Nobby Cutaway and Sack Suits at Steinberg's Clothing House.
The Weekly University Courier.
The Largest College Journal Circulation in the United States.
Published Every Friday Morning by the
COURIER COMPANY For Kansas University Students.
CHAS. LYONS, O.B. TAYLOR, President. Secretary
EDITORIAL STAFF:
FRANK G. CROWELL, EDITOR-IN-CLIFF.
JOHN PRESCOTT,
F. C. KEYS,
C. USTERFELT,
L.A. STERRINS,
F. M. F. HARA,
W. R. ARMSTRONG,
NAN. LOVE,
HARTNEY,
LILLE FREeman,
GERTÉ'R HUNICUTTI
BUSINESS MANAGERS:
EARLE L. SWOPE. | WILL, A. JACKSON,
From the Press of P. T. FOLEY.
Entered at the post-office at Lawrence, Kansas,
as second-class matter.
The question is frequently asked What becomes of our Valedictorians and, the men who are among the leaders of their class in scholarship Does the high stand they take in their class mean a low position in life? Yet the idea prevails that our great men, men of reputation in literature, politics and art have been indolent scholars and dull to the extreme in their classes. "To be a first scholar is to many minds equivalent to passing after five years of midnight study into the oblivion of a country parsonage. That valedictorians are never heard of after leaving college is the sop which the friends of every dullard are wont to fling at his disappointed ambition." That the majority of the politicians of the past twenty-five years have been men of only medium standing during their college course, is a fact. Yet from a writer who has made a specialty of collecting facts concerning this question, we obtain the some statements which will throw some light on the subject. Of the graduates of Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth and Williams the men who have made any mark in the world have ranked in the first quarter of the class to which each belonged. Of the men of letters and professors, we find that ex-President Woolsley, of Yale, received highest honors in 1820. Elliot, of Harvard was among the first in his class and Porter was third in the class of 1831. Prof. Bowen, Goodwin, Loomis, Dana, Hackett and Young were either first and never lower than third in their respective classes. Baneroft was a high scholar in Harvard. J. Lothrop Motley, Palfrey, Edward Everett were first in their classes and stood high in all their specialties. Longfellow and Emerson although not high in standing nevertheless held an honorable position in rank. Phillip Books was a high scholar of Harvard's class of 1755. O. B. Frothingham was the salutatorian of his class. Dr. R. S. Storrs and Dr. Huntington both well in their classes. Henry Ward Beecher was undoubtedly the most distinguished graduate of Amherst college, but his college rank is the lowest of any who have become
celebrated, in fact his per centage for his whole course was only fifty-eight. The great lawyers have won distinction in college for scholarship. Rufus Chate is one of the threemen, who in the coarse of a hundred years, have graduated from Dartmouth with with a perfect rank. Webster, Calhoun, Senator Evarts, Dana, Chase, Cushing, and Chas. Summer all gave evidence of strength and progress in the recitation and lecture room and were graduated near the head of their respective classes. In view of these facts we can only agree with Macauley who said, "That men who distinguish themselves in their youth above their contemporaries always keep to the ends of their lives the start which they gained.
There has been for some time two parties in England contending for supremacy, authority and rule in the two old Universities which have been for so long, the idle of English people of culture, refinement and education. The one, the Tory element, with conservatism as its standard, the bane of all progressive ideas and the great impediment to the natural course of human thought and action which is quickened by the progress made by society in all pursuits and vocations of mankind. The other element, are those people who belong to the progressive school of English thought, who desire to introduce liberal ideas in politics, religion and life and to keep pase with society in all its progress. The Tory, the conservative element prevails, and Oxford has not been influenced by the social changes of medival and modern history. For six centuries she has made but little change in its curriculum and still retains its original organization and ancient characteristics. If this system should prevail or rather had prevailed in our country while our schools and colleges were in an embryonic state, our educational system, the pride of all true American would have been a stunted tree of knowledge, whose various branches had been frozen and its blossoms nipped in the bud by that barrier to all progress which men call conservatism.
A BAND FOR K. S. U.
There is some very fine musical talent in the band line among the students and all it requires, is for some one to take the lead in order to organize a first class band.
It has been suggested several times that the organization of a college band would not only create more college spirit but also give K. S.U.a nigher rank in the musical circles of the state.
There are at least twenty persons in school who have played in bands at their homes. The majority of these persons have their instruments with them and the others could no doubt obtain theirs by sending for them. One of the Profs. in the musical department would no doubt assume the directorship if he was assured that the boys would go into the thing with the determination to make a first class band.
There are many college entertainments during the year that the music of a good band would enliven and make more enjoyable.
During commencement week a good band is in great demand and what little of such music the University does have, comes from abroad and exorbant prices have to be paid. By having a college band we could have more music with but small cost. Then each year when K. S. U. sends a great delegation to the State Oratorical contest a band would be very disirable. It would not only give K. S. U. a reputation for enterprise among the colleges of the state but it would be very entertaining.
We would suggest that some one take up on himself the responsibility of posting a notice on the bulletin board calling a meeting of all students interested in such a movement. No doubt the result of such a meeting would be the organization of a band of which K. S. U. would be proud.
Retrospect.
