Yale University - Sheffield Scientific School Yearbook (New Haven, CT)

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18 HISTORY OF 1916 S. were making early preparations for spring victories. Bunker was working with Coachman and the other track men, Bradley was increasing his collar measurements in the gymnasium, Buchanan began his ight for the baseball managership. But the average man just slumped. True, Bales and Bourke broke each other's windows with insane disregard for the economic waste, and 82 Wall opened new fields for experiments with the laws of chance. An occasional return of interest would be aroused when certain of our comrades mysteriously disappeared over con- siderable periods of time, to return in a body, somewhat sadder, but unmistakably wiser. Then too, the gloom would be slightly raised by sundry banquets which, it appeared, were customary at this time of year. But for the most part, we just gloomed, and gloated, and grumbled, and knocked. Outside, it rained, and sleeted, and snowed wet New Haven snow. And suddenly it was Easter! A week of heaven after three months of muddy purgatory. Then back for the final stretch. New Haven, we found, is a mighty diierent place in spring from New Haven in winter. Some like it wet, some like it dry, etc. On our return, we could hardly recognize the old town. A warm south wind blew over the scientincally farmed green. Seniors from the college were self-consciously carrying out the roller skate, top, and short pants traditions. Everywhere were Bock Beer signs. The spring had come. The motor iends were the first to take advantage of the season. Alderman ceased temporarily to complain about the high price of woolens. Alec Patton purchased his famous vehicle of the self-propelling type. At the Highwall, various unlicensed individuals hired motorcycles, and raced the local electrics. A notorious character, from the top floor of this building, who has begged me to omit his name on account of his family, but whom I will designate as A. B., was arrested for this low crime, and hauled before the court. There he was fined to the extent of 36, later increased to 36.50 by the clerk after hearing the prisoner's confessed intention of abandoning the machine forthwith. The clerk was a nephew of the dealer who rented it. The monthly and weekly periodicals were embellished with the inevitable 'spring girl covers, and even the Record recognized

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FRESHMAN YEAR 17 ENvo1E Yet we learned that no connection Is an absolute protection. Aye, we learned about this world until We blushed! Now we know that in election There's no natural selection, -And we learned it when sixteen was being rushed. There! Now you know why the Class book subscription is made part of the term bill. In a few days the smoke of battle cleared away sufficiently to count the casualties. Apparently everybody had enough evi- dence against everybody else to make a general grand jury indictment inevitable, and a wholesale hanging a near proba- bility. Some of the less sophisticated actually believed these recriminations. Now we know that they keep them from year to year in the property room, like Xmas ornaments. Our second impression after the catastrophe was one of amazement at the feverish activity exhibited on every hand. Everybody had suddenly gone out for something. The Sheff M onthly in particular was overwhelmed by hordes of desperate heelers who heeled with a reckless fury as if pursued by demons-and perhaps they were. At this time, Jimmie Lysle, whose lavishly hand-drawn pictures even now pile high this desk, made the Record in more ways than one, Alec Patton was play- ing hockey, and Sheldon was wrestling, while Mac Thompson and Nel Graves were staggering past the tape of their soul- shaking News comp. The latter also crossed the great divide by making the Courant. Drew Fletcher and Alden entered the world of big Hnance by taking over the management of the Simo. The Y. M. C. A. began to forward large consignments of bullion to China, and the Industrials made preparations to teach knitting to several thousand black-handers. To cap the climax with a particularly picturesque cone of foolscap, the Freshman Musical Clubs began their dastardly rehearsals in Hopkins Grammar School, and even the faculty jumped on the band wagon by ordering a general revamping of South Sheff. And then, as quickly as it had come, the hectic enthusiasm was gone. The mid-winter monotony, beside which the South Pole is a place of revelry, had set in. The tireless athletes, of course,

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p FRESHMAN YEAR 19 the season by printing one of their stock senior-with-top covers from the spring cover drawer. But the dailies! No placid pictures of mush-faced couples, but large red headlines of f'War In Mexico assailed our eyes. Even the News went so far as to install a news service-incongruous as this may seem-while the Cow talked of sending a correspondent to the front. Public opinion flared up like one of Jacob's flashlights. People who thought Mexico was a dance involuntarily cursed the name of Huerta, and the debating team smashed three hundred board feet of table tops arguing about it. Some talked of a Yale Cavalry troop, and a few hardy souls hired a herd of discarded brewery wagon chargers, tied their feet underneath, and demoralized the pedestrians between here and East Rock. But the real call to arms came a week later. A big P-rade was held by certain restless souls, and encouraged by far-sighted News heelers. This demonstration was, in a way, official, and ended by speeches from Taft and President Hadley, and loud cheers from all spectators, as in the Congressional Record. The next night the idea was improved on by the High- wall volunteers, who, headed by a fife and drum corps-all solo- ists-marched to arouse Academic from their soulless inertia. if---i ff :::-gr,:' ' at Qai- . r