THE STUDENTS JOURNAL
9
K. U. AT THE FAIR.
K. U. was there, bright and early in the campaign. She was there to usher in the greatest exposition on earth and she remained with it during its last struggles with the vandalizing exhibitors eager to flee the scenes of six months' merriment and education. At so great an educational event it was but meet that K. U. should stand by early and late, with a willing, helping hand.
K. U. blood and ex-blood was on hand to lend impetus to the mental building of the great project. She was there when the dirt began to fly from the lowly shovel; when the windlass began to creak and the hammer to resound; when the mobile staff rose into enchanting forms; and best of all, when the busy workshop was turned into the greatest school of the world, and its doors thrown open to myriads of students. Then it was that K. U.'s bright young blood surged proudly in the veins of guards and "pushers," visitors and cicerones, all eager to help the grand affair along and all proud to be called a part of the great machinery which delighted and improved.
There were K. U. people as adjuncts of the great affair and there were K. U. people among the anxious and rushing visitors. Let us take a few glimpses at the scenes which the adjuncts presented. There was the spectacle of the guides, who were royally waited upon by a professional cicerone upon every occasion which brought them to the grounds. The K. U. contingent had a guide prospective who, being such an adebt at "working" while in his alma mater, was well schooled in the craft, so as to be able intelligently to ply his practices upon the official guide instructor. He plied the official hard with intelligent questions, all the while showing the intense interest he should in the subject. After visits of several weeks the guide official began to instruct by rote his protege. Again the guide-prospective's K. U. habits stood him in good stead, and without taking a single note he learned all and remembered all about the number of nails used in the construction of the Liberal Arts building, the length of the Columbian statue's toes, the number of hairs in the brushes used to decorate the transportation building arch, and much other valuable information. I say he remembered all of it—all he wished to. This guide was wise, for he saw the fair five weeks and was everywhere royally waited upon, besides being paid for his time. At the end of five weeks he resigned.
Of chair pushers we had a plenty, and jolly good fellows they were until away they sped with snatches of song as the wage thermometer fell. The scrawny book worm who went there with the intention of recovering his health was always being good naturedly imposed upon by the others. To strengthen his muscles he was given the heaviest "corpses" and the steepest grades. He was a timid fellow who always debated if the thing to be done was just the thing which his dignity would allow. Often he must pinch shut his eyes, so hard had he to push—as a fair Lawrence beauty or a Freshman belle passed near him. One day he had been thrice mortified by inopportune meetings with old acquaintances, but greater than any other was to be the one to follow. A bit of humanity which grocers'scales could not weigh and which it would require two Inneses' stores to supply with dress goods, came to the chair stand and in a delicate voice which betokened her African descent asked for a pusher. Our unfortunate emaciated was the victim selected, and as he arranged the chair for her he noticed that there was a preponderance of jeweled appendages, a splendid silken frock, a forty dollar hat, blondined hair, a Pozzoni's face over the one her African mother had bequeathed to her. She was very talkative and questioning, in tones of voice which won her the admiring gazes for which she "fished." Suddenly came the youths' most worshipped professor. Pusher attempted to steer his heavy load aside but alas, somehow the wheels did not operate and as the duo-visaged beauty caught sight of the sporty professor, she at once began to cast her line, so to speak, for an admiring glance or smile.
Pusher's heart clogged his speech; just then the big beauty was successful, for the professor turned, smiled and straightway came toward her. The youth quaked, his strength failed, just then the search light was turned on the administration building dome and I saw no more.
Pusher's shock-haired, strong-limbed athletic colleague feared no weight, as he himself swore he could carry an entire eleven for a five-yard gain. His intrepidity was rewarded by exceptional numbers of 'Varsity young ladies who flocked to his chair. He was sure they could see that he belonged to the first eleven. One day, aye, I dare say more than one, but I saw him only on one occasion,—one day, then, he seemed to walk nearer the basket seat than usual and to know so very much about everything. To be sure, the occupant of the seat was no invalid, neither was she too large to enter the lists as a sprinter, yet somehow she wished to be wheeled; not one day but several, not by several pushers but by one. To this day, his room-mate says that at stated times this ex-pusher lolls empty-handed in his easy chair and with a dreamy stare views the frescoed wall of his apartment, oblivious to everything. No not everything; for the postman's whistle trills and he starts. Such is life.
One day as I happened to be in Midway—I was there looking for a friend you know—I caught sight of a spry little Sophomore who with creased "twousers" and damity gloved fingers was following his huge silvered cane through the motly crowd. I hastened after him, losing him, finding him, yet getting no nearer. He stopped. I hurried along. This time I'd surely get him. He started away, I called to him, but the Turkish theater advertiser made so much noise I could not be heard. Still I followed. His cane led him between gorgeous portals, but I was stopped, for I had not the requisite little pastboard. I procured it and got inside just in time to see one of his severe professors tap him lightly on the arm and scowl at him across his gold bowed glasses—they all wore glasses there. The gamey Soph flushed, stammered "why,how 'd'do," and tried to get away. But the quick tutor mind set this down as a time to help the lad and so he looked frigid as he ex-