Temple University - Templar Yearbook (Philadelphia, PA)

Page 30 text:

of recitations, but in the bringing of books, so that the good students were always known by the sight of McMaster’s School History of the United States.” Most of the class did not carry books. The chemistry class was presided over by Professor Foster, a short, stout gentleman, to whom science, particularly chemical and physical science, composed the most important part of this world. Nine embryo scientists seeking after chemical knowledge tramped to the third floor three times a week, only to be confronted by a row of long formulae and a succession of unpleasant odors, that of iodoform predominating. Some members of the class objected to the odors of chloroform and ether, and to avoid having them in their desks persistently lost their samples, so at the close of the year were given an opportunity of enjoying those compounds by making them after school. Pierce was an example of the sample-losing class. Miss Doby’s chief duty in this class seemed to be to keep Miss Harton at work, which was a very difficult task, as the attractions of Ernest Williams, the auburn-haired gentleman, and the restlessness of Miss Harton’s disposition rendered the task difficult. Axford and Sensenderfer accused each other of idleness, and, to do them both justice. I would say that they were both right, particularly Axford. Sensenderfer could hardly be expected to do much work, as he was afraid of explosions, and as explosions were frequent they necessitated Hob’s retirement into the private laboratory many times. On the day that the class manufactured nitro-glycerine his face was 24

Page 29 text:

The gentleman who presides over the domain of history and political economy is a short, blushing “fessor,” with a decided propensity for getting off little jokes which sometimes attained a certain respectability. He was entirely too gentle to stop any offense under chess playing. That alone he decidedly demurred to. Miss Miller could call him “dear child,” Miss Harton play with his hat or steal photographs from his desk, but when poor Pierce passed a chessboard along the row the professor's mild blue eye immediately spied it, and commanded, ‘‘Put that board away!” Mr. Robertson, of Mississippi, was so moved one day by the reminiscences of John Brown to remark to Professor, “Why, we used to sing a song about that down South; it started off abmt ‘John Brown’s body.’ ” The class roared and professor gasped, “Yes, we've heard that song before.” Some persons in the class took flunks too seriously and unnecessarily. One day Miss Reifsnyder was questioned, and not having the answer on the tip of her tongue, said, “I don’t know.” Likewise did Miss Miller and others, but when it came to W. Ii. Miller it went no farther. Not that he knew any more about it than they did, but one would have thought he did, and that is all that is necessary. A curious attribute of a battle was discovered here one day. That attribute is shape. This is stated on Professor McKinley’s authority, and the misfortune was that it added another thing to remember about the battle of Chancellors-ville, which Miss Godfrey had striven to remember for three weeks. It is to be feared that Miss Godfrey’s memory is like the rest of her—short. The test of studiousness in this class was not in perfection 23

Page 31 text:

sometimes seen around the door, but that was the nearest that he ever got to the explosives. Though he was the only one who was afraid of explosions, we all had our little dislikes to the “lab.,” and we are thankful that we say farewell for a time, anyhow. Another class over which Professor Foster ruled was the class in physics. We studied physics on Tuesdays and Thursdays last period. This was unfortunately timed, since if people would sleep at all they would sleep then, and the lot of the sleeper in that room was unpleasant and the awakening was sometimes startling. In spite of the interest of light, heat and electricity, they were not appreciated as they should have been, and as the result of inattention came retribution in the shape of a quiz, in which flunks were unpleasantly frequent. Poor Wolf’s efforts to answer questions were pitiful, his replies being like his parsing, which caused his patron Gansman many tears. When electricity was studied the professor ordered the class to stand around hand in hand for the usual shocking experiment. Wolf and Miss Nyce were together, unknown to Miss Nyce, who, evidently thinking Wolf was some other fellow, began stroking his hand, to Wolfs intense embarrassment, as he was unprepared for such a demonstration. Ernest Williams, the other fellow, looked as if he would like to do unutterable things to Wolf. With such episodes the time passed, and we do not regret it. Whatever was said by any student about any professor, no one who even went to Professor McGee had an unkind word for him. His period was the resting hour in the midst of the day’s work. There one could study, talk, play chess, 25