A Freshman Writes Home
Excerpts from Letters of Clifford H. Smith '79 to His Father, Mother, and Sisters in 1875-76.
[Concluded from the last issue]
May s—There has been a desire among some for a "rush" after chapel in the morning, but so many didn't want it that they couldn't, but word was passed around in chapel that morning to make haste for the doors in order to frighten the professors. They sit on a stage in front and the doors go right by them. When the exercises were over the sophomores and freshmen jammed for the doors, and as expected a number of the profs went out very much quicker than usual to stop the beginning of a rush but out side every thing was quiet except that the boys were some what amused at the expense of the faculty.
We had our usual recitation till nine, and at half past nine went to an examination in geometry which was very long and pretty hard. The prof, finally took off some questions, but we didn't have time as it was to write it in good shape though we wrote till twelve.
In the afternoon at three was the junior exhibition. The church was well filled and we had some very good speaking. The leader of the class had a Latin oration, the second a Greek oration, and the other thirteen who spoke had English orations and debates. There was a concert in the evening by the Germania band of Boston. .... It was very fine
After the concert a goodly number of freshmen retired to a secluded spot to form for a procession to celebrate the night
They had their faces blacked with charcoal and were covered with sheets and night caps and had a lot of torches and every man had a tin horn and then they came on to the streets and paraded and of unearthly noise that was the greatest that I ever heard. Most of the college was out to see them and especially the sophomores who occasionally threw a rotten egg among them but didn't trouble as much as was expected. After that there was a large bon fire on the campus and after the inevitable singing we retired. It was expected there would be a rush but several of our boys had been warned in a friendly way that another rush would result in the suspension of several men and so nothing was done The next morning the chapel bible, a very nice book was missing and the president had to use a small one, but this morning the large bible was on the president's door step My club goes on as usual, sometimes I lose a man and then another comes. My board bills this term will be about a thousand dollars, of which I have collected nearly two hundred now at different times I have some quite notable men in it. I have the class leader, the heaviest man, almost the stoutest and one from California who doesn't expect to go home during the course It is a fact of note that I haven't torn my pants since I wrote last, but I am glad for the sake of my clothes that the term ends in seven weeks and a half.
May 14—For four weeks we have had extra meetings, two weeks every day and after that preaching two or three evenings a week. They have been well attended and there have been some conversions. One member of the senior class in college has come out and now takes part in meeting.
... Our class prayermeetings Sunday noon are as interesting to me as any, but while there are nearly thirty in the class who are christians or called themselves so when they came here, only about fifteen attend the meetings and they are not all christians.
May 29—The Christian Fraternity whose hall I take care of has had a very nice organ given to it bv the old members of the society and several of us cleaned up the hall very nicely Saturday to receive it Our freshman Delta Kappa society are going to paper and paint our hall so as to leave it in good shape for the next class and I am one of the committee to attend to that. We are to be initiated into our upper society tomorrow night. Sixteen of my class enter it then.
June 3—We were initiated into our society Tuesday night. Had a splendid time and about the best supper I ever ate, sandwiches, cake, oranges, pine apples, ice creams etc. etc. and strangest of all it didn't make me sick. I got to bed about three oclock. Wednesday and Thursday were our athletic sports We had a band to give us music and things went off well generally. Most of the feats surpassed what has been done at other colleges, especially the three mile run which was performed in 16 min. 39 % sec.
June 10—I have been making out board bills this afternoon and have quite a job with about twenty five to fix of those who have been there or are now. Some $800.00 will go through my hands next week I expect Six men are to be dropped out of our class at the end of the year.
June ij—There has been much excitement here while the convention at Cincinnati assembled, and the telegraph was watched closely. Word of Hayes' nomination came about supper time and for the time being astonished us, and kept us quiet, but about nine o'clock the chapel bell was rung, a cannon roared patriotically and a large crowd assembled in front of the chapel. Torches were brought out and speeches were made by two of the best speakers in college, and then by Exsenator Patterson who is a very fine speaker and thinker. He said he was intimately acquainted with Hayes in congress and he thought it was the strongest ticket that could be made. After that we had a torch light procession around the village. Today a Hayes and Wheeler club was formed with due formalities No mortal here knows that I could claim kin with a candidate. I wouldn't have it known for any thing, for it would spoil my peace and freedom of criticism. And more, I feel rather doubtful of the wisdom of the choice but hope it will be all right. Many of the democrats sneer contemptuously and think it will be very easy for them now. It is a pretty warm place for politics among so many wideawake students who generally if they hold an opinion at all, hold it firmly and like to argue.
June 18—It has been a beautiful summer's Sunday, neither hot nor cold, and every thing is green in this really fine old village. I think it is the quietest place I ever saw where there were so many people. You meet a good many folks and they all appear well dressed and well to do, but no one seems to have any business and no trade is going on in the stores.
