The class day exercises at Brown University occurred last Friday, and were in every way successful and brilliant. The weather was most favorable, in striking contrast to last year's experience, when the affair was twice postponed on account of rain, and finally held in a drizzling rain.
The programme of the day was in many respects similar to the usual arrangements at Harvard. The exercises began at 10.30 A. M. in Sayles Memorial Hall, a handsome stone building but recently presented to the university. The opening programme consisted of an address by the president of the class, Mr. James H. Spencer, an oration by Mr. A. R. Dilts, the well-known captain of the nine, and the poem, entitled "The Hesperian," by Samuel W. Foss.
At 3.30 P. M. there was a band concert on the campus, and at 4 P. M. the outdoor class tree exercises began. A small platform had been erected on the sloping ground of the campus, and the audience were grouped in front on settees and chairs, while the four classes, marching in cheering, were seated on the grass directly in front of the speakers. Two addresses were made by members of the class, and then came the "address to undergraduates," a composition much after the style of our "ivy oration," and abounding in witticisms and sly personalities and local hits. The class tree was then "planted," by a few shovelfuls of earth being thrown around its roots with appropriate ceremonies, the tree really having been planted early in the season.
In the evening the campus was gaily illuminated by Japanese lanterns strung from tree to tree, as on a Harvard class day evening, and a promenade concert was given by Reeves' American-Band. The social event of the evening was the reception and ball in Memorial Hall, which was cleared for dancing. Elaborate refreshments were also served the entire evening. The affair was very largely attended by college men and invited guests, among whom the famed fair sex of Providence and vicinity were largely represented.
At 11.30 P. M. the senior class formed in procession, and after marching to music about the campus, took their way down into the city, attended with cheering and fireworks, to attend the class supper. On their return, about daybreak, the excitement was renewed about the college grounds by yelling and cheering, and the seniors then resorted to the ball ground for the usual annual game of base-ball played between scrub nines on this occasion. Some remarkable playing and curious antics were indulged in, as may be expected, and the class then gradually dispersed to rest and quietude.
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Crews at New London.