I SATURDAY, AUG. 15, 1936 THE MICHIGAN DAILY PAGE SEVENTEEN Sleepy Hollow--Where Frosh Once The Orient And HowStrange!_Those Slangy Fellows JoesIM eriv A _ _ - - - --_- Burned Pots Thousands Used To Attend Annual Cap Night And The Class Game By Fred Warner Neal -- Just A Pasture Now Song Titley ow Song Title Now Even In 1 895 The Students I Sleepy Hollow As It Looks Today Carved Name But Michigan Men Sing It With Tears In Their Eyes Everytime Now By Joseph S. Mattes "Back to Joe's and the Orient. Had A Rather Inclusive SlangVocabulary By Richard G. Hershey The underworld, the sports world, 4d the newspaper world all have ex- 'ressions Pnd a "lingo" that is pe- -uhar to them. So it is in the college world. Upon entering the University every freshman soon comes in cont'act with words with a connotation that is only known by other Michigan students. In fact, one of the ways to tell a I Some 40,000 years ago, a glacier obligingly provided University of . Michigan freshmen with a place to burn their pots--Sleepy Hollow, the amphitheatre-like glen behind the hospital. The prehistoric yearling college R . students failed to recognize their op- portunity, legend has it, and it was.~.' not until the 1900's that the frosh > first began to take advantage of Sleepy Hollow. . ". ~ In that ravine back of the Universi- ty Hospital, which now lies quietly in , . 3 y" beautiful foliage of summer, some of . . x........-e......... the wildest times held around these f ,{ parts took place, the Old Timers w NMI. say. It was -in Sleepy Hollow that "" °tye a h s no me they had the freshman-sophomore games. And it was in Sleepy Hollow ..... that, above all, they held the famous Cap Nights, when the freshmen of years ago would discard their badge (Daily Staff Photographer) of inferiority and hurl their pots in the huge, crackling bonfires, built called Sleepy Hollow is something of from the north, cut out deep chunks just to the south of the clump of elm a mystery, the details of which are in the land beneath it. Parts of this trees in the center of the Hollow. buried in the past. Until the turn of particular glacier stopped some 16 Great Affairs : miles outside of Ann Arbor, and part And those Cap Nights, which al- the century it was a desolate spot, too of its outwash plain, the area formed ways came about the middle of May, far away from the city and the cam- by streams running out from the just after the class games, were great pus to be bothered with. But as both melting ice, developed into what is affairs, awaited by not only fresh- Ann Arbor and the University grew now Sleepy Hollow. men but everybody in the University. and expanded, it became within walk- The gravel, found in the pit just It was about 7 p.m. that the long ing distance. to the rear of the Hollow, is good parade down North University Ave- Certainly the name is appropriate. evidence of this, the geologists say, nue used to start-first the seniors, On a quiet fall afternoon-you ought as is the deep ravine near it, through dressed in the caps and gowns, then to walk out there sometime-it could which flows the shallow Huron. the juniors, next the sophomores, and easily be taken for the sleepy, Dutch It is probable, they'll tell you, that, finally the expectant frosh. Catskill hollow that Washington Irv- the entire section around Sleepy Hol- They would have speeches by alum- ing wrote about. It is a perfect na- low, including Ann Arbor, was at one ni, faculty members, and students; tural amphitheatre. It well may be time under water, and the Hollow it- music by the Varsity Band; cheers that the glacier, which swept over self a lake. The lake may have been and songs by everybody. Then some the land so long ago, deliberately hol- caused by overflow of the stream, it dignified upperclassman would arise lowed out the place-so that it could may have been merely filled periodi- and tell the freshmen that they were be used for some such thing as Cap cally by rains, or it may have been "now at the end of the period of sus- Night. an honest-to-goodness body of water. picion and at the plane of toleration." But the chances are, University ge- They don't know. Only the prehis- And the yearlings, yelling and sing- ologists will tell you ,that it was no toric freshmen, who failed to burn ing at the top of their voices, would such thing. The glacier, sliding down their pots there, could tell you that. parade around the bonfire, making kindling of their pots.u When the caps were properly dis- Your Living Expenses Here W ill posed of, all the students would snake dance back to State Street, often be- hindethe Band, and perhaps encircle Depend Largely Can Your Tastes the campus several times. And the good people of Ann Arbor, who, no matter where they lived, could hear Expenses of living in Ann Arbor, hough many courses require books the revelry, would know that some- within certain limits, are