FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19. 1943
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
PAGE FIVE
"Nineties" On The Hill Gay Old Times
By JEAN JONES
In the early days when "Ole" Dobbin could trot out West Campus road blindfolded and even sophisticates were popping corn or pulling toffee on Saturday nights, social life at the University of Kansas was on the incline. The fact of the matter is "Grandpa" had a pretty high old time in those days.
One of the most economical forms of entertainment 50 years the Bowersock theater. For the nominal
One of the most economic ago was an evening at the Bow sum of 5 cents even the financially deflated college Joe could enjoy an evening of tragedy, drama, comedy, and occasionally, a burlesque show. The students usually congregated early in the balcony. As University couples arrived, the refined hoodlums would loudly announce in unison the names of the late comers. When the curtain went up, the gallery gods would shout comments to the actors. Sometimes balcony conduct became so bad that the management had to remove the chief offenders.
In 1903, the Patee theater began showing movies. The press, church, and the legitimate theater were quick to brand movies "immoral." The unfavorable comment about motion pictures served to increase box office returns at the Patee. So great was the migration from the Bowersock to the Patee that even a burlesque cutie couldn't sell enough tickets at the old theater to meet the overhead. In 1929, the Bowersock theater, now the Jayhawker, changed to movies.
"Jelly Joints" Popular
Although "jellying" is a twentieth century expression, the students of the 1800's and 1900's had the same general idea. The first student "hangout" was opened by George Falley in a basement room in Fraser hall. The furnishings included a stove and a lunch counter. The place was popular with students, but after a helper of Falley's nearly burned the building down one night, the proprietor closed the eating house.
In 1899. William "Billy" Reynolds, '90, opened a lunch wagon on wheels in front of Fraser hall. Soon after the opening, Reynolds converted his eating house into a permanent structure. Business was rushing, and before long "The Dog House" became the gossip house and beauty barometer of the campus. Early in 1900, Reynolds closed his eating house and not until the opening of "Brick's" in 1912 did students have a permanent gustatory establishment.
Boat Trips On Kaw
Students had modified steak fries even in "Grandpa's" time. Among the memories of many "old grads" are boat excursions on the Kaw that as often as not led to no place in particular. Of course slow and easy Myrtle kept up her end of the bargain when hitched to a chummy
Track Squad Trials Held This Afternoon For Big Six Meet
Trials for the Kansas track squad will be held this afternoon to find men to compete in the Big Six indoor meet at Kansas City, Feb. 27. Coach Gwinn Henry announced today.
The final choice of the squad will be decided as soon as the eligibility ruling comes from the Big Six officials on the freshmen, he added.
"Since this meet may be the only one," Henry continued, "I hope the ruling will be made quickly."
SIG ALPHS----
(continued from page four)
n their respective divisions.
The first round of the play-offs will begin Thursday night of next week. Competing in the elimination tournament will be the winners and runners-up in each of the four divisions. The winner of the tourney will be adjudged the intramural champion of the year.
All the games in the play-offs, with the possible exception of the finals, will be played on the small courts, Henry Shenk, of the department of physical education, said today. The finalists will be allowed to determine between them whether the final game shall be played on a large or small court.
Fraternities and literary clubs provided most of the dances, dinners, and programs during the early days. Lack of chapter houses, however, made frequent entertaining impossible. Usually a group would gather at some local student's house for a taffy pull or an evening of "wink 'em" or "spin the bottle."
marriage coupe. 'Tis said the beaten path to Fotter's lake (a popular spot even then) was well worn before 1820.
The more daring students strayed from the straight and narrow ways into the throes of card playing and drinking. In those days, because the University was attempting to establish its reputation, anyone caught imbibing or playing poker was suspended from school or put on probation.
What a life! !
BUY U.S. WAR BONDS
WITH UNIVERSITY STUDENTS It's Always--- DRAKE'S FOR BAKES
907 Mass.
DRAFTEES DOWN---
Phone 61
Students Will Give Speeches In New Program
The present personnel of the bureau consists of Geraldine Buehler, Lois Blackburn Wilson, Edith Ann Fleming, Mary Cheney, Edward Hansen, Bob Hutchinson, Newell Jenkins, Max Webster, Bill Hough, Bob Akey, Bob Plumb, John Waggoner, Dick Royer, and Samuel Alexander.
