Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-11-30
MY CKUM'S REVOLVER.
A College "Reminiscences.
BY G. A. s..

It was Smith & Wesson six-shooter
"a small affair only-that my chum
brought to our room after dark one
evening, with a box of cartridges. He
was angry. 1 had never seen such a
sullen, ugly CLEAN in his eyes before.
For Ned was naturally as genial, good
hearted g fellow as ever breathed,
though very high-spirited.
It was our first term at college, and
We had been having a little "unpleas-
antness" with the Sophomores for a
week or two. Tall hats and canes we're
the cause of it. The Sophs did not ap-
prove of tall hats on the heads of
Freshmen, nor Of canes in their I'M
sophisticated hands.
These belonged, by royal right, to
the Sophomores; SO, at least, they
claimed-and it was not healthful nor
safe for Freshman to ignore the claim.
It had long been the custom, when a
Freshman appeared with tail hat on,
or was seen sporting cane, to prompt
ly confscate the article and sell it, and
expend the proceeds in "peanut
drunk.
In other words, if Freshman "put
on style,'' he was "hazed made to
feel that he was "sa1b." Indeed, about
the first Latin we learned that year
was the full Specification of sub. We
found that it meant W1oder in every
sense of the word, and applied to all
Freshmen.
Now as to tall hats; my chum and
had both worn "Kerseys" during our
last year at the academy. Being 10
and men grown, we we're of some little
Importance in our own estimation, and
had the opinion that tall hats were be-
coming.
In Ned's case, certainly, tall hat
added to his good looks, for he was q
handsome fellow, 5 feet 10 inches in
height.
We knew-at least we had heard
what the Sophomores claimed, and we
had talked the matter over before enter
ing college. Long ago we had con-
Guided that such "hazing" was mean,
contemplate tyranny.
Still, I had decided that, rather than
have any trouble with the upper class
men, I would allow my tall hat to re-
main unused during my Freshman year.
The point of rights" at stake did not
appear to me to be worth fighting for.
Ned, however, was more pugnacious
and high-spirited. The fact that his
right to wear what he pleased was dis
puted angered him. He said that he
did not wish to wear his tall hat every
dow inn o4f ~ fho olo-
mores. He had no wish to provoke a
quarrel with them, but he declared that,
if he wanted to wear his Kersey to
church on Sundays, he should wear it,
or if he were going for day on visit
or for recreation he should wear it if he
liked.
Ned certainly had right on his side
Therefore I hardly knew how to change
his purpose. That he would have trou-
bic T felt sure, and it had always seemed
better to me to keep clear of that if pos
sible. But when I gave this as reason
for him to accept the college custom he
declared that I hadn't manly spirit.
In reply, he argued that it was not
only cowardly, but wrong, to yield to
injustice, or bulge one inch for a bully.
"A man," he said, should always stand
for his rights which may be true, OF
may not, according to circumstances.
For the first week or two of the term
no demonstration of any sort was made.
We were getting acquainted with the
students, and had joined some of the
societies." During this time Ned had
not worn his "Kersey." One morning:
however, he received letter, stating
that one of his sisters, with another
young lady, would pass through the
town that day on the 2 o'clock train.
This train stopped ten minutes at the
station. Ned, of course, went to the de-
pot to meet them. The other young lady,
I may add, was particular friend Of
Ned's. Perhaps for that reason he put
on his "Kersey."
There were always more or less Sophs
| about the depot at train-time, and while
! Ned was talking with his sister and her
friend in the Pullman car one of these
youngsters saw him. Word was at once
passed that there was a Freshman under
tall hat!"
| Three of the Sophs instantl y boarded
the car, and, coming up the aisle behind
Ned, one of them brought down his
| double fist with all his might on the Cop
of Ned's hat, driving it completely ,ver
his ears.