Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1886-03-06
WICKED STUDENTS.
NoIdy Records That DISCLOSE tiis Ia
iaufties of Harvard Boys.

Forty years ago. SAYS I'll. foStom
Journal. there disappeared from the Sc
cret archives of Harvard college one Of
those ronderous volumes which con-
ia ned the private record of the doing>
of the par.etal committee, that large
governing board which in those days
had so much to do III shaping the course
Of the college. and which even to-day
has no slight weight in restraining the
unlawful actions OF the students. 1t
may b. surm:scd that some mischiev-
Gus. reckless collegian pnrlOined the
volume, but however that may be the
college faculty knew not where il went,
nor do they know to-day where il is.
BY the permission OF the possesSor ex-
cerpts have been made. giving an idea Of
TIE unique and strict system of the ear
ly college days Of this century.
We find old customs prevailing at the
university in the years lS27-30. as given
IN this book. For instance. We find the
parietal committee voting THAT Bah
cock. senior, be sent to the president
for wearing an illegal brown surtout:
also tina. notice be given to freshmen
that cloaks do not officially cover ille-
gal garments" But "Babcock. senior"
did not commit half so heinous an Of
Tense us Page, sophomore, for, as VIC
find recorded: Sept. 2, 1929, met in
20 Hy., DIR. Popkin in the chair voted,
that Page. sophomore. be directed to
discontinue his nankin pantaloons.
Those classmates Of Page who are alive
to-day may, perhaps, remember wheth-
or the prescribed neither garments were
discontinued" or not Charles Sum-
ner. afterward the great statesman,
while at Harvard, fell under the ban for
. serious misdemeanor. On the 9th of
September. 1929. the record shows the
parietal committee to have voted that
Sumner ''be directed to leave off wear
ing dark red cravat."
To what depths of wickedness the
student Of those days descended! The
freaks of to-day are the mildest virtues
compared with them. What college
man Of to-day would expect this ad-
monition: Voted. That Rutter and
Draper, freshmen, be spoken to by Mr..
Curtis for splitting wood g. or .'Vo-
ted, That the secretaries be ordered 10
report to the faculty names of six
men, seniors. for walking on the Sab
bath" Another student is admOnished
for smoking. another for firing pistol,
and still third for embellishing his
daily conversation with profane lam
guage.'
Again. We find it recorded in this sa-
cred book: dec. II, 1928. Voted,
That Mr.. Brown speak to two dogs. to-
wit, one blacA dog and one pie-bald dog.
for intruding into the college yard.'
Record fails 10 show whether or not the
plebeian dogs who thus trespassed the
sanctity of the college precincts re-
strained from their wicked course after
Nr, Brown did speak" TO them. In
the year 1923 there seems to have been
a wholesale spirit of uhrighteousness in
the college III one respect, for the pari-
ctal committee found it necessary to
vote that all the classes "bc officially
informed that all persons who toast
bread in College hall will be liable to
publick admonition.' To what base
ness had Harvard men fallen that they
should toaet bread To such an extent as
TO require this notice from the gray
haired professors. But these worthy |
had studied carefully the needs |
and the practices of their pupils. As an
of this we notice that ut a GER
tain meeting where the question Of |
noting" or OF speaking 10 students |
was discussed one member. latter |
speaking at length on the various rea-
sons why they should rather note than |
speak to him n STUDENT, ended with |
the following perorat;on: so long as
YOU continue 10 speak to them. so long |
will they continue to transgresS and to
apply the principles of permutations and
to see how long they may |
offend without being punished This |
was philosophy and mathematics wor-
thy of Pythagoras.
The parietal committee did not find /
it always plain sailing, for we find their
secretary dolefully recording. under
date of Oct 6, 1880, Would have met
1T II. 81. but the door was locked
against u.s." Evidently some mischiev-
ous student had been there ahead of
hem. But the dgniiied sages made up
Tor their discontinue at subsequent
meeting. when they met at Mr.. Me-
kean S room, Hy. No. s. Mr.. Brigham
n the chair" by voting that barrel
If apples be provided for the parietal
How little they then
thought that their secret misappropria-
ion Of the college funds TO satisfy the
cravings of their inordinate appetite for
hat seductive fruit which tempted our
earliest ancestors would in after wears
De disclosed rs it now is Their secre-
airy was faithful in his duty of record
ng. and thus we find: Nov. 10. met
II Mr.. Allen Putuam's room. Meeting
,alled to order, Mr.. Putnam in the
hair. Voted TO adjourn. Sir George
Putnam was disappointed, having de-
'ermined to make a point on any sub
ect, having prepared himself for the
strong and pathetic by proper adj
mixture Of the tough and tender loin at
Inner. Poor Sir Georges dlsappoint-
nent thus stands on record. and the
ecretary's touch of humor is not lost
n the dust of years upon the shelves Of
he colleges secret archives.
|
BRIGHT EYES OF WOMEN.