The New York herald., 1877-10-18
THE ROW AT RUTGERS.
HOW IT CAME ABOUT AND THE WAY IT WAS
rLED-UScoSDITIoSAL SURRENDER BIZ
TUF sTrDrxrs

THE STUDENTS
Some years ago Congress passed an act appropriat.
Ing certain share OF the public lands tho iounda
ton OF agricultural colleges In the different States.
In some oi the States the appropriation was be.
slowed upon colleges already established, upon con.
dition that they should add agricultural depart.
ment to their ordinary curriculum. The State OF
New Jersey was among these, the grant being con-
ferrcd upon Rutgers College, which py a State law
also made a sort OF military institute.
A military professor was appointed the state
did It's share in tho matter Of issu
ing arms tho college for tho the students and
for year two there great deal drinling OF
the campus. As time passed. however, the military
fever which had been evoked by tho died out and
soon 1t to pass that there more military
drill Rutgers College al remember the boys drill.
ing many day." said The square-faced ianor TO
porter OF the HERALD yesterday, land they did It
well, can tell you That good while ago, but
now there Is no more drilling" Tho arms were
stored away in "the arsenal" as it is called,
under the laboratory OF tho scientific depart.
mont. and there they getting as rusty as the
old Queens arm which Gran'ther Young fetched back
IRON Concord "busted." in Lowelfs poem OF "rhe
Courtier." As they are no longer useful, or rather
there was possibility that they ever would
be Of auy among the undergraduates of Rutyers.
they the purpose of making mischief IN
the institution and during the last week they have
been the cause Of very pretty scandal
At the beginning OF the present scholastic year
Rutgers College inductcd into Office professor OF
Mathematics Professor q. B. Merrman. Whether he
merry not grave question with the
students, aud the junior class determined TO solve
the problem. Naturally, the best time 10 do ths
when tue Professor should be ready with the solution
oi some intricate proposition In geometry oi
tngonometry. Accordingly, on "Wednesday Of las,
wees the whole class entered the recitation room where
Professor Merriman was awaiting them, and TO the
Prolessor's surprise every man IN the ciassin our
American colleges every BOY calls every other boy u
man--was armed with IN old-tashioncd Springfield
muskel Being new 10 the college and not yet uly
vcrsrd the peculiar customs and practices Of tho
youngsters this venerable institute the Professor
quite prepared tor such uncxpeccd incur.
SION, but hndlng tho class military orsabization,
without officers and without any give the word
Of command. he iet II incumbent upon himself TO
sumo tho duties OF commander IN Chief ''Siack
armsl" he cried and The order was at once obcyed.
When the Springfield muskets were arranged in hall
dozen stacks IN tho roar OF the recitation room the
Professor issued his next command.
FROM MILITARY 10 CIVIL RULE.
ITO books I" he exclaimed. and immediately the
ordinary duties OF the class began Whiie the boys
deep the mysteries Of anal tcai geometry and
Olney's Dercntal and Integral Calculus the
faced ianitor who might be mistaken Tor a conc
ton by people who don't know wnat a COMIC section
Is, quietly removed The shooting irons. When asked
what they meant by this diversion The youngsters
and thew 0 n wu "S w
their display Of OLD iron they were. lilo had ordered
they supposed, would DO the end OF the joke.
However Professor McrrIman may have felt In tho
affair It was soon apparent That The matter not
end so easily Tor the youngsters as they had imagncd
Rutgers College has stern old President writes
DID. and LII d. after his name. and Is apt 10 fail
TO SEQ joke as double doctors usually are. DR..
