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About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1882)
THE II E S P E K A N ST U D E N T. "SPADES ARE TRUMPS!" "A lime to plant ami a time to pluck up Hint which is planted." Eecl. III. 2. Another agreeable holiday has been added to the few which this institution possesses and a precedent established which, if followed year after year, will give us a beautiful campus and encourage good feeling in the college. Governor Nance having proclaimed Wednesday, the 10th of April, as a day for trecplanting over the state, the students in chapel that morning were asked by the Chancellor if they would all assist in setting out aim removing trees on the grounds if classes for the day were suspended. The answer being exactly what was expected, a unan imous affirmative, impromptu exercises were then commenced; reading cf the pioclamation by Miss Codding and an address by Clem Chase, after which the plans of the day were laid out. It was noticed that the young ladies had not voted, so it was moved and passed by the left side of the chapel that the ladies should carry water for the trees. cmaties and its limb of science and its limb of literature and its limb of the classics from which innumerable branches spring, the branches ot a Univeisity edu cation, covered with a (oliage the scraps and leaves of knowledge." In his address in chapel, Mr. Chase gave the credit of Arbor Day to Hon. J. Sterl ing Morion or Nebraska City, who offered a resolution in the State Board of Agri culture, Jan 4th, 1872, offering a hundred dollars to the county agricultural society, and a farm library worth .$25 to the per son, planting the largest number of trees on Annl lOlh. In April, 1874, the first proclamation was issued by Gov. Furnas, based on h resolution of the State Board of Agriculture, but no proclamation was issued after that until by Gov. Nance in 1880, establishing Arbor Day on the third Wednesday in April. The idea appears to be original with Nebraska and it has since been adopted by Michigan and Ohio. The speaker then gave statistics showing the necessity of planting forests and closed with a tribute to horticulture and comparing the progress of a student to the growth of a fee. "Mother State lierself has u garden, this sunny fair garden of the University wheie she plants "her little saplings that they may be trimmed and guided by the expert gardeners she has employed. Green enough are the cuttings when first set out in this garden, tall and slender with small promise of full growth; only a sort of latent sap which needs stirring up and good soil. With what interest may Mother State and her gnrdenevs watch the development of the young sprigs, as they put out a bud here and a leaf iherc. get ting firm-rooted in the rich soil of cduca lion better able to withstand the blasts of a blustry world, until, at last, the young oak puts forth its limb of math- Wonderful nnc'. interesting were the discussions in the Palladian as to what should be planted lor a society tree. "Let's plant an oak," was the first sugges tion but a pun on "O. K." killed it. Someone proposed a poplar tree because it was a pon'lur society. Nearly all the younger girls were bent on having a slippery elm though some hesitated between that and a peanut tree, but a private expression from the older ones revealed a desire for the tulip. A Union who bad crept in rashly ventured to sug gest, a bus's. wood but was fired with the injunction that he better plant an onion A young lady who hates Greek wanted to know what would come up if she planted a Greek rook and a bright scion in the corner suggested a Latin stem. The afternoon was calm and sunny; the grassy campus iilled with students. The holes li-ul been dug and the trees brought in from the college farm by u, certain "committee of eleven," who seemed to have had a good time. Out cadet band was out and played indus triously for every tree of importance. The Pallndians first planted thcir's with a speech by Chase, after which a big ring of students hand in band circled round the tree to the music of the baud and cheered for the Pallndians. The same fun was bad around the Union tree with a speech from Snell. Then to the Senior, class tree, where after a few words by Olmsted, Sr., some mischievous girls started the doxology. At the Junior tree all the class biive one threw in a spadeful of earth anil Wheeler spoke. The Soph omores varied their exercises by firing off guns nfier Do dun's harangue. ine Freshmen tree was found to be a puny cvorgroun, over which the hand played a dirge and Churchill pronounced a funeral eulogy. Even the Preps had their tree, the biggest ono of all, and more jelling was done here than elsewhere on the grounds. Two Seniors who attempted to put two Freshmen into a hole found themselves there instead, but a-ide from the excite, me nt arising over this tussle, all was calm and happy. Girls and boys went back and forth from the well like Jack and Jill to "get a pail of water." Some cute co-eds lived up to the agreement of the morning by bringing diminutive tin buckets about the size of a lea-cup with which they gravely watered the newly planted trees and pretended to bo working very hard. In the evening the boys had an immense bonfire at the east steps mid a crate of oranges, sent up by Lieutenant Webster, was distributed among the stu dents and their friends.' It was a big day at the Univeisity; all the students worked together, new acquaintances were formed rand no little pleasure had. "Thank (iod for noble trees! How stately. strong nml grand Thot-e bannered giants lift their crests O'er all the beauteous land, l'aleicd the hand that needless smites Withered the vandal hand! " Before our next issue the contest I12 tween the Palladians and our society will occur. The courteous hospitality of the Palladians which hist year made our visit to Lincoln so pleasant, will, we trust, find a parallel in our reception of them on the 12th of May. Donne Oul. The question of adjourning the Pal In dian society until Saturday evening, in order to attend the festival of the Union society, was the cause of much disputa tion in that rather fond-of.disputation society. About half thought the society should adjourn for the Unions; another about half thought that very bad policy. It was finally settled Friday noon that the society should have a short programme, adjourning at nine. The class in Parliamentary Law are at present engaged in legislative work, and femful and wonderful are the doings of the august body. Last week the monot ony was relieved by memorial exercises 011 the death and burial of a bill provid ing for the distribution of seed corn among the drought sufferers of Kansas and Nebraska. Mallory, who advocated the passage of ihe bill, and Yates, the leader of the opposition, delivered the addresses. Mr. Yates offered the foil w ing touching lines in memory of the ill fated Seed Corn Bill: Ocar Wild came yefetcrday, To weep with us In his fad way. He couldn't stay, he had to go, Our cant-lion stoves depressed him so. Though his absence we deplore Some other things do grieve us moro; And here we fall our dusty tears 1'or lhat which nromleeu many (y)cars. Noblest thought of grandost minds With men unkind reception finds; Ideas even from the moon Are stabbed to death or hont back soon. By this certain fate or all Tho llfo wo mourn was doomed to fall, - But iimor failed to do Its part 'Till votes unholy broko Us heart. Weep, O Kansas and Nebraska, It's naught but just 1b why we ask ye; Tho friend of both tho' mallcomeant Was told to go and go It wont, Best in peace. Old Seed Com Bill! 'Tie true you're dead, but 'gainst your will. In tho hereafter Jtallory may Boll tho stone from your grave away. k l: