Page:Percival Lowell - an afterglow.djvu/191

An Afterglow

Pullman apart from the lecture was a pull-man show between the freshmen and the sophs; and being the chief contest of the day officially appointed for their struggle, the day I was there, the result being the pulling the freshmen into the pond between the contestants. Intellectually they were willing, but slow! about three hours astronomically behind Eastern Time. Golder was as good as gold. Another good man was the professor of mining and metallurgy, a man of intelligence. The president of the University of Idaho came over for us in an automobile, and the vice-president, I believe he was, drove us the scenery way to Moscow,—low rolling bare hills where except for the absence of trees carried one back to northern Vermont. The president was a man of the world who had studied at Woods Holl and was witty as well as wise. They seemed to appreciate the lecture, and a luncheon followed—I sat on the right side of a lady dean.

Back to Spokane—pronounced can—and over the Cascade Range here. B. is one of ours. A man to be pleased with. He wants to be able to send students to the observatory at Flagstaff and to come himself in the summer.

Last night I made the Sigma Xi sit up and take notice. 153