davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-21

something that the halls never offered, and
that Is the actual association of the men
In their living quarters. for the proposed
plan OF reform contemplates a common
dining room and a meeting hall for each
quad. This idea is borrowed from the
club system, for the chief purpose Of tho
clubs has always beer that Of the first one,
organized in 1879. to AFFORD a place for con-
genial men to eat together.
Perhaps the university itself was in a
measure responsible for the appearance OF
the upper class clubs in the beginning.
A good many years ago the college ran a
commons where the Undergraduates took
their meals. but Princeton traditions record
several instances where volleys Of strong
butterballs were fred at the
ceiling and other eatables were thrown
about the place. THE revolt of the COM
mons" was the college authorities char
acterization OF such an occurrence.
The were finally abandoned
and the undergraduate was turned over
to the tender mercy Of the Princeton board
ing house keeper. The university authori-
ties kindly gave the boarding house keepers
a helping hand by compelling the students
to pay for their board eighteen weeks,
INC hChuciulO UcrTnt IN auVAnCe. Inc
money was paid into the university treas
ury in a lump and then monthly payments
we're made to the boarding house keepers.
A man was always at liberty to change
his boarding place. but the university
officers never welcomed complaints.
Prior to 1879 little groups had run their
own table. but hone Of them had ever
thought Of organizing permanently and
eleoting their SUCCESSORS. The ten or
twelve who were the founders OF the Ivy
Club had found Q comfortable little place,
and, what was more to the point, q cook
who would set them a good table. So
when it came time for them to leave the
college they saw no reason why they
shouldn't pass the good thing along to their
friends who had a year or two more at
Princeton. The eame thing was repeated
the following year, and 10 on until 1889.
when the club was Incorporated and fairly
I launched on its. career. .r- 80
1t got a little house Of it's own and since
then has moved two or three times. until
now II is domiciled in one Of the most luxuri-
Gus club buildings IN Prospect avenue.
The Ivy Club house. which was built only
a few years ago. represented an expenditure
Of more than 500. 900. The club, counting
the alumni, has a membership close TO 500.
The Ivy Club house and the new Cottage
Club house, which are shown above, are the
most luxurious of the Princeton student
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-21

A. il taken away and given to some n on
the waiting list. There is always q waiting
list. The only punishment for any misdeed
IL Punishment. and a terrible punishment
IL IL considered.
Every bit Of work on every plot is done
by the owner. even to the seeding. To
simplify this part Of the work seed planting
Is taught to the little farmers in Glasses Of
twenty-five. 1t has been found that a
larger number cannot get a good view OF
the operator at one time. The twenty-five
form two sides OF a hollow square around
a plot presided over by q teacher who goes
through the whole operation Of planting
the five or six or seven kinds OF seed the
children mean to plant. At the end Of the
lesson the twenty-five pupils. seeds In hand,
make for their respective plots and unaided
repeat the lesson. This work takes about
one hour.
A second GLASS lines up around the teacher,
who repeats the instruction. choosing this
time maybe different seeds. A favorite
combi2ation in the plots. it was noticed. is
lettuce. radishes, carrots. beets, parsley,
beans and corn. the corn having the place
OF honor in the centre. A little girl who
was showing her garden to q visitor In tho
first week OF harvest was disoonsolate over
the fact that she could not retain the plot
till her one corn plant reached maturity.
The plant was growing Justify, as fast AZ
ever it could. she admitted. to make up for
the backward season, but wen by working
overtime it would not be able, teacher
said." to produce a single full ear by
August /.
mo. the next little girl can't have it,
she remarked. with some satisfaction. -She
must plant her w seed, Just the same
az me-
From end to end Of the farm not a weed
Is to be seen. not a plant looks jaded. A
hint from a teacher. 1t appears. 10 all that 10
needed TO keep every small farmer up to
the mark. Back and forth eight. nine. ten
times late of an afternoon 90 the happy
little workers carrying full watering pots
to empty on their beloved plots.
In the centre Of the farm is a summer
house. bordered with towering plants.
where the children may rest when they
please and where small sisters and brothers
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-21

