The Baraboo news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1884-1911, 1908-12-10
QUEER COMBINATION
LETTER FROn EDITOR BRANDEN-
BURG TO HIS MOTHER IN BAR
ABOO
SEVERAL NATIONALITIES rEET
AT HOME OF PROFESSOR COM
STOCK, MADISON

This extract from letter by Editor
| }. d. Brandenburg of Madison to his
mother, Mrs. G. F. Brandenourg, in
this city, illustrates an interesting and
unusual phase of life at the state uni
versity.
"Last night we were asked up to
Professor Comstock's, the astrono-
mer's, and it was most interesting
occasion, meeting Of the Internation-
al club. That is an organization COM
posed mostly of foreign students in the
university. First, there was song by
seven Filipinos in their own language,
one playing the piano-a merry lot of
young fellows, sort of cross between
Chinese, japanese and Spaniards;then
an address by japanese, who crack
ed jokes in broken Nipponese; next a
song by Cuban, part Spanish and
part native. Indian, handsome, black
eyed chap;then flute solo by aChina-
man, his instrument being made of
bamboo; then speech by young
Russian, who told of the ignorance
and oppression under the czar and
said he wanted the red flag anarchy
and republic for Russia; then song
by MeXican-a fine looking man of
"A perhaps, who was as much at home
as the basso in your Methodist choir;
then speech by an Irish college pro-
fessor, whose wife is Russian. What
medley! What charming and
novel evening! There were, venture
to say, ten or twelve other nationali-
ties represented in the gathering
Swede, Norwegians, German, French
men, Italians, indians, Greeks, Aus
trians, ews, Dutch, Bulgarians, etc.
[ had long talk with a Peruvian, a
descendant of the original Incas. He
disclaimed being Spanish. One Rus
sian student, thin, pale and sickly-
looking, had been imprisoned in Rus
sia five times, simply an example of
government oppression. The Peruvi-
an is studying civil engineering, and
said there is more work to be done in
Peru than men to do it, and that for
tune could be made there twice as
quick, " as here. l had a visit also
with Genkwan Shibata, the Jap, who
spoke. Frederick had him to the
house and to the theatre not long ago.
He is in the commerce course. The
Russian is a typical nihiIist-who
hates his government and would 6e-
stroy it if he could. Japs, Cinnamon,
and FiIipinos are jolly lot, laugh free
ly, put their hands on each others
shoulders affectionately; and in one
corner [ saw Cuban, Jap, and a
Chinaman all gossiping gaily with two
pretty American girls in dainty blue.
It was an Illuminating sight-and
Smith college, smart institution, just
as these fair aiumnae also are smart.
Kenichi Sato, our Jap friend, was
there, likeable boy who graduates
this year, then goes back to the ori
ent 10 enter the diplomatic service of
his government. He deciphered the
inscription on my big Chinese gong. [
have told the club it could meet at my
home any time 1t chose, SO I expect
there'll be a pan-terrestrical assem-
blage here one of these days. Such a
cosmopolitan gathering represents
universal life, as we'll as our university
life. One really can scarcely conceive
the humanizing, fraternal influences
of such an assemblage, of such club.
I have often had an opportunity to
attend its meetings before, but never
had gone; still decidedly it is worth
the going"