University of Minnesota - Gopher Yearbook (Minneapolis, MN)

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band of light. lflere and there, a lloat broke the glittering ranks, interspersing the twinkling points with a great blaze of colored radianee. Down through the line, too. were banners and all manner of standards, eaeh lettered with the date and legend dearest to the elass which bore it. The great eirele swept around. and slowly uneuryed. lts glittering head disappeared behind the black wall of Held. A distant eheer beyond told of its welcome there. More and more of it was swallowed up, until the whole monstrous shining length had wound out of sight. The display of tire-works brought the whole orgy of light Pres. F. B. Gault, So. Dakota Dr. T. F. Colgate, Beloit Dr. J. H. Long. American Chemical Society Pres. E. D. Eaton, Beloit THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY to a titting close. XYhen the maneuvers on the neld were done. a signal was given. and the torehes winked out. The whole field was in absolute darkness. Then, from a nearby root tell a rain of sparks, and the nreworks began. Thundering rock- ets bored into the sky. Great pin-wheels and fire-fountains whirled sparks about. .N eataraet of white llanie drenched the held from end to end with tire. The sky was tilled with lurid bursting roses. and darting stars. that scattered sparks as they soared. Then, on the held opposite the main stand, a sudden blinding illumination showed, wrought in steel and of colossal size. the portraits of the three presidents of the University of Minnesota. :X thundering shout from the Crowd greeted the spectacle. eehoed by a salute from the band. The sparks died slowly out. The crowds scrambled down. The display was over-surely the nierriest, strangest frolie of light and laugh- ter ever guided by the Genius of Festivities.

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they said the lights could be seen-an immense, hollow dome of radiance, arching up under the black sky. The chaotic enkindling signalled a burst of life among the throng. Suppression vanished. Laughter and jubilant talk, suddenly released, grew and swelled. The figures no longer loomed up black against the sky. Their colors Haunted beneath the torches. A spirit of joyous restlessness pervaded them. They moved unceasingly, and, at every motion, a thousand lights danced and swung and circled in the darkness. The whole effect was almost indescribable-the rippling merriment of the throng, the lively sounds in the air, and the ceaseless weaving of bright patterns above their heads against the night sky. The great forest of lights began to sway and shift. liar down, small detachments of torches moved about together, one line of light cutting straight across another. Along the side street stretched a row of Hoats, showing from a distance -a moving array of grotesque figures, in a dim haze of light. Suddenly, a great cloud of red flame puffed up into the sky, followed by a blaze of white that, for an instant, illumined the crowd like day. NVhere there had been hundreds of hazy figures before, there showed clearly, for a moment, in all their panoply, under the streaming torches, the throng of torch- bearers-row upon row, and rank upon rank, as far down as the eye could see. In the very heart of the crowd, a bugle note sounded. and suddenly the band burst into life. The laughter grew louder, the sea of lights surged more restlessly. In the center of the throng. the torches widened into an orderly circle, slowly un- curved. and swung into line. The line grew, the whole group was agitated, shifting dazzlingly as it unwove. Lights flashed into place, and swung in time to the music. In an instant. the crowd was on the march. They loosened out into one huge snaky line, belting the whole campus solidly with a winding THE BEGINNING OF THE TORCHLIGHT PROCESSION

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VON Nteclnestlay afternoon. Oetoher 18, Presiclent Vintent was formally inauguratetl into otliee. Long hetore the eereinonies hegan-while the ehairs on the great raisetl platforin were still entpty-the .Xrniory was erowtlecl with scores of eager speetators. Ponip antl eireuinstanee hung upon the antieipatetl eyent: the throng awaitecl it with a seriousness that hetittecl. No hint retnainerl of the inaclfeap spirit of last nights reyelry. The hunt of yoiees throughout the yast rooin was suhtluetl. liar away. out on the Catnpus, a single hugle note was heartl. The spectators involuntarily listenetl. Xearer the -Xrinory. another sountletl in reply. anrl still nearer. the whole hugle eorps intonerl a sharp salute. Now the hancl was playing a Il1Zll'Cll.f2l1JlJ1'tbZIClllllg' eloser ancl eloser. The erowcl insirle haltfturnetl. expeetantly. as the hrassy hlare grew in yolunte. The inusie sounclecl louclly just without. The great floors swung open. anal the procession eanie slowly in. The soft huin of yoiees cliecl clown ancl was still. They paeecl setlzftely in, through the motionless ranks of the guartl of honor, antl up onto the great raisetl plat I'orin.!hune clrecls ol' soinher figures. rohetl ancl hootlecl, inoying in stately aeeortl to their assigned plaees. The sight was strangely tingetl with unreality. The silent, inoying tigures, the clark stately rohes. eaeh toppetl hy its inonlcish eowl, seeinetl ot an age we clo not know. They hrought hack those leisurely early een- turies, when the Xeatleine stootl saereclly apart, not iningling with the eonnnon lite of inen. The line of soleinn paeing tigures, every one hearing the high insignia of seholastie honor, erietl aloutl of that autorraey of learning which has heltl nien in awe for so niany ages. The speeehes of weleoine hegan. ancl with thein entlecl the unsuhstantiatecl illusion of a clay cliininecl hy intervening een- turies. The spirit hehinfl eaeh gracious greeting. hehincl eaeh sure. hearty worcl of weleoinefweletnine into the iielcl of action antl purpose. out ainong inenethese hatl nothing in eonnnon with that aneient. sequesterecl icleal of learning, that helfl itself f pi . gr