The student speakers participating in the program are organized into a Victory Speakers Bureau. The speakers will be sent out to speak before high school assemblies, clubs, and other similar organizations who request their services, to give the public enlightening and unbiased information concerning the war effort. Special stress will be laid upon such subjects as taxation, new concepts of geography, the Culbertson plan, the Beveridge plan, manpower problems, and the future of air travel.
Fewer Students in Britain
The "Speaking for Victory program, sponsored by the department of speech here, will start soon, E. C. Buehler, professor of speech, has announced. Requests for the student speakers are coming in rapidly from various parts of the state, he said.
Plumb and Royer will go to Nebraska next week to present extemporaneous speeches and participate in debates before various audiences upon the subjects, manpower and post-war organization.
Registration in British Universities has fallen from the 1939 figure of 50,000 students to 37,000. The number of women enrolled, 11,000, remains the same.
They will compete in a forensic tournament at Nebraska University. Bob Hutchinson and Bill Conboy debated against a team from Baker University Wednesday night before the men's club of the Methodist church here.
(continued from page four)
Blanks, a Hill organization, will take on the Sig Alph's. These game will be held every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday night for six more weeks of competition.
Women's Swim Meet Date Set
Dates for the women's intramural swimming meet have been set tentatively for March 10 and 11. The number of organizations to enter the meet will not be known until a few days before the meet.
Each organization may enter four women in each event, and each contestant may compete in no more than three events plus the relays.
Kappa Kappa Gamma was the winner of last year's tournament by a wide margin. Runners-up were Pi Beta Phi, IND, and Kappa Alpha Theta.
Last year's events and winners follow: relay, Kappa Kappa Gamma; breast form, Ethele Love; free style, two lengths, Shirley Davis; diving, Lura Jane Emith; back stroke, two lengths, Dorothea Thompson; side stroke, two lengths, Betty Jean Hess; crawl form, Harriet Hutchinson; breast stroke, two lengths, Peggy Davis; and free style, 50 yards, Shirley Davis.
Many of the women who won events last year are gone, according to Miss Ruth Hoover, assistant professor of physical education.
WATERED NOTES----
(continued from page four) having a few dates with a certain girl in their class. But still Ray failed to develop into an ardent Casanova. He hasn't had dates with more than four different girls in his life.
Ray doesn't think either basketball or football is an excuse for inferior scholastic work. Practice cuts down jellying hours but doesn't infringe on study time, he decided when he first entered the university and has since proved the point by making Owl Club, junior men's honor society.
His salient characteristic is modesty. The story is true that when he first reported for K.U. football practice and saw all the big players he almost didn't go out. Even now Ray honestly believes luck alone is responsible for the fact that he plays varsity football and basketball.
He has two hobbies--collecting soap on trips (he has more than 200 bars from different hotels) and playing practical jokes.
BUY U.S. WAR BONDS
Auto Wrecking & Junk Company
Dealers in---
NEW and USED AUTO PARTS AUTO and HOUSE GLASS MIRRORS RESILVERED
Phone 954
9th & Dela.
Gamma Phi, KKG, Pi Phi Win Table Tennis Tournament Games
Three houses winning in table tennis tournament matches this week are Gamma Phi Beta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and Pi Beta Phi.
Gamma Phi Beta teams were McCluggage and Nelson, Marvin and Chapman, and Pierpont and File. Chi Omega teams were Taylor and Kreider, Rice and Burkhead, and Smith and Craig. The Kappa Kappa Gamma team which played was Murphy and Cheney; opposing Miller hall team was Bartz and Jones.
Gamma Phi Beta defeated Chi Omega two to one. Kappa Kappa Gamma won one game and accepted two forfeited games from Miller hall. Three games were forfeited to Pi Beta Phi by Delta Gamma.
Dreyer Transfers To West Coast
Ensign R. C. Dreyer, former assistant professor of geology and mining engineering at the University, visited in Lawrence recently. Ensign Dreyer, who has been stationed at a United States Naval operating base in Newfoundland, has been transferred to the west coast.
BUY BETTER SHOES AT OBER'S
Now that shoes are being rationed, we must all buy better shoes so they will last longer. Bring ration ticket "17" and come to Ober's for your next pair. You can't find better shoes than those in our stock.
Footsavers .. $11.50 up
Bostonians .. $ 8.95 up
Mansfields .. $ 6.50 up
Roblees .. $ 6.50 up