graduates have taken in our devotional singing, the pride of the makers, who will wish to build worthy of themselves and the institution, we might expect a noble instrument. A brief sketch lies before us. Messrs. Hook & Hastings of Boston have at last succeeded in combining discordant elements and have secured the contract. And what are we to have? Three manuals of 58 notes each, and a pedal of 30 notes; in the Great Organ 13 stops; swell organ, 13; solo organ, 8; pedal organ, 5; mechanical stops, II; making in all 50 draw stops. The great feature is the reversed action, by which our spondaic Mus. Doc. can peer through his crystal orbs upon the entranced audience. It has been suggested that the seats in the Parquette be likewise reversible, so the Seniors can seek relief from the facial contortions of the choir by gazing at the fair faces in the gallery. The organ is to be blown by a hydraulic motor. This expense has been incurred in order to prevent tampering with the bellows handle. We regret to state that the motor will not operate the key-board. Though the number of tunes. used at prayers is not large, and though the city water pressure is ample to supply power to play, in addition to the wind, it has been deemed best to have an organist as of old, to bring out the lights and shades of expression which give these tunes their peculiar charm. We have been unable to ascertain the pitch that will be adopted. If it is not unbecoming, we would like to suggest the standard orchestra pitch, in order that the organ might be effectively employed in conjunction with the Commencement orchestra. This will meet the hearty approval of the choir, particularly of the first tenors, who will then have the long denied opportunity to display their voices in a suitable register. But unless the chapel receives some unforeseen impetus, there will be time enough to consider these and similar innovations.

IT has been the annual custom for the editors of the LIT. to offer for competition a gold medal. In point of fact the medal has been awarded but once; the successful

man either having preferred the cash, or the editors being indisposed to be at the trouble of having the medal made. This medal was awarded to Andrew D. White, now President of Cornell. It was circular in form, nearly two inches in diameter. On the obverse, surrounding a beautiful picture of the college library, were the words: "Awarded to Andrew D. White. Merito ac Jure. Yale College, 1851." On the reverse, a balance is represented in which the pen weighs down the sword, beneath the cap of Liberty. Around this are the words, "Yale Literary Magazine. Meriti Praemium." The present board have decided to offer a bona fide medal. Each competitor must comply with the following conditions: he must be a member of the academic department and a subscriber to the LIT.; his essay must be a prose article, and must not exceed in length ten pages of the magazine; it must be signed by an assumed name, and accompanied by a sealed envelope containing the real name of the writer; and must be sent to Box 338 on or before Monday, Oct. 25th. The committee of award will consist of Prof. Carter, Prof. Beers and the chairman of the board. The names of the unsuccessful competitors will not be disclosed.

MEMORABILIA YALENSIA.

Tradition,

Which guides us all in college as elsewhere, seems to have determined that this month our record, which purports to extend from June 19 to October 1, shall be largely given to the somewhat dry annals of Commencement week, and that the deeds of

The Summer Vacation

Shall be ignored. 'Tis pity, yet perhaps necessary from the circumstances. Those walks, those parties, those moonlight rambles and boat rides, where soul communed with self or

other self,-pages of Memorabilia have not to do with these nor could record them if they would. And we need not say the time has been improved by all, but especially perhaps by the Senior class. There are some of these who will confess to ties that bind, others who do not speak, look libraries. Perhaps it will be well for them no longer to dwell upon thoughts of vacation, but to turn with us to

Commencement Week,

The public exercises of which commenced with the Baccalaureate Sermon of the President on Sunday, June 27. The text was from Phil. 1: 9, 10: "And this I pray that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment, and that you may approve things that are excellent." The consistency of the Christian life, faith and character with the highest intellectual culture was the application of the text, and the discourse, though in parts perhaps of necessity somewhat metaphysical, was unusually impressive. The speaker held the close attention of an audience unusually large. On Monday night the æsthetic tastes of '75 were ministered to by the last Glee Club concert they were destined to hear while in college, and the Club as if in view of this fact even outdid their previous record of good performance. A new feature of the concert was the introduction of Sophomore society songs, which have now become public property since the death of these societies.

