The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-06-30
GREENcAsTLE, June 26, 1868.
COMMENCEMENT EXERcIsEs.

One Who was acquainted with
Greeucastle in ancient times, is struck
With the fact that time has made con-
siderable change in the place, and
that for the better. The writer we'll
remembers when access was gained to
the place only By footing it, or by
some kind of horse power. Now it
can be approached from the East and
West, from the North and South, at
almost any hour Of the day or night
BY the swiftly flying car. A CORES
ponding improvement has been going
on in the place. This il observable
in the paved street the wooden side
walks, the elegant and commercial
ike buildings on the public square,
and the handsome brick residences
seen here and there through the
city And the street railroad, extend
ing from depot to depot, running d.
rectly through the town, is another
striking evidence of thrift. In fact,
the only thing the old student feels
ashamed of on visiting his Alma
Mater is the building, the old fash
Toned decaying, incommOdious build
ing, that stood there in days of yore.
The Trustees, some time since, re-
solved that new buildings should be
erected, in keeping with the times,
so soon as people Of Greencastle
and Putnam County should raise the
sum of thirty thousand dollars. This,
it was thought, was a very fair
proposition, inasmuch as the said
people were to be principally bene-
fitted by growing institution
In their midst--and inssmuch as
twice or thrice the amount would
have been added by the Board. The
proposition, however, seems to meet
with a cool and tardy reception.
Even under the energetic labors of
Rev. Aaron Turner, In the town and
county, only 81, 900 has yet been
raised. Many of the ablest if not the
best citizens of Putnam County, it is
said, are wholly Indifferent as to the
present condition of the University
don't care whether it goes up or goes
down-and we did hear it intimated
that some of the richest, stingiest,
meanest of mankind, are living and
thriving upon the advantages it brings
to them, but yet turn from solicita-
klOuS lOI aiQ Win the COOLEST UlSQdlQ.
The common feeling seems to be
there should be a new Universe y
building proper, consisting Of chapel,
society rooms, rooms for recitation
and lectures, for library, etc. In
addition to this, it is thought, DOR
mitory and boarding establishment
should be Immediately erected, suff-
cient TO accommodate five hundred
cfr he, g.
that the citizens are getting rich and
naughty and are declining more and
more to accommodate the students
with board and lodging. The few
that do it now do 1t as a special favor,
for which they charge the highest
prices The law allows. Tt is easy to
see where the favor lies.
The Commencement now inst over.
was, perhaps, a little in advance in
point of interest of its predecessors.
Quite a number of visitors, dis
tinguished and otherwise, were pres
ent. Indeed, places of entertainment
were scarce, and it WAS difficult to
secure a lodging among the citizens
for members of the Joint Board of
Trustees and visitors. The writer re-
members the time when the coming
OF this Board was an event of inter-
est, and one family WED with another
tor the entertainment of its members.
Not so now. D Temporal! o azores!
The number of students in attend
ance during the year Is In advance of
former years, the whole number being
59o. The number In the regular
classes stand as follows: Seniors, "a
Juniors, 33i Sophomores, 46; Fresh
men, ~. There are IN addition to
these az irregular scientitcs, and 102
n course OF Preparation for the regu
ar classes This body of students
comes principally from eur own State.
Lhere are large numbers, however.
from Illinois, Kentucky. Missouri.
Iowa, Kansas, and some few from
other States.
Il seemed to the writer that the
graduates, the largest class ever sent
-oTth at one commencement from this
or any Institution IN the State
we're more youthful in appearance
han those that went out in other
years. Many of them, we thought
might have made better speed in life
u they had tarried longer in its pre-
p3fatory work. The larger number
p the class we learned would 90 to
the law; some of the best Of them To
ne mInlstryi Some to teaching; some
10 incidence not one to honest hus-
bandry.
The finances of the University were
never IN better condition than at
present The available and product
I'VE fund Is constantly charging.
by patient and persistent effort, the
Joint Board hope in few years to
have every Chair fully endowed, and
10 e.v0N