just about heretofore unpublished. The pros- thing was doing up at the University. what the individual student wishes 7ective student should allow about $12 Thugsnds-WatcheUd sy.to make them. Some spend more! ,ah semester for the purchase of Simply everybody used to turn out than $100 monthly; some spend less books. anld sit on the banks of Sleepy Hollow than $50. Room rents are rising this year, ac- to see the cremation of the pots. Back As to static expenses, all Michigan cording to the University housing in- in 1907 when the enrollment in the residents but special students must spector who has taken a consensus University was less than 3,000, there pay $55 tuition each semester. Non- of landlords of the houses she hlas were 5,000 persons present as spec- residents of Michigan must pay $75 inspected this summer. The average tators. And they all enjoyed it, the semester tuition. Laboratory fees are room rent will be about $4, she indi- students more than anybody else. additional costs for the student of cated, although there will be many The faculty members especially, science. houses distant from the campus and took part in the ceremony. Speaking Considerable saving can be made of lower quality which will be much at Cap Night, with the shadows of by buying second-hand books, al- less. the Sleepy Hollow bonfire flickering Rooms near the campus and of among the gently swaying trees, the higher, quality are comparatively late Professor Wenley of the philos- usarce, according to reports, and it ophy department once told the fresh- uto B an Saves Would be wise for the prospective ophy epartent oce todsthefresh to engage his room as soon men: "Everybody knows that a phi- ds possible. losopher does not know as much as s si sophe e; n onasuhasy M any Students This year, on a wide scale for the a sophomore; and I congratulate you first time, extra charge will be made on having reached that plane." by students maintaining radios in Frequently the President was there, A series of automobile accidents in their rooms. but even the stately James Burrill 1926, culminated by a particularly b The usual cost of board in Ann Ar- Angell had no effect on the absence disastrous one involving six persons, bor restaurants is about $1 a day, but ofand proving fatal to two, caused U- this fluctuates with the appetite and ways the speakers included several a fal t twomcne Uh i choice of eating places of each stu- professors and a couple of deans. versity officials to determine that a dent. In the average restaurant the The Cap Night celebration itself, set of limiting student automobiles prices for each meal will average while carried off in a spirit of gay rules was badly needed to cut down about as follows: dinner, 40 cents; festivity, was always orderly and the the number of automobiles in the lunch, 35 cents; breakfast, up to 30 students well-behaved. But after the cents. returning snake dance reached the University. In fraternity and sorority houses, campus, there used to be vague re- President Little, therefove, 'in his where pledges may eat for the first se- ports of students going to Joe's and annual report to the Board of Re- mester even though they are not sometimes taking a bit too much of gents, announced that in the year allowed to live in them, the board this or that, 1927-28 freshmen and those students bill usually runs about $30, although The class games, which were held who did not have passing averages it is higher in some cases. on what was then the girls' athletic Incidental expenses are as the field, consisted chiefly of the color- would not be allowed to have auto- would be in any other town. ful bag fightsi relay races and the tug r-obiles. It was found that this rul- Amusements are cheap in compari. of war, which ended up with either ing improved the situation very little, son to the average college town. frosh or sophs in the Huron. and in the report of the following Theatres have admission charges of Had Bag Fights year, it was announced that no mem- 35 cents. The Union, equipped with Those bag fights, in which the lower bers of the undergraduate body would bowling alleys, a swimming pool, pool classmen tried to tie each other up be allowed to have automobiles ex- and billiard tables and ping pong with pieces of rope, were really fights. cept in very unusual circumstances, tables, supply cheap amusement for Two or three freshmen would try to The results of the automobile "ban" men students. Athletic facilities for separate a sophomore, truss him up were widespread and complex. Dr. women students are likewise cheap-. and take him to their "camp," and th Wilam M. Brace of the Health Ser- Membership in both the Michigan sophomores would try to do the same vice has found that one of the most League and the Michigan Union, to the freshmen. It was nothing for important results of the new ruling women and men students' social