The hatchet. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1883-19??, 1900-08-19
WILD BOYISH TRICKS
CRAZY FRANKS PERPETRATED BY
COLLEGE STUDENTS.

LII All uEtSf hulu lllt uluu NnO UP
serves. "boys have been boys, and If
at times their play may smack Of bru-
tally, at others 1t Is amusing and even
clever. Some years ago at Harvard
cart containing bricks broke down In
front of Memorial hall. Ii being then
late, the driver left 1t there for the
night. The next morning. securely
resting on the ridge of the roof OF
Memorial hall. was that self same load
of bricks. although how It got there
Is to this day mystery. The scuttle
to the roof was far too small to admit
the body of the cart. On the other
hand, the cart was too heavy, II seemed,
to have been pulled up by hand from
the outside, and besides neither wall
nor roof showed any sign of It's pas
sage. Yet there 1t was. and there 1t
remained until at considerable expense
to pockets and temper the college au-
thorltles had 1t removed and restored
to its clamoring owner.
"The preparatory school to which
went was in a small country village.
A fire was looked upon as great
affair and was attended by the stu
dents i'm a body Once there our Gus
tom was 10 hurl rlbald remarks and adj
vice at the various firemen by name.
To get even 1t was their habit. at I'M
expected moments. to turn the hose
upon us. A few duckngs taught us
caution. and we at length were usually
able to scamper away without wet
ting.
zone bitter winter afternoon we
gathered at fire and engaged in our
usual occupation of baltfdg the fire
men. At length they tried to reach
us with the hose, but having antlci-
pated the move we were without its
range. But unnotlced behind us had
been standing the principal Of the
school. On his august person the
stream of water descended like an
avenging fate. and before the panic
stricken firemen could turn 1t away he
was wet TO Ills respectable skin. The
water froze as 1t struck, and we were
presently gazing upon human icicle.
AT length we recovered sufficiently
to go to his aid and, wrapping him
in coats, drove him rapidly TO his
home. during which the entire school
shook in its shoes. while the wretched
firemen were for reslgning In body.
But he was thorough good fellow,
and beyond a few words as to the
wrong we were doing in interfering
with a public servant In the discharge
- II 4. he, .afA
to pass by unnotlced.
"The town hall was one of those
hideous and bleak structures so COM
mon in the New England towns of 20
years ago. where the only attempt at
decoration was funeral cupola in the
exact center of the roof, on top of
which was large figure of Justice.
To the horror of the selectmen the
town awoke one morning to gaze upon
a TRANSPORTED Justice. A light blue
crlnoline skirt and red shawl enwrap-
ped her figure, and she looked cOquet-
tishly out from beneath the shadow
of an immense poke bonnet. AS a
particularly happy thought, she was
weighing two babies In the scales.
Then came an awful row. The
town had no hook and ladder truck,
without the aid of which no one could
be found to remove the garments. The
nearest hook and ladder company was
II miles distant and required not only
permission of the town council but the
expenditure of cash to bring 1t over.
The selectmen declared that as 1t was
manlfestly trick of the students the
faculty should pay. The faculty firm
ly refused, holding that there was no
proof that such was the case. For
ten days the controversy ragged, and
then the selectmen gave way and paid
for the hook and ladder truck. The
day the hook and ladder company was
to come storm sprang up which
lasted for three days. When the god
dess was finally stripped of her cloth
ing. the dyes had run, and she emery
ed tinted with all the colors of the
rainbow. She had to be painted afresh,
the selectmen footing the cost with
sullen faces.
'"rhe secret was successfully kept
as TO how the goddess was decorated.
The night previous to the occurrence
there had been show in the town
hall. When II was over the captain
of the football team and two fellow
conspirators had sneaked beneath the
balze fronted stage. When all was
quiet. they had assembled to the roof.
Once there one end of long rope had
been attached to the captains waist
and the other to that of one of the
others. The third man accompanied
the climber to the base Of the figure
with the bundle of clothes. The skirt
and babies were easily placed. but
the shawl and bonnet came as harder
work. the figure rocking fearfully on
its base. The idea of the rope was
that in case the dresser fell he would
be saved from rolling to the ground.
If such an accident had happened,
when he bounded from the sloping
sides Of the roof he undoubtedly would
have carried the football captain to the
ground with him. They didn't think
Of this, however. and 1t gave them
greater feeling OF safety."-New York
Tribune.
A Sure Sign.