University of Massachusetts Amherst - Index Yearbook (Amherst, MA)

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biograph portrays many livel}- scenes. How brilliantly there reflects against the horizon of our memory the glorious bonfire on Clark Hill, while even now there almost falls upon our ears the jingle of fire bells, the rattle of hose cart, and the incessant screeching of the crowd as they hurry up the grade. The scene changes. Mountain Day, with the Greenfield Gazoo ' s( ?) accovmt of the iVmherst wild Indians. Doubtless the correspondent of that illustriovis journal, after witnessing our progressive football practice on the Shutesbury heights, wished to compare our team to the Carlisle eleven. Be that as it may, we are justly proud of our records in athletics, having never been defeated in football, baseball, or polo. The rope-pull story has been told by others. But we must break the fascinating charm of reverie, for space does not allow us to here enumerate many events which memory cherishes ; which have united pleasure with instruction, and that go to form the multitude of good times which should be found in ever} college course. We indeed realize that Pleasures, like flowers, may fall to decay, But their roots perennial may be. At the outbreak of the war several of our classmates enlisted, and have pi ' oven themselves to be an honor to their class and college. Wright, after standing as one of our peers for three years, suddenl} left us for higher spheres of action. C. W. ' s genial countenance is no more with us, and Stacy ' s familiar war whoop, echoing from Pelham hills to Mt. Warner, is a thing ol the past. As we turn the corner by South College we miss the plunkety-plunk of Courtney ' s banjo; and who can think for a moment that we will be apt to forget Dutcher? This communication would be incomplete if it failed to mention a certain pair of wheels which pla} ' an important part in Ninety-Nine toward making that somewhat indefinite article — class history. Not that we boast of possessing more wheels than any other class, but all will agree that those two red ones should not be overlooked. It would seem superfluous to state that they are well known by ever ' body between Denmark, Me., and Mill Valley, Mass. ; and as the rovings of these unruly bicycles have been the source of much amusement at the Seniors ' table at the boarding house, and as Melvin and Fat have sworn vengeance on all who talk of tying the ' •red rovers to a cable that would reach only to Hallock Street, it be- hooves the historian to refrain from giving particulars or mentioning names. In this connection it might be well to add that our class is thinking of publishing a treatise composed of the discussions held over Ninety-Nine ' s

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Cla S History. NOTHER yeai has passed, and for the last time Ninety-Nine submits her history. It is a typical autumn afternoon. The soft October breeze slowly wafts the red and golden leaves by the open window, while a hazy, dreamy atmosphere, peculiar to this season of the year, prevails. All is still save for the occasional chitter of a flock of birds, who, from a neighboring elm, appear to be soliloquizing upon the newlv-hoisted fair weather flag which floats from the tower. Nature, arrayed in fairy dress, is at her best ; and with such surround- ings is it strange that the historian, while attempting to review the happen- ings of the past, falls into a reverie ? Again we are prospective Freshmen, alighting from the Amherst train, preparatory to taking those dreaded entrance exams. Again that prod- igy, John Marshall Barry, looms up before us. Again the lengthy Soph fi-om Nyack points us to the drill hall when we inquire for the mathe- matical room. Again imagination carries us through the usual Freshies ' trials ; but we still survive. We soon find ourselves full-fledged Sophomores, for every dog has his day (except, perhaps, the one Sam found under his bed with a load of tinware attached to his posterior extremity). At this point recollection ' s

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dinner table during the past year. Considerable information in regard to Ancient History, Italian bedbugs, and game wardens will be found in this comprehensive work. Fweddie ' s sayings will be a prominent feature of this publication. His map of the road from Amherst to South Hadley, with contour lines and other helps, will be of especial value to the botanist or bugologist who wishes to visit the notch. Chapin, the Galileo of our number, is said to be studving planets and other celestial objects these moonlight evenings. He believes that East Street is an advantageous field for such work. Should we review the virtues and failings of our other prominent men, the reader might form the mistaken idea that our serious moments are few and far between. As classmates we realize that we have but a few more weeks together, and the very thought tends to draw closer the bonds of friendship. Soon — too soon — we turn from the pleasantries of college associations to the grave responsibilities of life. It is human nature to look ahead. What has the future in store for us? The answer is, what we make it. Our fortune we hold in our hands ; our future is largely determined by what we are to-day. Let us hope that we have made such good use of the time spent at old Aggie that we may be able to apply our- selves to life ' s task wherever the path of duty may open. With the best of wishes for our college mates, and with a loyal spirit toward Alma Mater, we make our bow. Our history for the last time is told ; Now Ninety-Nine listens to Fate ' s decree. As it echoes the phrase of the poet old, ' Tis this we hear, Better days await thee. 23