OTAGO UNIVERSITY. THE STUDENTS' GREETING OF PROFESSOR GIBBONS. DISGRACEFUL ROWDYISM. Dunedin, May 15.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 369, 18 May 1889, Page 6

OTAGO UNIVERSITY. THE STUDENTS' GREETING OF PROFESSOR GIBBONS. DISGRACEFUL ROWDYISM. Dunedin, May 15.

Tilk opening ceremony of the Otago University session for ISB9 was announced to come oft in the Choral Hall last evening. The attendance was by no means so large as usual, but the students mustered strongly and formed a compact mass of hooting and yelling humanity at the. extreme back of the hall. Dr. .Stuart pie-, sided, and had with him Professors Parker, Gibbons and Ulrich, Dr. Salmond, Dr. Scott, Dr. Hocken, Dr. Colquhoun, Dr. J. Macdonald, Dr. Ogston, Dr. "Roberts, Dr. IWaunsell, Messrs J. Allen, M.H.R., \V. D. Stewait, M.H.R., Birms, and Sir Robert' Stout. The students were exceptionally noisy, and it was with extreme difficulty that 10 consecutive words could be heard at any time after the few opening sentences of the chairman. Throughout the chairman's addresß the students" kept up a running commentary of audible remarks, and greeted each name with a burst of cheers or of hoots according to whether the gentleman mentioned was popular or otherwise. The disturbance got hteadily worse throughout this speech, and, at its conclusion, when Professor Gibbons rose to deliver his inaugural address upon "Astronomy," he was greeted with a terrific outburst of yells and shouts for " Dawson !" As the students paused for breath, Professor Gibbons struck boldly in with his address, and during ■ the lulls in the noise his voice might be heard going steadily on with his theme, and only pausing. ior a brief space when the noise became positively unendurable, which occurred on an average about every three minutes. Pea-shooters and musical instruments (except a solitary mou,th organ) were fortunately absent, but their assistance was not needed to make the disturbance one of the most disgraceful that the Otaga students have ever been guilty of. They sang, more out of tune than ever, "Botany Bay," "John Brown's Body," " Dulce Domum," "We'll Hang Johnnie Gibbons on a sour apple tree," " WMte Wings," and selections from various comic operas. They had a fugleman, and ab his signal shouted in unison such ejaculations as "Oh, spare us," "Keep your temper, Bobby," " Dry up, a.nd quit,"' V Skip ten pages." " Hunah for Wully," and simila impertinences. If Professor Gibbons vex tuied to lean on the desk he was instancy instructed to " Stand up, there," and was elaborately thanked if he complied with the request. Dr. Stuart made several appeals to them to behave in a more gentlemanly manner, but without effect The chairman's arms, in fact, were constantly seen waving in the midst of the turmoil in the hopeless attempt to obtain a little quiet. Mr Stuart tried humouring the young men Ho good-naturedly thanked them for one song, and suggested postponing the rest. Another time he taid : " Ye're desperately long-winded; take breath awhile." But this had no more effect than when, with an angry stamp, he said : " I'm ashamed of you. This is Professor Gibbons's first appearance among you. Give him fair play. Where's your heroism ?" On another occasion Dr. Stuart pointed out how much smaller the audience was than oh previous occasions. He said that tho&e ...who took an interest in the University and came to these gatherings to show it were steadily being disgusted and alienated by the conduct of the students, and if this sort of thing continued the audience w,ould vanish away altogether in the near future. To all thsse appeals the students had but one reply — they 3houted "For he's a jolly, good fellow " at the top of their, voices with an appalling rest on the last syllable of " fellow." The audible comments made by the students were entirely witless and; made simply for the sake of the noise* In fact, the students might as well have been the various animals, whose natural sounds they were imitating, for any good the lecture could have done them. Amidst all this disturban.ee the professor steadily ploughed away with his address until it was finished. If it began in disorder jfe certainly ended in pandemonium, for the noise then was simply deafening. Dr. Hocken, whp next rose, was greeted with cries of " Stand on the. table," " Let's see you," "Go and pub heejs to your boots," &c. He was understood to say : Ladies and gentlemen, I think it is a matter of great regret that Professor Gibbons's able and interesting address has' not received that attention at your hands that it so well deserved. 1 have ; the pleasure to propose a hearty vote of thanks to Professor Gibbons. I would only s,ay that those of the audience who have beenso successful alone in being heard, should* make the only amends in their power, . and agree with a hearty vote'of thanks.' ' ' - The disturbance was here intensified. A. thing that had been going on all the timecould hardly be said to be "renewed.". In the midst of the uproar Dr.-'Stutfrfc said he would not convey the vote of thanks to Professor Gibbons. He added that Mr George Gray Russell, Ardh&eacqn, Edwards, and Dr. Belcher had sent apologies for non-attendance. Heathen, declared the proceedings closed, and, wjth a final outburst, the students' lef6 v the hall, \\ ,

Afc what time was Adam married ?— Upon 1 ' his wedding Eve.