Love as Roy Kirkman, I could expatiate on this subject ad ifzjinimm. There was the case of Johnnie Erdrnan, for example, whose devotion to a certain person was so well known that the very children in the street would call after him, I-Ii, there goes Katie's feller. There was Russell Taggart, who found a happy home at the end of Freshman year. Harriman also helped to swell the sum of the parson's fees and De Witt Talmage be- came a Benedict. Van Arsdale visitshere in Princeton once and awhile but lives for the most part at Her home in Newark. Somebody has actually said yes to Harry Bergen, at any rate that is the rumor hereabouts. If you want to see Clarence johnson happy and blushing just congratulate him-do the same thing to Tommy Leonard and he will probably hit you-it is strange how love affects different people so differently. And there are others, batches of others, but I will mention no more for fear of the consequences. Senior-singing began in April and at last our class occupied the steps and sang the dear old songs. We sang some new Histofgf qf Zhe Class fy' '96. II 3 ones also, of which variations on the Faculty Song were perhaps the most popular-especially these two 1- Here's to Pat, with whiskers long, p Meek as Moses, does no wrong. These 'uns and those 'uns, his favorite song- Here's to Pat, with whiskers long. and- Here's to Andy Three-million West, Sixty-two inches around his vest, At getting subscriptions, he's the best- Here's to Andy Three-million West. Whatever songs we sang, when the words, f' I-Iere's to Old Nassau, my boys, hurrah, hurrah, hurrah, rang out beneath the spreading elms, we could not but feel sad as we thought of all the words meant to us and of our approaching separation. The sesquicentennial, the one hundred and fiftieth anniver- sary of the founding of this college, is- only a few months distant-the Mercer Blues are already learning squad and battalion drill. The necessary funds have been collected and we are to have new professorships, a new library, anew gymnasium and a new set of dormitories-in fine, wel are to become a uni- versity, both in size and educational scope. All success to the new order of things, but there is one thing which we hope the University wil-l never absorb and that is our college spirit, the true Princeton spirit, the feeling of friendship and brother- hood and loyalty to our college which has made this place what it is to-day. Let none dare to raise a hand against what re- mains to us of sacred custom and honored symbol. Allan Marquand, Ph.D., L.L.D., Professor of Archxology and Director of the Museum of Historic Art, Professor Marquand, of Guernsey Hall, on behalf of the Class of Ninety-Six of Princeton University, we would like a word with you. We care not the smallest atom whether 8 114 ' Hisfoay of the Class gf '96. orange and blue, or indigo and green, were the original, prehistoric, antediluvian colors of the House of Nassau 3 what we do care, what we know, is that orange and black have been, are and shall be the colors of the House of Princeton. We doubt not that you think you have the best interests of this college at heart, but learn that, in endeavoring to change these dear colors, you are endeavoring to destroy the Princeton spirit. For four brief years Ninety-Six has lived beneath the orange and black, and preserved the honor of the flag untarnished. As a last word from our class that is so soon to leave this college world, as a last word to the classes we leave behind, we would say that Princeton will only be Princeton while above it waves THE ORANGE AND THE BLACK. ' Although Yale has always favored The violet's dark blue, And the many sons of Harvard To the crimson rose are true, We will own the lilies slender, Nor honor shall they lack, Wliile the tiger stands defender Of the Orange and the Black. A Classmates, the time has come to part. Ninety-Six has seen many changes since it entered these old walls. We were the first to adopt the Honor System, of which we are now all so' proud, we were the last class that hazed, that issued proclama- tions, that held a rush 3 we have seen the college develop into a university with the approach of the sesquicentennial. But of all the changes we have ever experienced, this last sorrowful event-our separation from this dear old college, the dissolution of our class-is the greatest and the saddest. Soon must we sing that strange, sad song :