University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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In the spring the Oracle editors were chosen after much wire-pulling. One of the tickets was headed Anti-Machine. The interesting thing is that the publication in ques- tion was the last of its kind. The Sophomore year was uneventful on the whole although the germ of our champion- ship football team was brought forth ; we again captured the Fresh-Soph meet and the relay team won the championship. The absorbing event of our third year was the success of our football team. Repeated successes before the finals had inspired us with hope that we might make a creditable showing but unbounded confidence was with the laws. The state of affairs may be gathered from the account in the Daily, Before the game yesterday the disciples of Blackstone were billed to drink human blood but as the game progressed the legal warriors had to content themselves with sucking water from the sponges brought in by the water boys. It was a sad day for the boys from the big corner building. The lits were good and attended their 2 o ' clock classes but when 3 o ' clock came some went over to the law building to watch the wild antics and see the queer garb of the law root- ers, and others silently went out to the athletic field. They had not organized, as they felt a little shaky over the game. After a photograph had been taken of the law team with the solid bunch of rooters in fron t of the law building, the procession headed by the farmer band, started for the grounds. It was better than a Wild West show, the variety of clothing and color effect strik- ing terror to the hearts of the lits. There were ' yellow kids, ' and ' farmers, ' and a ' yellow shirt brigade, ' and what not. Tin pans, megaphones and cans with resined strings through them helped swell the noise made by the rooters of the various law classes. The banners they carried had the following inscriptions: ' Lits, take care: Your scalps we ' ll wear! ' ' Look out for us, lits, we are bad business, but don ' t you care ; we ' 11 wear your hair ' ; ' ' 02 Champion law Drum Corps, with Sherman to the sea. ' ' Down with the lits! ' ' Laws, may your pipes never go out ! ' That was an ominous silence of ours. We had the better of the first half, although no score was made, but in the second half we won, fi ve to nothing. Captain ' ' Bill Udell and his men were immediately pronounced heroes and that too of a football game which we will always remember. Growing out of the football victory are two incidents of some importance. The first was the application of red paint to the law building. The faculty refused to take it as an ordinary college prank and promised expulsion if the offenders should be caught. The class held a stormy session and drew up resolutions ' ' disavowing the actions of the persons guilty which were not received with demonstrations of joy by the faculty. This is not a very pleasing period in our history. The other event was the celebration given in honor of the team which marks the advent of class smokers. The idea was seized on by other classes and a large number of these affairs were given marked by varying degrees of decorum. In the Senior year the feeling grew very strong in certain quarters that 1902 should not be employed in connection with smokers. The advocates of the class smokers contended that, however other classes might conduct their smokers, 1902 smokers were well conducted and conducive to class loyalty and good fellowship, and were attended and supported by a large majority of the boys of the class. At one time the prospects seemed good for a stormy class meeting. It is per- 20

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History of Class of 1902 BY FRKI) GRAY DEWEY. HE account of the opening of that portentious meeting which signifies the birth of our class, I take from the secretary ' s book. Report of Freshman Election. Class of 1902 Literary and Engi- neering Departments. Nov. 5, ' 98. Meeting called to order by President Angel (sic) at 1.30, Room C, University Hall, who called Mr. E. C. Goddard to the chair. Mr. Goddard thanked the president for the honor and then called for nominations. What an impressive event was that, my friends, as we saw it ! How fraught with mean- ing! A tumult of applause greeted the chairman as he arose. Was he prostrated by the unexpected honor? No. Did he make a long speech thereby cutting down our nomination speeches? Never! The lofty and sublime dignity imparted to his acceptance by his simple answer attest the high position which the class held in the esteem of all even at that early date far better than the ringing words of a Pitt or the climaxes of a Webster ever could have done. The president was chosen by the majority of one vote, after which the world moved on as before. The executive left soon after the first semester