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THE WEEKLY UNIVERSITY
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UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS.
W. Y. Morgan is in the city.
Cyrus Crane has gone to Burlington.
Bring your girl to the contest tonight.
Harry Riggs visited old scenes Tuesday.
Fred Funston is on the Santa Fe as collector.
Why not revive the skating carnivals as of yore?
Fred Funston visited friends at the University last week.
The sub-Freshman German class has commenced to review.
R. J. Curdy is expected to arrive this afternoon from Topeka.
Several new students have already arrived for the second term's work.
Miss Josie Cook, of Kansas City, is visiting her uncle, the Chancellor.
Assessor Claypool interviewed the class in Political Economy Tuesday.
We would like to know when our long-looked for gymnasium will arrive?
O. M. Jackson, an old student, spent the Sabbath with his Phi Delt brothers.
Orophilian has not been heard of since vacation. Has she not returned?
The contest to-night will be enlisted by the best musical talent in K.S.U.
Eli Perkins, the greatest humorist in the country will be in Lawrence soon.
A large number of visitors were entertained by Kinzie during the past week.
Douglas county Horticultural society will meet in Snow hall, on Saturday, Jan. 21.
Prof. Will Brown has arranged several new specimens in the Natural History Museum.
Prof. Foote, of Atchison Latin school, visited the University the first of the week.
Tickets are on sale at Field & Harris' for the contest-to-night in the University Chapel.
A series of bones, so to speak, now decorate a part of the wall in the museum at Snow Hall.
Miss Mamie Tisdale entertains her friends this evening in honor of Miss Buzzell, of Boston.
Three of the oratorical contestants this evening are from the Senior class and one from the Junior.
Examination will last longer this year than ever before. The Professors smile in consequence thereof.
The "horse show" manager beat the directors of the Oratorical Association in procuring the opera house.
There has not yet been such a rush to the office in payment of contingent fees, but what one man can properly handle all of the money.
The "open winter" man has about closed his mouth. It seems that winter is beginning to open sure enough.
Chancellor Lippincott was ill Saturday and Sunday and was only able to be on the hill a couple of hours Monday.
A party of twelve students and Prof. Marvin skated down to Eudora Monday afternoon and came back on the plug.
Chas.Chanute, an honored member of the Freshman class, was initiated into Phi Gamma Delta fraternity Tuesday.
A dictionary rack has been put up on the first alcove in the library for the accommodation of the Juniors and Seniors.
H.E.Riggs has returned from Missouri, where he was engaged in surveying on the Chicago extension of the Santa Fe.
The class in Political Economy enjoyed a delightful and instructive talk on taxation from the Hon. Ed. Russell on Wednesday.
The young ladies and gentlemen Baker are at swords points on account of Leap year demands of the ladies. Come embrace and be friends.
Everyone should go to Baldwin this year. We do not mean to their little village school but to the State Contest which is held there February tenth.
The classes in Political Science and Anatomy have become so fascinated with themselves, that they intend to give the photographer some work. Poor man.
A party of ladies and gentlemen set out to skate to Eudora yesterday afternoon. Whether they reached their destination or not our reporter has not yet learned.
Higgins, Stebbins, Doran and Dick are the contestants in the contest to-night, one of whom will endeavor to make K. S. U.'s already brilliant record still brighter at the State contest next month.
Last Saturday while Mr. Schrader was performing a chemical experiment, he had his face blown full of sulphuric acid, injuring him very badly; but it did not result seriously, and he is slowly recovering.
One of the best entertainments of this season will be a literary entertainment given by the ladies of Plymouth Church, on the 26th of this month. Mrs. Morgan and several elocationists from Kansas City and Topeka will take part. The best of music will be furnished.
A fair young lady rent with a wild shriek of terror the Classic air of the halls Wednesday. Whether it was a mouse or what, which caused the cry, we do not know—probably what.
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Law.
The Seniors are now tusseling with torts.
Hagar has concluded to remain with the class.
Moot Court resumed work Wednesday night.
The Seniors must now be on hand for recitation at 8:30 a.m.
Wolley has concluded not to do a collection business when he gets into practice.
Kent Club is to have a series of lectures given by the members of the bar of the city.
The Laws are to be represented in the contest to-night, and we feel assured it will be in a very creditable manner.
The following, clipped from the Iowa Register, shows that Kansas University and her faculty have a reputation that extends beyond the boundaries of the State. It is useless to say to those that are acquainted with him that the quotation below concerning Blair's educational bill, is from the pen of Prof. J. H. Canfield:
Mr. Plumb, one of those sturdy and able Senators, took occasion to call the attention of the Senate to a letter from, as he said, "one of the leading educators of the west, in fact, of the entire country, a man well known in public affairs, who is a professor in the State University of Kansas," from which he quotes as follows:
"I am thoroughly in accord with your position from the first. I cannot see how the scheme can be made to work without almost unlimited friction between state and national authorities. Nor can I see any practical limit to the frauds which would surely grow up under its administration. We have stretched the general welfare clause until its real meaning has almost been forgotten. Such juggling with words and their meaning and such interpretations will surely bear a full crop of disasters. I am in favor of the nation, with a big N, and I assert, and that constantly, as that we turn toward nationalism we are strong, and as we go toward sectionalism and individualism we are weak. But we may not yet through with local government nor are we ready to abolish State Legislatures. We do not want this country turned into a bureaucracy."
