The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-06-18

of 1908, and Mr. Kinney Responds for
the Freshmen-Everybod interested
Toasted and Roasted i'm the Address
The historic fence on the Yale cam
pus was transferred by the sophomore
man class with the customary cere-
monial The orator for the sophomore
class, Erastus Corning, Of Albany N.
Y did the honors for his class, indulg-
Ing in many caustic witticisms at the
expense of the freshmen individually.
The freshman orator, William Rumsey
Kinney, of Louisville, Ky, accepted the
fence privilege with guarded return of
pleasantly, it being rule of the occa-
sion that the freshman must indulge
in quips without the mention of names
The remainder of the night was spent
by the freshman class on the fence rail
singing college glees.
Mr.. Corning opened the party at
o'clock and set a rapid pace. He treat
ed the freshmen ensemble and individ-
ually, starting in in this fashion:
Ladies and Gentlemen and Freshmen;
Where in the course of human events
1t becomes necessary for a Sophomore
Class, who by reason of years and eX-
perience are well qualified to hold up
certain Yale traditions and at the same
time to hold down a portion of the Yale
Fence, when it becomes necessary for
them to abdicate their high position in
favor of a worthless and inexperienced
bunch of gilded youths it is customary
for them to wind up their career in
blaze of glory. For that reason we are
gathered here this evening and, for
that we are too modest to cast boquets
openly a ourselves, we adopt the more
diplomatic method of daintily compar-
ing the two classes now under discus
sion and then allowing the rest of the
world to judge for themselves. That is
my only excuse for being here tonight,
the only reason for delivering these few
burning words is defence of de Fence
and of the Glass that has been sitting
on de Fence. To begin then with 1903.
The Class of 1908 is the best class that
has ever entered Yale-that is a fact
widely known and universally admit
ted. AS that answers all possible ar
guments and closes the mouths of all
would be scoffers, it would seem to
close the discussion. And so it does
for 1908; but Gentlemen of 1904, as /
glance carelessly over your happy up
turned childish faces, l note with i'll
concealed satisfaction, such a numer-
GUS gathering of weird specimens that
it makes me pause and think. Already
see uneasiness growing. Here a
blush of conscious guilt suffuses some
baby cheek, and there tremor of fear
convulses some stalwart frame I hear
Pete Drummond growl in his pleasant
way Il hope he don't think out loud"
I see Charlie Kindley gathering his CO.
horts in preparation for concerted at
tack upon the Fence, (himself at the
head) while half hidden in the glare
of the electric light. Lawrence Mason |
mutters in a scarce audible undertone
millions for de Fence but not a penny
for your thoughts" But all such pro-
tests are unavailing, the fatal time has |
come, and such of you who, like the |
gentleman in the song Are well known
to fame must endure patiently the re- |
cital of your praises and the long list of |
your good deeds, however bashful we |
may be.
In addressing you, Gentlemen of 1904, |
I would first compare your class to "a
large unwholesome cake covered over
with a thin layer Of toothsome frost
ing When | was in the nursery-a
long time ago, doubtless you remember
that period of life better than / do, /
was taught, in eating cake to consume
the heavy yellow part first and save
the frosting, the best part till the last.
This I did nibbling at the frosting
with infinite relish, usually going to
bed with woeful pain in my tummy.
Occasionally I found a raison or pos
sibly a nut-thesa too I would care
fully set aside, gloating over them with
hungry eyes, the while I munched the
sodden cake This course Gentlemen /
shall pursue with your noble, Class I
have removed the frosting and dug out
some of the luscious berries and they
await their turn in fear and trembling,
and now at the risk of much pain and
woe, shall dispose with the body of
your cake Cor was it cheese?) at one
gulp.
Your class as a whole, as you are
doubtless aware is one of the saddest
ever. Owing to a few turbulent spirits
and a slight modicum of brains, your
have sometimes passed hui
man comprehension in their ingenuity.
Of all your experiments, perhaps the
attack on Mory's reflected the great
est credit on you. 1t lacked but one
Springing, full armed
from the fevered brain of your dark
eyed Napoleon, like Minerva from the
forehead of Jove, the scheme was car
ried through for a time with a brave
enough show of spirit but unfortunate
" it ended before it got to Mory's.
Doubtless this lamentable issue was
by your youthful Caesar:
the "Veni" and the "Vidi' were there |
In full force but the 'Vici'' was con-
spicuous by it's absence. If this We're {
The only PROOF of ability that your class I
has given it might be passed over in }
,rim silence, as more deserving of pity '
han censure, but I have taken it more g
rs type than as a lone instance of 1
youthful eXuberance. Your class has c
passed through the usual Freshman L
phases: The first morning in Chapel /
ZACH one of you doubtless felt as if he T.
f,,11 nd |