New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-25

9"eiS % DOCK work questions as fast as his pen
VIII travel; then ne may assault his problems
WIN at least CLEAN Of hope in his heart Even
50 II very seldom happens that a candidate
manages TO write down something by way Of
answer 10 every question in a paper before the
expiration Of the three hours allowed him In
100 the Hon J. ". Strut Of Trinity. was OBJ
served 70 leave the examination room on several
occasions before the time limit was reached and
lhe phenomenon was regarded as ominous. for
0UuIL OF Trinity, had been reckoned a prom
islhs candidate, and his early retirement was
interpreted 70 mean, necessarily, despair When
II was whispered that Strut. Of Trinity had ac-
tuaIIy answered in some fashion every question
IN every paper. the story was first ridicuIed and
then attributed TO the secret help Of the Evil
one, and no one was surprised when Strut was
posted as the Senior Wrangler Of that year
He has since become more widely celebrated as
Lord Rayleigh
II IS not 10 be wondered al that Senior
Nrangler is usually afflicted with the maIady
eolloquially called swell head" Among the
more OF less funny anecdotes to this point is
one which tells how the Senior WrangIer Of the
year going 10 London. and graciouslv attending
an operate performance al COvent Garden as
he hoped, incognito. was disturbed shortly
after ne had taken his seat in the stalls. by d
loud burst q cheering which shook the house
from floor 10 ceiling. Remarkns 10 mis- neigh
Dor, They've found me out he rose and bowed
10 the four points Of the compass and only
then discovered that the Princess Of Wales. at
that time recently married was taking her
place in the royal box also bowling Sometimes
the head. OF The nerves. Of a Senior WrangIer are
affected otherwise. and cases of death or tenn
porary insanity among the glorious brotherhood
are not entirely unknown
But the most remarkable fact in connection
with The history Of the famous tripos is the
small number Of Senior Wranglers that have
attained high fame in later years. Going back
ward. only Lord Rayleigh. already mentioned.
Cayley. the famous professor Of mathematics
Lord Kelvin CSir William Thomson. and Stokes
formerly president Of the Royal Society. out of
all the Senior Wranglers II the last sixty-six
years have attained what might be called world
wide celebrity It Is notorious that To find great
names on the tripos list one must look through
the bunch from the second wrangIer TO the tenth
or twelfth Thus in 1854 when Routh. after
ward the famous coach. was Senior. Clark Max
well was second TAFT and Steele We're respec-
lively Senior and second in 1852 and afterward
became famous for their joint work, 'Dynamics
OF a Particle Of which by far the more brill
liant share commonly attributed to Steele
The famous Colenso afterward the unorthodox
Bishop Of Natal. was second in 1896 De Morgan
one of the greatest names II the history Of the
century's progress IN pure mathematics was
fourth wrangier in 1897. and Sylvester. who
shared with Stokes until a few years ago the
highest place among contemporary English
Tnathematicians. a second in 1887.
At the beginning OF this century the mathe-
maticaI tripos the only way 10 avoid the
poll" degree. a man might be ranked in the
second class of the tripos tSenior Optimes),
: N the third Junior Optimes1; ne might alto
lzether fail and then. to apply oxford term
be- "gulfed~ in The "poIoi." But since then the
classical tripos has come into existence and
the Law and history The natural science, and
others TOO numerous TO mention. and, as con
servative Canta bs protest. TOO numerous for the
good Of The university. have followed.
..swrangIer~ probably has its origin in the pub
Die disuutations in which the candidates for
rr4rlv took part The name. "tripos," which has
been vigorously adhered 10, originated with
humble three-Iegged stool. In days gone by the
candidates for degrees came into the schools"
each introduced 10y d don Of his own college.
called MS father" 70 answer the question
The master who was supposed 10 put the "ques-
ton sat waiting for the sons" Oh a three
legged stool IL which the classical mind saw, ~
doubt an analogy to the Delphc tripod. Before
this custom became a mere ceremonial and was
.boIisbed II became d recognized privilege OF
-r- master u the three-Iegged stool 10 chat
-b- r{Ynid sons. hence. the appointment Of mod
orators" 70 keep the humor Of the gay master OF
49,. s,--fatiop within decent bounds