Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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avis Tells' fTraditions Trcerning University nung Aneodotes Of Student Life In The Old Days Reoaled By Univerity Professor When, some hundred years ago, Pro fessor Francis Leiber one morning en tercd his classroom at the University of South Carolina, he was confronted with the following question scrawled boldly on the blackboard: "Why should South ern money go to pay a foreigner from the North?" Whereupon Dr. Leiber, who had recently come to South Carolina from his native Germany via New Eng land, turned to an expectant student group and announced solemnly: "Be cause De Kalb died at Camden 1" The professor's blue-blooded hecklers ap plauded. So another of the anecdotes which have become a part of the tradition of the Uni versity was written. There have been many in the century and a quarter since that good Baptist minister, Jonathan Maxcy, was officially named first presi- b dent of the new school which was to be- . come the University of South Carolina. Leiber, who was probably as well known as any professor that ever taught at the University, has always been a favorite subject of . these little incidents. t Professor Harry Davis, who "knows them all," attributes some of the indi viduality which so marked Leiber acl the other professors and students in Caro lina's long history to the secluded life which they both led behind the high wall of hand-made bricks. Students were t not permitted to leave school on week ends (they had to stay and attend church) and must have spent all their idle hours inventing practical jokes to be executed at the expense of the pro fessors. One night in 1849 they plotted the theft of Leiber's turkey. Turning the corner just in time to see boy and turkey r quietly leaving his home, the German I gave chase. He was an excellent athlete I and succeeded in cornering the culprit against the wall. But the student, grab- . bing the turkey's legs in his mouth, vault ed to the other side of the fence and the professor was left alone with his "Gott in Himmels." Days later, when several boys were running down a rabbit on the woodsy main campus, Leiber stood by and watched. And, as the boy who finally captured the animal came walking back, smiling victoriously, the doctor raised an accusing fist. "You is de boy," he shouted. "Md,i Gott, you is de boy what stole my turkey !" a The pompoi s and retund President Thomas Cooper was not overlooked by t these mischievous souls. That gentle- i man came down one fine morning to find : the tails of his prize carriage horse had t been unceremoniously, but neatly, clipped v It is related that Dr. Francis Colcock, professor of mathematics, facetiouslyt asked a dull student how to square a circle. "I knew, but I have forgotten," I apologized the boy. The professor nodded I regretfully. "Gentleman," he addressed I the class, "it is indeed regretful that, I while mathematicians have worked on this problem for centuries, the one man who could solve it is in this classroom. And lhe has forgotten." ' Though somewhat couped up, student life at Carolina was not dull. Marion Simms in his "Story' of My Life" tells of the duel which once took place when two young gentlemen happened to take hold of the same dish at the same time in Steward's Hall. Neither would let go, and in the argument that followed, the contenders for the dish agreed to settle the matter on the "field of honor." In the fight that resulted, one was killed, while the other took to drink after the I death of his comrade and died not long afterwards. Later, there was a near riot when a student, challenged to a duel, re-< fused fo fight except with fists. Strangely < enough, the majority of the student body < was on the side of' the fist-championer.t All the traditional anecdotes of Uni- I versity professors are so diverting and I so numerous that they defy cataloging. 2 They would make, if assembled, an enter- ni taining book. There are innumerable ' stories, for instance, about the inconquer-t able Snowden, who was classed called "The wittiest man in South Carolina."t It was Snowden, famous for his noc- C turnal habits, who remarked to an ef- t fervescent nature lover, "No, I have never < seen a sunrise. But from what I under- ) Stand, they must be horrible." It seems too, that one of the more pious r students in one ,of his classes had a c Severe attack of conscience because, for I lack of time, he had been obliged to S study his Monday's lesson on Sunday. Confessing his sin to Doctor Snowden, he asked the educator if his deed was t Wrong. Snowden reflected. Declared: a "Well, the Good Book says a man can a Eet his donkey out of a ditch on the c Sabbath. I don't see why a donkey can't a Debaters Ed Sims Ed Sims of Fork Shoals and B >f the University of South Oaroli m a trip that will ultimately tal lebate Birmingham, L. 8, U., ani The University of South Carolina dr ating council sponsors two co-ed tean nd four men's teams. "The record of the University deba ng teams has been uniformly creditable ays Dr. Havilah Babcock, faculty chaii nan of the council, "in spite of the fa hat the University maintains no debatir oach. Students are thrown on their ow esources entirely. Within the past I ears, University debaters have succes ully engaged representatives from mar f the finest institutions in the Unit< tates. In perhaps no