The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-02-11

"And the old eating club at South
Middlel 1t cost us two dollars
week there for board. unless you
helped wait on table. Then you could
get three meals day for one dollar
or even for nothing, if you were ready
for work three times on six days in
each week.
Il remember when Piggy Ralston,
Lengthy Salters, and I've three
left a terrible reputation behind US,
I'm afraid-raided the storeroom of
the South Middle Eating club. Old
Mrs. Martin was the matrOn and she
had laid in big stock Of honey and
apples. We knew about it and one
Friday night we broke into the store
room and stole a whole case of
honey, as many apples as we could
carry and tive loayes of bread. We
took our plumber up into Prof. Tom
my's' room on the third floor Of Mid
die college and had a good square
meal That was really the only time
l ever got enough to eat during my
college course-and / paid as high as
three a week for board part of the
time. We were just finishing up the
honey whe1 we heard footsteps on
the stairway leading up from the sec
ond floor. The footsteps sounded one,
two. limp; one, two, limp and we
knew that il was old Prof. Pete He
was the Greek professor and he al
ways had been lame. We waited I'M
til he pounded on the outside Of the
door with his cane ard said: Young
gentlemen, let me in instantly
Then we climbed out the window
on to the balcony which grew out OF
the front of Middle college like the
top Of a toadstool and got ready to
slide down the big white Grecian pill
lars to the ground. Lengthy salters
went first because his arms and legs
were longest and we figured that he
could come nearest to reaching clear
around the big white pillars.
When be got down to the second
floor Prof. Pete was threatening to
break in the door and we we're
tickled when Lengthy called back
that it was dead easy Piggy fol-
lowed him and / went last. We found
out for ourselves in a minute what
Lengthy had carefully concealed.
The white pillars were, of course.
only imitation marble. They had
been covered with a couple of coats
of white paint and then sand ard fine
gravel had been scattered thiekly
over them so that sliding down them
was Ike making a similar trip on a
cylinder Of sand paper. Lengthy
had on the suit he had expected to
wear at Junior X but by the time
he got to the bottom his trousers
were in such shape that he found it
necessary TO withdraw altogether l
didn't fare much better, but, then. L
was one OF the wealthy men of the
class. with a regular allowance of $40
ninth, so that I was able 10 stand
the loss of my trousers without SER
Gus results.
Lengthy you know. was the
chap who stole the 'sophs'' mortar
boards while they were all eating
supper down at the eating club al
South Middle. The dining-room was
in the basement and the 'sophs' had
piled up their fancy hats on the win
dow sills. The windows were half
above ground and it was Just before
commencement, so the windows were
open. Lengthy started at one end
and went all around the building COL
Letting every mortar board on the
sills. He got half way around before
the 'sophs' noticed what was going
on. Before he started in he had
locked the doors 10 the dining-room.
SO he had a good chance 10 get away
before the first 'soph' climbed out Of
the window. The 'sophs' played the
baby act and complained to the fac
ulty, but they never did find out who
stole the mortar boards or what was
done with them. They never did get
them back until Lengthy sent them
around with his compliments to the
president OF the sophomore class. I
don't suppose it viii do poor old
Lengthy any harm now to tell that
he kept all the stolen mortar boards
for month up in the belfry of the
Baptist church. Lengthy got three
dollars a week for pulling the Baptist
bell four times a day on Sunday and
twice every Wednesday evening for
prayer meeting. He got shot TO death
by the Johnny Rebs,' but he was a
colonel before they killed him"
But, grandfather" said Harper.
90, who felt that it was about time
for him TO take part in the eonver.a-
ton, you've forgotten all you really
learned in college, suppose, like al
the rest of us"
Have I, indeed?' chirruped the old
boy.
"Arma virumque cano Trojae qui
primus,~ he quoted. Lets go out and
have glass Of apple brandy. Chi
cago Tribune.