The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-02-02
From the Louisville Commercial.
COLLEGE PRANK.
The Practical Joke that was Played
Upon the Dignificd President of
Dickinson college.

DICKINSON COliegc.
DR.. Jesse r. Peck was President of
Dickinson college, Carlisle, Penn, In 1913,
and was made the victim of practical
joke about that time, which was widely
published and regarded as the very essence
of college mischief. The authors of that
joke can, at this. late day, be made known,
for the first time, without submitting them
to censure. DR.. Jesse +. Peck (now Bishop
Peck was very large man. dignifled in
his manner and bearing. and with pecu-
liar faculty for rolling his RS in converse
ton, which made bis speech. very impress
sive. AT Dickinson college in that year
was Moncure ID. Conway, now famous in
this country and in England for his high
literary attainments, his vigorous, brilliant
intellect, and his strong-mnded views on
all religious and scientific topics. Mr.
Conway Cor as his fellow students styled
him then, Mono Conway was not regard
ed as brilliant student, but was rather
noted Tor bis literary predictions. lie APP
pieciatcd humor, and enjoyed the practical
jokes for which college students have al
ways had weakness. In the same junior
class was Marcus j. Parrot, who afterward
became prominent man in the Free-soil
party of bleeding Kansas" This was the
same Marcus ]. Parrot who some years
ago, while at the Langham Hotel, in Lon
don, dispatched to the Grand Hotel, in
Paris, to reserve apartments for him. On
his arrival there great was his establishment
to find that one of the grandest suits of
apartments in the hotel had been reserved
for him, while he was gree ed with the
greatest display of respect by mine host and
his staff. This extraordinary attention to
a simple American sovereign was caused
by 1t ludicrous misconception of Mr. Par
rotts name. The dispatch conveyed to the
landlord the impression that the apart
ments were for the Marquis de Parrot, a
distinguished foreign nobleman
Dickinson college was sustained at the
time we refer to by the Methodist confer
ences of Pennsylvania, Virginia and Mary
land, and the annual conference was to bt
held at Staunton, Va, in March, 1S48 DR.
| Peck, as was customary, made his arrange
ments to attend the conference, and also t
witness The Inauguration of President Tay
lol in Washington. The students wer,
aware of the fact, and one evening Mon
cure y. Conway. Marcus j. Parrot and Il
\. Maginness, then freshman from New
Albany (now the portly manager OF tn,
Louisville industrial cXpositiOn) sat down
to play game of cuchcr. The president
visit to Staunton WAS commented upon
and. in the mischievous spirit of rockies
studenhood, a practical joke was project
ed, which after mutual suggestions from
each Of the three, assumed complete shape
Conway could initiate DR.. Pecks hand
writing, and pen and ink being procure
he wrote letter to the superintendent q
the insane asylum at Slaunton, Va, il
which he stated that very respectabl
citizen of Carlisle, Pa, named Hugh Blaii
was subject to temporary alteration O
the mind, during which he imagined him
self to be DR.. Jesse r. Peck. president O
Dickinson college. Then followed a dc
scription of the unfortunate Hugh Blail
which description was an elaborate pictur
of DR.. Peck himself AS Mr.. Hugh Blai
had been absent some days his friends wer
becoming alarmed, and the suppositio
was that as DR.. Peck would reach Staui
ton to attend the conference on a certai
day, Mr.. Hugh BLAIR had gone there undo
his deluson, and would be on the sam
train. Would the superintendent be S
kind as TO watch the train, and if the gel
tleman described came, to take him to til
asylum without exciting his fears, and II
tain him there until his friends could CON
for him, VIXEN all expenses would be paiC
and they would be ever grateful etc. TIL
letter was sent and the trio awaited IL
sequel.
DR.. Peck, in all his imposing dignity