Campbell failed to SEQ anything funny IN Tho ,rcak OF
the Junior Class, and so he assembled the Facaliy
together TO determine what should be done with
the lads. Both ana tho Faculty their
time the matter aud nearly week passed before
the boys learned that the sword OF Ddmoclcs had
been hanging over them ever since they had marched
Professor Merrmans presence witn tho rusty old
muskcts from the arsenal AT 'shouldcr arms.n Tho
sentence was that zach member OF tue class should
receive two ''adnohitons' Tor his unsoemiy conduct
on that Wednesday morning. On Monday last tho
order announced to the Glass; aud II this had been
all II Is likely ,he young men would have considered
II joke No. for;thero is nothing the young Amercau
colegan considers funnicr than an "admonition, So
long AS II docs not involve unpleasant consequences
Unfortunately IN inc present instance instance % Ioui
gers College found that unpleasant conse qucnccs
involved, for II is rule oil the institution that aeI
three admontons suspension must follow, and tbcs,
| four young gentlemen had already received two o
those friendly attentions from their superiors. IL
obedience 10 that old rule of arithmetic, that two anc
Two make four, which is not denied in the scien.
tInc department OF Now Jersey college enriched py
the proceeds OF public lands conferred upon the State
the class had exempted from military duty three
/ of their number VINO already came within ono
OF tho .'admonitons which would inevitably lead TO
suspension. Their Gicrental calculus did not apply
to the wnoc class either because they forgot the tact
that the faculty had been rather prousc IN their
monitory favors Tor tho that military ardoI
ovcrcamc every consideration of safety the breasts
OF the young men. seven members OF the cuss OF 1879
|
to OF them were overlooked In the OF
tho Joke upon Professor Murriman their Suspension
followed.
In our colleges there IL nothing that the Junior
classes like better than trial Of strength with tho
faculty. The suspension OF the four unfortunate bear
ers oil Springfield muskcts was tner opportunity 10
teach Dr. Campbell aud the rest OF the Faculty
much needed lesson aud meeting Of the class was at
called determine what action was necessary.
II requires no prophetic wisdom 10 predict that under
such circumstances lot OF boys would make tools Of
themselves Ia trying 10 DO mon, and the Rutgers Ju
niors did " completely
SOME JUNIOR RESOLUTIONS
They merely resolved tbut until the four suspended
members were restored TO tho class they would not
attend either prayers rcctatIons; but all the
they were orgetful they work ng them
OF college ana probably out OF their fathers wills
The rules OF Rutgers inexorablc, aud ''nan who
does not avail hin self OF the means OF grace viii nnd
grace tho eyes OF the faculty at The expira-
ton OF twenty.four days II, In addiion, no
stays away from recitation as well AS from
| prayers he acceieratcs tho movement toward
| ms suspension iourlold, aud at The end Of
SIX days he is practically out Of college II
that ihc class OF 1879 sent President Campbell
GROUND robin" practically telling HIM that they were
ready to inpalo themselves upon the pixies OF college
discipline he receded from ms position the
matter OF the members OF the class who h AZ Tor
gotten that two anu two make four. so Tar, however
The ''round robin has elected reply, aud tho
young men are beginning to feel that thcy viii DO
hoist by their own petard.
A CONGRESS- GOVERNORS.
Ono OF the funny episodes Of this Rutgers emcufs
was the short tune allowed to majority OF tho mem
bers oil the class before they were sat down upon by
their crue! parents. IL was only 90 Tuesday that
resolutions were UNANIMOUSLY passed aud signrc
and yesterday Now Brunswick visited by The
parents or guaroans Of han the young men IN the
JUNIOR class OF Rutgers College. My governors
oone down" SAID one recacitrant coiegian an.
other early yesterday morning, aud II was all day
| surprise them how The .'oid man" got tho
| word TO bring MN down SO soon. The explanation,
however is easy. Instead OF waiting Tor nails
carry Official notice TO tho homes OF the boys DR..
Campbell at once elegraphed TO the father oi each
advising him OF the attitude ot his son. and 80 sum.
moncd TO the ad OF the college authorizes the author
uy Of The parents. This course proved to be an
ceeaingy wiso one, ana It's elects visible.
Before evening yesterday a numuer OF The sgners OF
the '.round robin' withdrew their names from the
resolutions, then followed an intmation that TINS
| morning tho whole class would be at prayers ana