Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-01-26
RHODES BOYS
FORM CLUB
American Scholars at oxford Univer-
sity Form Organization and Hold
on to Their Americanism.
LETTER FROM AN oREGoNiAN
Writes Good HumoredIy About Life
at the Great English University
Queer Customs.

When friends have asked the Amer
leans at oxford what they thought of
the place and the people, the usual
reply has been. wait a year. until
We have seen everything; we can tell
you better then" writes Harvey q.
Densmore in the Portland Oregonian.
The first year has passed and we have
seen the whole performance. up to
the drop of the academic curtain on
CCmmemoratiOn day, but as for giving
any sort of final opinion about our re-
lations here. it seems as far off now
as ever Our impressions are too var
led and even contradictory to admit
OF safe verdict; we agree that it
is very pleasant or extremely in
teresting," and with secret curiosity
await what great views our nelghbor
may dare set forth.
On one point, however opinion has
gradually changed during the year
which was but the inevitable after
all, The majority of Rhodes schol-
ais vigorously objected to any sort Of
al organization when they arrived
last October. as many have now come
to the belief that some means of hold
ins on to our Americanism will do
Oxford no harm and may be decided
" advantageous to us when We want
to be admitted to the states again.
Sc a meeting was called last spring
in the Clarendon hotel to consider the
~ vi col of 1,,h I'D
gave the death blow to the last con
servative opposition was one speech
amid all the profusion of oratOry real
~ strongly opposed" to anything
that would hinder getting 'the OK
ford point of view" and so on bur
the poor man that made it was I'M
consciously a living example of what
two years in England can do for a
certain sort of subject in making
him a hybrid-neither American nor
English. intolerable to both. He had
convinced us, as one speaker said after
he had made his escape from the
meeting. that if there is one thing
that will make the angels weep it is
the Anglomaniac.
So this year we have club to which
all Americans are eligible, but only
after two terms of residence: the
English atmosphere must have the
first chance at each new consignment
undiluted Of course, this does not
include ladies: it would be the eX-
IRENE of innovation to introduce any
thing in the semblance of coed for
| many years to come. Celibate Ok
ford would sooner tolerate the quick
| lunch stands and lynchings we we're
| expected to bring with us.
| Saturday night the club gave re-
ception to the new American schol-
ars as the initatory performance in
the new club rooms. 1t was interest
| ing to see the "freshers" and hear
what sort of Opinions they have al
ready formed after their first week in
Oxford. And of course. opinions were
not at all acking: many of the men
had well settled views about the
whole university from scout to vice
chancellor, but they'll not stand long.
| for first appearances are most decep-
tive.
The old men-and new mustaches
back from the first long vacation,
We're really the best part of the even
ing. Many had been scattered all ov-
err Europe by every conceivable route
and means of travel, seeing the sights
and learning new languages, of course,
yet devoting most of the time to good,
hard study on the work the college
authorities had SO thoughtfully set at
the end of last term. A good many
took the trip that l did in company
with different men with whom I had
set out at the beginning or encoun-
tered on the way. We went through
Belgium, where we saw the exposition
at Liege, as a compensation for miss
ing the beautiful exposition at Port
land; then up the Rhine from Col
ogne by Wheel with a visit to each
of the old ruins. After that, it seem.
ed to be the usual plan to spend a
few weeks in several different places,
gradually working round through
Switzerland toward Paris and Oxford
The California man was lucky
enough to get out of the beaten track
of travel into Asia Minor. where ne
had a big game hunt coming. He
hasn't returned yet to give an account
of himself The last we heard of him
he had been i'll in Smyrna-fallen
over a cliff somewhere on his wander
ings, and finally been attacked by tive
robbers one night when he thought
ne could take a stroll from Jerusalem
! W dtllCHo ny HlOOuliSut, Dut, JUS
ing from his card. he saw nothing OF
any Samaritans.
The men that went home for the
summer had some strange stories tc
tell. Evidently they We're received
with all degrees of generation, amuse
ment or curiosity, as their case hap
pened to be. One said he had a per
feet triumphal tour from the moment
he landed in New York-all but the
brass band; while another went to the
other extreme of fortune; his friends
nearly ostracized him for being sc
English. After all, think that the
faithful few that swallowed thei1
inconsistencies and stayed dutifully by
hteir exile and summer study came
, off best: if unpleasant complications
set in when they do go back, the,
have at Least postponed the evil day
They do have some habits here tina
, gave us shock at first. For instance
: it is customary for the second yea
men to invite the new freshmen around
for breakfast. They are splendid
hosts and furnish monstrous big feeds
enough to spoil work for the rest O
the morning. The new man goes ava!
with glowing opinions of the pleasan
character and frankness of his host
only to find that the next time the!
meet on the street or in the quad
the lofty second year doesn't even SCI
him One Of orr fellows who made