The New York herald., 1921-12-25
Princeton YuIetide
Season Century Ago
and Present Time
Students Just Before RevOlu-
tion Had to Be Urged to
Take Holidays.

PRINCETON, N. D., Dec. z4.-Ine MOD
ern undergraduate probably would stage
q big revolution If he had ten PROPOSE
tions of Euclid to prepare for the day
after Christmas, and Nassau Hall might
fourth time If he had to arise in time
to attend prayers at 80 o'clock In the
morning. But that is what the Prince
ton undergraduate did 1875 years ago.
A century and a quarter have done much
to change the manner In which Prince
ton students spend their holidays. Peru
sal Of the records Of the university for
tho period shortly after the revolution
cerning the student customs of the time
and the manner in which people in gen.
eral passed the Christmas season.
The undergraduates of the time were
permitted to leave Princeton for a re-
cess, as they are at present, but the
difficulties of travel made it almost
impossible for any except those who
lived within few miles of the village
to get home. Now men start for Texas
or California with as little concern as
though they were making a trip to
Princeton Junction. and Christmas is
spent hundredsof miles from the scene
Of scholastic labors.
From . letter written Just before
4 me Revolution 1t is evident that the
recess started on December "a. at noon,
and that two Of the students were rash
enough to ride on horseback to Phila-
delphia, Drawing the perils and discom-
forts OF the road for one day at home.
Only q few men, however, were fortu-
nate enough to have their own horses.
and consequently there were more men
left In Nassau Hall than went home.
The faculty frowned upon those who
remained, however, and urged them to
spend their vacation at some place other
than Princeton, even IL they could not
60 home.
Temptations of IdIeness.
One Of the presidents of the univer-
sity In an order Of this sort gave as his
reason "since it is found that when a
number of young persons are collected
together without regular occupation or
study the temptations to idleness and
dissipation are often too strong to be
resisted" The modern undergraduate
requires no faculty order to have him
on the first train for home after vaca-
tion begins. Those privileged characters
with unlimited cuts often depart several
days before the less brilliant ones who
are required to attend all classes on the
day vacation begins.
Another letter written in 1889 shows
that at that date the Christmas vaca-
tions had been abolished. for the writer
had classes on Friday before Christmas,
which came that year on Sunday, and
had to stop his letter at o'clock in
the afternoon to prepare ten PROPOSE
tions of euclid against a 10 O. clock class
in the morning of the day after Christ
mas.
Christmas parties and social events
as of the present day seem to have
been unknown. for the chief diversion
of the season that year appears to have
been an assembly in the chapel of
old Nassau Hall. the room which is now
the faculty room of the university,
where the Senior class spoke orations
of their own composition" but the
writer of the letter said he "fancied
their pieces rather solemn
Vesper Organ RccitaIs.
The vesper organ recitals given at the
Graduate College probab bly, dates back
to this time also, for the student goes
on 10 remark that there was also some
nrdsic TO crafty the ladies, but it was
erly a hand organ" This hand organ
a. well known in the history of Prince
ton. for 1t was the first organ ever
installed in a Presbyterian institution,
ana at the time of its installation In
caIIsad p,IICh, fa
rlmong the leaders of the church in this
country.
&C was badly damaged by the British
during their occupation of Princeton In
hII6. before they were driven out by
Washington after the battle of Prince
ton. 1t was repaired after the war and
was going again in 1885. when this let
ter was written. It's bad handling by
the British seems to have hurt its tone.
however, for the undergraduate in his
account of the ceremony ended by stat
ing that it sounded more like the bag
pipe than anything else.
In 1885 every one was required TO
rise at o'clock In the morning to
make his fire, and to attend prayers
at go, which is slightly different from
the life of the modern undergraduate
who grumbles at being forced to attend
classes as carly as s o'clock in the
morning. and will take another course
than the one he intended if 1t will give
him few hours extra sleep.
or course. such things as a dramatic
club which makes a Christmas trip
which includes a dozen or more cities
in thA East and middle West, or a
hockey team that spends the holidays
at Lake Placid was unknown back in
the days now a century or more away.
ccllegc seemed a much more serious
bssiness. and IL the shades of these
ed alumni attend any of the reunions
held here on the days of big games
thoy probably shrink back in holy hor-
ror at the frivolities OF the average
niooern undergraduate.