The Portland daily press., 1862-08-12
From our Regular Correspondent
Letter from Waterville.
MArERvrlLE. Aug. II. 1862.

VAUDEVILLE, aug. IL, 1907.
To the Editors Of the Portland Press:
Commencement day at "Old Waterville" is
already one step upon us, although the exer-
cises of Commencement proper do not occur
uutil next Wednesday.
The advent of Commencement is as easily
foretold as the engines whistle announces the
coming train. Our quiet little town, which
never looked more lovely than at present, is
being filed with what may be termed annual
.fdces,to wit: those who come once year from
far and near to gather again around the fes-
tive board of their "almer mater" Judges,
Congressman, Governors, A. Ms, A. BIS NJ.
DIS LII. DIS, and large installment of Baptist
clergymen Tor as the students who pay the
dinner bills, irreverently call them "Sdppers
and Miners,") all come up to the feast of the
passover in such numbers, that one would sup
pose the temple of Janus to be closed for sea-
son.
The exercises this year promise to be unu-
sually interesting. Neither trouble or expense
have been spared to make them so. The grad
uating class numbers 25.
The Governor and staff. Vice President
Hamlin, Senator Morrill,, the Governor in pro-
spectu and other dignitaries both home made
and imported are to he here.
Last year Gen. Butler promised to be here,
but he has deferred his visit until he comes via
Mississippi River. He was graduate of the
class of 49, At that time this institution was
manual college, and Butler paid his way by
making chairs, but it is said he broke twice as
many as he made.
The following anecdote ofthe Gen. illustrates
his modus operdndi in college, and is vouched
for by his boarding mistress, venerable lady
still residing here. The day on which Ben
graduated, his boarding mistress had invited
some special friends to dine with her, and for
this private table, had roasted pig and turkey
and carefully deposited them in nook in the
cellar. Ben being iavorite with her. she took
him into the cellar, and exhibited to his crook
ed eyes the fattened pig and concomitants, all
of which Ben pronounced splendid and at the
same time, he received an invitation to dine at
this private table, which was accepted most
cordially.
That night Ben called into his room some
half dozen of his mates, and told them that
they were about to separate, and the next day
might be the last they would ever be together.
and that he proposed to give supper, and had
ordered a roast pig and a turkey for the occa-
sion, and invited them to come to his room at
eleven o'clock, which invitation was accepted.
At about ten o'clock that night, Ben was max
ing his way slyly through the avenues of the
college grounds to the old mansion house.
The clouds of night yelled him from sight as
he entered the cellar window and stood over
his booty, and while his good matron was
wrapt in sweet slumbers, and having celestial
dreams Of the good time coming, Ben eau
tiously emerged from this depot of eatibles
with swine under one arm and fowl under the
| other, which WEIR soon deposited in his room
another trip brought large armament of
cakes, pies, &c. Suffice it to say, there was a
great time in Ben's room that night, and that
he appeared the next day at his matrons,
promptly at the appointed time, and no one
| regretted more than he the loss of the dinner,