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About The Hesperian / (Lincoln, Neb.) 1885-1899 | View Entire Issue (May 15, 1892)
g THK HESPERIAN the picvinus Icctuio, ho said, "Unfoitunntuly, tlic gas gave out in the picvious lecture; had 1 boon here such would not have been the case." Somebody laughed. Harvard dvo cale. The Con IVEtat ninus.es itself by giving Tin: llr.srr.iUAN the benefit of a column of its wordly knowledge. Wc would say to the worthy editor that if he had had his specks on when he read the nrticl' on "Fiats," he would have noticed some quotation marks which he evidently overlooked. The para graph which he clipped was quoted. Our stand on the ora torical question coincides with the stand taken by the brainy editor, but he don't seem to be smait enough to see it. We excuse you this time. Hut look befoie you leap. It is amaing to see the manner in which the editorial on fraternities was regarded by our exchange. Some became as enraged at it as a bull does at a red bandana. The majority said it was about light. We thank both of them for their remarks. The West is with us; the East is against us. The eastern colleges always were behind their western sisters. We hope they will wake up some day and get a little push and life in them. Ann Arbor and Chicago will soon bo the lenders and Yale and Harvard will have only a past record to look back to. They'll not be "in it." We take the following clippings concerning the inter-state contest from the Ariel; "The third speaker was the lady or ator from Tndiana, Miss E. Jean Nelson, and she wasieceived with enthusiastic applause. She gae an oration which was truly eloquent, on "Industrial Freedom." The pioduction was excellent, philosophically, histoiically, economically, ihetoiicaliy. Her sentences wetc admirably balanced, and the climaves of the oration were managed with gieat skill. Miss Nelson had the good taste to dress with classic simplicity. Ilcr deliverance was graceful, the movement was rapid and continuous, and the audience w as bornu along with her tram of thought. Her gestmes had the rare excellence of sponta neity, giving emphasis to the thought without drawing atten tion to themselves. Miss Nelson well desorvjd the first place on the contest." "Again a different type ofointor was manifested in the ora tion on 'The Optimism of History,' by Mr. G. E. Geyor of Ohio. His delivery was foicef ul, with vigoious gestmes and stiong, well modulated voice. The historical subject lends itself well to such delivery. It takes power to marshal the heroes and the mighty happenings of the past befoie our view. The chief defect in Mr. Geyers was his gestuie, which was lacking in grnce, and in his voice which was somewhat harsh, lie handled his magnificent subject well, and both by the marks of the judges and the opinion of the audience, was a close second." "A subject of the day is always interesting, and Mr. I"). F. Matchett of Colorado chose a good theme, "The Car and the Jew.'. His oration was well written, but his voice was her.vy and his delivery was slow, tending to monotony, so that in spite of his stirring description of the miseiies of the unhappy Jew, he failed really to move the weary nudience. His good mark on composition will probably bring him to third place." "After n welcome inteival of music Mr. Chas. E. Wintci of Nebraska delivered an oration on "Wnr nnd Reason." Un fortunately Mr. Winter's faithful work as secretary left him little time to attend to his oration since he has been in Minne apolis; which will -account for his slip of memory. lie has a peculiarly pleasing voice, which is also not devoid of power. He was, however, unnatural and sometimes he was rather "jerky." His gestures wera remarkably graceful. As his tones deepened in the delivery of his beautiful peioration, every movement in the audience ceased, and he closed well." The Ariel hns also punted the orations in full. Wc com mend it for its push and energy. Willi great regret and sot row we heard of Mr. Winter's slip of memory. We did not expect much from him on composi tion, but we hoped he would make a showing in his dolivey. ALUMNI AND FORMER STUDENTS. Hay St. Louis, Miss., April 24, 1892. A- it is Sunday and raining, and wc arc too religious to woik (under the eiicumstnnces) 1 will improve the time by wilting you a few lines, as 1 may not get a chance again for some time. 1 nrrivod here all right at 10 p. m., April 20. I lound Mi. Haily in bed and so I did the same trick. Wc met at the breakfast table the next day and soon became acquainted H is 27 years of age and something after my own make up, so you sqe wc get along capitally together and have had considerable fun at the expense of the natives abcady. Uay St. l.ouis is a summer and winter rcsott com bined. It consists of cottages stiung along the beach lor five or six miles, each with its own bathing and boat house in the bay. The bay is several miles in extent, shallow and peaceful. We lowed acioss it and out into the Gulf of Mex. ico on Friday. The sun was shining, the tide out, and a cool breeze blowing, so it was veiy pleasant. Wc wcic look ing foi a good place to trap small mammals, but did not find it, so we came back and moved out grips to a Creole board ing house out neai the timbei. Yesterday w s a nice day so wc- improved it by taking a walk out in the pine woods and selling 60 tiaps fot small mammals 'we caught one mouse), and killing a few biids, thrushes, llycatchcis, one church will's widow, etc. We also got about a docn lizards, three cottonniouth snakes (the most poisonous snake here), two moccasins, one vipei, and a few hnimless species. IVuds are plenty, but small mamnmls,for which weearc more than any thing else, aic scarce since the lain has drowned a ood many of them. So fat I have collected more than Uaily and am getting somewhat skillful in making them up. The depaitmcnl furnishes evei) thing even to ink, pens, paper, etc. Wc arc taking things easy, as it lains so much that wc have only had two good days to woik. Wc shall stay here foi a week or so and then go to New Orleans to investigate the maikels there; then to lloinna, La., for a Tew days, and fiom thcic to northern Mississippi, Aikansas, Kansas, Indian Tcrntoiy,Texas,ctc. 1 am enjoying the work very much and am getting fat abeady, though the rusiinc is nothing extra. The natives arc mostly "niggers" and Creoles or French Indians, badly mixed, and the language is as badly mixnd as the blood. They treat us with great politeness, though probably on account of our fierce looks. Everybody moves here as if they had all eternity and one day more to do it in, which is somewhat annoying, especially about meal ttme. We have stined them up a little, though, and may get along all right with them. Wc are going to try to board at farm houi.cS away fiom the 'owns, and if that docs not prove a success wc shall get a tent and camp as socn as it gets dry enough to be out. As the watci has been high all over the .-oun'try it would not be veiy comfoitablc out at picsent. We arc just now Umscd very comfortably, having a good toom with tables to woik on, shelves to dry our skins, and a big fire place, which wc have at present filled with pine knots, which are blazing nicely and makes it quite comfortable although tbc rain is falling outside. Very Duly yours, Gko. A. Coi,i;man. .S8-.Rev. D. D. Forsyth passea thiough Lincoln on 'the 5th oji his way to the Methodist conference at Omaha. mam