University Items

Field-Day will be Saturday, May 12th. W. F. Ford lectured toa sniall audlencc In the law lectuie roora, Tuesday night. Professor Winchell gave a receptiou to Prof. Louis Maas, of Boston University, after the concert last evening. John B. Whelan, entered college with the class of '84, but is now raading law in an office in Detroit. He was In town the other day. Uiidcr the new board the Chronicle seems to bc thriving, for it caine out this week with four pages extra; one of ailvertisenients and three of reading matter. The Adelphi litcrary society is taking a rest from its labors, anil rnany of its meinbers are taking part in the exercises of Alpha Nu. These are well attended and of benefit to the members. Much si)ecula.tion is rife as to who will be called upon to occupy the vacant chair of Speculative Philosophy and Philosophy of Religión. TUe requirenients of such a position are immense Observations taken at the Observatory during February, show the highest teniperature to have been 52; the lowest - 7"; and the average, 21. The rain-fall was .78 of an inch and the snovv-foll 7.75 iuclies. Prof. Olney has been up toLansing with a circular signed by Pre?. Angelí, Profs. Cooley, Palmer and himself recommending the teaching in the primary schools of the effects of alcohol on the human system. ïle is also putting in work on the prohibition amendment. At the recent meeting of representatives from the Northwestern college base ball nines which played together last season the pennantwasawarded to the nine from the University of Michigan. For various reasons and to the relief of the other nines our club has withdrawn from the contest of this season. A recent nnmber of the Free Press has the following interesting bit of war and college reminisceticeconceruingoneof the State representatives: " Representative Darragh, of Gratiot, enlisted as a private in the Eighteenth Michigan Infantry, his company making its first appearance in Kentucky as raw recruits at the time that Kirby Smith was threatening Cincinnati. The offleer in command had grduated trom Fremont's División, and pro ved a regular martinet, insisting that nothing whatever should be done without orders; insistiug tli'tt his soldiers should be only machines, incapable of individual action. It carne about thal this offleer and sixtytwo men, one of whotn was Darragh, wcre sent on picket duty. Deploj'ed in the woods at short intervals three rebel soldiers approached the commandlng officer. They niight have been stopped and Darragh so advised his comrades, but the officer would take no advice and insisted that nothing should be done without orders. Tlie rebels no sooner found theniselves within reach of the officer than they compelled him at the muzzle of their pistols to issue the command " groundarms - close up - by file - march." The well instructed recruits threw down thcir markets, closed up and were hurried away toward the rebel lines. It was very humiliating - sixty-two men captured by three- but beforethe men had much time to reflect upon tlieir too strict obediencc to orders they were surroundcd by hoetile forces and there was nolielp for it. Sent underguard and hurried awayoa a long march to the interior, the weariness of the flesh was less than the humiliaüon of the surrender. After trampinjr despondently a long time in the dusty highway one of the rebel offieers rode near Darragh and said : 'Is that a Chi Phi pin you weai? ' 'Yes.' ' What chapter?' ' That of Michigan University.' 'I, too, ama member of that fratemity, graduated at Michigan Uniyersity, and am glad to see one of the boys. Corporal, get a horse for this gentleman.' The horse was presently brouglit up. Darragh mounted and rode nlong with the rebel officer, conversing upon themes connected with Aun Arbor, He was royally cared for, so long hs he remained in charge of his confrère, and, when fiually returned to the north, became a member of the Ninth Cavalry, and llnally Major of that gallant regiment. Mr. Brearley of the Detroit Evening News, will conduct three more excursions this season to Niágara Falls, the Thousand Islands, Quebec and the White Mountains. This trip is a very enjoyable one as we ourselves have experienced it , and therefore can heartily recommend it. There are three parties to go; June 27th, July llth and 25th, and Mr. Brearley accompanies each one. Any one desiring to go to Europe can go to Quebec with the party and take steamer there.