(
VOL. -II.
THE NEBRASKAN
Inier-Collegiate Debate.
LINCOLN, XKHIUSKA, FRIOVT, MAIUMI 0, iSc.
t'.o contests, but I.. mi, the
charges of plagiarism now beinir
iTOiussor uiams nnsoeen cor- urougni against everything and
i.sponding with the English Dc-; everybody. The stuclontsseom
jvirtmcnt of the University ofjlofrel that they would like to
Kansas as to the advisability of withdraw from the Oratorical
..itempting an inter-collegiate j Association and concentrate
di-bntu between the two schools, thir energies in this new line of'
The idea seems to have been ' work.
No. 15.
unfruitful interval between two
c clcs. Then we might expect
1 .....! ...1
life work was begun at Cam
eron, Mo. She taught then a
ery favorably received in Kan-, Finding this sentiment to
ex-
1 .. 1 .
nipuiou 01 increased productive-1 short time afterwards at Breck
news in the not very distant fill-lenridgc and Lnlhrop, in the same
lure. It is inconsistent with the! state. She moved to Blooming
great American ideal of pro-! ton, 111., in 1SS0. There she re
gress to suppose that we will not1 mained live years. In that time
advance in literary pursuits just j she built up a school of music
s far and just as fast as in any -which was favorably known
.sas, as the last letter from there,
given below, will show. The
ist,'I have taken steps to bring
the matter before the University
benefits of the debate are un- "s n who'e, in the journals, and
doubled and the popularity possibly at a mass meeting to be
would make it a success linan- nt?ld tomorrow to consider an
cially. It will doubtless be as other matter. I will report to
acceptable to the students ofNe- .vou whatever may de elope, and
braska as to those of Kansas, shall be glad to learn the state
Debates are taking the place of ' opinion among your students,
oratorical contests to a great ex- ' am not fully informed as to
tent in all parts of the country, tn M'stein of managing the de
and as a rule prove more satis-' hates of Yale-Princeton, and
factory. Methods of choosing Northwestern-Michigan. I know
the dcbateis will of course have how Pi incclon chooses its men,
to be decided on, though each l'ul ln first inter-collegiate de
school will probably choose thorn ' bate was held after I left Prince
in its own way as the conditions lon Perhaps you can give me
arc somewhat different. Thc'a Pnt or two.
other. After all the dotorinrn.
lion may be merely apparent and
not real, and some years hence
throughout the west. In deed
it was with reluctance that she
left it to accept the offer made
what we widely ignore may be i her by the University of Nc-
widely read.
There is one class of fiction, if
it can be called a class, which
has not only undergone a meta
morphosis, but has taken a much
more prominent place in our lit-
ferature than it has ever held be
fore, and that is short stories and
sketches. We have some admi
rable writers of this class, and
1 they have shown that there is as
short time left between now and
commencement will not uive as
much time for preparation as
KigjtfJ:,ave.bQcji dcsiredbuJLweJ
would be equal on that score.
Very truly yours,
Emvix M. Hori.vs.
much room for artistic effect in a are the only near relatives to
short story or a brief article as in i mourn for the faithful wife and
a novel of many characters and daughter. The sorrow of the
tcfomplicated incident. To be ' hosts of friends Mrs. Menzen-
Lj -"
JJ1EMRX..
Professor Adams desired
of opinion on the subject.
in Some of our American authors,
braska. She did so, htwever,
and in the nine years since that
time has made the music de
partment of the State Univer
sity what it is. It practically
did not exist at all until her ar
rival. In the summer of 1890
she was married to Professor D.
C. Menzendorf, instructor in
violin music in the University.
He, together with Mr, Cochrane,
surethis sort of writing depends
on word painting and skillful
Ltouches for its effect, but it is just
sjnucJiuuJegitimate. brauch-of i theirs...
art as is minature-painting. This
might almost be called an aueofi
dorf had made in the University
and in Lincoln is, however, only
less deep and no less sincere
Writers Club.
and some whom we have been short stories.
mass meeting may possibly be ; wont to regard as especially tal
called to consider it as soon as ented, or at any rate especially
the matter is in definite enough entertaining, seem to be degen
shape to be handled in such a I crating. Either they have done
meeting. The letter given be- some one great work beside
low is from the nrolcssor of En-1 which all later ones seem insig
glish of the K. S. U. :
Lawrence, Kas., Feb. 2494.
Prof. James W. Adams Dear
Sir : I have your reply to my
first letter, and it seems very
evident that so far as the instruc
tion in elocution and oratory is
concerned, we are on equal
terms ; we also have a lady in
structor recently appointed. You
have the advantage of us in that
your literary societies are flour
ishing while our one is barely
able to keep alive ; but I regard
as on the whole a favorable
thing, as I think the establish
ment of a joint debate would put
new Hie into the society we now
have, and perhaps be the means
of organizing another.
Chancellor Snow regards the
suggestion with favor, and so do
the students to whom I have
mentioned it. There is now
manifest a feeling of extreme
disgust in regard to the inter
state oratorical business, arising
not from our lack of success in
nificant, or they are losing their
old time vigor of style, or they
are simply running out of ma
terial. Whatever may be the
explanation, it is much to be de
plored though perhaps not to be
wondered at, Pehaps it is be
cause we have become at
tached to these writers and their
works that we think no one can
take their place and that our lit
erature will suffer an irreparable
loss as they disappear from the
field. Perhaps we are more or
less prejudiced against much re
cent literature simply because it
is new, and will some day appre
ciate it all the more for this.
Probably it is taking a very nar
row and unscientific view of the
matter to say that we cannot ex
pect anything better in the future
than we have had in the past. If
literary production moves in
cycles as evolutionary theories
teach that many social plienoni
enn have been observed to do, it
may be that we are now in an
A Writers club has recently
Sketch Of Mrs. Menzendorf '. (been formed in the University
J to be composed of those mem-
ErminaD. Cochrane Men zen-1 bers of the faculty and students
dorf was born at Paterson, N. J. j who have done literary or news
Her father, Samuel Cochrane, I paper work or who are greatly
was a Methodist minister and interested in such work. The
his daughter accompanied him object of the club is to discuss
in his various changes of work. , informally the work of the mem
While at Grinnell, Iowa, she bers or other topics of interest,
took the ladies' course at Grin- and to help each other by sug
nell college. After she had crestions. Its meetings will be
completed this her father founded
a school at Kidder, Mo. In this
school she did efficient work for
entirely informal and will be
made as pleasant as possible.
Professor Adams is at the head
a year as instructor in Latin and 1 of the scheme, but he wishes it
mathematics. She then returned I understood that it is in no way
to Grinnell and completed the j connected with the English de
regular course, taking the de-j partment. and is open to any
gree of Bachelor of Arts in 1873. 1 members of tbe University who
The next two years she spent 1 are interested in such things. It
in Boston studying voice, piano I will give to a great extent the
and harmony under the best j benefits which would be gained
teachers of the time. She also j by publication of works and be
took a course of instruction on ' sj(les will afford an opportunity
the pipe organ under the great-j for criticism more friendly and
est American master, Clarence' informal than that given to pub
Eddy, of Chicago. This finished I lished works. The meetings of
her musical education which was the club will be held every two
thorough, and fitted her well for
the good teaching which she
was to do.
Her alma mater granted her
the masters degree after she re
turned from the east. Her real
weeks in the English consulta
tion room as long as that will
accommodate the number pres
ent, and somewhere else if won't.
Rend The Neijraskax to get
the news.
Ml
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