Worcester Polytechnic Institute - Peddler Yearbook (Worcester, MA)

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have been, and so at once he gained the good will of the class, which, we are sure, still remains by him, and it is also with pleasure that we now look back on the hours spent under his most successful assistant, Prof. C. A. Clough. Then Profs. Sinclair, Alden and Smith gave us inter¬ views, and the “War in Anam,” “Compound Interest” and “Roger Williams” were talked over, chiefly by the profs. Then, “may the gods protect us,” er-er-Uriel stepped upon the stage, and his selections from “The Standard Authors” fell upon our ears with an awe which afterward turned to laughter. At this time we were not aware how essential he was (?) to the Tech, in general, but we were of his pomposity. Later in the day we were gathered as sheep by our good doctor, and after a few instructions upon our expected behavior, “substantially as set forth,” we were sent to our rooms with the hope that home-sickness would not o’ertake us. What dreams did not o’ertake us that first night of our ‘salad days, when we were green,” as students of the Tech ! It is told “upon honor” that a prominent pugilist of our class was found that night vainly endeavoring to force a carpet bag through a key-hole by means of a broom, and when awakened, he asked feebly, “ If the Junior was dead yet,” when it was ascertained that he 18

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It was early in February, ’83, that a majority of the members of the class of ’86 bade their adieux to their lassies at the old homesteads, and later released their grips from their satchels, and beheld, some for the first time, “Old Worcester” and that institution towards which our thoughts had been turning, and for an entrance to which we had been “cramming”—The Tech. The following day we were ushered into the presence of his “awfulness,” and after a few preliminaries, were informed of the order of our examinations. Even in this first registration the traits of some of our heavy men were strangely defined, for it is reported that in reply to the question, “ What is your purpose in coming to this school ? ” one said, and truly, as it was afterward learned, “because he was sent”; another, “because he had nothing else to do”; ' and a third, “in order that he might gain a technical education that would be a blessing to himself and friends.” Then we were examined, and in good shape, too, first by Prof. Eaton, who treated us tenderly, as we ought to

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had been having a “meet” with a Junior, “in his sleep,” and was about to force him to throw up the sponge. On the following day our work as Preps began, and ¥ it passed quickly and quietly; and at the end of our first half year — though we did have to furnish “ soapinc for the whole school—in ’86 could be found as fine a set of fellows as has ever entered the Tech. When we came back in August, we were joined by the Chemists and Civils of ’86, and all hands entered upon our studies in earnest. Since those early days “Johnny” has led us at times to Holden, “Teney” has lectured on the billiard problem, and all but the Cs have had to endure “Smithey’s” fragrant exhalations of CO2 (authority from Dr. Fuller) We have been “reckless ” with “ Gladdy,” and “improper ” and “slangy” with “Whitey,” but as we now take our meals regular, we think we will pull through, and see the beginning of our next school year. We have been universally successful in our endeavors as a class in all we have attempted. We have our victors at Field Day, and hope to see an increase. One of our numbers has overpowered a “Mephitis Mephitica,” our “heterogeneous” student has acquired a gift of oratorical expression that is charming, and “now, gentlemen,” what have we learned ? “Of the green odor of chlorine gas,” “of wooden bowls made of earthenware,” “of the hypo¬ thetical period” (see Whitney’s Grammar), and in the 19