New-York tribune., 1903-01-11


made the depository. two rooms Ia the middle
Of the east side being set apart for the cOllec-
ton The story Is told Of Professor SllimaH
that, desiring a number Of glass retorts for
chemical experiment, and having only a broken
necked bottle a sample. he sent the broken
bottle TO a glass factory IN Hartford, with an
order for two dozen. In course Of time the bot
ties arrived from Hartford, and when Professor
SilIiman opened the case he found twenty-fOur
completed retorts each one OF which was care
fully broken of at the neck. in exactly the same
place as the broken sample.
It was Professor SilIiman Of whom the fol-
lowing story was told: He witty and vas
about the only professor in his day who was
not imposed upon by his students. In his course
in mineraIogy he asked each man in the class
to bring In a specimen to be named and dig
cussed in class. One Of the boys saw the chance
for joke On the professor and slipped a
broken piece Of brick in the samples sent up
to the professors desk Taking up each article
In turn Professor Silliman described them,
This is a piece Of agate. this is a piece Of
quartz this mica" etc, till he came to tie
brick without changing his tone OF voice ths
professor picked it up and said. This is q
piece Of frnpudence" and went On. while tia
class roared at the students expense The first
mineraIogy class room and physical laboratory
was in sub-basement OF South Middle, long
since filed in Professor SiIliman, when the
excavations were being dug. was not publicly
announced as appointed. and he had 20 watch
the yawning chasm without protest When I'm
ished the ceiling was below the level OF the
ground, and the professors head, when be was
standing UP. was six feet under ground Ths
dampness Of the cellar spoiled most OF the In
struments, and this first experiment IN Yals
laboratory building had to be given up
South Middle had It's part in the famous
Comic Sections Rebellion" Of 1880. The profes-
sor who conducted the mathematical courses
at that time put his classes through a sewers
routine of study, which the boys did not ike
They finally rebeIIed. and asked permission to
recite in an easier way than the professor re-
quired. This was not granted, and the class
went on a strike. For two weeks no students
attended recitations, or. if they did, spent ths
hour in making it warm for the professor. Al
night his room in South Middle was the scens
Of regular attacks His windows were broken
by bottles and stones. his door was barT1caded
so that he could not get out, powder was e1'
ploded in his clothes closet and cannon balls and
barrels rolled down the entry stairs Forty
four men were dismissed during the rebellion,
IN which the students finally Won
The story is told of unpopular tutor who
roomed in South Middle that the boys showed
their dislike for him By throwing things
through his window at night, among other aru-
cIes pieces Of coal from the college coaIblna
TIE tutor was accustomed to say that he had
no fault to find with his status at college, as
he got his pay twice year, his board free and
his coal thrown in
''Skinning' in examinations Is still haoIt
among some college men. at Yale as elsewhere,
but the present methods were not 70 De COM
pared with the ingenious devices OF former
days. a particularly stiff professor roomed in
South Middle at one time il the middle OF the
last century To secure his paper before II was
presented TO the class was the aim Of all the
students. For several years all attempts 70
'swipe'' the examination paper failed until q
senior who rooIned over the professor solved
the difficulty. He bored -o1e in his foor when
the professor was out, a-~d that night "Gfted'
the questions to be askee by applying a glass
to the hole and reading them as they lay under
the professors pen lis table just below.
At another time. though the story is told OF
another building in the Old Brick Row, sti1
more ingenious ruse tried A specially
difficult commencement examination paper was
much in demand in the class before examina-
ton, but all rUses to cure it in advance
had failed. a professional burglar had actually
been hired to steal the paper from the profeSs