The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-05
This Is the Cry Suddenly Taken
Up by Washburn Alumni.
They Declare Seniors Shall Not
Have Old Bell Recast.
MOUNTED ON CAMPUS
Original Plan of Erecting Cam
pus Belfry Revived.
Some Action to Be Taken Be-
fore Commencement.

Buried in two inches of mud, covered
with trash and waste, shipped here ana
there by cold blooded students. the old
Washburn college bell is lying today be-
hind the engineering building at the
college, deserted and apparently for
gotten.
The old Washburn bell is the great
est relic in the history of Washburn
and is the only thing on the campus
that is surrounded by history extending
from the time the college was hrst
founded away back in the sixties 10
the present age when the college is
university in all but name. 1t is the
bell that was placed upon Rice hall, the
first building on the campus when the
college was still trying vainly to occupy
one building. 1t is the bell that sound
ed over the prairies around Topeka
when Topeka avenue was in the suburbs
and when Kansas avenue was one long
string of thirst parlors" and gambling
dens.
And still the students at Washburn
college have failed to recognize its
worth, it's history, it's tradition, its
value to alumni and friends-they leave
| il lay on the campus untoched, un-
thought of with an indifference and a
repugnance insulting to the men who
have built the college and who have
| loved it and cared for it ever since 1t
was a crying baby with the pottle Oh
funds far out of reach.
There have been several attempts to
come to the rescue of the bell. All OF
them have been fruitless. The last
scheme presented before the students
came up before the senior class the ~th-
err day when they practically decided
| to have the bell recast and installed IN
the belfray of the new gymnasium
| This has aroused the wrath of the al
umni members of the college who live
Ia ut n mo
| the Delta Phi fraternity house last
night it was decided to protest vigor-
ously against any action that might De
| taken of this kind.
In the first place the old college bell
IS surrounded by tradition and to have
it recast and set up in the new tower
for modern use is repulsive to the aV-
erage student who has been in Wash
burn and who has learned to retain
little of the old spirit. When recast
and used for working purposes the bell
would not resemble its old formal
of the cracks, the initials, the rust and
the results from the big hre would be
b!otted out There would be no more
use for it than an importation from
Sears & Roebuck or Montgomery Ward.
The senior class will have hard
time trying to carry out their original
nIans 1t is reported that they do not
have enough money at the present time
to do this work but they are thinking
very seriously of raising 1T in the near
future.
The plans suggested last year for the
disposal of the old bell were as fol-
lows: Build on the campus just be-
tween the college chapel and the libra
ry a mammoth boulder belfry-about
10 or Is feet in height. Within this
belfray hang the old bell. A brass
plate on the outside with the main
points in it's history would complete the
simple yet picturesque arrangement
This plan was first suggested In the
1oc nd IL
unni from all over the United States
poured letters into the college paper
approving of the plan and promising
their support If such move were Ia
ken. AT this time considerable spirit
was worked up and the actions on the
matter were ripe-but commencement
came on and the enthusiasm was
changed from it's course.
1t will be remembered that after
the old bell had been on top of Rice
hall for scores of years it was badly
cracked by enthusiastic students just
after a game of football won from
the Kansas State Agricultural COL
lege. This happened three years ago. |
For almost a year the old bell rang
out the class hours over the campus |
and the residents of College Hill |
learned to set their clocks by the |
regularity of its strikes. However
all of the buildings and the old bell |
stood idle up in the belfry high above |
the campus
The belfry became a favorite outingj
place for college prankists who would |
escort their lady loves up the fire es-
capes and with candles and lanterns
eat midnight lunches with the big bell |
above their heads. 1t grew to be a
sacred relic in college circles and a |
favorite haunting place for students.
One year ago last December fire
destroyed Rice hall and the big bell |
fell two stories fastening itself be- |
Here it remained enduring a seathing
furnace for over an hour. When the |
building was rebuilt last summer the |
bell was taken down and carried over
behind the engineering building on
the campus.
1t is here at this location today |
The old crack is still there and the |
fire failed to DAMAGE the bell in the
least. But engineering students have
succeeded in cutting hunks out of the |
bell for souvenir use only to mar its
appearance. But it still carries the
grand old tradition with it and every
old alumnus of the college first asks
about the old bell. The cry of disgust |
exhibition of the bell should be taken
as a personal disgrace to the students
of Washburn college-but they have
failed to respond.
promised to donate toward the cree
ton of the benfry on the campus
quadrangle in order that it might be |
built. Others have made such sug-
gestions as has been accredited to the
senior class above. The Dramatic |
club has half way promised to see
that the bell is cared for Every
member of the faculty who has wit |
messed some of the older scenes of
the college and who has been asso- |
ciated with the old traditions is
radically in favor of the proposition.
Dean McEachron. DR.. Dams, DR.. Fisk. |
Professor a h hl2
Greer. Professor Hyde, Professor
Woods. Professor Todd Miss Leavitt
and Miss Dean are all closely con-
nected with more or less tradition of