Princeton University - Nassau Herald Yearbook (Princeton, NJ)

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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-

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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

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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