Princeton University - Nassau Herald Yearbook (Princeton, NJ)

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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.

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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

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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