The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-29
PLAY THEIR ALMA MATER
SOME INCIDENTS OF COLLEGE
.DEADBEATs'' RECALLED BY A
NUMBER OF STUDENTS
SHREWD PLANS WORKED OUT
How the Professional Begging Let
ter Writer and Decayed Col
IeSe Man Manages His
Campaign at Times.


naturally, their "reminiscences dealt with
academic gossip. The eminence of ath-
etes in Undergraduate days and their
location after graduation, the success
and failure of the scholars and the
digs and the unexpected progress of
the men who did not wake up until after
graduation to the fact that there was
something to do in the world beside
examining the studies necessary to get a
b. A. degree-all such subjects were the
ones that naturally attracted their atten-
ton. 1t was generally agreed that the
college dead-beat had become fixed in
sttutlon in society, and that all gradu-
ates We're liable to be accosted by him,
says the Brooklyn Eagle. Such dead
beats studied the catalogues of the uni
versities and the class books to learn
the history of members. Women were
hnding the field an attractive one, for
they had learned the susceptibility of
men to tales about their mates in school
days. One famous confidence woman of
this sort was now in Jail, and her hus-
band, who was a university graduate and
the accomplice in her schemes, was a
fugitive from justice.
Speaking of dead-beats," said the
young judge, who was coxswain on the
Yale crew more than a score of years
ago, l heard a good one on Tom Sher-
rod, of California, the other day. He had
lust helped a man, giving quick response
20 his request for a loan, when he got a
etter from his class secretary, warning
lis mates that the beneficiary was a
beat Tom was pretty sore over the
natter and resolved that the money he
had lost should be a lesson, and that he
would never be caught again. In few
weeks along came another classmat e
about whom he had not heard of late.
He hardly remembered the fellow, and
ae recalled the fact that he was very
poor and had to study hard to keep along
With his class. He did not seem to know
much about money matters, and was al
ways in debt He remembered that the
faculty had made row about the mans
smoking, for he was beneficiary of the
Smith fund for poor students and with
the trustees of that fund smoking was
IN unnecessary luxury. 4 will look out
!Or this fellow he said to himself
How is the world using your" was
Sne of the first questions that the visitor
Isked.
1.-THE California mans presence of mind
Sid not desert him, and he remembered
make out his condition so bad that it
would preclude the possibility of a re-
luest for a loan. Very badly indeed
1e replied. II cannot get out of debt-in
fact, the burden of my debts has been
increasing. You know that 1 married
early, and the children began to come be-
fore was ready to support them. Ii |
had had any idNa when 1 was in college
that I had such hard row before me.
I hpl hot I 4
suicide. I should certainly never have
thought of marrying. The rosy dreams
Of college life are rudely dashed in later
days, are they not?' he said expecting
to receive a sympathetic reply.
He received sympathy enough, but
not Of the sort that he expected.
1 am sorry to hear about your bad
luck the visitor replied. Your case is
the worst / have heard about vet. and I
have been about visiting my classmates
considerable of late. You remember that
I did not enjoy the real life of college
very much and I am trying to make ND
for my neglect now. Say, Tom, and he
lowered his voice, I wish that you would
take a sum from me. Now do not re-
fuse. Just take $4,000 of mine Keep it
as long as you need it and clear off those
debts. I will not take note for 1t and
If you cannot pay IT, don't let that worry
IL y. 1
sure you that il would be only pleas
ure. I dc not know much about such
matters, and the investment of my money
worries me most to death No! Nc!
don't refuse! he protested; I went into
Westinghouse and some other stock spec
ulatiCn and made half a million almost
before I realized it
You foOl-no ] mean that-Ob, come
out and have drink with me ct the
club. and I will explain it all -
THE young millionaire and his visitor
went out together, and when they left
the cllb, they We're pretty good frieuds."
That isn't circumstance 10 the ex-
perience one of my college alumni had
the other day. began the graduate of a
New England institution. ''rhe victim is
minister, and q pretty successful one,
too. He has moved now, but when he
presided over big parish In northern
New York state, @ young man who
claimed to be an alumnus of his college
called to see him. He told him that a
brother had just died in a neighboring
town and he pulled a paper out OF his
pocket, which contained an obituary
notice of the man. He wished to bring
his body for burial to the city ana to
have fellow alumnus officiate at the
funeral. If the pastor would be good
enough to serve him he would be very
grateful. OF course the minister agreed
and then the visitor asked the name of
a reliable undertaken
He naturally thought of the man who
officiates at the funerals in his parish
and he wrote a sympathetic letter, in
PRODUCING the new friend to the funeral
director. Arrangements We're made for
the pastor to meet the funeral train and
accompany the body to the grave The
man went to the undertaken and present
ed the letter of introduction. He wanted
to make plans with the director to look
after the funeral, and he said he did not
care about the expense. He wanted the
grave lined with green. leaves and there
should be a large number of flowers. He
offered to pay the undertaken then, but
the man refused the money, insisting
that he did not know the exact amount
of the bill. A large number of carriages
were ordered for the friends in the flu
neral party. Then the stranger asked
about a lot in the cemetery and sug-
gested that the undertaken arrange for
that, too. But the funeral man asserted
that such a matter was beyond his prov
lnce The cashier of the First National
bank was treasurer of the cemetery as
ISOLATION, and the undertaken would be
glad to take him over and introduce him,
so that the lot could be quickly provided
They went over to the bank together and
the funeral director introduced his pros
pective customer. The right kind of a
lot would cost 500 and the details were
soon arranged The stranger then pro-
duced a check for 500 and again asked
the undertaken to let him settle then,
but the man would not do 1t. He then
handed the check to the cashier and
treasurer of the cemetery association.
The cashier followed the habit he had ac-
CURED by long training and handed the
check over to the undertaken for his
name as an indorser. The man did not