"A college is a little world in itself." So we often are told while in school and after we leave it. Yes a little world like its namesake in some things, very unlike it in others. A very pleasant world to—much more so that some are willing to acknowledge who are in it. I think some of the old boys down at Lawrence would be lost out of it. I don't believe Ed. Franklin would feel quite happy if taken away from his acid bottles; or that Will Brown would be the same old Brown if he had to quit telling bear and buffalo yarns and be tied down to a desk somewheres. A number of boys in the University get there and stay there too, so long that it seems a part of their being. Happy fellows those. The far larger part however, of the students are those who come, stay a while, then pass out of sight. In a few year all their old friends are gone and if they do come back at all, it is only to drift in on an old professor, who chats a few moments and then forgets that such a fellow as Jones or Brown or Smith lived. The other day I got to thinking of old college experiences, and the boys I had met, and what an army of faces came up to my mind. Men who had come and gone, and had their places filled by others. I think my recollectioas of prep. years are the most inefacable. How well I can remember the seniors, and in fact all upper classmen. Those fellows wont be forgotten nearly as soon as some of the ones I was even more intimately associated with later in my course. Some of Oread societies old companions stand before me as though they were present. P. C. Young, the long legged, awkward, eloquent Young, whose thought ran so fast that even his voluble tongue could not wag fast enough, and who as a consequence had to have recourse to his long arms to help him express himself. Meservey, with glasses and hair which never would lie down. Twichell the irrepressible, fun loving happy Twitchell and hosts of others. I thought over the old times, took a look at each picture in the photograph gallery indelibly impressed on my mind, and I wondered where the boys all are, what they are doing. I remember how I looked to a certain freshman who condescended to honor the junior prep. Latin class,
when I was one of that verdant herd. All the class looked on him as the "big man." He is now Hon. F. A. Stocks, mayor of Blue Rapids. Another number of the same class was S.R. Wharton, one of the brightest young fellows in Kansas, a man who will always do credit to K. S. U. A few of the old friends are, like Stocks and Wharton well known, many alas! have taken their six feet of sod in "Gods acre," others are wandering, where? K. S. U. has her sons scattered far and wide; three I know of in Oregon holding lucrative positions in railroads. Some in California, some in the great southwest. Wherever they are I have yet to hear of the first one who has disgraced old alma mater. They come from the farms and villages—many of them green and awkward at first, but somehow they are all filling their places in the world full as well as if they came from an aristocratic eastern home, with Harvard culture to aid them. They do not fill any lower place than Harvard or Yale graduates either. To those who are in the college work now I would say, make the most of it. When you get out and begin to drift around the great world you will find how enjoyable a time it was. You will find that college friendships are pleasanter and closer, that college experiences are happier than any you will afterwards experience.
R. E. HENRY.
VIEWS.
We have heard a great amount of "kicking" by the students against the faculty for many supposed wrong which we have been compelled to submit to. I wish to say just a word in reference to a very grevious wrong that the law students have been compelled to suffer, and I have heard that students of other departments have met with the same difficulty. I wish to speak of our exclusion from the University library. This subject has been spoken of before, but it has been handled very timidly. Great was my chagrin, when a few days ago I desired to look up a point of law and applied for admission to the alcoves of the library, and the librarian asked where I belonged. I answered, "to the senior law class," The answer I received was something similar to the supposed answer that St. Peter gives to the unjust, "You cannot enter here." The librarian said in substance that the law students were not admissable to the library. It flashed through my mind in an instant that perhaps we had no business there that perhaps the law department was seperate and distinct from the University, and that we were allowed the use of one room, half of the day, only through the good nature of our worthy chancellor, and that really we were not entitled to any rights or recognition as a department of the University. I will address the following pertinent queries to the faculty in regard to this matter; if there a law department in connection with the University? or do you consider it a non-entity? Why do you misrepresent this matter in your catalogue? I notice on page 74 under the head "Department of Law" the following language, "with access
to the laboratories, library, etc." Also in speaking of the library on page 100, I find the following, "for the use of all officers and students of the University." Now if you don't admit us to the library, these are certainly grossly false representations, and should be stricken from the catalogue. When the great state of Kansas has to resort to falseboobs in order to have students attend her University it is time for her to "throw up the sponge." I understand that there are a large number of books in the library that properly belong to the law department, and are of no use to any other. I have not seen these books myself as I have not been permitted to enter the library. When Prof. J. W. Green found that we would not be allowed access to the law books contained in the library, he begged permission to place them in the law library so his "boys" could have the benefit of their use, but even this humble request was refused. It is a well known fact that the State University Library contains a fine collection of about 10,000 volumes of the choicest works, and the thought of having access to such a valuable collection in connection with their studies is no doubt quite an inducement to many students to attend this University, in preference to some others. Perhaps you are jealous of the law department and desire to "squeeze" it out, at least it seems so. I suppose that the next requirement that will be made of us is that we shall recite in some obscure corner of the basement, as we might otherwise contaminate the presence of the University, and get in someones way. Were it not for the many friends that our beloved dean, and Profs. Summerfield and Gleed, have all over the country, I am inclined to think that the twenty-five dollar matriculation fees of the law department would not roll in so fast as they do at present. It is certainly not due to the kind and courteous treatment that we receive at the hands of the other members of the faculty. Some of the students have access to the library. Can it be possible that the faculty have a few "pets," and they alone will be permitted to derive benefit from these books? If so, this state of affairs is to be greatly regretted, and it is only hoped that at the next session of the legislature, the department will be removed to Topeka, where I am quite certain we would be accorded access to the state library, which is much better than that at the Uni-
Popular Lecture Course.
Popular Lecture Course.
The following is the course of lecture which will be given under the auspices of the Plymouth and Pilgrim churches.
December 1st—Col. L. H. Copeland, "Snobs and Snobbery."
January—George R. Wendling,
"Hamlet and his Interpreters."
February—Frank Beard, "The Chalk Taker."
March—Rev. A. A. Willets,
"Sunshine."
March—J. DeWitt Miller, subject to be announced.
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