sunburned face were good To see. The
hot sun beat down on his bare head; he
never felt IL.
This plot doesn't belong to anybody"
he continued. walking back to pick up his
hoe. you zee il wouldn't be fair to give
it to any one because a corner Of II is gone.
40 il 10 an observation plot and only ono
thing ia planted in IL. There are a lot more
observation plots. Sec that one' Well.
peanuts are growing in IL. Yes. peanutsl
That other is growing cotton. and there is
one with barley and one with wheat and one
with melons and one all potatoes-G'wan
there and he lunged at the small brother.
whose eyes we're again fixed a%dmiringly on
the waving carrot tops.
My plot has seven vegetables in II.
There are seven vegetables in most Of the
plots and they will all be ripe in a few days
now. except the corn. Even in the girls
plots the corn won't be ripe. Yes. some Of
the girls plots were seeded nearly a month
before mine was"
Started five years ago on what had been a
rubbish heap the first children's school
farm is now one Of the city's show places
or IL would he were II better known. The
small farmers themselves think the farm
OHe OF tue tlObJ WOHueTtul JUICES III Jne
world. To tell them that outside Of school
circles comparatively few New Workers
know anything about the farm and that
not many Of these persons have more than
a hazy idea as TO where the farm Ia would
make one unpopular. Even the %grownups
Of the densely populated tenement district
bordering the farm often wonder why the
rubberneck wagons never bring strangers
to see IL and why 90 few Of the residents
over toward Fifth ven ever come TO in
spect and admire. This wonder has grown
since the news was spread by the boy and
girl farmers that a reproduction of the
children's school farm is one Of the ex-
hibits at the jamestown exposition. Since
learning that fact the farmers themselves
do the honors Of their domain with an air
OF importance which never fails to impress
visitors.
Older brothers and sisters OF these young
sters, who Ave years ago were attending
school. gave at that time q very different
sort OF reception 70 strangers appearing
in the vacant lots bounded by Eleventh
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-21

That wa the beginning Of the children's
school farm. A small one ROOF house
furnished with china. glass and silver OF
inexpensive grade was the farmhouse. and
In this the girls learned household duties.
One hundred and fifty children got their
first taste OF gardening that summer, each
TAX ing care of a tiny plot. In the second
summer because of the grading for the new
park the garden had to be laid out in
another section OF the same grounds, and
this again set back the work, 30 that it was
July II before the garden was planted.
The children OF the neighborhood were far
more enthusiastic h before and every
one In the locality began to talk about "our
FARM which that season occupied 100 by
200 feet Of space and accommodated PIT
children, las Of whom were girls. There
was a flower bed in the centre and other
flower beds on the outskirts. Here Is what
was raised by the children between July 10
and November 1:
Radishes. 30.52s; beets. 1.745; beans, $50
quarts; peas. 140 pints; turnips, s42; corn
stalks with cars, eos; lettuce. 5000; spinach.
1000 quarts; kale. 400; cabbage. ATS; celery.
. plots; endive. o.es2.
In 1904 the work was carried On under
the greatest disadvantage. owing to the
construction OF permanent buildings In the
park and the laying ont Of a playground.
Now. however. It is the most attractive
feature Of the park. occupying three times
its former area and representing $50 in
dividual plots Of 8 by I feet. thirty-eight
OF which are observation plots. One half
of the farm Is operated by boys, the other
half by girls. Their ages range from 0 to
u. Few OF the boys are as'old as II. No
discrimination Is shown in awarding plots.
First come first served 10 the rule. and 80
priced Is the privilege that there is always
q rush to register when the flag Ii hoisted
over the farmhouse In the spring. The
flag is the signal that there's something
doing. In order to accommodate the larg-
est number Of applicants the season is now
divided in two. The irst 500 or 80 children
get Q chance at the oil from the time IL is
warm enough TO plant seed until August.
The second relay Of $40 begins on August l
and continues until cold weather. None OF
the workers is proddei. When one neglscts
his or her plot for . certain length Of time
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-21
HARVEST AT THE SCHOOL FARM
BUSY DAYS THESE FOR THE CTTY,S
YOUNG FARMERS.
I'VE nlOcks On the River Pr ont Where the
Youngsters Learn Industry and Study
Nature NJ First Hand Mrs. ParsOns's
Experiment Has Developed Remark ably