Fables for the Flighty; or The Contest in Advance.
A Poor Pale Metaphor was walking out one day for an Airing, when he met a Rucibund Over-worked Simile. "Ah," said the Florid Figure to his Weary Friend, "you are looking tired." "Yes," responded the Pale Metaphor, "I am somewhat Used Up. You are looking Bad yourself. What's the Matter?" "Oh! I Suppose it's the Same Trouble with both of us; the Oratorical Contestants are Working us too hard." They both Sighed. Then the Simile Smiled a Sickly Smile and said, "That was a Fearful Struggle we had with Higgins last week wasn't it? Hig is pretty Rough on us now and then."
"Yes, he mixes me all up," replied the Metaphor, "But my hair grew White in a Single Night when Doran turned his Batteries on me." "O Shaw!" remarked the Goddess of History who happened Along, "you folk don't want to complain about Doaan. I'm the Party who has been Injured by him." Just then a Simple little thought dressed in Flowery Language came up Crying Bitterly, "Alas, this is the most unkindest cut of all." "What's up?" said the Simile, trying to Brighten her up. "Oh Georgie — my Dear Georgie Dick, whom I helped so much last year has given me the cold, cold shake and is flirting scandalously with the Greek Antiquities." The Goddess of History started. Just then a Polished Period rushed into the crowd Panting terribly. "Ye Gods!" exclaimed the Period, "Have any of you People tackled Stebbins! I just got loose from him while he was working for a Climax. He gave me the worst tussel I ever had." "Men," said the Metaphor, "believe I did have a call from Stebb." A Graceful Gesture and a Deep Gutteral Voice passed arm in arm and the tired group Laughed Ominously. A Hoary-headed Political Chestnut staggered into the circle. He struck a Dramatic attitude and cried Hoarsely:
"I'm called from my dreamless sleep again. To serve at my wonted station. Each year I'm dragged from my dusty den To work in the Prize Oration.
I "view with alarm" and "point with pride"
Our country, Its fault confessing;
I "look at the future where dangers hide"
With a pregnancy quite distressing.
And alas, this year, I'm on the list Like the wandering Jew I must ever go. I'd give the world if I could be missed But the Gods appear to have willed it so. HERR MOST.
RAMBLINGS.
Longfellow in his Hyperion gives a very life-like picture of the American character, a picture which cannot fail to impress itself on the memory. How unlike European life is the rush and hurry of our countrymen; how strange seems to us the quiet modes and habits of foreign people. I have noticed the marked difference between Americans and foreigners, as I have been fortunate enough to spend several months in colonies from trans-Atlantic countries. Last September I spent several days in a Swedish settlement. Quiet, inoffensive people were they; content to farm and live as their fathers had done in Sweden, satisfied with small profits and a comfortable home. The village was unlike any American town—old style houses, with many gables and porches, thatched roofs on all barns or stables, queer old wind-mills for drawing water and grinding corn, bridges which were never built by an American county commissioner—in short, it was totally un-American. Every one in this little community seemed to be prosperous. There was no dissatisfaction, no gambling. There was no reckless expense for needless luxury, and no wild speculation. A few miles from this town was another—an Irish settlement. It was older and Americans had commenced to come in. The spirit of the times began to pervade it. Men talked of wild schemes for making fortunes—they were not content with enough.
Scoff no more, oh student of history, at old Ponce de Leon. The old Spaniard sought for that which did not exist. He wished to find eternal youth—was he any more foolish than the thousands of men who seek for wealth such as Aladdins? Can we say that the old man was foolish? He lost his life—he found Florida. We Americans are losing health, morals, virtue and life itself, and what is found? A little gold perhaps, more often a life of disappointment, unhappiness, a grave. Americans are queer people. I believe that very few comparatively are not engaged in the search for money. Yet there are some who live a hand to mouth life and seem to enjoy it. I have seen hundreds of men go out and work at the most mental labor for months—the get a suit of clothes and a few dollars, then quit work and not stop till money, clothes and all are gone. They literally observe the saying, "give no thought to the morrow."
To most persons in the east such a life is wholly incomprehensible; how a man can drift so aimlessly on the world's tide, neither knowing or caring where his next meal is to come from, is a strange thing, but it is so, and stranger yet they seem perfectly happy. We see many queer specimens of humanity in this great conglomerate nation of ours—many a character who would have figured well in Dickens or in Thackery's tales. Aye, the lives of many would make better romances than half those that have been written. Each turn of Fortune's wheel changes the places of men. I have seen college men handling picks and shovels on a grader's gang. I have seen men who had no advantages, sons of criminals, get money and learn that wisdom which comes from experience. Amid all these changes, in such a society as ours, there arises one great question, how shall we educate all these people to enable them to care for themselves, come what may. It is too wide a question to talk of now. I would only suggest, as the moral of these ramblings, that nation educates its children best which teaches them the nobility of work, and gives each of its sons and daughters a trade, whereby he or she may live if fortune goes, or may win a home and husband if wealth never comes.
R. E. Henry.