The Republican journal., 1906-01-04
A FRESHMAN AT U. OF N.

You were feeling far from happy as
you stalked along toward town through
the mist and mud, with your captors
keeping watchful eye on you lest you
should make a bold strike for liberty.
No such idea was in your head, how
ever for you lad already learned one
of the. first lessons which the Fresh
man year is calculated to impress upon
the mind of the student, that the
wisest course is to keep quiet and take
what comes. Tue poor little Freshie
BESIDE you was really frightened, and
you wished you could talk to him for
few minutes, for you regarded him
with mixture of pity and contempt,
and wondered what manner of man he
might be. You remembered seeing
him at class-meetings. and at various
places around the campus, but he was
not in any of your classes, and you
were quite curious to know just what
he could be like: but circumstances at
that particular moment prevented any
conversation, You resolved, however,
while glaring at the back of the big
Fellow" to look the kid up some time
and find out something about him. You
were passing the fraternity houses,
and through the mist you could see
other groups, some quiet, some laugh
ing and singing, moving III all dlrec
tons. Before long yonr party left the
apology for a sidewalk and struck off
across the fields, into whose Shiny,
sticky surface your feet sank and
grudgingly left. The river bank was
quite evidently the mecca toward
which the unwilling pilgrims and their
captors were slowly moving, and group
after group, all similar as to makeup,
exchanged salutatiOns as they neared
OF passed each other. You were men
tally kicking yourself for your stupid
ty at getting SO easily caught, and, at
the same time, you thought of Jack
kept at home by the all-seeing upper
classmen with a sort of regret for his
missing the fun.
You more than half suspected what
was coming-that you were to be
treated to what is known in the college
world as "razoo." Down near the
river bank perhaps half of the class
were gathered, surrounded by the
Sophomores, who were striving their
utmost to think up methods of making
keeping watchful eye upon their
captives for fear of attempted escapes.
While the crowd was gathering Vari-
Gus Freshmen amused the company
with songs, dances, or speeches, but
you congratulated yourself you were
not called upon. The thought of that
memorable haZing affair of the past
fall though it seemed ages ago, sent
the cold shivers down your spine when
ever YOU thought of it-which was not
often. The whole scene rose before
YOU now, and your blood boiled at the
thought of the indignities and inius-
tees attendant upon being Fresh
man. You comforted yourself. how
ever. with that universal Freshman
resolve which bodies evil for the next
class, "We'll get even next year,
After the crowd had gained sufficient
proportions in the eyes of the Sophie
more host the fun began in earnest.
paddles" were produced from some
mysterious source and a shot oven"
made things lively for each of the un-
fortunate captives in turn. A few
floating logs in the river suggested a
new idea to the fertile brains on the
alert for new methods of torture, and,
balanced precariously on that unsteady
footing, sundry Freshmen made
speeches on the Freshman year, that
favorite subject for an extemporaneous
speech-co- education, the superiority
of the Sophomore class, and other topics
as congenial. One poor youth lost his
balance while giving his audience the
benefit of an extremely unmusical ver-
sion of Peggy Brady" and fell over
board with prodigious splash. Imme-
diately, of course, life-saving crew
was organized, composed of Freshmen
differed by Sophomores, who stood
high and dry on the bank and gave off
orders in stentorian tones. The whole
party, rescuers and rescued, were i'm
mediately put through various forms
of exercise, intended, of course. to off
set the effects of their recent cold bath.
which, to judge from appearances,
seemed to be eminently successful.
You, fortunately, were not included in
that somewhat uncomfortable escapade
but were bit uncertain as to whether
to congratulate yourself or not. as it
was extremely doubtful just what
share of the proceedings would fall to
your lot Your uncertainty did not
last long, however, for your turn soon
came. Surrounded by an admiring (?)
and ever growing circle of spectators,
who kindly offered all sorts of sugges-
tions and hints as to the proper method
of procedure, you were obliged to
get down on your knees on the river
oil