The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1903-06-12
At THE UNIVERSITY
Commencement Week Begins
June Ia with Parting Ad-
dress by President.
ALUMNI TO HAVE THE1E SWING
Greek Play Given Last Week by the
Students-Colonel Murphy Re
signs TO En:>r Journalism.

Madison, Wis. June 9.-The new
president, Van HiSe, does not take
command Of the state university until
next fal!. He was given q dinner by
the Chicago alumni Friday evening
and his speech indicated that he is to
take hold OF his work III earnest and
in the next ten years make the uni
ycrsity second to none III the land.
Birge's Last Baccalaureate.
Commencement begins June IA
(Sundayi with parting address to the
graduating class by acting President
Birge. The big event the next day
will be the address to the college of
law by Hiram f. Stevens, dean of the
St Paul college of law.
Tuesday is the big day for the grad
uating class. They plant an ivy, hold
funny exercises, listen to a concert in
the evening by the school of music,
and smoke a pipe of peace at mid
night outdoors on the campus.
On Wednesday the alumni have their
swing. They hold a business meeting
and a dinner; there is an Open-air con-
cert ut D. M, and a class play in the
opera house in the evening. The OBJ
ServatOry will be open that evening.
Hon. Burr w. Jones will preside at
the dinner. and tOasts will be respond
ed to by acting President E. A. Birge,
Congressman II. G. Adams, Miss Flor
ence e. Baker, 80; Regent J. c. Kir
win, rs, and a representative of the
graduating class. Mr.. Adams toast
will be "Thosp Who Fell by the Way
side" as he did not finish his course.
Thursday is good-by day, with pro-
ceSsiOn in the morning, commencement
exercises in the armOry, reception from
4 to 6 by the Birges and ball in the
evening. Then the lights are turned
out, some 400 more graduates step on
the thin ice of life, the class of 1903
become '"back numbers" and the tickle
world becomes interested in those who
follow.
Greek Play at University.
Last week for two evenings were
presented parts Of a Greek play by
university students. The performance
was in the home of Professor Slaugh-
ter of the Latin department, a hand
some new home on the lake. While
Professor Charles Forster Smith Of
the Greek department, of course fur
nished the inspiration, the Slaughters
were great help. Mrs. Slaughter is
a graduate of Bryn Mawr and Wom-
an Of much culture.
Not many of our students care for
Greek, only comparative hanful
study it. 1t was one of the late
Charles Kendall Adams griefs that he
could not stay the tide away from the
classics. The department is in strong
hands now. Professor Alex Kerr, one
Of the veterans Of the faculty, does
but little class room work. He is
rounding out his life's study with a
translation Of Plato, issuing it in
parts. The active head of the depart
ment is Charles Forster Smith, one Of
the choice spirits of the faculty. He is
a Southerner, of strong literary tenn
permanent, a WidoWer with five chill
dren, and a home on University
books and while Greek literature is
his life work. he has an intimacy
with prose and poetry Of every age.
To him Greek is no dead language,
but alive, its religion, art, drama, liter
allure an urgent, present-day message
to tie world.
Murphy Out Hannah In.
Colonel Jerre Murphy, LaFollette's
private secretary, goes to Butte, Mont,
to conduct the leading daily of the
state owned by Republican capitalists
and politicians, and John Hannah of
the Milwaukee Free Press succeeds
him. Both are newspaper men who
have won their spurs by getting re-
suits as clever correspondents. Mr..
Murphy was long Il Sentinel writer
and his clever paragraphing has never
been surpassed. He can make a foe
appear contemplate when suspended
on his caustic quill, One of Jerre's
uuips comes back to me. He was
speaking of Colonel Hicks of Oshkosh
who (Murphy said was in Washing
ton for some weeks waiting for an ap-
pontment that never came. Jerre said
the colonel took nothing from the pie
counter except his elbows"
Is that a word picture or isn't it,"
Colonel Murphy has had varied
newspaper history. In the 1890 CAM
paign in Wisconsin he was Wisconsin
correspondent of the Chicago Herald
and writing against the Bennett law.
He was editor of the Ashland News
for a time and also in Marinette,
where he used to throw lampoons at
Mr.. Stephenson. Colonel Murphy takes
the best wishes of the newspaper men
of the state of his new work. He will
be a conspicuous figure in Montana
within a very short time.
Infants Belong In Homes.
Something has been said of crowded
infants at Sparta, and some impulsive
person has suggested an appropriation
for more accommodations of this sort