other activity doi he University get so much for the monc xpended." Among the institutions which the Un ersity co-ed debating team met th ear are: University of Georgia, Harr onburg State Teachers College, Willial nd Mary, 1-lampden-Sydney, Ashevil ormal College, University of Non arolina Women's College, Randolpl facon College, Tennessee Polytechnic nstitute, Tennessee State Teachers Co ege, University of Chattanooga, Univei ity of the South, and Brenau College. University Mirrors History Of State !igured In Politic Itudent Body In lnidst Of Ainaiu During War Between The States "The University of South Carolina true mirror of the history of the State a5's Dr. Francis W. Bradley, dean < he College of Arts and Science. "Bor a the days when South Carolina playe ieading role in the counsels of the n: ion, it has produced many of the leader vho shaped ante-bellum history of ti state." The first great crisis in the history< he University itself came at a time whc at ionalistic philosophies, represented t )r. Thomas Cooper, president of the co ege from 1821 to 1843, came into cot lict with the orthodox beliefs of ti eople of the State. However, upon ti emoval of Cooper the University bega o re-capture confidence and favor. Even at this time the political di: erences between the North and Sout vere growing acute, particularly ov< he question of the tariff. The Unive, ity played a leading part in these discui ions, as is shown by newspaper files c he 1830's and 1840's. When the War between the Stat< nally came, the student body wasi uch a pitch of excitement that serior tudy was impossible. In 1860 a studei vrote: "We are so excited here abot he state of political affairs that none: naking preparation for the coming e> minations. Our men are anxious to I t home, either joining companies alread rganized or aiding in organizing ne nes." During the summer of 1863 mo f the college buildings were turned ov< a Confederate authorities for use as ospital. After the war, the Universit e-opened, but Reconstruction soon ca! shadow over it. The Radical goverr ent planned to make it a school for bot ,hites and blacks, a plan unthinkable t he white population of the State. Under the leadership of Wade HamI :>n, the State was redeemed from R< onstruction in 1876 and a new board c rustees appointed. The College was ri rganized three times in the next fe, ears, becoming, in 1888, the South Carc ina University with a graduate depari nent, a college of agriculture and mc hanical arts, a college of liberal arts ant ciences, college of pharmacy, a norms chool, and a school of law. "Dividing the State as it did and ce ting dissension throughout its border: he Tiliman Movement dealt body blow gainst the University," Doctor Bradle aserts. The institution was again rc rganized as the South Carolina Colleg nd attendance dropped to 72 during thi R92-1893 session, and to 68 for' the fo Make Trip Ray Stokes - ay Stokes of Timmonsville members na Debating Team, who left Monday ke them to New Orleans. They will I Tulane. Among the institutions which the Uni ts ersity men's debating team met this year are: Duke, University of Richmond, Rut t- gers University, Johns Hopkins Univer " sity, New York University, Manhattan College, Villanova University, College of :t Charleston, Rollins College, Stetson Col g lege, University of Miami, Mercer, n Emory University, Birmingham-Southern 0 College, Loyola University, and Tulane ;- University. y The co-ed affirmative debating team is d made up of Emily McEachern and Betty s Comstock ; the negative team is made up y of Mary Sutton and Alice Huiet. Billy Nicholson, Louis Searson, Ed i- Sims, and Ray Stokes make up the men's is affirmative team and Richard Foster, Sid i- ney Duncan, Frank Jordan, and C. E, n Simons make up the negative team. Ic The University debating council is h composed of three faculty advisors, Dr. i- Havilah Babcock, Dr., F. W. Bradley, il Dr. \V. H. Calcott; two representatives l- from each of the two men's literary so cieties and one representative from eaci of the two co-ed societies. 'Meeting Held By Politicans S On Next _Friday Night Blue Key Fraternity And (lario, sophie Literary Society Will s Sponsor Political Rally " Complete with campaign pledges, 'f handshaking, and free refreshments, can n didates for major campus offices will un d fold their platforms at the second an s nual Carolina Political Rally to be held e at Maxcy memorial monument on the main campus next Friday night at 7:00 'f The gathering is being sponsored jointly n by the Clariosophic literary society and y Blue Key, honorary leadership fraternity, I. \Vith James P. Mozingo, UII, as master -of ceremonies, President J. Rion Mc e Kissick will make the opening remarks, e Then will, follow in the order of im n portance, speeches from aspirants for the various offices. Ample lights witha spotlight on the speakers' stand anda h public address system will be installed, r Music by the University band and free .refreshments to all will add to the even .ing's entertainment. ,f The prime purpose of the rally is to give candidates an opportunity to express s their views and to acquaint the student n body with the aspirants so that they car s cast more intelligent ballots in the com ~t ing elections. Last year the activity pro t vided considerable entertainment for both is candidates and spectators. The gather ing this week is to be on a larger scale, e financed by campaign fees assessed com y mensurate with the importance of the of. v fice sought. 