"Bedamn, Ben" Says Inscription Unearthed by Workers on Massachusetts Hall, but No One Knows What It Means

When the men working on Massachusetts Hall tore the outer boards off the framework of the door on the north side, a small pencil sketch of a gentleman dressed in colonial clothes was seen among the other ancient scrawls. Above the drawing was the inscription. "Bedamn, Ben", Archacologists of the University are puzzled regarding the exact meaning of "Bedamn", but as the picture portrays a somewhat portly gentleman, they deduce that "Ben" probably refers to Benjamin Franklin, and that the drawing was a tribute to him by one of his more ardent admirers.

Archacologists were also interested to see a square hand-wrought spike over two feet long, which was used to hold up the gutter. All the nails found in the old boards were of the square hand forged variety. The boards were excellently preserved, in spite of 200 years of service in a damp climate.

Massachusetts Hall will be ready for students' quarters next autumn. The actual construction will be finished before this, but not soon enough for use during the present college year. The building will be entirely fireproof, steel concrete and plaster being the only new materials. The foundations were found to be entirely good, while the walls, though firm in most places, will have to have new bricks here and there Massachusetts Hall will hold about 40 men. There will be 10 bedrooms and six studies on each flooor.