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! The thrilling: rides
LES BROWN TONITE AT KING'S
BVS SERVICE FROM KITH Sc "O" STREET
STI IIKXT IJifilOXNAIIlES
no YOU HAVE AN EDUCATED STOMACH?
. . . HERE'S FOOD FOR THOUGHT!
Tri Our
SPECIALLY DESIGNED TO FIT
VOI R BI OGET An SATISFY YOI R HLWCEK!
SERVED MON. THRU SAT. 11:30 TO 1:30
TOKTY & a VI AIM
LINCOLN HOTEL
AT MILLtk'i
7
' IL Color Casuals
that lead a soft life
Here's Miller's nominee for the lazy life.
You'll applaud these eolor spun Shan
non's ith their eomfort crafted sole and
.himmcrin: straw type braid top. Choose
solid and multi-color to set off jour sum
mer fashions.
5 ...
Solid Colors
Red
Cold
W bile
Combinations
Blue and Red
Turf and Tan
SHOES . . . SECOND FLOOR
m.LLEfU PAME
MEM) 1
L,, .!lljjlj'TiJ" ' "teai& : i
Russell Sports
133 N. 11th
