THE HESPERIAN.
NONDESCRIPT.
ARBOR DAY.
This day is one of the annual epochs of University life, and
was never more thoroughly enjoyed thap this year. Rec
itations were dispensed with and each class tried to make it a
day of rejoicing. Promptly at 10:30 the students assembled
in the chapel. The Chancellor announced that neither the
Hon. J. Sterling Morton nor Ex-Gov. Furnas could be pres
ent. Thus, while it deprived us of able addresses, it gave
the entire day to the students to carry out any program
desired. Prof. Bcssey gave a short talk on the scientific
side of trees, confining himself principally to the mammoth
ones of California. The Chancellor then told of the impres
sions he had received from somp of the forests and groves
while he was travelling in Europe. lie paid a glowing tribute
to England's greatest statesman and closed with an exhorta
tion to the students to each year observe the day set apart by
the law lor the planting of trees. Directly after the chapel
exercises the several classes assembled in the hall and march
ed to the places previously chosen for their trees. The Preps
to the tunc of "Captain Jcnks" beaten upon tin pans walked
manfully onward and planted their tree and one of their
badges amid great enthusiasm and some moist earth. The
Chancellor spoke a few words of encouragement but the ef
fect of his speech was spoiled by addressing them as Sopho
mores and referring to them continually as the Sophomores.
Notwithstanding this unintentional slam upon the class the
occasion was a joyous one for the little folks.J'.GcQ. Spurlock,
Miss Ruliffson, Miss May Roberts and others spoke on "The
Philosophy of the Universe," "Woman Suffrage" and other
live questions of the day.
THE FRESHMEN
also came to the front with a tree, one end of which they sol
emnly planted in a ground squirrel hole and gently but firmly
pressed the dust and ashes around it. This accomplished,
they retraced their steps a little and viewed it with melancholy
satisfaction. Forsyth, Webber and Gambce added to the
gloom of the occasion by attempting to orate, but this was too
much for the long-suffering audience and they left the speak
ers addressing the already too tired shrub and strolled over td
where the
SOPHOMORES
were quarrelling about who was to dig the hole for a straw
berry plant which they supposed to be a Virginia Creeper.
When this arduous labor was finally Accomplished KleinePolk
who was to take charge of the shrub found out that he had
lost it, but after a moment's hard thinking he remembered
that when the Junior band passed he had dropped it and fol.
lowed them around for some time. The plant was recovered,
after a prolonged search, in the hall-way where it had been
trampled upon by every member of that dense throng, with
one or two exceptions, and it looked pretty sick as also did
this more or less intelligent class, but it planted it just the
same.
THE SENIORS
then aired their proverbial lack of class harmony and spirit,
some by stalking around the campus trying to impress strang
ers with their importance, while others sulked at home and
grumbled at a mercenary world incapable of appreciating gen
ius. The principal event of the day, however, was the de.
monstration of
THE JUNIORS.
They had provided themselves badges of white cloth upon
which was printed '$7 in blood, an4 had a very determined ap
pearance. They formed in front of the Chancellor's office
immediately after chapel, headed by the cadet band. In ad
dition to the regular members of the band were Messrs. Ful
mcr, Eddy, Wheeler, Wiggcnhorn and Drum Major Pcrrin,
who had procured instruments through the kindness of the
Lieutenant. Some of the Sophomores and Preps attempted
to aucst their piogrcss in the halls, but were soon over-pow.
cicd by the Junior muscle. The class then marched around
the walk in front of the building, preceded by the band play
ing the lively strains of "Montrose." When they reached
the spot selected for the planting (in the middle of the half
circle directly in front of the building) the excavation commit
tee, consisting of Miss Roberts, Miss Daley and Mr. Eddy,
went Industriously to work and soon had the hole of sufficient
depth. During the digging Mr. Wiggcnhorn sung a solo, ac
companying himself with the drum. The tree, a beautiful
elm, which was in the care of D. T. Smith, was then placed
in the hole with great precision and care. A bottle ncat
tly covered wiih'red ribbon and containing the following arti
cles: Clark's standing in French, Miss Daley's grade in Ger.
man, the names of the committee on arrangements, portrait
of John L. Sullivan, autograph of John Green and Gfcrwig's
moustache was placed under the tree by Frank Wheeler.
The annointing oil was poured on by C. S. Polk, after which
the dirt was thrown in, each member of thciclass doing part.
The orator of the day, Paul F. Clark, was then introduced
who delivered with his characteristic vigor and grace the fol
lowing eloquent address.
Fellow members of the class that shall astonish the world!:
In the name of liberty, patriotism, the University and John
Green I greet you. We come together to commemorate a cus
tom which is as old as humanity and Susan B. Anthony. We
know that the idea of planting was known in Biblical times,
for we read that Moses was planted witli the bulrushes; we
read again of a prophet who said on such an occasion "Wake,
pcazlc-trec and harp." Romulus and Remus, after they had
been tossed about by the turbulent Tiber, were caught by the
overhanging branches of a box alder, and each year thereaf
ter they planted one of these beautiful trees in the Forum at
Rome.
Our own J. Sterling Morton claims to have originated the
American tree planting day, but we know that the Pilgrim
Fathers planted the tree of Liberty on Plymouth . Rock, and
Benedict Arnold, Jefferson Davis and O. B. Polk assisted in
planting treason. So the palm cannot be awarded to our
friend from the pork packing city.
Fellow Juniors, it is fitting that we do this today, forwc are
the solid portion of this intellectual center of western culture.
The other classes arc "flashy." The Freshmen wear their
beautifully carved dime and strut about like policemen in day
light; the Sophomores are proud of their microscopic pin of
brightened brass; and the Seniors those, who are able to bear
the weight, wear rings with a proud thcsc-cost-a-dollar-and-a-half
look. But the Juniors have no such gaudy emblem to
blaze before the world. And when I think of this I cannot
refrain from quoting that familiar verse from Campbell's
"Pleasures of Hope;"
"The June bug has its wings of blue,
The firefly wings of flame;
The Juniors have no golden hue,
But they get there all the same."
It is said that things never change at least the poqt says
"We are the same that our fathers have been,
We see the same sights that our fathers have seen,
We drink the same streams that our fathers have drunk
And wc think the same thoughts, that our fathers have