1t The following committees from Blue r Key and the Clariosophic society are a working on plans for the rally: arrange. y ments :,Jim Price, Ed Sims, and Harper t \Velborn; finance: Schaefer Kendrick, SEldridge Baskin, and Gus Pearlman; pub. h licity and program: Emerson Smith, o Paul Taylor, Charles Simons, and Vivier Lomas; refreshments: Harper Welborn -and Jim Dixon. Eldridge Baskin is act. -ing as treasurer of the entire committee. f -U. U. O. lowing scholastic year. y "'It was during the year 1893-1894 that -Dr. Patterson Wardlaw was called to fil - the chair of Pedagogics, when the foun -dation was laid for one of the most bril d liant services ever rendered by the Uni I versity of South Carolina to the cause of education," declares Dean Bradley. "From -that time on the University has slowly ;, but steadily gained in favor with the s people of the State." y In 1906 Governor Heyward signed the - bill re-establishing the institution as the , University of South Carolina. Under the e presidencies of Woodward, Sloan, Mitch. - elI. Currell. Meltn. Dounlas, and Rae, Poe Praised College Head Wrote Humorous Book cn President Longstreet Is Best Re membered Today For His "Georgia Scenes" C One president of the University had par the the distinction of being extravagantly F praised by Edgar Allan Poe. in Augustus Baldwin Longstreet, who and was president of the University from Th 1857 to 1861, wrote a book over which beer Poe "laughed inordinately" and of ver which he said, "The author . . . is a of clever fellow, imbued with a spirit of to the truest humor, and endowed more- ing over, with an exquisitely discrimina tive and penetrating understanding of biti character in general, and of Southern den character in particular . . . if this book - was printed in England it would make the fortune of its author . . . it is a sketch unsurpassed in dramatic vigor, and in the vivid truth to nature." The book was Longstreet's Georgia Scenes, a virile depiction of the cracker and the diverting hillbilly of early Georgia. Among the distinctions that have come to this book is the dubious one of having probably been plagia rized by the great English novelist, Thomas Hardy. Doctor Longstreet was an illustrious educator, judge, and minister, who be came the president of Emory College, Centenary College, the University of Mississippi, and the University of South Carolina. After fame came to him, he repented of his folly in writing such an uproarious book as Georgia Scenes and sought to repress it, hoping that posterity would/ recall him as a minister and educator of grave mien and severe decorum. By an irony of fate, he is remembered today mainly as the author of Georgia Scenes, one of the most vigorous, realistic, and side splitting character portrayals in Ameri can literature. -v. ". 0. the University grew not only in numbers but also in standards of instruction and physical equipment.. Through the depression period begin ning in 1929, President Baker skilfully steered the destiny of the University. Upon his resignation Dr. J. Rion Mc Kissick accepted the presidency. A stu dent at the University under the presi dency of that gentleman of the old school, Major Benjamiu S!ca~, there w?s ~ 2+e who had a greater love for the institu tion than Doctor McKissick. "1 once heard him say," conitinuer Dean Bradley, that he cherished one great ambition, namely that of becoming a trustee of the University in order that he might make some contribution to its development. As we know, this am .4 ire Prevention Is Emphasized The problem of fire hazards on the ipus was until recently one of major cern," states Dean of Administration n A. Chase. "The administration now rcises every measure for fire pre tion throughout the institution." hief Marsh of the Columbia fire de ment makes periodical inspections of various buildings on the campus. 'ire extinguishers have been installed conspicuous places in all classrooms in the other buildings on the campus. ee additional fire alarm boxes have i installed. Locations for these boxes e in accordance with the instructions Chief Marsh. General inspections as fire hazards of all University build s have been ordered for once a month. --U. .. . on has been fulfilled. For the presi cy of this institution, the trustees P. H. LACHICO1 Dealers for 53 DIAMONDS--WATCHE 1424 Main Street SILVER At Moderate Prices-Watcl ATTENTIO Mr. Adverti If you don' erty the sh Give the S body a cha firm Announce our paper, every stud gets into h side the sti is a prospe< "It Pays Tc *0'e Page Three could have selected no one better calcu lated through his understanding of the ideals and the possibilities of this Uni versity, to lead it into greater usefulness to the commonwealth." --.". o. Valuable notebooks, manuscripts and letters of the late Amy Lowell, poetess, have been presented to the Harvard University library by Miss Lowell's literary executrix, Mrs. Ida Russell. SILVER'S 5 and 1Oc Store * Thousands of items for University Students at a great saving. TE & CO., INC. Years in Fine 3-JEWELRY--CLOCKS WARE Columbia, S. C. I and Jewelry Repair Dept. s N: ;er t advertise your prop riff will. outh Carolina student nce to patronize your your merchandise in 'The Gamecock" which ent reads and which undreds of hands out ident body-Everyone tive customer. Advertise" )