Page:The Fraternity and the Undergraduate (1923).pdf/175

 experiences of life, and derive some satisfaction and profit, if possible, from its discomforts.

It may have been when the plastering fell in the hallway and nearly killed one of the brothers, or when the furnace went out of business, or the plumbing threw a fit—I have forgotten. At any rate some domestic disaster caused us to get together and wonder why we could not have a house of our own. The Phi Delts were building, and though we were not so old as they and did not have a cent of money to our names, we could not see why we should not follow as advanced ideas as they. It was the optimism of youth and of inexperience.

It was in the spring of 1901 that we grew desperate and did something. A few of our local enthusiasts got together and worked out a system of chapter house notes. It was a simple system, and any optimist quick at figures and skillful at pushing a lead pencil could easily figure in a few minutes that it would take us only a short time to have the amount raised, the house built, and a reserve fund out at interest.

In brief, the plan was to induce each brother, active and alumni, to sign ten notes of ten dollars each, one note a year to be due for each of ten successive years. There was to be no objection raised if any brother insisted on paying the entire