cen- rib te r en, as oting for was the immediate decrease in the [ ters, respectively, are included in the risto be .broken, and sometimes the death rate among University students. tiinfe injuries were more serious, such as "Whras hen said "tenwr Ttuition fee. a cracked skull or two. But in those: "Whereas," he said "there wereITickets for athletic events are, but days the "men were made of sterner four or five deaths every year before for the federal tax, included in the stuff"--maybe. the "ban," there have been only two tuition fee, as are gymnasium fees,, And then Michigan spirit began to in the eight years since it was put with the exception of towel and locker wane. The days of Old Man Yost's into effect. Dr. Brace, who served charges. fighting Point - a - minute football his interneship at the University Hos- Should medical attention be need- teams gave way to the days when pital, recalls many unfortunate ac- ed, the University Health Service the conference championship was cidents among students which were will provide it free, for the usual med- the onfeenc chapioshipwascaused by careless oi dirunk driving, given to Kipke's boys as a matter of ad fe els h au k ruling, ical fees, excepting prescriptions, are couse Ca Ngh beam les ndand feels that the automobile ruling included in the semester tuition-. course. Cap Night became less and is largely responsible for their being includad inesmetrouition.re less each year of the hilarious, festive cut almost to the minimum. hRoom and board are provided free ceremony. And Sleepy Hollow be- for convalescent students for 30 days came just that--deserted. Three The "ban" had other than indirect each semester. years ago when they tried to hold it, effects, however. In looking through The League and Union sponsor not 1a0 freshmen and sophomoresThe Daily files for the year following dances at least one night each week- showed up, and officials went homees the announcement of the ruling, one end, and Michigan custom allows disgust. discovers that a number of advertis- dates to walk, dispensing with the ers were not favorably impressed by taxi fare, except for formal affairs. This coming spring-who knows?+ +1 n -+..-. .. --:, 3 _ . . . "Back to some of the money we new student is by how well he can Spent." .se the student slang to express him- But no one will ever go back to self. either Joe's or the Orient-they died lI In the spring and fall semesters of 1895 Prof. Fred Newton Scott of with Michigan's youth. But theirj 'he English department asked his glory will live on as long as "I want students in one of the rhetoric courses To Go Back to Michigan" is a pop- usually taken during the second or ular song. third year (this was probably a fore- runner of the now required English "Joe's was a hang-out for every- 1) to collect all the slang expressions body in college. They were in there heard in the student community or every day pretty near-just as a mat- found in local student publications. ter of fact. Joe used to serve a lunch About 600 different expressions were handed in during the spring se- for 15 cents-potatoes and a good mester and in the fall part of the steak or something-from 10 a.m. un- school year about 200 more were add- til noon every day, and students used ed. A list of them was compiled by to eat there more than any other Professor Scott and he put them into , a"discriptive" classification. place," recalled Dewitt C. Millen, 05, Out of this list many of the slang who wrote "The College Cut-TTp, a expressions used by students today story revolving about Michigan. sprang, and some of the identical ex- pressions used then are now in com- Carved Names mon usage. They vary much in the "Everybody used to carve his name degree of "slanginess" and some are on the tables with his class numerals comical and others merely comical after them," he reminisced. "Joe was in their origin, as the report attempts I to explain as many of the coinages a good sport about it and when a as possible. table-top was all 'carved-up' he used In part of the list classified as ar- to varnish it and put it on the wall, bitrary or unexplained coinages, we replacing it with a new table which find the word "dough" which, as it means today and is used by students, the fellows would start carving right was used to mean money. away. And the names on those table- Some other expressions meaning to tops meant anything-today they waste time or to putter around were: don't, because this generation has "frod," used as "You've frodded dn't, beau thisn gheneratio ,, around long enough"; another was jnever heard of any of those fellows. june around," which was used in the Joe Parker's was located on Main sense "I've been juning around all St., just north of Washington St., day, and haven't done a thing." about where Kresge's 5 and 10 cent There is a great deal of variety in store is now, he said, and