u
THE HESPERIAN
toratcd in tlio waste-basket and cleaned his
throat.
"Well, gentlemen, I do not have'time to
give this remarkable bug the study it de
serves. I do not remember to have seen
this before in Nebraska. The name has es
caped mo now, but judging from the great
spread of wing, I should bo inclined to think
it was a hum bug."
Wo skipped his classes for two weeks.
The oblong wooden blocks sorowcll to the.
top of the balustrade tell their own story.
But ! The cast stairway was reserved ex
clusively for the use of the girls in those
days!
The recitation rooms were heated by hard
coal stoves, as has been said, and it was as
much as one janitor could do to keep them
supplied with coal. Ono of the students, J.
0. Breech, used to assist John Green in this,
and, in order to avoid walking down stairs,
had developed surprising dexterity in sliding
down. He would start in the attic, and by
a skillful balancing of his body was able to
turn the corners without any diminution of
speed. By the timo ho reached the first
floor, his rate of speed would naturally bo
little less than a mile a minute and his man
ner of alighting neither noiseless nor gentle.
Wo all imitated him and soon equalled him.
Indeed, it camo to bo the regular thing to hear
quick successions of from fifteen to twenty
bangs and thumps as that number of boys
came following each other down the balus
trade. The girls used always to alight gen
tly and gracefully and created no disturb
ance. The climax was reached ono day whon
a fellow named .Tames Larkin camo down.
He weighed two hundred and twonty-iivo
pounds and camo at tho uBiial speed. Tlio
momentum of a body is equal to tho weight
multiplied by tho rato of spood, and his ap
proach was well nigh irresistible? But whon
ho attempted to alight ho caught his too in
some old rush matting that lay on tlio floor,
and was hurled in a helpless heap against
tho door to a room where a class was recit
ing. Soon afterwards the blocks appeared.
Chancellor Manatt had considerable trou
ble with tho students. But it must be laid
largely to the irritability attendant on bad
health. The students destroyed no property,
offered no violence, and engaged in no prac
tices in tho least reprehensible. Their fun
was of tho most innocent sort until they be
gan to take up arms in self defense. In
those days it was not considered bright for
a half dozen of one class to waylay ono of
another class, knock him down and cut his
hair off. Instead they painted Cash for Stiffs
on the University roof, which was much
more courageous and adroit. They realized
that it required considerable courage of a
sort to go deliberately to the dovil. and that
it was neither glorious nor bravo to got
drunk on tho sly or bet a few dollars on a
sure thing.
Tho first ovont that scorned to rouse tho
ire of Chancellor Manatt was tho celebrated
"tootoring on tho lumber pile." This. hap
pened ono Friday ovening while the Chemi
cal Laboratory was boing built. Piles yo
lumber had been scattered about tho campus,
and on a sudden impulso tho boys invaded
tho building, brought out some of tho car
penters' trostles, put boards across and be
gan. The girls too becamo infoctod, and
there thoy "teetered," a boy on ono end and a
girl on tho other, two boys on ono end and
two girls on tho other, or a boy and a girl
on each end, until tho small hours of tho
morning,
This camo to Chancellor Manatt's oars,
but he procoodod rashly with measures be
fore ho had found out just who thoy wore
that had "teoterod." Some of the Seniors
had boon tho loaders, and on Monday morn
ing hopouncod upon thorn in apolitical econ
omy class that ho taught. Ono of tho girls
seemed to have incurred his special disploas
uro, although she had "teetored" nomorothan
anyone else. Ho vented his anger on her,
and spoke of tho Avholo affair as "immodest'
and "unwomanly." Sho nearly sankjthrough
the floor, and ho finally desisted only upon
tho protests of tho others.