There IL considerable excitement at the
Children's School Farm just now. The first
harvest is on. Day after day from the
middle Of July till August / the long rows of
sturdy looking vegetables will disappear
one by one.
The other day a b~arefooted. bareheaded
girl OF 10 stood proudly clutcbing a bunch
OF small beets. She held them carefully
upright like q bouquet of flowers.
Il am thinning the beets to-day" she ex-
planned. Teacher says they want more
room to grow.
Yes, in about two weeks l can pull them
all up. I'm taking these home to mother
for dinner" and she started on a run.
-G'wan away from here" yelled a sturdy
little fellow in blue jean jumpers working
at the next plot. shaking his hoe threaten
ingly at q fve-year-old brother slyly en-
saged in pulling a carrot up by the roots.
That little boy. he complained. pointing
TO . companion in mischief Of the Ave
year-old standing at a respectful distance.
pulled q carrot up yesterday and my little
brother saw him do it and he always wants
to do just what the other boy does.
NO, We don't have 80 very much stole,
neither. The other night. though. some
body climbed the fence and stole a big
strawberry. Yes. there was a fine big ono
flst getting ripe in the strawberry bed
and the boys eyes shone with excitement.
There are two more coming, though.
Want to seethem?' and dropping his hoe the
farmer led the way to a strawberry patch
about o u by eight feet with a corner
chopped on. On his knees he patiently
parted the leaves one by one until with a
triumphant there they are" ne disclosed
two httle round knobs beginning TO turn a
beautiful rose pink. AZ the boy looked up
the pleased light Of discovery in his big
pius eyes and the glow Of health on his
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-21

they entered college Immediately get busy
with the freshmen. There is nothing in ths
interclub agreement which prohibits a
sophomore from talking club as much as
he likes. So the sophomores get a group
of freshmen into line for an election that is
two years away. Every mar who enters
a club signs n statement that he has not been
approached by any club member. The
trouble IL in defining just exactly what
constitutes an approach
The upperclass club system has resulted
in the breaking up Of the sophomore class
into clubs. These clubs are merely board
ing house clubs, but they are stepping
stones to the clubhouses on Prospect ave-
nue.. Until recently Zach sophomore club
had its own name n hat. There were
also eating clubs in the freshmen class,
and some freshman club always fell heir
to The colors Of a sophomore club hat.
For instance, the graduates from the st.
Paul's School at Concord for years started
the St. Paul's club in freshman year. They
took in with them some wei known graduates
from ~Iawrenceville, Andover, Hill School,
Groton, Exeter and other large preparatory
schools. For years the st. Paul's school
club got the red hats from the sophomores,
and for years it was almost a certainty
that the freshman who started out In the
st. Paul's club would land at the end Of
his sophomore year in Ivy or Tiger Inn or
Cottage.
Within the last year or two the uni
versity has opened a commons for fresh-
men again, but President Wilson has said
that the club feeling has 30 permeated
the university that tho university suthon-
ties are obliged to nave separate rooms
for various groups in the m
About two-thirds OF the two upper classes
belong to the u~pperclass clubs. Tho re-
naming one-third are necessarily oom-
PEELED to endure q humiliation for the re-
mainder Of their course They feel that
they have been tried by heir fellow stu
dents and found lacking In some Of the
qualities which 90 to make up q good fell
low. or course, any such opinion 10 often
without justification. But IL Is a fact that
many men ave he university rather
thar face the two years Of college life a.
q member Of the Non-Club Fraternity.
Club men often go out OF their way TO be
pleasant and companionable with those
who have missed an election, but these
advances do not smooth things.
In the Last year or two things have hap
pened in Prnceton's athletics which some
thought could be traced TO Ill feel
ing ~engendered by the club campaigns.
There are some who believe that a decrease
in the club rivalries will rebound to Prince
tons credit as muon or the athletic field
as in the classroom.
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-21
PLEASED WITH HIS "OBIT."
Missouri Town Crier Began to Get wei
when He Read HIS Death Notice.

