out with even more enthusiasm than they are now. The
barrel of cider was usually brought in by means of a horse
and cart, borrowed ? from the college barn, and the
place of rendezvous seldeni failed to be the fifth floor of, the
Main Building. That the fifth floor has not been the scene of
a “cider racket” for some years is due to the fact that at
several of the early revels a stout gentleman with white
beard and bald head made an unexpected appearance, and
that a few days later sad farewells were bid to two or three
of the revelers.
In these early times of the “cider racket” at State one
of the “Profs” owned a very fine carriage horse, which he
left in the college barn. On several occasions this horse had
been taken out by the students for various purposes, chiefly
bringing bringing in barrels of cider, and once had been rath
er badly used up. Naturally the owner of the fine animal be
came very much provoked and began to lay schemes to catch
the molestors. Every night about eleven o’clock he would
walk out to the barn to see that everything was all right and
often remained some time to watch.
One night in the cider season fifteen or twenty Soph
omores set out on their annual cider escapade. The barn
was the first place in question, and thither they went, (at
that time the college barn stood next to the orchard just
across the road from the Botany building.) As the little
crowd reached the door to the horse stable one of them said:
“‘HinkyV horse to-night, aye fellows?”
“All right, we’ll g - ive him a little real exercise this trip,”
said another, and the two started for the stall where the
horse in question stood. The rest waited near the door talk
ing - and laughing in undertones. The night was extremely
dark, which might have made finding - the horse very difficult
had not these fellows been well acquainted with the stable
from previous experience. As the two lead the horse cau
tiously out, some one was watching - them closely from the
darkness of an empty stall, and as soon as they had gone