The Hesperian / (Lincoln, Neb.) 1885-1899, February 15, 1894, Page 14, Image 18
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.