Harold Merrill grew up in Ashland, Ore. Many of his stories are recorded by an oral history transcript at the Southern Oregon Historical Society. One of them is about a high school jinx in 1913.
It seems there was a vacant farm house on a hillside just out of town where some seniors at Ashland High School planned to hold a fancy dinner. But a group of jealous juniors, including Merrill, decided to see if they could spoil the occasion.
They went to the drug store and asked for its most terrible smelling substance. The afternoon of the dinner, the group sneaked up to the house and burned a little asafetida in each room. Then they moved to a hidden location nearby to watch.
Soon the seniors, all dressed up and carrying nice covered dishes came up the hill and into the house. Seconds later they streamed out and rushed away. The juniors were delighted--at least until the next day.
Somehow the seniors found out who had done it and administered the “hot hand” to everyone involved with belts, boards and other spanking tools. Merrill can’t recall messing with anyone’s party again.
Source:Merrill, Harold. Oral History Interview with Harold Merrill, Jan. 11, 1978, conducted by Alan Achut for the Southern Oregon Historical Society, transcribed by Vonnie Chapman, No. 59, p.20
