Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-10-15

- Aug I.,a and u. +. Snow. 'ol. of Ban
sor Dr. Robinson was the stroke oar oi
,he crew whose fortunes are so vivid,y
S.taiIed. and the tale has the merit III
heing strictly true.l
III was at the close OF one of the
Bowd0in banQuets, and a number OF
I thk younger graduates had :. remained
q smoke while LANCER. sing a few
nor, songs. and tell Is1nst the -stories
Z their college dayA. u them had
smained one Of the, "a ket men, one,
though gray and wrinkN t4et who
Ned to be with the hoY8s NA&d tried
IN such occasions to forget IL half
century that had passed since was
Young, and to seem. to himself at FEAST.
~ be a boy again among the zlest.
they had just finished singing old
phi Chit for the :. 'steepth" time.
when one Of the boys suddenly ,turaed
"a the odd Grad and said Its up TO
YOU. old man. you must sing us q son g
or tell stol y sno&. ssr
Ne was pleased at the attention
showed him. for it somehow. seemed to
make him more nearly one Of their
number. but he modestN said that. he
could not sing as they very well knew,
having heard him try several times;
and as for a story. it was much more
interesting to him to listen to their
songs and hear their fun, than any
thing he could say would be to them.
but they were so persistent and APP
narently sincere in their desire to hear
from him that he finally consented; and
when the cigars had been relighted
and the chairs tilted back to the us
nal angler he began as follows;
The first time | walked in through
the posts beyond the Church on the
Hill and looked upon the Bowdo;n
campus. way back in the sixties.
there was a far different view from
what you see there today. Old Mas
sschusetts Hall had not been remodel
led and its upper story made into a
museum as il is now. but it had the
same antique and delapidated appear
ance as when its walls resOunded to
the voice of Parker Cleveland. The
foundation of Memorial Hall had just
been finished and the granite for its
walls was piled ell about that part of
the campus. There was no Searls
Science Building. no Walker Art
Building no Gymnasium, no Observa-
tory. The North end of Winthrop was
closed for repairs. The only entrance
to it. as | soon found, was over the
Tarpeian Rock. hole dug through the
middle we'll from the closet. of the
inside back room in the upper story.
Through this hole, in the dead hours
of the night SophomoreS We're wont to
haul such Freshmen as did not keep
fully up to the standard of college
ethics as made and provided for their
guidance. and bring them to trial in
the courts Of Sodom, as the North end
was called, to distinguish it from
Gomorrah. which was the scriptural
name Of the South end. To have
'Sodom written in chalk upon mis-
doors. or hear the woods in sepulchral
tones. SOdom. tonight was the direst
threat Freshman could be subjected
to in those days. AS 1 was wholly
unacquainted with college ways and
customs and knew only two or three
OF the students. / found kind-haart-
ed Junior who lived up my way. who
allowed me to sleep il his roor until
could take my examinations and
procure room of my own.
by Saturday night l had collected
few pieces of secondhand furniture
sold to me at greatly reduced rates.
by upperclassmen, and about ten,
went to bed eager for Monday to come
when l could begin college work in
earnest. l had been asleep about an
hour, and was dreaming Of the great
tnlngs | was going to accomplish
while in college, when my dreams were
suddenly brought to an untimely end
oy great noise, in my room and all
ABOUT me. When | opened my eyes
saw That the room was packed full OF
Students. every one of whom had on a
mask and was blowing a tin horn most
vigorously; and one. with a black nose
ABOUT half yard long. was holding il
close TO my face and saying in most
pefemptory tones, 'Freshie, get up,
rreshie get up. | at once obeyed. and
was politely handed my pants. and as
balanced myself on one leg to begin
pressing. | was unceremoniously
tipped over upon the bed in heap
aihld great footing of horns and
SHOUTS OF laughter. | was then hustled
out INTO the other room, and placed
upon the top of the stove: a big fat
dirtisht that was sold to me at a
bargain by Sophomore. who told me
III confidence. it was the very one Old
rtoessor Cleaveland used to have in
"is room. l found afterwards there
we're several such about college.
by the time l was fairly standing
1poh the stove and the horn orchestra
was getting in its work in good stvle
aoont my ears. I thought the thing
n"c gone far enough. and. having had
" sood deal of rough and tumble ex.
perience in the six years | had worked
- crew in sawmill, made a lear
lto me crowd and was ready for 4
'"' But fighting was not on the pro.
'' ana was grabbed by as many
as eouid get hold Of me and put back
.poi' my perch on the stove. Finding
vat everything was being done in a
soou- hatured way. I subsidized at once
M, u'd Whatever | was told to do
ma ms spoiled the fun and they soon lef
"e Tor other classmates.
DIR "S experience seemed to me s.
n;a. 'eht somehow. from what ha,
ed college life to be that I was al
II. 10 understand it for sometime
we're other things that surprised