The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-01-28
From Wednesdays Daily.


has become the custom to hold TIE
banquets in the Hotel Saulpaugh, and
about forty-two young people from
the college came to Mankato yester-
dav to hold the eighth minerValla,
which proved one of the most sue
cessful and brilliant of the annual
banouets held in recent years. The
large dining hall was hung with col
lege remnants, and the tables were
tastefully trimmed with smilaX, with
red carnation favors, at each plate.
During the, serving of the excellent
menu selections were played upon
the Victrola. w. r. Ioungqulst
presided as POSTMASTER, and in short
and appropriate speeches intro
duced each member who gave a toast.
The toasts given by the young men
Sparkled with the wit of college days,
and many sly illusions to incidents
of college life, as well as the more
serious thoughts of the college days
that were swiftly passing away.
Each toast was received with en-
thusiastic applause showing that its
thought and appeal had reached the
hearts of the hearers.
John Unis was the first man intro
duced, and spoke on "Yggdrasil,"
telling in beautiful fantasy myth of
the Philolexians, and how these
lovers of law originated.
Il slept-and as l slept dream
came to me: it was vision from the
past, a refrain from the land Of Odin
and Thor. The golden darts of
morning swept up toward the zenith.
Before Valhalla, the beautiful abode
of the gods, stood two stately knights
guarding the entrance; and then, as
the two massive gates, which hung
on huge pillars of gold, slowly opened
out like a flash of lightning rode Odin
upon his eight footed horse. He rode
a long long time, ever down into the
deep wooded valleys. At last he came
to Yggdrasil, the most beautiful of
all trees, whose branches stretched
over the entire universe, and whose
verdant crown surged upward unto
the heavens" The speaker wildly
described the tree with its three roots
leading to the source of wisdom, and
to the fates who controlled the world
Odin had spent nine nights hanging
in the branches of the tree searching
for wisdom and had left behind him
an eye as a sacrifice for the wisdom
he had received. AS he gazed with
his one lonely eye he saw many
beautiful birds feeding upon the
berries of wisdom, and captured one
of them. When Odin asked the bird
who he was the bird replied that he
was a PhiloleXian, that he over
looked the world, and when
thirsty drank of the fountain of
wisdom. Odin took the PhiloleXian
home to Valhalla, where he was we'll
treated by both Odin and his charm
ing wife Frigga, the goddess of
beauty. With the true Philolexian
wisdom and common sense the bird
became disguised at being petted so
much and flew back to Yggdrasil's
branches. At evening when all the
birds assembled to look over the
world as usual, the traveller told
them of his experiences, and of the
knights he had seen upon the VAL
hallian campus. The birds were
thrilled, and wondered if it were not
better to be brave and stalwart than
to be fair. After long debate they
decided that it was better to be brave
and stalwart, and sang a prayer to
Odin and Frigga asking to become
knights. Their prayer was granted
and twenty knights, who once were
birds, rode out into the world with
banners of wisdom flying and armor
glittering and scattering blossoms of
virtue throughout the world.
I'm the still of the night said the
speaker, "a light gust of wind swept
over the land, the leaves rustled.
Yggdrasil moaned, the birds were
among the branches no more. The
Philolexians, lovers of the law, had
gone to conquer the world
Otto Erickson gave spirited toast
to "Urda, Verdandi, and Skulda," the
past, present and future. In com
miserating himself on the duty be-
fore him, he told an amusing story of
Daniel in the lions den, and said that
the reason Daniel had appeared so
happy and contented was because he
knew he would not have to make
speech when the meal was over. In
speaking of the Philolexian AS
sembly he drew attention to the fact
that it was held in high esteem in. the
hearts of all members, and that they
considered themselves servants of
mankind at large. He spoke of the
past days when those hoping to be-
come members had considered it one
of the greatest privileges, and showed
by clear reasoning that one coul6
only have pleasant memories by right
acting in the present The present
shapes the future, and the future is
pleasant only as one builds it. This
is the reason that Philolexian as
semblies mean so much, as they lead
to something greater.
e. j. LETTER gave a short toast
dealing with the great success:
achieved by true Philolexians, an6
the worth to the young men of the
training of the society. 1--WE must be
governed by love for our fellow men,
he stated in closing, and then We
can truly say, Once a Philolexian
always a Philolexian Mr.. Leffle
is a member of Gustavus Adolphu
alumni, and his little speech was i'm
promptu.
Professor A. w. Anderson rend
H.,