YALE ALUMNI WEEKLY
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_ All correspondence should be addressed,—
Yale Alumni Weekly, New Haven, Conn.
The office is at Room 6, White Hall.
ADVISORY BOARD.
H. ©. Roprnson, 538. J.R. SHEFFIELD, 87.
W.W.Sxippy,’658S. J. A. HarTweE tt, '89 8.
C. P. LinpsLey,’75 8S. L.S. WELCH, ’89.
W. Camp, ’89. E. VAN INGEN, ’91 58.
W.G. DaaGETT, 80. P. Jay, °92.
EDITOR.
Lewis S. WELCH, ’89.
ASSOCIATE EDITOR.
WALTER Camp, ’80.
ASSISTANT EDITOR.
E. J. THOMPSON, Sp.
NEWS EDITOR.
FRED. M. DAvriEs, ’99.
ASSISTANT.
PRESTON KUMLER, 1900.
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT ASSISTANTS.
_ O.M. CLaRK, ’98. BURNETT GoopwIn, ’99 S.
Entered as second class matter at New Haven P. O.
eee nt 58 Be Eee Ye es a
—lllllllllllleooelele
NEW HAVEN, Conn., FEB. 15, 1899.
A PLATFORM OF YALE DISCUSSION
Mr. Wells’ contribution to the dis-
cussion of debate need not be specially
pointed out to the WEEKLY readers.
Mr. Wells has something to say on the
subject; else he would not have written.
This is not said by way of compliment,
but because the case is in illustration of
a point worth making.
People sometimes ask us why we do
not invite more general discussion of
Yale problems. We confess that we
have fought a little shy of it. Discus-
sions have come up on very important
matters, and, first and last, a large num-
ber of outside names have appeared in
the WEEKLy in these three years. They
have been good names, and what has
been said over them has contributed
very much to the usefulness of the
paper. Buta general discussion has its
drawbacks. The very best of people,
of strong intellectual force, are often
very sure to say things that do nobody
any good, and that, furthermore, take a
good deal of space in the saying of
them. .
An editor generally knows very little,
but, if he be fairly conscientious in his
work, he comes early to a realization of
the opportunity for public service which
the waste basket affords, and, so far as
he is forced to write himself, he daily
emphasizes the -practical wisdom of
Paul—“All things are possible, but all
things are not expedient.”
It is not at all to the credit of an editor
to grow into this frame of mind. The
files of his own paper are, to a greater
or less extent, the printed and public
record of what he ought not to have
done. It is not so much fear, or undue
caution, that thus grows; one need not
learn to travel on the platform, that it
is better to be safe than sorry, which is
a very weak platform. But the question
which it seemeth more and more good
to ask, in relation to opportunities for
criticism, is the question, “Cui bono?”
Very many persons and things seem
only to cumber the earth. Is it not a
good thing merely to slay and to de-
stroy? This is a tempting question, if
one is not concerned with the sequences
of annihilation. Construction is such
slow work! It is much more glorious
to smash things.
There is nothing unpleasant in the
‘WEEKLY’S experience with those who
have put their oar into Yale waters,
that has suggested this confession. But
' calculations.
here is a letter that is helpful and sug~
gestive,—in matters which concern the
good of the University. Although not
the first one of its kind, it is a very
excellent illustration of the kind of
letters the WEEKLY ought to have, when
there is occasion for them, and we use
this opportunity merely to say, that a
contribution of this sort, concerning any
subject whatever in the University, is
always welcome. If its spirit is fair, its
processes rational—if it is a letter which
tends towards better things for Yale,
there is nothing in all the range of Yale
interests, whatever may be the conven-
‘tions concerning it, of which such a
letter may not profitably treat. As to
whether a letter fulfils the conditions,
there may be a difference of opinion,
and we will always follow our own
opinion. But we will use such light as
we have and.we will not fear.
Perhaps another week we will have
time and space to answer some of Mr.
Wells’s criticisms, but it is not of so
much importance as to make this little
platform of Yale discussion.
a .
THE GLACIER ON THE GREEN.
A few people of a speculative turn of
mind are now underwriting certain
risks, involved in fixing the time when
the glacier on the Green will disappear.
Common. -talk Was if that the =beee
scientific minds in the Faculty have
been at work on its construction,
weight, height, solidity and probable
rate of dissolution. A study of Govern-
ment records and Horace Johnsons
have reduced very materially the uncer-
tanities of the element of weather in all
One student has gone
over all the figures carefully and has
laid very strong emphasis on his belief
that the rare days of June will be here
before the undermost blade of grass
will have a chance to straighten out.
But a word of explanation may be in
order for those of an earlier generation
who may not be familiar with some of
the recent devices of the Street Depart-
ment of New Haven. There is nothing
in this University town that the people
consider more sacred than the old
Green. The proposition to move back
a part of the fence on its lower corner
for the space of six inches, in order to
relieve the congestion from trolley
travel around the old town pump,
aroused the wrath of more people
simultaneously than any other event in
modern history, not even excepting the
midnight celebration of the victory at
Manila by University professors and
brass cannons. This green has been
beautifully and carefully written about.
Every foot of it is historic. In Spring
and Summer it is pointed out with its
green grass and its arching elms as
New Haven’s principal claim to loveli-
ness.
