Repository: UIHistories Project: Book - Banks of the Boneyard (Charles Kiler) [PAGE 27]

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The Advent of Dr. Peabody

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when, in my time, the Freshman class had its annual 'Sociable/' it became the bounden duty of the Sophomores and Juniors, as well as a few sporting Seniors, to gang up on the poor Frosh and spoil that Sociable. Then when the Sophomores were about ready to put into print their class annual, The Sophograph, demoniacal Freshmen, conceited Juniors, and sporting Seniors united in stealing the material, destroying plates, cartoons, and everything else that had been prepared with such great care. Bogus Sophographs are now highly prized possessions of those lucky enough to have them. Then came the Junior Exhibition and boy, how we all landed on that affair. When the Seniors got up on the platform to render their Senior Orations, all the other classes joined in giving each and every one of them a first-class ribbing. I have already told about the fight that '81 put up to protect the sacred tree which they planted to immortalize their class, and have stated that a book could be filled with stories of historic class fights, but I think that a brief statement of the experiences of my own class—the great class of '92, the 20th class to be graduated, celebrating the four hundredth anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America—should be enough to illustrate this part of student activity. Our Freshman Sociable was planned with great care and with as much secrecy as possible, but of course it became known over the campus that it was to be held on a certain October night at the Columbian Hotel in Urbana. This party was quite an affair as we were to sit down at a banquet, followed by toasts and speeches, and then a dance. The other classes always made it a point to kidnap or in some way put out of business those who were the speakers; I had been chosen toastmaster of the banquet and therefore knew I was a marked man, so great caution was exercised in making my plans. I was to take Miss Belle Van Vleck, who roomed at Gamble's, which was on the spot where Faulkner's Drug Store now stands. Remaining hidden from midafternoon until evening at my aunt's home two blocks away from my girl's, I ventured forth at dusk and when I got to University Avenue, looked east to where my girl lived, I saw hostile heads sticking out from behind every tree in the block! This meant trouble in a big way, so I ran to the alley which was unpaved and muddy, came to Gamble's back yard and found a locked barn, a woodshed, and a hog pen covering the rear of that property. Dressed in my best suit of clothes, with patent leather