New-York tribune., 1907-06-21
CALIFORNIANS DINE.
President wheeler Says He VIZ
Stick by University.

About a score and q half members of the Cniver>
sty of California Club. of New York, an organ
izaton composed of graduates living in New YORK
and the vicinity let out their lungs last night at
the Hotel Lafayette. when President Benjamin lde
Wheeler, who was their guest. told them that he
had elected to stick by the Golden Gate. The long
est and oudest manifestations of JOY exhibited dur
ing the dinner when he announced that he
had declined the offer of the presidency OF the Mas
saChusettS Institute of Technology.
President Wheeler. who seems 10 have become a
Californian since he gave up pTofeSSorShip
in Cornell TO accept the presidency of the Unver-
sity Of California said California took the lead for
bgness freedom initiative and push. Among other
things he said that there was no patriotism IKE
that of the Cafornans their native state; that
It was practically an independent empire belonging
itself and lying along the Pacific coast. boys
born in New York" said President Wheeler (and
he apparently meant the remark for the whoie
Atlantic seaboard), "seem afraid to step IN ana
take positions of leadership. Not so with your
California lad. If he does not see the prominent
place coming he just steps up lively ana pusteS
the other people aside. and takes the lead.
Having told the graduates of his institution what
he thought Of the state as a whole, President
Wheeler gave them detailed account OF how the
institution at Berkeley was getting along II
needed money he said. but the outlook was good
for year at least although real estate investment
in San Francisco was practically at standstll-
Many gifts have been made TO the university dur
ing the last year and many new buildings are ap-
preaching completion or about to be erected
AS for the kind Of football to be played by the
colleges the Coast. President Wheeler said he
could sympathize with the lingering regret OF
his boys that the English Rugby game. which Is
now in vogue at California and Stanford, was not
the American style played at Harvard. Yale
and Princeton. California, he thought. was inde-
pendent enough to imitation, and besides
that the Pacific Coast colleges never had had
competition from of the Rockies BY playing
the English game President Wheeler said. 1t had
been possible TO arrange games for the coming year
with teams from British Columbia, Australia and
New Zealand. The announcement OF this good
news brought forth great cheering. But the great
thing about the game played in California Is. in
President Wheeler's opinion. that It does not take
ian abnormal OF Cod TO play it. Everybody
get in and take a hand foot, as may be.
instead of doing duty bowling on the bleachers
for eleven demi-gods
A. ". Ransom. 81. president OF the club, who
used be famous fullback at the university.
when they played the American game with stan
ford, also had a good word to say for the new
game. and Cleveland Moffett got up and reminded
his college mates what his classmates were doing.
Two OF them. Piggy Ruef and Francis Heney
TO have run against each other. but they
both have been heard Of anyway. Among the
others present were Professor George Franklin
Shields of Fordham University. DR.. Morton Z.
Hart Floyd NJ. Scott. Fred B. Sutherland and
Newell Perry.