River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-03-25

reception rooms for visitors were
kept in use, and couples and groups
wandered about until noon.
At two o'clock came the mass
meeting, Pres. Brier presiding.
Speeches, songs, yells, yells, and
counter yells, band music, these
were the order and this was the
spirit. Pres. Keith spoke as the
representative of Oshkosh. A.song
for Oshkosh and yell to match it
followed. Pres. Sims got into a
field of "reminiscences while speak
ing for Stevens Point, More sing
ing and yelling. Prof. Sanford
spoke for Platteville, Prof. r ounds
for Whitewater, Miss Dunlap for
Milwaukee. The Plattville band of
twenty-three pieces under guidance
of Prof. Churchill gave US some fine
music. The songs and yells were
for the visitors for the most part,
with one for ourselves occasionally.
They were all the product of the
students here and were worthy of
the use to which they were put.
After the mass meeting a rather
informal reception took place all
over the building. Parties of visit
tors under guidance of home stud
ents visited ali portions of the house
and visited, chatted, took refresh
ments of various kinds here and
there, called at the office and were
received by Pres. and Mrs. Brier
and members of the faculty with
their wives. All we'll arranged and
very pleasant.
Five o'clock saw the house almost
cleared. Everybody must have
supper, get rested little and be at
the church early.
By eight-thirty the Methodist
church was filled to its capacity
limit. By actual count there were
over 760 people seated. No, it
would be misleading to say they
were seated. They were most of
them enthusiastically. No re-
vival ever awoke the echoes in a
Methodist house as the bedlam of
yells, songs and band music then
at it's height as did this one. Yell
masters frantically beating time,
banners waving in CLOUDS, sound,
sounds, utterly impossible to speak
to your neighbor and hear him
reply, Of no use to laugh for you
couldn't hear it yourself, either join
the babel of voices or sit and smile.
The President of the League arose
and quiet fell upon the place. He
spoke a few sentences and an
nounced the first number on the
evening program which was carried
out as follows with these two add1-
tions: A solo by Mrs. Richards, nee
Jones, and violin obligato accom-
paniment for the Faculty Quartet by
Mr.. Jno. Howard of Hudson. The
orations were delivered in the fol-
lowing order:
William Mckinley Earle Whitcomb
River Falls
The Menace of Concentrated Wealth
Elmer l.. Nygaard
Oshkosh
The Union of Occident and Orient
James R. Wallen
Plattevile
The Real Webster Albert s. Wells
Stevens Point
Is Roosevelt a Truly Great Man? Chas Anspact
Milwaukee
The Hope Of American Democracy
EaStOn johnson
Whitewater
The Man of the Ages Julia Vanklrf
Superior
Our students were much gratifiec
to hear Mrs. Richards again anc
gave her fine demonstration. Our
Faculty Quartet gave two selections
with credit to themselves and the
school. Mr.. Halverson of Stevens
Point sang very we'll indeed.
The judges handed in their score
cards and after long wait the re
suit was announced as follows
Superior, third place; Whitewater
second; Platteville, first.
We learned later that Oshkosh
took fourth place; that milwaukee,
took fifth; Stevens Point sixth, anC
River Falls seventh.
There was an immediate exodus
in the direction of the Normal Gym
nasium where a general promenade
and dance was given. The scen'
was enlivened by the Plattevillt
boys carrying their victorious orato
about on their shoulders. By thre
| O'Clock it was all over and every
; body was trying to get some sleel
t before the morning train called then
: away.
And why did River Falls &c
, seventh place? Because the judge
thought we desc rived it. The opin
ion of the judges is not shared b
all of our people who were present
nor by all of the visitors from on
of town. Our man did well. H