Joe was a expressions denoting inebriation in stocky man, bald-headed and pret- usage today. A list compiled by stu- ty popular with the students. dents included: "plastered," "pretty- S hestar alete a well-oiled," "tight," "pickeled," "full," B.M..C.s ued t hae aclubcaled~"pie-eyed," "high," "boiled," "stewed," the 'Friars' Club then," Mr. Millen "cackled," "canned," "happy," and said. "They had frequent meetings up- bAzcodied.b staisntebuildingdireAccdcr"snto the list of 1895 a few the street from Joe's and he'd always of the expressions describing inebri- thre steedhe'ated persons were "teedup," "shot" "Thventhedyand "corked." The words are not en- "Then he had a pretty large room tirely foreign to the present day stu- in the back of his place where some i dent's "slang vocabulary." common usage today and perhaps even has approached the point where it is considered proper was used wide- ly by students in 1895. Also one ex- pression, evidently derived from cal- culus, and which meant a failure to recite or that a person was confused was "dy over dx." 'Botanical' Slang Since the classification of the slang in the article by Professor Scott was descriptive, there were several di- visions under two heads. One of the divisions was headed by the word "bo- tanical." Some of the words listed under this heading are easily recog- nizable today. Other words listed under "botan- ical" were "peach," which also meant one who is sweet and charming- something that is excellent, well done, and which is pleasing and delightful. Perhaps the most colorful of all expressions under this last heading was "squash," which referred to a foolish, "soft" fellow. Webster Inadequate For words to express enthusiasm or to proclaim the elegance or .fine- ness of something the student of 40 years ago also found Webster and the words in common usage inadequate, and he resorted to many coinages and slang expressions. Some of these listed as used in 1895 were "scrumptious," "woozy," "jolly," and "slick," which is often heard on the campus today. Some of these have been carried over to the present day and undoubtedly the present day expressions of "ducky," "swell," and numerous others were outgrowths of these early expressions. Other slang words that were pre- dominant on the University campus in 1895 were: "chiselly," "josh," "lu- .. - - - I lu," "cussedness," "club," "colleger," "deader," (a weary or exhausted per- son), "goner," "heller," (which meant a remarkable person. This is perhaps a different connotation than the word has in student usage today), "tail- ender," "foxey," "bad egg," and "sir- rocco-sifters," which meant whiskers. There was a great tendency for students1to modify and shorten words by dropping syllables or simply using the first letters of a word in conver- sation. Some of these were: "hen- medic," (which means a female med- ical student), "i.d.t," which meant "I don't think," "p.d.q." which when translated meant pretty d-n quick, q.t., n.g., and d.y.w.y.k., which 'when defined meant "don't you wish you knew?" Verbs Remain Unzhanged Some of the other shortened words in common usage were: "dent," for a student of dentistry, "fash," for "fa- shion," "frosh," for freshman "how- dy," for how do you do, "mun," for money, "phenom," for phenomenon, "tute." for tutor, and "varsity," for university. Apparently there was not much tendency in 1895 to change the mean- ing of verbs. Today we hear fre- quently such phrases as "I'm whipped," or "I'm bushed," or "I'm sunk," and "My goose is cooked," and "that exam got me down," but these do not appear in Scott's pamphlet, By studying the expressions pre- dominant 40 years ago, it is not dif- ficult to see that they were the foun- dation of many of the expressions used by students today. Also a study of these expressions reveals that a number of present day slang expres- sions were not coined in recent years but originated many years ago. Nosirree -Can't Spark Here i i , I' By I. S. Silverman In the days when girls were coy and men were bashful, convention dictated that the men students sit on one side of the reading room of the "old library" and the women students on the other. However, toward the closing years of the "old library" this practice was discouraged. It was also violated when the librarywas crowded andat other times by bold individuals who slid close to the imaginary boundary line so that some naive damsel might sidle close to him, or vice versa. This was the case in the "old li- brary," the building which occupied the site of the present library before the new one was built. It was a curiously shaped structure with ap- pendages jutting out on all sides. Dr. William W. Bishop, present librarian and first librarian of the new build- ing, likened the library to a Missis- sippi steamboat - the rotunda, the prow; the towers, the smoke stacks; the book stacks, the rear paddles. Had Two