The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-04-30

money but who know also now 10 lnake thls
noble use of it, Allow me to say, ms an illustra-
tion of this that among the original subscrip-
tions for the endowment of Lafayette College,
nearly forty years ago, find one of two dollars
made by young man then just commencing
business He has since become wealthy, and
last year this two-dollar subscription gave place
to one of $4,000, besides $40, 900 recently given
to Princeton, and splendid school built and
endowed for the benefit of his native town. !
allude to q gentleman well known throughout
our country, John l. Rlair, of Blairstown, n. q.
Such men deserve to be held in the highest
honor as benefactors of their race; and some OF
them it was my happiness to find, and to interest
l cannot say, Mr.. Chairman that found
them all at once, and / never, at any one time,
ran much risk of being suffocated by the pres
sure of large crowd of them; and in giving you
a list of the principal donors am like the
yenders of certain infalliblc remedies, who pub
lsh only the remarkable cures, and not the signal
failures. that followed the application OF their
remedies. In the first ten months did not Sc
cure $4,000, but at last the stock OF the
college, which had been well said to be below
par, went suddenly up, not only to par, but
TO Pdrdee But before | speak of him and the
new curriculum of studies with which his
name is now inseparably and so honorably
pal donors of the 100000 contributed to the
general endowment of the College. CThe Doc
tor here read list of about forty names. Among
the largest sums contributed by Pennsylvanlans
were $4,000 by William Adamson, $50 600 by
John A. Brown, $4,000 by Alexander Whilldin
and M. Baird, of this city; Thomas Beaver, of
Danville, gave $685. 900; Joseph II. Scanton
$15, 900; j. w. Hollenbach, of Wilkesbarre, and
Thomas Dickson, of Scranton, each $4,000. w.
f. Dodge, of New York, gave $4,000, and
Selden T. Scranton, of New Jersey, $75OO0
To these contributions and others of smaller
amount for the general endowment, must be
added the donation of $4,000 from Mr.. John |.
Blair to purchase additional ground and for the
erection of a new dormitory; the magnificent
Chemical Hall, one of the finest in the country,
built and presented to the college by Barton H.
jerks, of Philadelphia; the Astronomical OBJ
servatory, completely furnished, the munifcent
gift of Professor Trail Green; two dormitories,
one erected by Alfred Martien, and the other by
Rev. Matthew Newllirk both of Philadelphia;
fund of 200, contributed by the citizens of
EastOn for the erection of new buildings, and
$4,000 given by Mr. LenoX. of New York, to eX-
tinguish the debt of the college.
It remains for me now to refer to the greatest
of all the benefactors of the college; one whose
name is to be pronounced with gratitude by all
who love Lafayette College, and with all thought
full men everywhere who know how to value the
higher education. In the fall of 1864 became
acquainted with Mr.. A. Pardee, at his own home
in Hazleton Pa. 1t was at a period when the
clouds of our civil war hung low and dark in the
horizon, shrouding the whole country in gloom.
1t was dark period too, for Lafayette College.
had labored for nearly year with all the energy
God has given me, and so insignificant were the
results that it seemed scarcely possible the
college could much longer exist. | may say
also that so thoroughly had / woven my
own life with that of the college, that it seemed
to me as if we were both dying out together.
You can therefore judge somewhat of my per-
sona well as official, gratitude to Mr.. Pardee,
when / tell you that at this first interview,
although he had never set foot within the col
lege grounds, and had never met with any of the
faculty except the President, at whose youth
and diminutiye appearance he was no doubt at
first grieved in heart, this noble man placed in
| my hands his obligation for $2O,OOO-the
| largest sum mt that time ever given by one
| person to any educational institution in Penn
| sylvana! If you, Mr.. Chairman, or any
! of these gentlemen can describe my feel
| ings, l wish you would. 1t is beyond my
| power. / read the paper over and over, and the
! more | read it the less | comprehended 1.-THE
| situation" | was, sir, as one that dreamed, and
if Mr.. Pardee had melted away right before my
eyes through the carbOniferOus rocks on which
we stood and reappeared Preadamite megala-
therium, could not have marvelled more than
did when looked at that little slip of paper. |
do not think the sensation would have been so
delicious, but it would not have been more stun
ming. And indeed, sir, how got home that
day / can scarcely remember. | presume
the cars did not run off the track; but
really / do not think / would have
taken much notice of an ordinary smash-up. j
do remember, however, that when / reached
home and showed the letter to the one
whose gentle sympathies had cheered me in SC
many hours of discouragement, and who was
the first to know and share my new joy-I well
remember that we two knelt down together, and
from my full heart there went up the prayer that
God would bless and reward the generous donor
and that prayer | have not, since that time
ceased daily to Offer But / must not dwell
| upon this. The old wave of feeling flows back
| upon me as | think of that day, and almost de.
| prives me of utterance. / will only say that
never regarded the result of that interview as
| due to my arguments or persuasions, but to thai
| God in whose hand the hearts of men are turned
| as the rivers of water, and who was that day
| answering in so remarkable a manner tho
| prayers which for so many years had gone VI
from the thousands of Israeli in behalf of oul
| college.
But this gift of $50, 600 was only the beginning
of good things from Mr.. Pardee. His subsequen
| donations, as you all know, increased ii t.
$200, 900, and it is upon this foundation that thu
| trustees have established the new curriculum o
scientific and technical studies which, upon tn,
present occasion, calls for special notice.
Every intelligent man knows that we of tn,
nineteenth century are in the midst of a grea
revolution in matters relating to the higher edu
cation; and this like most revolutions. Indicates
as Dr. Froude says, 'discontent with what W,
| have and no clear idea of what we would have
college course so largely devoted to Greek ant
Latin with several years of preparatory stud,
requisite for admission.
II the dead languages are not pronounced ab
solutely worthless, they are regarded as rea
lively unimportant, and it is contended by man
that the time spent upon them could be used +
better advantage upon other branches of stud
OF practical character, and more suited to tn
stirring, busy age in which we live. Now, thi
Is not the time or the place to discuss this grea
question, but beg to say that with those VIII
claim TO lead the advance in these views | hav
no sympathy. l do not believe that the Who'll
aim OF education should be to fit MS TO make
living, though that education, which does nc
secure TINS, among other desirable results