MACON. Mo-, July iO.-The other day
Garland Bates. the old negro who fof
thirty-fve years has honorably discharged
the duties Of official town crier for Macon.
a ken Ill. Rumor came up to tho
newspaper Offices that the old man was
dead. In n OF them was an elaborate
sketch Of the town crier's life, made from
an interview some years & when he wsa
on his way to a Federal prison for selling
whiskey. This was busted of and run under
a notice Of the veterans death.
The paper fell into the hands Of the dead
man." He didn't get mad and talk about
a damage suit. Fact Ia. he was nearly
tiokled to death. He made his children
read the notice over INC over again till
he had we'll nigh memorzed IL. Then he
distribution among relatives and friends
outside the city. The thing had such 9
helpful effect on him that he came near
getting we'll. 1t was the first time any,
body had ever paid any attention TO him
President Lincoln freed the slaves.
The old man felt his importance as no
never had before. He referred with pride
To- the fact that the paper had printed HE
picture. with his bell In hand. and had given
prominent citizen OF the town never gos
more than an inch or two. For the frst
time in his long career he realised that he
was a real Institutions part OF the city
government That wa what the obituary
said. And he wanted to live again. With
the assistance Of one OF his boys he got up
and dressed. He lighted a cigar Snd began
ordering the folks around. IL was clear
TO the family that Mr.. Bates would soon DO
back In Official life.
In the meantime the paper had learned
its error. and hastened TO make amends.
While the old gentleman was charging
about the house with renewed energy Q
son brought il in and read:
The Republican regrets to learn that u
was in error Monday when IL reported ths
death OF Garland Bates. the town cTler.
Mr.. Bates Is still alive and kicking. We
never made a correction with greater dis
tress."
Bates took a relapse aud died that after
noon. They buried his old hell with him.
Since then there has been no spplicatioa
for the vacancy. II wouldn't he sate
The place OF town crier here has passed vita
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-21

The upper GLASS club system at Princeton.
which 10 causing President Woodrow Wilson
ana the trustees Ct tie university 30 much
concern, had its beginning in a group OF
ten OF twelve studerts who dubbed to-
gether for their meals in 1879. The Price
ton Authorities in the sos had abolished
ell secret societies and fraternities from
the colleee and had forbidden their exist.
enoe In the future. The social life of the
campus hal for years centred about the
literary societies, Clio and Whiz halls.
These balls were OF a secret character.
but they were exempt from the faculty
han. Any member OF the college-for
Princeton wasn't n university then-was
eligible to membership in the halls. and
everybody belonged to one OF the other
To the Princeton men Of earlier days the
question Are you "a Clio or r. Wing man
always came pewt to the question Are you
Q Princeton mann
From the winners OF the interhail debates
we're selected the men who should repre-
sent Princeton in tire intercollegiate con-
tests. Matches between the halls afforded
q OF selecting the best chess players
In the college. and there were other contests.
Every honor attained by a Clio or a Wing
man was an honor for his hall. Glory as
an alumnus in the outside world redounded
to the halls credit in undergraduate circles.
The lives OF great men" were often used
not to remind the undergraduates that
they could make their lives sublime hut to
persuade TO join the right club. President
james Madison was probably the most
overworked man in this respect.
But there was something lacking about
the social aide Of the hall life. for with the
appearance of the upper class clubs they
have been steadily on he decline as a factor
in IL undergraduate life. Each hall has a
beautiful marble home in the very heart
Of th> campus. but among the undergradu-
ates now there are hundreds who nave
never SEEN he inside Of the buildings and
Who. have no desire 10 become members.
There are many Others who have paid their
initiation fees and nave not been in the
halls since the night they joined. II Is
doubtfdf~ whether sotss ef--tJAAAe-Ysetabers.
would be able to give the pa ssword At the
door. The halls still exist, but only az train
ing schools for debaters and speakers.
Some Princetonians point out that in this
ball system, as in the dormitory quad sys-
tom which President Wilson suggests as
. substitute for club life. membership was
not determined on an elective plan. IL
vas only a matter Of choice with the under
graduate which hall he would enter. But
President Wilson's quad system offers
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-21

