Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1909-06-04
WHEN THE COLLEGE
! STUDENTS STRUCK
Most Exciting and Stirring Times in the
History of w. S. c. Reviewed

Probably few of the students in
washington State College know of
the most tumultuous times in the his
Tory OF that now great Institution.
when the students openly rebelled
ana drove the president and one of
Ehe. regents from the grounds with
+ eggs, decayed vegetables and other
missiles. The writer has had the in
cldent brought forcibly to his mind
JOY the finding of a set of resolutions
passed by the student body at that
time. AS the most successful wear
In the history of the great school is
now drawing to a close the story is
re-told, for it will be interesting by
comparison of the present day and
the conditions now existing with
those prevailing at the time the in
cidenrs occurred.
At that time | was acting as tray
cling correspondent for the Spokane
Spokesman, a bright newspaper which
was started as rival TO the Spokane
Review, the oldest paper in Spokane.
My district then, as now. was the Pa
louise country. My home was at Col
gFfaX, but Pullman, then as now, furn-
iShed more news than any other
point, although it was but a small
village as compared with its present
population. The college consisted of
esle Crib the first building erected,
which was one-story brick s'anding
about where the Gymnasium now
stann~; College Hall, the ola wooden
building torn down last wear to make
room for the new aadturinm; aud
Ferry hall, which was later DESTROYED
by fire, was partially completed
There were between $50 and 300
i students enrolled at that time.
~ When | vas pl-.ced in this field by
the Spokane Spokesman, Joseph
French Johnson the managing edi-
tor. said: Il want you to put in as
There is your principal field. Work
on tie college II is ticn and your
principal duty is to expose and teaI
it down before The legislature ad-
journs." Mir. Johnson had the situa.
tion properly sized Up. The college
was run purely as political asset foi
certain politicians, who secured posi-
tions for their political friends il
the college as a reward for past pol
itlcal work ] remember one instance
in particular. A young man by the
name of Newell had applied to the
political boss of the republican party
in This state for a position iE the col
Iege. The young man was what wa
SfNon termed a fiddler" and coul(
play violin quite well. He applied
for the position of professor oil rnu
sic. | remember his application well
and that is .ie position for which h
Applied. He was armed with tn
powerful order of the political boss
VINO wrote "'Give this man a job
He is all right" The regents felt il
iuty bound TO ohes the order. N
professor of music" was needed AM
Newell was made professor of civi
engineering. Lee TairchIld, an al
legged poet and literary genius wht
had done good work for the republi
can Nparty, was sent over with in
structions to pat him to work" HI
was made Professor O" English.
His ddties seemed to be to write Zoe
try and read his poems to all who
would listen, to talk politics and tel
funny stories, He spent most of his
time at the Palace hotel then con,
Quoted byfM. c. True, and Mr.. True
was unlcihd enough to charge him
with not paying his board bill when
the investigating committee decided
that he was not an employ of the
college and was not entitled to sal
airy for the time he was in Pullm an.
There were may other interesting
eases where politics ruled the selec
ton Of instructors in the college.
In December. 1892, the regents,
in session at North Yakima, removed
president Lil3ex and also ordered the
removal of F2s. scobey from the
,Ssiiion of professor OF agriculture.
This action enraged the students and
mass meeting was called A stu
dent hy the name of Tube" Hall,
of Olympia, was one of tile leaders
iR-the insurrection and LED the work
o7 the mass meeting. which passed a
set of resolutions. foend these
ress3a'lcns tycewritten on a shee' of