Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 September 1901 — PROFESSOR’S READY WIT. [ARTICLE]

PROFESSOR’S READY WIT.

Chandler, of Columbia, Always Gets the Best of His Classes. Prof. Chandler, of Columbia university, holds an enviable position of popularity in the minds of the alumni of that institution, perhaps, aceordipg to the New York Times, as much on account of his clever methods of turning aside student jokes as for any other reason. At the University club | a few evenings ago in a group of Columbia men several anecdotes were told illustrative of Prof. Chandler’s : ability in this direction. , It seems that one day some disgruntled member of the chemistry j division reached the lecture-room in ' good season and sought to create amusement by writing on the blackboard in a bold hand: “Chandler is an ass.” This had the desired effect, and suppressed chuckling could he heard around the room when the professor entered a few moments later at the beginning of his lecture hour. “As he walked to his desk,” continued the man who was telling the story, “the blackboard inscription caught his eye. Most of us thought he would erase it—but that wouldn’t have been Chandler. He scarcely hesitated a second, but walked overto the board and in a hand if anything bolder than the original added the word *Driver.’ The effect was instani taneous. A roar of laughter greeted the clever touch, and Chandler had not only gotten out of an awkward predicament, but had at the seme time added to his capital of popularity.” This incident reminded another of the Columbia men of the time when somebody had carried into the chemistry lecture-room a bottle of vilesmelling liquid concocted specially for the purpose in the laboratory. The atmosphere in the room when Prof. Chandler entered was well-nigh I unbearable. He detected the odor almost before he had crossed Flie threshold, and, turning abruptly, locked the door and put the key in his ! pocket. Then, walking to the desk, j he took his seat without the slightest , show of annoyance and remarked: “Gentleim n, we will enjoy this to- ! gether.”