Towers Two towers flanked both sides of the building, one of which contained the clock and the famous chimes which were modeled after the re- nowned chimes at Jesus College in great artistic merit, although it con- tained some famous pieces. It inclu- ed a marble statuary of "Nidia- The Blind Girl of Pompei," by Ran- dolph Rogers, a plaster cast of Lewis Cass, famous Michigan governor and statesman, and "Twins," by the French painter, Bouguergeau. But it was not the art gallery that was the center of interest on the sec- ond floor but thefamed "whispering gallery." This was a narrow, dark, circular passageway surrounding the roof of the rotunda into which two doors led, one from each end of the gallery. The slightest whisper given on one .side of the passageway could be distinctly heard on the other. This was an uncanny situation to the un- initiated but it was easily explained by the circular and enclosed effect of the gallery. If the gallery could only re-utter some of the whispers which have cir- cumvented its walls, many humorous incidents would come to light. It was quite the accepted practice to take the freshmen to the gallery and in- still in them a sense of fear for their upperclassmates and a feeling of rev- erence and awe for the potentialities of the library. of the fraternities held parties," he went on. "We used to reserve that every Christmas, have a big Christ- mas tree, and really have a good time." No Intoxication "But nobody became intoxicated," he recalled. "Course when we were going to have or had a big game, and especially when we won, there would be pandemonium in town, and it would be all you could do to get into Joe's." O. A. Moe, a barber at 705 North University Ave., who has lived in Ann Arbor all his life, agreed with Mr. Millen. "They never became intoxi- cated before Cap Night or any other traditional affair like they did after Prohibition, but as soon as the thing was over everybody'd head for Joe's or some other place. "Freshmen weren't allowed to enter Joe's although they could go into any other place. It was strictly a hang-out for upper-classmen. Then on Cap Night when everything was over they'd all make a dash for Joe Parker's where they'd see the inside for the first time." The Tow and Gown, an organi- zation of Ann Arbor business men and members of the faculty, held a meeting above Joe Parker's at least once a week, Mr. Moe said. History Lost The history of Joe's place has been lost in time. His father ran his saloon before he got it and nobody can remember back quite that far. For the majority of its years Joe Parker's was on Main St.; but he moved around a couple of times, Mr. Millen said. He lingered on a short time after the advent of prohibition. according to Mr. Millen, but he closed up and died several years ago. He took his varnished table-tops with the names carved on them wherever he moved, and when he closed up they were placed on the walls of the Union Tap Room where they are today. The history of the Orient is even more obscure than that of Joe Park- er's. It was located on Main St. just across from the County Court House, Mr. Millen recalled, but it wasn't nearly as popular as Joe's. Both he and Mr. Moe thought "the Orient" was put in the song just because it sounded right and not because it was a favorite hang-out for the stu- dents. Much more popular than the Or- ient, they thought, was Larry Damm's, located just around the corner from Joe's. "I don't remem- ber much about that place," said Mr. Millen, "but they always served good her there." No brief survey of slang would be complete without stating what va- rious expressions were used to denote the hard-working students. Nowa- days we hear "Phi Bete," "greasy grind," "pedant," "plods," and "brain trust." The compilation of Professor Scott cites several expressions that were common 40 years ago in describing the student who worked and studied hard. Some of these were "bohn" -this probably brought about our use of the word "boning up" which was used to refer to those studying for an exam-"shark on stilts," and "cooler." Slang expressions referring to stu- dents who were not known for their brilliance in school work 40 years ago were almost as numerous as those of today. Some of the words used in this connection w e r e "duffer," "flunk," which is used very commonly today, "chump," and "screw." There were also a good many words in the pamphlet edited by Professor Scott to express confusion or a "muddled state of mind." "Razzle- dazzled," "balled-up," "rattled," "fall over oneself," and "to ascend com- pletely up the spout," were included in this classification. The word "fluke" which is in very Everbody Takes SaturdayClasses All students enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, the University's largest unit, will be compelled to take at least one Sat- urday class. This will be the second year that