The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-24
OLD DAY
Amherst Men Grow
Young Again.
ALUMNI BANQUET.
Talk Of Recent Athletic
Developments.


DAYS OF college life again last evening.
Forty-five graduates of the old Mas
sachusetts institution gathered around
! the board and banqueted at the State
Mutual. With old songs and reminis-
cences of the old days, the hours flew
! swiftly by until at a late hour the
gathering broke up after singing AUD
Lang Syne."
| Dr. Peabody, president of the Wor-
cester Alumni Association, acted as
toastmaster. He opened the speech
making with a few we'll chosen words
as to Amhersts work and influence in
the world. The first speaker on the
| list was "Old Doc Hitchcock, acting
president of Amherst who officially
represented that institution In intro
| ducing him, DR.. Peabody said that
while Amherst was without head, it
could never be said she had lost her
head, while DR.. Hitchcock was in
| charge.
DR.. Hitchcock was accorded a rous-
| ing welcome by his boys" as he
called them. He said it was true the
| college was without a head since
President Gates had been relieved
from duty with pay until after April
10, after which date he was relieved
from duty without pay. an announce
ment which was received with cheers.
He reported the college to be in
prosperous condition. Best of all, the
old fault-finding disposition of the last
few years was gone, and new college
spirit had taken its place. The Am
her5t spirit, he said, was not observ-
able merely in athletics, but in all de-
partments Of college work The col
lege was said to be now largely self
governing. Hazing had been stopped
by the action OF undergraduates.
The statement which attracted most
applause from those present was that
Amherst was not working toward
university. Amherst will never aband-
on the good old idea of the small col
lege" said DR.. Hitchcock. 1T makes
no difference whether you call it
fresh water college or a. country coll
lege, the principle Is the same. We be-
lieve in an institution where the
students come into personal touch with
the instructors"
Athletics, he said, were booming, but
occupied no more than their due place
in college. No student Of low stand
oan play on an athletic team. The
faculty was reported larger than ever
before. The religious life was said to
be as earnest as ever, although not so
many REVEALS were held.
DR. W. w. Fairbanks, treasurer Of
the college, stated it's financial needs.
Although the college had lately re-
ceived several large requests, he said
it was all 1t could do to meet expenses.
There must be q continuance of be-
quests if the college is to do it's share
of work He said a new college hall,
a. new astronomical observatory, and a
new building to keep the geological and
neurological collections were the cry
ing needs. A plant for heating and
lighting, he thought. would save $4,000
yearly. The salaries paid to profess
ora he showed, were ridiculously small,
some of the instructors getting only
$400 year.
Elmer Potter, the Dartmouth repre-
sentative, regretted that his college had
been forced out Of the triangular
league. Dartmouth would now have
to peek through the Stats and watch
Amherst and " .iliams slide down the
cellar door together, being herself UNI
able to play In their backyard. But
he did not believe that state Of things
would continue, and looked for a speedy
patching up of athletic differences.
Ex-senator A. S. Roe represented
Wesleyan. He was highly gratified
that Wesleyan had been admitted to
q lehB uc with AIuueTSL anu Williams.
He thought the relationship would be
mutually beneficial. He was hearth
ly glad of the chance to slide on the
cellar door. The three colleges, he
pointed out, were natural rivals. Will
liams is 105 years old, Amherst rs and
Wesleyan 65. They \have the same
aims and ideals. Their attendance is
about the same, being slightly over 3O0
Above all. they are all in or near the
great CnnnaPfip11f ValIaxy uyI1
tains more colleges than any other val
ley in the world
Rev. Sidney Crawford spoke on Am
hersts great influence in country
towns, taking the little town of Con-
way as a typical instance.
Rev. T. e. Babb questioned whether
Amherst was doing its duty In acting
as training school for the ministry.
He quoted statistics to show that from
81 per cent of her graduates who en-
tered the ministry at the founding, only
s per cent do so now.
DR.. C. H. Daniels, representing the
Boston alumni association said he had
attended many Amherst baaquets, but
never had heard so much wholesale
news about Amherst as at this meet
ing.
Prof. z. w. Coombs Of the WNrces-
ter Polytechnic Institute told of Nam
herst as a training school for teAch-
ers. He thought a chair in pedagogy
ought to be established.
j. M. Upton of Boston outlined the
new athletic scheme of having gradr
yates return for few days each yearA
to inspire enthusiasm in athletics. The
scheme was tried successfully last fall
and 1t is aimed to make it permanent
Recruits were taken for new alumni
athletic organization.
j. e. Day proposed a vote of thanks
to j. Fl. Whitcomb for his services to
the college in connection with the Fay
erweather case Among those present
were II. o. Smith, C. f. Marble, G.. p.
Eastman, DR.. Lamson Allen, G. III.
Haynes, G. II. Miles, w. T. Forbes, II
Gates, ]. M. Farnham, r. P. Watkins,
w. A. Burton George Rugg, G. b.