And so it has come to be a habit of
the Street Department to use it as a
dumping ground, all through the Win-
ter and early Spring, for everything
that is superfluous on fifteen or twenty
miles of city highways. Snow, ice and
slush, are carted there all through the
Winter in two and four-horse loads,
and the more mud and stones, broken
glass, cans and things that can be
brought with the snow, the more per-
fectly the Street Department seems to
be doing its duty. They used to spread
this material, in a good Winter, about
ten or fifteen feet deep all over the
upper Green; but it took quite a little
time to cover it all over evenly
and the snow has been falling rather
fast in 1899; so it is all now put in one
place, just South of Phelps Gateway.
The pile is more than half as high as
the roof of Dr. Smyth’s church.
Things are going to be lovely when
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the thaws begin. The College’ people
say they ean. not think of anything very
much more. unhealthful for those who
live in the dormitories on the East side
of the Campus. But that does not
obviate the fact that the Green is the
most convenient and inexpensive dump-
ing ground in New Haven. It doesn’t
bring the Harbor any nearer to talk
about health or ordinary considerations
of respectable appearance.
Sarcastic people go by it and talk
about it. There are a great many sar-
castic people in New Haven, and their
principal occupation is to talk about
things like that. They don’t vote or
caucus very much, but they do talk,
and the funny thing about it is that the
more they talk and the brighter and
keener their sayings, the more of these
things there seem to be to talk about.
A common remark is the expression of
the hope that the pile will grow so big
and store such a quantity of ice, that,
when a fierce thaw comes suddenly, the
flood will clean out everything on the
other side of the Green. (They mean
especially City Hall.)
This is not a criticism of anything,
but merely a recital of some facts which
may be of interest to those who do
not live in New Haven. If we have a
few more snowstorms, it will be quite
worth while to come back to New
Haven and see the Street Department’s
mountain.
Ratan at Cena ee
ALUMNI DINNERS.
These are the days of alumni dinners.
The last week has been especially pro-
lific in these reunions and they all seem
to have been very enthusiastic and help-
ful times. The alumni banquet is not a
new institution, but is one of the many
Yale institutions that have developed
a good deal in late years as it seems to
one who is of these late years. There
is more and more effort to make some-
thing out of them in the way of helping
the University and the way of getting
the University’s sons into the work.
There ought to be still more of it,—a
great deal more of it. It is an old, old
story, to repeat, that the store of Yale
enthusiasm and zeal which these meet-
ings show is a wonderfully valuable
asset which has seemed almost unused
among the resources of the University.
If the right rettirns do not come from
it, there is fault somewhere and it is not
with the alumni.
It may be in order to direct special
attention to the report in the Boston
dinner of the remarks of Prof. Woolsey,
which make the first public announce-
ment of bi-centennial plans. It is a
very unusual method of announcement
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of these plans and the fact may pérhaps
be properly commented on another
time; but .the-speech was certainly of
the very greatest interest to those who
heard it, and we trust its reproduction
in the WEEKLY may bring it to the eyes
of a large part of the Yale family.
We are particularly indebted to Mr.
J. C. Smith of the Boston Association
for enabling us to present so complete
a report of the dinner there as we have
this week. The Chicago dinner, which
occurred only Saturday night, was very
thoroughly and promptly covered for
the WeEEKLty, through the zeal and
courtesy of Mr. Henry D. Baker, Yale
96, a former member of the Yale News
Board. :
The WEEKLY can certainly secure
some sort of a report of any gathering
of Yale men, but it rests with those
most interested in these Yale gather-
ings, whether the report shall be a com-
plete one. It is often practically impos-
sible to secure some special reporter for
the occasion. The work must be in the
hands of some man who appreciates the
situation and can tell what is of particu-
lar value.
If the different secretaries of the
Associations will keep the WEEKLY
informed sufficiently in advance of the
date of their dinner, it is almost always
possible to secure some one to take care
of it. In one important case recently,
no notice whatever reached the WEEKLY
of the dinner until it had taken place.
These omissions, we are very glad to
report, are less frequent now than they
used to be. |
—_+4—__—_
THE GUNS AT NEW HAVEN.
The return of the guns that were on
the Cruiser Yale to New Haven, cer-
tainly pleases everybody connected with
the University. Nobody wants them
here when they are wanted anywhere
else, but that this should be their rest-
ing place when they are off duty, seems
very fitting. The news columns ‘of the
WEEKLY have told of the different ef-
forts that have been made and which
now seem about to be successful for the
accomplishment of this end. It is only
due to truth to say that the Secretary
of the Navy, Hon. John D. Long, a
graduate of Yale’s excellent rival and
ally, and the Hon. C. A. Boutelle,
Chairman of the House Committee on
Naval Affairs, have shown unusual kind-
ness and courtesy in the matter. As
is shown elsewhere, the Connecticut
representatives in Congress have
worked with prompt enthusiasm. We
beg to thank them in the name of those
who gave the guns, and who will appre-
ciate the placing of such a memorial
here to mark the enthusiasm of the Uni-
versity in the support of the Govern-
ment.
Fm RG ft
Now the sporting pages of the news-
papers begin to “reflect” college life.
There are full-length pictures. of
young gentlemen with arms akimbo,
legs spread well apart and toes out,
baggy uniforms with large letters and
broad stripes, hats off and long hair,
or cap down over one eye, and faces
that read like. one of Aguinaldo’s
earlier proclamations. We will be in-
terested to see how far the martial
experiences of the last year have de-
veloped the alleged desire of the public
for this sort of reproduction of the real
college spirit.
Yale Law School.
For circulars and other information apply to
Prof. FRANCIS WAYLAND,
Dean.
