The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-01-07
What Old Oxford Offers Young Who Have Rhod
Were ever river banks so
fair,
Gardens SO fit for nightin-
gales as there,
Was ever towne so richie
in court and tower?"

plan and benefits lies in the great
change to those who have come from
the new college of the west or those
of colonial foundings in the east from
new buildings inadequately endowed, to
the latest equipments and most famous
halls.
Ancient Oxford! Noble nurse OF skill!
cite seated richie in everye thinge:
Gtrt with woode and water.
Were ever river banks SO fair.
Gardens SO fit for nightingales there.
Was ever towne 80 richie in court and
tower7
s. Oxford, t'the link of England to the
learned Of Europe!" Rich in architec-
tural piles of massive grandeur, the
place has almost unequaled wealth Of
historical associations. The war tide
of the Normans ebbed and flowed about
the ancient walls. Kings have made it
their royal and parliamentary residence,
reformers have taught and persisted
here as martyrs. Court intrigues have
been carried on and its great university
for a thousand years has sent forth a
long procession Of statesmen, theo-
logians, philosophers, dramatists and
poets. If back to the ancient cloisters,
| quadrangles, groves and gardens, the
buildings could summon their spirits,
what mighty host Of British worthless
! would appear! The university dates
| from the thirteenth century. The first
foundation, that of Merton college, was
in 1864. followed by Ballot in 1856 and
University college in 1880. Tradition
ally the latter claims foundation from
Alfred the Great in the ninth century
and celebrated the alleged millenary in
1872! From the thirteenth century to
the last foundation in 1896 MAN
chester) each college received its en-
dowment, but the greatest and last
from Cecil Rhodes in 1908, was for all.
Altho the university organization CO.
incides almost exactly with the Great
Charter signed in 1915, the first chan
cellor Is mentioned year earlier, and
even in the reign Of Edward the First
the number of students was about four
| thousand.
College Regulations and Customs.
+ Begun at first for students Of humble
rank, by the sixteenth century the
university had become the rich man s.
school While the college regulations
are strict the civil courts have no
authority over student Is misdemeanor,
until first tried by the vicechanceIlor.
The civil power Of the vicechancellor
extends to the theaters, lodging houses
and even the market. This grew ont of
medievalism and now the price Of food
and room for students in town is fixed
by the university. When students can
not be accommodated in college, the
proprietor of the private houses must
get university license.
The charm of the old town is its loca-
, ton, some sixty-fve miles from Lon
) don, where the Thames river is joined
by the Cherwen and Isis streams. The
! fragments of old wall, the venerable
|. gray brown Of it's twenty two churches.
! the spires and towers, Gothic colleges
! with gargoyles and mulion windows
the quadrangle and hagstones with the
century old trees exert an irresistible
fascination over the visitor. Even Sin
Walter Scott excepted High street OF
Oxford when he declared that High
: street Of Edinburgh was the most mag
q nifcent in Great Britain. Words
{: worth's sonnet contains the oft-quotet
lines descriptive of High street, "tht
4 stream-like windings Of that glorious
street, Not in exteAor appearance,
alone, Out III custous lung PoiPoeudIo>
: lie the great differences from American
+ life. On each May morning from lth'
g summit of the finely proportionec
It Founders Tower of Magdalen college
y Latin hymn is sung at 5 O'Clock
n when hundreds of spectators gather tt
listen. This May hymn or Magda
n lem, grace was written in 1856, ant
d Henry VII. confirmed the right t.
e collect certain patronage on whiel
IT there is an annual charge of ten pound
g for choir music on top of the tower
c. Here also in Magdalen college is 81
y Swithens quadrangle containing the oil
4 stone pulpit where from early days
r sermon was preached on the day dedi
20 Gated to st. John, the Baptist, whe
N the surrounding buildings were decke
t, with boughs and bushes to represen
id the wilderness. The custom died on
e with the Wesleys but was again revive
.. in 1896 Christ Church college retain
It 1.-THE custom of Druid s day feast in jar
r. nary, when in front of the mammot
st kitchen fireplace, almost rivaling in siz
~ an ancient city gateway, is roasted tn
i'd baron of beef often weighing ever thre
to hundred pounds After the feast tn
IN remainder is distributed to the poo
Here is an old grill erected by Cardins
Wolsey in 1928. In the fquad" c
Worcester college is annually celebrate
n by huge bonfire, the Guy Fawks
Mt incident of 1905.
ca These are some of the strange col
vn trasts which meet the newcomers frol
be the United States.