A Freshman Writes Home
Excerpts from Letters of Clifford H. Smith '79 to His Father, Mother, and Sisters in 1875-76.
April 7—The mud is a sight to behold. I think more than four men out of five wear rubber boots, and I think the rest would like to.
April 15—Wednesday night I went over to Norwich to a meeting and when I got back here about half past nine I found our class and the sophomores engaged in a "cane rush" in the street in front of the college buildings. About sixty men of each class were in it, engaged in a general struggle to get a cane away which had been brought out. The rush started by the sophomores fastening both freshman secret societies into their halls, for both societies held their meetings that night. They smashed down their doors and came out and "went for" the few sophomores around and someone to continue the business brought out a cane, which immediately started a rush, word being carried all around so that the sophomores gathered rapidly. This happened about eight o'clock. The freshmen got possession of the greater part of the cane and it was secretly carried off. Anther was produced and they were engaged on this when I arrived.
I put my coat, hat and cuffs in a safe place and went in to it. Soon after the body began to move down street, through mud deep as only Hanover can have it. Each class desired to get the men of the other class away from the cane and to do this pushed and pulled generally. No choking or striking is allowed in these rushes, but most any thing else. It continued untill half past eleven when as neither side would give up the cane was surrendered to the seniors and juniors. Several men had their shirts torn completely off and many had on their best coats and pants the next day.
... They used to have a great many such rushes, but they have been mostly broken up lately and all the sophomores had signed a pledge not to rush pnd now they expect that a dozen or mo of their men will be suspended.
As we were under no such bond, no worse punishment is expected than an invitation to sign: a paper not to do so any more.
. Last Saturday night I went to play chess in one of the boys' room and asked the man down stairs to ask Mr. Andrews to leave the door unlocked. He felt bad or something that night and concluded he. couldn't leave it, so he locked it and went to bed. When I came I woke him up to open it, and he felt worse than ever, and spoke as freely as he has the faculty of doing, and we had quite a lively conversation, but he let me in and Monday we both made our apologies and are all right.
April 19-It was rather unfortunate that I had so many somewhat dubious stories to tell in my last letter but I told things as they happened Our class were in no way bound to refrain from rushing, and the commencement of it lies wholly with those who locked in the freshmen societies and so the faculty regard it, for no one has been suspended and they intimate that they only wish to find who fastened the doors. I acknowledge that the rushing would not be profitable for any one except the tailor very often, but for the time being there is no better physical sport for a set of healthy restless fellows who don't get a great deal of hard exercise. The freshmen having won that victory now carry canes freely and I guess there won't be any more rushing this year. There is a sophomore tradition not to let the freshmen wear stove pipe hats and carry canes untill after junior exhibition which comes in about two weeks.
.... I was very sorry to have trouble with Mr. Andrews,.... but I don't know of many persons that he hasn't clashed with at some time. I wrote two weeks ago of a young couple who lived in the kitchen here. The man heard Mr. Andrews talk to me that night, though he had gone to bed, and he took the privilege of telling Mr. Andrews what he thought of such talk, and as a result he and his wife moved out the next day.
Apr. 21—I think you would have liked last night to hear some of the college songs.
... A large number of the students gathered at the corner of the campus and sang songs for almost an hour. There is nothing much more pleasant here than to hear these songs just as evening is coming on This afternoon at the request of the class our professor is going to give us a lecture on English history
The faculty of the college seemed determined to have trouble somewhere, for now they are at war with the editors of our college paper for publishing a letter on the Agricultural college. They have threatened to withhold their diplomas unless they apologize. The three head men of the senior class belong to the board of editors, so if they should keep away their diplomas, it would make quite a stir. The best of it is, that that piece is just as true as it is severe. Apr. 30—Since the first two weeks of the term I haven't made what we call a "fizzle," which means a poor recitation, but there is no denying that there are at least three men that can get a better lesson and recite it better than I can. I think my mark will be better than last term, but I don't think my rank will be. Yesterday I did my spring house cleaning and pretty thoroughly too. I moved and dusted almost everything in the room and washed the floor
The editors of the Dartmouth were suspended for publishing that article, until they should apologize, and if they didn't apologize in one week were to be separated. They waited till the week was almost up and then apologized, but they do not want to print a paper under the control of the faculty, so we shall not have the Dartmouth any more, except a farewell copy this week.
... I was in the library yesterday to draw some books, and on one of my library cards I had happened to write my name with a good deal of care, and the librarian noticed it and thinks he shall want me to do some writing for him bye and bye.
... I am well nigh in despair on pants. I played football last night, fell down on my knee and of course split it straight across about four inches. So I had to get up this morning and mend. I think it looks a little better now than it did before and it is surely stronger.