this rule has been effective. The ruling, made May 10, 1935, by a committee of faculty men under the chairmanship of Prof. George R. LaRue of the zoology department, re- quires specifically that: "Each stu- dent be required to have a Saturday class, and ghat a committee be ap- pointed to grant exemptions from Saturday work only to those students who have legitimate reasons for such exemptions." The committee's action was neces- sary, Processor LaRue explained at that time, because of congestion in classes rather than because the group wished to "cut down" student week- ends or force students to remain in Ann Arbor over the weekend. "The increase in the number of students in the literary college last fall created an unusual demand for classrooms," Professor LaRue ex- plained when the ruling was made. England.v was prese brary but chimes. At 7:27 chimerica ripple ove bringingi ing it ou differenti of the "o chimes wo tentively melody. event in t ning cast the camp put aside timent, a the chim the old to the "reig were put buildings song but amid the existing o The lib with ivy dignified It was on most cent campus. Br The in breathed On the fir ing the e desk, whi ence room the stude pied thec building desks, bo walls, and line betw room had -trivial spacious able in th floor also room and Finney The re many yea retiredor after 25 commonly harnt P h The old University clock Oh, Dear! rved and set in the new li- One of the many incidents associat- there was no place for the ed with the gallery concerned an Ypsilanti girl who came to this cam- a.m. and at 5:27 p.m., the pus on a "blind date." Not being l song would melodiously aware of the "whispering gallery" she er the quiet of the campus whispered to her girl-friend while on in the daylight and usher- one side about her feelings toward her t again. The campus was "date." Her escort was on the other in the horse and buggy days side and the different hues of his face old library" and when the were only vaguely described because ould ring all would listen at- of the darkness of the chamber. and appreciately to its First Library Kept In Detroit It was the one distinctive The first library of the University the waning hours when eve- 'was consigned to the "dark corners" its mantle of darkness over of the home of C. C. Trowbridge ii pus and all activities were Detroit, who was secretary of the Uni- . There was tradition, sen- versity Board of Regents, and it was .nd reverence wound about later sent to Ann Arbor - the sum es. It was a sad day when total of books being 12 volumes. wer fell, marking the end of While situated in Ann Arbor the Gray ;n of the chimes." They collection which formed the real four- in one of the engineering dation of the present University lid- where they still sing their brary was purchased. But there was are heard by few students no library proper and the books were confusion and noise now constantly shifted to several build- n the campus. ings on the campus which, each in rary was completely covered turn, because too small for the rapid which gave a stately and growth of the number of volumes. appearance to the exterior. During this period the library opened e of the landmarks and the once a week for the use of the .stu- rally located building on the dents although the faculty could draw books. During the various periods of reathed Studiousness its growth several students and mem-- terior of the library truly bers of the faculty served as librarian. of a studious atmosphere. It was not until the State Legislature rst floor of the building fac- appropriated $100,000 for a new li- ntrance was the circulation brary in 1881 and after the dedica- ch together with the refer- tion of the library in 1883 that there n provided all the service to was a permanent library and librari- nts. The reading room occu- an. This building was what is now circular front section of the known as the "old library." in which were numerous' Volumes Increased >ok cases lined along the But during the 33-years of the "old I the much discussed border library's" life the number of volumes een men and women. The rapidly increased until when the I a capacity of 150 students number reached 250,000 volumes the compared to the many =and stacks were jammed and the books reading rooms now avail- were placed at diverse spots on the .e present library. The first campus, even though it was the larg- o contained the periodical est library in the west and one of the the library offices. n best libraries west of Cornell, accord- Was Referen e Librarian ing to Dr. Bishop's evaluation. ference librarian was for The library also was thoroughly rs Byron A. iney, 191 inflammable, having caught fire three a arnegie pe Hioni was timhes but luckily the blazes were de- yeaknown as "Pa" Finney tected in time and no damage was y knon P i dp f the ip way loselya soc ate ih done. The only part of thelibrary