Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-10-16

1 Posed on the Roof of Harvard Me-
mortal HaII-A Weird Decoration
| For a Statue of Justice.
I'm all ages" said the man who OBJ
serves. "boys have been boys. and if
at times their play may smack of bru-
| tality, at others IL is amusing and even
| clever. Some years ago at Harvard
| a cart containing bricks broke down in
front of Memorial hall. 1t being then
late. the driver left it 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 il got there
Is to this day n mystery The seuttle
to the roof was far too small 70 admit
the body of the cart. On the other
hand. the cart was too heavy. It seemed,
to have been pulled up by hand from
the outside. and besides neither wall
nor roof showed any sign of its pas
sage. Yet there IL was. and there il
remained until at considerable expense
to pockets and temper the college ~
thorities had If removed and restored
to its clamorirg owner.
The preparatory school to which
| went was in small country village.
4 fire was looked upon as n great
affair and was attended by the stu
dents in a body. Once there our Gus
tom was TO hurl ribald remarks and adj
vice at the various firemen by name.
To get even il was their habit. at IN
expected moments, to turn the hose
upon US. \ few ductingS taught us
caution. and we ut length We're usually
able to scamper away without 81 wet
ting.
"One bitter winter afternoon we
gathered at q FIRE and engaged in our
usual occupation of batting the fire.
men. At length they tried to reach
us with the hose. but having Gntici-
pated the move we were without its
range. But unnoticed 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 It away he
was wet to his respectable skin. The
water froZe as it struck, and we were
presently gazing upon a human icicle.
AT length we recovered sufficiently
to go TO his aid and. wrapping him
in coats, drove him rapidly to his
shook in its shoes. while the wretched
fremen were for resigning in a body.
But he was u thorough good fellow,
and beyond q few words as TO the
wrong we were doing in interfering
with q public servant in the discharge
of his duty he allowed the incident
to pass by unnoticed.
THE town hall was one of those
i.
mon in the New England towns of 20
years ago. where the only attempt at
decoration was n funereaI cupola in the
exact center of the roof. on top of
which was a large figure of Justice. |
To the horror of the selectmen the |
town awoke one morning to gaze upon |
a TRANSPORTED Justice. y light blue |
crinoline skirt and red shawl enwrap- |
ped her figure, and she looked coquet- |
tishiy out from beneath the shadow |
Of an immense poke bonnet. As n |
particularly happy thought. she was |
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 |
IL miles distant and required not only
permission Of the town council but the
expenditure of cash to bring it over
The selectmen declared that as it was
trick, of the students the
faculty should pay. The faculty firm
y refused. holding that there was no
proof that such was the case. For
ten days the controversy ragged. and
hen the selectmen gave way and paid
for the hook and ladder truck The
lay the hook and ladder company was
10 come a storm sprang UP which
9sted for three days. When the god
less was finally stripped of her cloth
ng. the dyes had run. and she emerg-
ID tinted with all the cclors of the
She had TO be painted afresh.
he selectmen footing the cost with
;ullen faces.
The secret was successfully kept
Is to how the goddess was decorated.
rhe night previous to the occurrence
here had been a show in the town
lalI. When il was over, the captain
# the football team and two fellow
onspirators had sneaked beneath the