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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (June 21, 1949)
Tuesday, Tune 21, 1949 THE DAILY NEBRASKAN PAGE 3 Who's the Wise Guy Wot Coined That 'Good Old Days ' Business University building, to be realized from the sale of lots in the new capital city. This was the begin ning of considerable trouble in volving the construction of Uni versity Hall, and it was later to figure in the impeachment trial of a governor. In June 1869, seemingly in anti cipation of a contract, one R. D. Silver arrived in Lincoln to estab lish a brickyard, and on August 18, his foresight was justified by the award of the contract for the University building for $128,480. Even some of the most loyal sup porters of the University thought the policy of letting a contract for $28,480 more than the appropri ation unwise. "The State Journal," however, came to the defense of the regents, arguing that it was "better policy to begin the erec tion of a building of sufficient size and well suited to its uses, even if it were necessary to have an additional appropriation, than to spend $100,000 upon a building that would soon have to be torn down because it was unsuited to the needs of the future." DIFFICULTIES involved in the actual building seem almost un believable. According to one early account, the lumber was shipped from Chicago to East Nebraska City, four miles east of the Mis sour river in Iowa. It was hauled to Lincoln in wagons over wret ched roads, a distance of 65 miles. Dandelion Digging, As It Was . V.. i - nv ii Jn4A 1(11 1 4n Vf PYflrt OTIC of 'the big events of the year was "All-University Dandelion Day The activity apparently interested coeds the most. While thev industriously attacked the dandelions which infested the lawns of "the campus" a few men students lurked in the background. Shown in the background is U Hall. It was not until 1915 that the outside walls were repaired, although a bulge of several inches had been noticed. Steel rods running north through the entire structure were bolted on the outside with vertical I-beams. And 1945 . . . fx t i JTtrr THE TRADITION of the All-University Dandelion Day was revived in 1945. Zones were assigned to students from or ganized houses with the idea that when they finished their zone they could move in on anyone else. Love Hall on Ag cam pus collected 13,130 pounds of the yellow weeds and was al lowed to choose the Queen of the Dandelions; Sigma Alpha Epsilon turned in 9,093 pounds, while the total for the whole school was near 75,000. At lust hnwevor. the building was completed and duly inspected and approved ty me regenu wiy in 1R71 Before a smaeni nau ever entered its doors, the cry was raised that U Hall was insecure. In June of that year three archi tects examined the building thoroughly and pronounced it safe, with minor repairs, for the pres ent. On September 6 the Uni versity opened its doors to a first day enrollment ot aoout u students. T,,mnre nf insPClirftV DerSlStcd and in 1873 a special meeting of the regents was calico to consiaei further repairs. After a report from another set of architects, a new foundation was ordered to be put under the chapel. The founda tion walls had not, it was discov ered, been built according to the contract. For a time it seemed that the building might be torn down and a new one erected at a cost of $60,000. Lincoln citizens lebelled at the idea of putting up $40,000 of this amount, and once again re nairs were made.. A Nebraska City delegation came up with a bid for relocation of the Uni versity and this undoubtedly had something to do with a desire to keep some tangible form of the school going in Lincoln. TROI'BLESOME as it was to the regents, U Hall seemed won derful indeed to tne ursi siuaems. The building was so vast tnat only thp first, and a nortion of the sec ond floors were needed for class rooms; the rest of the building was rented for dormitory pur poses. One of the first students i, recalled experiences at that time: i "AnH oh! What fun they had , among the rafters on fourth floor : cutting holes through the plast- ering and pouring some foul-1 cmplline comoound down into the i rooms below and on the beds of j the sleeping inmates! Then how sweet the fumes of burning asa fetWa as they ascended from the balcony to the chapel!" IT WAS ABOUT this time, too. that the earliest regular publica tion issuing from the campus was established. "The Hesperian Stu dent" was managed entirely by students, but received a little fi nancial aid from the regents. The first editors of the paper woricea hp attic-like too floor of U Hall as did the janitor, and they helped to keep up tne ures. The contents of "The Hesper ian" were varied. It ran a few- original serial stories, and con-1 tained an article on "The Beauti- j ful in Art," and one entitled "Na ture and Art and Intellect." The i editors frequently had to defend j themselves with "bludgeon, gun. : and stave" as they carried the type through the streets of Lin- : coin, for many a "combine" was waiting for them. "IN THOSE DAYS there was no iron fence to prevent entrance to the grounds," H. W. Caldwell. ' later a professor, recalled. "We at tached a fine wire to the bell- i clapper, and with wire m hand, would ring the bell mournfully, at i some safe distance." The eager young freshmen could pursue one of three courses of study. They were: the classical, the scientific, and the selected. First year subjects included geom etry, Latin, Greek, Greek history. English and botany. A sophomore might select surveying and naviga tion, chemistry or history, while . LINCOLN LOOKED like this when the University of Nebraska opened its doors to 20 collegians and 110 Latin school students University Hall (upper left) was located in raw prairie. At this time Lincoln was a community of about 2,000 inhabitants There was no water except well water and few or no sidewalks. For students who lived with Lincoln families board and roorn could be obtained for $3.50 to $5 a week; for students who batched the cost was $2 or $3. Tuition was free to Nebraska residents, but an entrance fee of 45 was charged. Books were furnished to students at cost. continuing Greek, Latin and Eng lish. In the junior year Latin, physics, Greek tragedy and literature, Ro man literature and astronomy were among the requirements; electives included calculus, French, German, Anglo-Saxon, and French, German and English lit erature. Seniors struggled with intellectual philosophy, history of philosophy, geology, moral philo sophy and Christian evidences, history of civilization, constitu tional law, political economy and logic. If they had any time left over they might choose to take more Latin and Greek, or French, German, zoology, physical science, or aesthetics. The electives published in the catalog were apparently an ex pression of a desire, however, since it is reported by other sources that electives were not permitted until 1880. Theater ... The students feel helpless because their future doesn't look bright." Although the outcome of future theater projects is still uncertain, things are looking up. Summer plans are definite. There will be a summer theater. It's Time For Recreation GOLF TENNIS BADMINTON ARCHERY HORSESHOES JUS I JS Y FOR FUH! . . . Round vp the gang and come on out after classes.' SWIM! In thr salt water pool RIDE! 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