The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-09-26
WINES AT OXFORD.
The English Substitute for The Kom-
mers of Germany.

mers OF 0ermauy.
English Letter in New York Sun.
of the kommers in Germany. Up to, say,
a full generation ago the wine" was
not misnomer, for undergraduates when
gathered together in purely social fash
tically nothing but wine. Nowadays the
whiskey and soda and the brandy ami
soda take pride of place. Wines" are
given on any and every occasion which
offers fair excuse. But whatever the
occasion, and whether the company be n
dozen or a hundred the way of 1t Is
much the same Perhaps an individual
gives "a wine.' 1t may be out of sheer
hospitality. or it may be that he has
bet a wine for 10, Is or 20 men. on the
doings of his college boat in the Torpids
or the Fights. the Lenten and summer
college boat races. Festivities of course
begin after dinner. The tables in the
hosts room are laid with dessert. which
with Then the various wines go round:
there will also be songs. But all these
wines are like Cinderellas ball. Mid
night is the fatal hour. when every man
who does not live in the college or iodg-
ings where the feast is held, must fly
and get back into his own college or
lodgings. Those who remain can keep
it up longer, bat II they make too much
noise, and the scene Is in college, they
will hear of 1t next day from some don
whose repose or study has been disturb
ed, and eating for a period may re-
suit. eating" means confined to college
or college lodgings after certain hour
at night If the punishment is meant to
be particularly obnoxious a man Is gated
from p. m. The milder form Is from
p. m. or 10 p. m.
Wines" other than merely private
ones, follow the same line. oxford is
full of clubs. 1t is said that no three
undergraduates can find themselves to-
gether several times without forming
society of some kind, and electing each
other Hon: President, Hon. Secretary
and Hon. Treasurer. and then proceeding
to fix the date of the annual dinner.
This may be a slight exaggeration, but
It Is quite true that every college has
its wine CLUB" They have regular
meetings much after the fashion of thu
wines. already described, but certain
nights are guest nights, and the pro-
ceedings then are more elaborate. Tha
COMPANY wear evening dress; If the club
1t is set forth in all its glory; loving
cup goes round: a weil-arranged program
of songs and sketches Is arranged, AMI
care Is taken that some Of the best sing
ers, reciters, etc., of the undergraduate
world are there as guests.
Once year all such clubs have their
annual dinner. This will be held in the
college hall. specially granted for the oc
casion, IL the club is an established wine
club" and the Junior common room may
not be large enough for the number OF
members and guests. After dinner an ad-
journment is made to the Junior COM
mon room, or the rooms of some man
who has large apartments, for coffee
and liquors. A further move is very Oft
en- made, either to other rooms. or back
to where dinner was taken. Then the
program already sketched Is gone through
dessert, music and much liquor of va
rious kinds.
There are. of course, wine clubs Of
all sorts. Some recruit their members
from different colleges. Some colleges
harbor within themselves several wine
to the college But all at frequent in
tervals are hospitable and invite their
friends to make merry with them.
To make bull. one might, however.
say that the most excellent OF all OK
ford wines is not a wine, but supper
"a bump -supper," to wit: If college
torpid or eight has done well in the COLI
lege boat races of the river, or kept is
place at the head of the river. then the
members of that college, from the senior
down to the youngest freshman. cele-
brate that event right royalty. Great
bonfires are stacked in the college quad
quad. on the paths II it be turf; plenty
of fireworks are purchased, and later
on let off in the most erratic fashion;
cigars and liquors are got ready in great
plenty, and the college sups with its
guests. Among the guests will be found
the crews oOf those boats the rejoicing
college has vanquished, some of tie lead
ing varsity oarSmen and athletes, and so
forth. The supper or dinner Is eaten, a
few toasts are drunk formally and many
scores informally, then the tonfires are
lighted. and, to put the matter shortly,
pandemonium reigns. In latter days, one
hears, the bonfire has been somewhat ia
booed, on account of the risk of fire, for
every Oxford college is a Museum OF
great value. But the writer has danced
round bonfires in a famous college with.
out let or hindrance. though the author
tiles showed their nervousness by hav-
ing firemen with hose ready all night, on
the roof of the famous Bodleian library,
which is close by. No damage, however,
resulted, the most serious being that to
the face Of the lightweight champion
boxer of the university, who was badly
knocked about by a Roman candle which
h .etried to light with the short end Of
no