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HESPERIAN STUDENT
UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA.
Vol.X.
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, JUNE 14, 1882.
No. 17.
tgfliscclhmcoua j$yiUon.
The professors lire cliunously calling
for ii spelling reform among the students.
But liow much time ought u student to
spend now to gain proficiency in what
should have been thoroughly learned
years hinro? Uniform spelling is a
beuiiiy in u composition, but we hold
that the chief object of language is to
make one intelligible, and ii one mode
of orthography will express the thought
as well as another, what mutter is it if it
does not exactly conform to Webster?
Let opportunity be given hero as well as
elsewhere for students to show their
originality.
Darwin's last work was on "Earth
worms." Ho shows very conclusively
that these little and inoU'onsive creatures
have played no small part in preparing
the earth to support vegetable life. The
conclusions arrived at, after many expert,
meats is, that all the surface soil passes
through the bodies of these animals every
few years. As they deposit their excrc
tions on the top of the ground, in time
they completely cover largo stones and
boulders. Hence they are constantly
increasing the area of arable land. They
also are the little plows that jear after
year pulverize the soil, giving it greater
uniformity of character and better pro.
paring it lo supply the wants of man
It is another striking proof that nothing
exists in vain. The humblest and smallest
often, as in the present case, are the
instruments by which great and import,
ant lesults are obtained.
The voluminous discussion of the
"Ethics of Vivisection" witli which the
reviews have for the past few months been
surcharged seems to us inoro like a desiro
on the part of certain semi-scientific
gentlemen to appear in print than a real
expectation of reforming an ainiMj. Wo
have never learned that these gentlemen
are particularly squeamish about eating
beef, and have no curiosity about how
they would entertain a Thanksgiving
turkey. Here is a sacriflco of animal life
for the immediate gratification of physi
cal needs. Science inilicts suffering upon
animals in the hope of learning better
how to alleviate man's suffering. With-1
out the aid of vivisection the science of
medicine would be still in its infancy.
Its progress has been slow enough at best.
Who is there so sentimental as to accuse
.lolia Hunter of ct uelty to aniuv.ils because
he resorted to the study of Comparative
Anatomy instead of allowing human
lives to be sacrificed through ignorance.
It is stated that the average net annual
profits of the New York ITera(d are over
$1,000,000. Tills immense busincs3 is
under the supervision of one man, but, he
is a remarkable one. Although he spends
more than half his time in Europe he
dictates the policy of the paper in every
detail, and keeps a strict watch over Ihe
finances. It is also alllrmed that he sends
editorials by cable from every corner of
the world. This is difficult to beliovc)
especially when his character of profes
sioaal pleasure seeker is kept in mind.
We are disposed to think that his industry
has been very much overdrawn, and that
the success of the Herald is not attributa
ble lo his personal watchfulness. The
business manager are of high character,
requiring little supervision. The amount
spent for the Jeanette expedition, anil for
fie relief of Irelaud, netting $750,000, lias
served to give the paper a great name,
without which it could not flourish. We
believe that these gumt policy strokes are
the keys to Bennett's success, and that the
report of his indefatigable industry is a
device to patch up a bud reputation.
A few years ago one of the students at
Bowdola College bore the euphonious
title of "Spud." Ho was a flat scholar
and after graduation was chosen an in
struclor in the college. Of course his
atudent name still clung to him. He
know it, and didn't like It. He was very
dignified, and his professors chair did not
diminish the gravity of his demeanor.
One day some boys playing ball near the
doorof a recitation room in which "Spud"
was conducting a Latin exercise, annoyed
tiiis expounder of subjectives and the in
tiicaciesot indirect discourse, and calling
a Sophomore to him, ho said, "Please
go to the door, Mr. A., and say to those
players that I desire them to cease their
play or make less noise." A. went to the
door, stuck his head out, and shouted in
stentorian tones: "Here, you follows!
Spud says dry up I" Another Professor
at the same college bore the nickname
"Kaigar," from two common Greek words.
In fact very few professors in any Amcr
ican college escape familiar or oppro
brious nicknames at the hands of the
students. One of the happiest hits of
this sort ws at the expense of a certain
Yale professor who was called "Old Spon
dee" a spondee, in metrical versification,
consisting ot two long feet.
When noticing the bitter controversy
existing between Allopathy and Homeo
pathy we do not wonder that Oliver Wen
dull Holmc3 wrote, "If all drugs were
cast into the sea, it would be so much the
better for man and so much the worse for
thelish!" When medical men are so
widely separated, how can they expect
that the dignity of the profession will be
maintained? One thing is certain, the
two schools are so radically opposed that
both cannot he right. With thousands of
lives at stake it is a subject in which the
people can justly feel interested, and I ho
animosity witli which the war is carried
on ih in itself sufficient to keep the truth
buned. Until the members of the med
ical fraternity become high-minded
enough to search for the truth honestly
and regardless of the tenants of their
particular school, the science will not be
set upon an unassailable foundation. In
a lecture in the Opera House a low eve
nings since it was shown by statistics that
the old school kills three times as many
persons as the new in proportion to the
number of patients. Probably statistics
would also reverse the case. Just now
there seems to bo a splendid opening for
some man of ability lo harmonize the
conflicting views by selecting the best
from each.
Female seminary. Teacher. "Mary,
did Martin Luther die a natural death?
"No; ho was excommunicated by a bull."
The following, though of very ancient
origin, has never boforo appeared in the
Student: Young ladies' boardinc: school.
Prof. "What can you say of Pluto?"
Miss D. "He was the son of Satan, and
when his falhor died he gave him Hell."
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