Presentation Day,

Tuesday, the 30th, passed off very pleasantly. The exercises of the day began in the Chapel at 11 o'clock with the reading of the class poem and class oration; the former by Eugene Bouton, of Jefferson, N. Y., whose subject was "Wonder Work," and the latter by Charles Forrest Cutter, of Princeville, Ill, on "Citizens and Leaders." At the conclusion of the oration President Porter spoke a few friendly words to the class, and the morning exercises were concluded by the singing of the class ode, written by T. J. Lee. The class then dispersed to the fair friends who were awaiting them, and at 2.30 P. M. again gathered together to the reading of the class. histories beneath the elms in front of South Middle. The

seats were arranged as customary, and in the center the class took their position and prepared themselves for the exposures which were to follow, by the use of the long clay pipe and the tranquilizing lemonade. The historians were S. R. Betts, Samuel Isham and A. F. Jenks, and their histories were in all respects models of this kind of writing, quite long, it is true, yet exciting the generally expressed wish that they had been longer. At the conclusion of the histories at half-past five the class proceeded to the library and went through the ceremonies of planting the ivy. Then came the march about the campus and the cheering in honor of the college buildings and of the different classes, after which the class, preceded by the band, marched to the residences of Pres. Porter, Gov. Ingersoll and others, and returned to the fence before dispersing. The day itself was all that could be asked for. The traditional rain which has been supposed to be necessary to the occasion, did not make its appearance, and the coolness of the evening, together with Lander's music and many blessed damozels, served to make the Senior Promenade Concert in the evening one of the best that Yale has ever seen. The same evening, also, occurred the

S. S. S. Commencement

in the North Sheffield Hall. The platform was occupied by President Porter, ex-President Woolsey, B. G. Northrop and Prof. Brush. After prayer by Pres. Porter, extracts from the following theses were read: 1. Wells Cushman Lake (Dynamic Engineering), Lake Forest, Ill., "On Iron in Architectural Construction;" 2. James Cunningham (Select), Pittsburg, Pa., "On the Influence of Geographical Locality on Settlement as Displayed throughout the United States;" 3. Moses Bradstreet Bradford (Civil Engineering), Middletown, "On Tidal Drainage" 4. Charles Hildebrand (Dynamic Engineering), New Haven, "On Screw Propulsion;" 5. William Arthur Pratt (Civil Engineering), New Haven, "On the Construction and Stability of Dams;" 6. Frederick Moncrieff Turnbull (Medical), Hartford, "On the Anatomy of Nereis Virens;" 7. Dwight Edward Pierce (Civil Engineering), New Haven, "On the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge;" 8. Edward Day Page (Select), South Orange, N. J., "On the Effect of the British Poor Laws upon Labor and Wages;" 9. Julian Kennedy

(Chemistry), Struthers, O., “On the Mechanics of Rowing." The extracts were brief and interesting, especially the last by Mr. Julian Kennedy of the University crew, who, by the aid of appropriate drawings, demonstrated the superiority of the Yale stroke far more satisfactorily than has since been done, and his thesis received great applause. Then, after some appropriate remarks by Pres. Porter the audience, at the invitation of Prof. Brush, promenaded through the rooms of the building, which were lighted and opened for that purpose.

The Alumni Meeting

Took place the following morning at half-past nine o'clock in Alumni Hall, and the meeting was called to order by the Rev. George Day, D.D., permanent secretary. Mr. Wm. Bliss, '25, was called to the chair and spoke with humor and with feeling of the history of the college in the past and of the character of its graduates. The permanent secretary then read from a pamphlet containing statements concerning the prosperous condition of the University, and also reported seventy-four deaths among the graduates during the past year against eighty-three for the year preceding. The oldest living graduate was stated to be the Rev. Thomas Williams, of Providence, R. I., of the class of 1808, who was born Nov. 5, 1779. Speeches were made by the Hon. E. H. Roberts, '50, Hon. W W. Phelps, '60, Hon. W. M. Evarts, '37, and others. The outbursts of applause were so frequent and hearty that it was surprising to see so many of the venerable fathers sufficiently recovered to be able to be present with decorum at the

Law School Commencement

The building was well

In the Centre Church at 2.30 P. M. filled. First in order came the speaking for the Townsend prize, by members of the Senior class in the following order: 1. Levi Hite, of Lancaster, Ohio, "Compromises in Political Legislation;" 2. George Matthews Sharp, of Baltimore, Md., "The Monroe Doctrine;" 3. Greene Kendrick, of Waterbury, Conn., "Lord Erskine;" 4. Russell Walcott Livermore, of North Haven, Conn., "Compromises in Political Legislation;" 5. Samuel Oscar Prentice, of Preston City, Conn., "Lord Erskine." Though the speaking was all very superior the