closed but nothing unusual hap- pened until the annual Fresh-Soph meet. As early as the meeting of December 5, the minutes show that preparations for this event were being made ; the yell was adopted in January ; and at a meeting in March, yell-masters were appointed and slips containing class yell and colors and requesting freshmen to attend the meet were distributed. This desire to win (and that, too, as a class) which was manifested at that early date is far more interesting than the fact that we did win by a score of 44 points to 19. There are occasional personal comments in the papers during the early part of that year that are interesting now. In an article on the proceedings of the Adelphi we find mention of one Moxie as a likely speaker. In another year there was no longer any reason for confusing him with the product of the soda fountains for he had won the oratorical contest and was henceforth to be known as none other than George Wendell Maxey. At a some- what earlier date the Daily, ever cautious and conservative, noticed in its columns a man by the name of Snow as a promising end for the ' Varsity. That the words of the prophet might be fulfilled, that player has at last been awarded what he earned more than once, a place on the All-American eleven. In regard to the place he holds in the esteem of the class and it applies alike to all who have brought the class honor the words of the song with their charming terseness are quite illuminating : Snow has beaten them first and last ; He ' s got ten M ' s; he ' s in our class. 19

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haps as well that the clash of opinions never formally took place. It could have resulted in nothing more than an arbitrary and nominal settlement without dispelling the misunder- standing of either side. Personal convictions, even on the subject of smokers, lie deeper than the debates of a class meeting can reach. The football team again covered itself with mud and glory in the last year. The laws made great preparation again and this time the lits,too,organized and fairly out-rooted them. The song-makers thus summarize the event: This year the Laws they prayed for rain. The good Lawd heard ' em but we beat ' em again. And it was a beautiful team ! At the moment Chason swept the team with a hasty glance, spat on his hands for luck and gave the signal, the eleven men became an intricate, resist- less, lightning-like machine. It was a great event. Some things have necessarily been omitted which form a part possibly an essential part of our history. The socials and J. Hop have not been mentioned. In deference to the wishes of Dan Killian and eight others I have not spoken of baseball. They aver that it is enough to have galloped many weary kilometers rounding up the ball during the three games they have played in without having the unspeakable result engrossed on the fair pages of history. But these things show wherein we have taken ourselves seriously and in what we have enjoyed ourselves; they chronicle our successes, for it pleases us to be- lieve that we have triumphed oftener than we have failed, and above all it is hoped they may indicate, if ever so vaguely, that spirit of loyalty and good fellowship so wide-spread among all and so deep-rooted in each heart which has made our class what it is and which in future years will ever bring a smile and a sigh for the memory of 1902. Statistics. The voting inaugurated by the MICHIGANENSIAN to determine Who ' s What in the class of 1902 has brought forth some interesting results. The Senior class of the Lit department has dealt with the questions as follows: Dewey is designated the most popular man in the class with Snow as second choice. Because unable to decide, or too gallant to do so, most of the voters have dodged the question Who is the most popular woman in the class? Of the votes cast, Miss Hosie has a plurality ; Miss Sibyl Stewart and Miss Fannie Young are rated next. Oscar Trumble is voted the best student. Jake Wiest and Ernie Bates are also considered sharks. Roscoe Huston is adjudged to be the Dick Croker of the class, or in other words, the shrewdest politician. Snow is considered the favorite athlete, with Fishleigh in second place. Dan Killian is the favorite humorist of the class, though Larry Mills and Chason Brooks are allowed the center of the stage occasionally. The class picks Maxey as the man most likely to become famous with Dewey as the next most likely candidate. Milo White is declared to be the class beauty. His name may have had something to do with the selection for he is at times referred to as Venus de Milo White. Copley, Snow and Billy Bowlegs Temple are also adjudged prize beauties. About deciding who is the prettiest woman the voters are coy. A number of ballots are blank. Miss Gem Sherman, Miss Farr, Miss Holden and Miss Milligan are all in the lead with several votes apiece. 21