there weren't nearly 30 many clubs on
Prospect avenue and they had not come to
assume such an important place in the un-
dergraduate life. In the early days OF
the clubs the member were picked almost
before they entered college and were
-nursed" along by the club members for the
first two years OF their course with the I'M
derstanding that they were to get an election
at the end Of sophomore year.
But with tho increase in the number Of
clubs the rivalry OF open electioneering
became more intense. N finally the under
graduates themselves drew mp an interclub
treaty. This treaty specified in detail just
when the elections were 20 be sent out.
No member OF any club was to approach
any underclassmen in any way until his
acceptance OF the election had been received.
The club members were to elect eight men
from the sophomore class. and these eight
men were to hoose the remaining seven or
eight, subject to the approval OF the MEM
bers of the club. That Is practically the
system that ia in effect now, but the treaty
has been broken time and again. although
sever penalties have been melted out to
violators. Princeton undergraduates. who
have stood loyalty for the honor system in
examination, seem TO be unable under the
excitement Of an upperclass club election
to refrain from violating IL not the letter
the spirit Of the treaty.
For instance, instead OF approaching
an underclassman openly the club member
who Ia looking for Information drops his
hat down on the underclassman's head and
asks smilingly:
How do you like that2"
OF oourse the hat has q club band on it
the green and gold Of Ivy, the white and
green Of Tiger Inn or the red and black Of
Cap and Gowm-and the sophomore, il he
likes it, will smile in return and say so,
probably asking what the make Of the hat
IL. II he doesn't like II he will probably
say nothing, because II would be fresh"
on his part to dislike q seniors hat.
Then the upperclassmen have another
way Of going about It. They want to know
II the sophomore IL q friend of his class
mate Jones. Jones happens to have q
brother In Cannon or Colonial or Elm,
and II In pretty well known where he Ia
going. II the sophomore doesn't know
Jones the upperolassmsn remarks: well,
he Ia q bully good fellow; you ought to get
acquainted with him.
But them most pernicious practice is among
the sophomores themselves. A few who
get hints like those described or who have
been tipped on where they are going before
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-21
20 fast asleep often while their elders are

90 fast asleep often while their elders are
at wor X.
Instead Of q one room frame farmhouse
there Ii now a substantial stone structure,
which includes a roomy tool house and
workshop. At the beginning the tools were
only olamshells; now the boys and girls
have the use OF Q spade. a hoe. a watering
pot and these. after using. they must clean
and put back In their places.
No prizes are given for the best kept plot.
for the reason that every plot is well kept,
but a. harvest approaches a committee OF
four boys and four girls makes a tour of
the four sections into which the farm is
divided, inspecting carefully. keeping sharp
eyes open for q stray weed, an n
path. Q withered leaf. and at the end plant
ing q nag at the head OF the section ad-
judged dearest Of blemishes.
The experimental stage Of the children's
school farm has passed. Not only has it
come to New York to stay. but other cities
are following the same plan and including
a farm school among their sociological
schemes. The first children's school farm
was started In Q quarter where training for
mind and heart al we'll a. for eyes was one
Of tho crying needs. It has lone more than
even Its sanguine promoter hoped.
1T has done much more,' said Mrs.
Parsons. than teach Q few hundred children
how to grow some vegetables. In the
unruly IL has turned activities once de-
structive to construction and painstaking;
1t 10 teaching private caro- Of public prop
erty. honesty. application. self government,
justice. courtesy and a love Of nature. The
little farmers have learned that work can
also be a pleasure and many Of them can
now be guided into doing things useful
where once they thought doing anything
useful was to be avoided.
There are children here whose parents
are abjoctiy poor, others whose fathers
own a house or Q prosperous business, and
for n class a. for the other watchina
h development OF Nature seems to All
their thoughts. The interest zach takes
In his OF her plot 10 intense
do the children ever steal from one an
otherf' Mrs. Parsons was asked.
Occasionally. But the condition of the
plots shows that property rights arc pretty
sssssslly rsspsoesd hsrs.'
The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-21
AT PRINCETON CLUBS.

Faults Which Led President Wilson to Oppose Them-Growth
From a Group Of Fellow Dners-Two Buildings That Cost
100000 Each-what 1t Costs the Undergraduates How the
Clubs Are Recruited.