Middletown transcript., 1870-06-11
Letter from Pennington Seminary.
Correspondence Of The 4Mddieto,cn Transcript.
June list. 1470.

Correspondence Of The 1Mddietown Transcript.
June 1st 1470
Mr.. EDIToR.-IIaving leisure time, thi
evening, the idea rushed through III,
brain with the rapidity of an expires.
train, write little correspondence to tn,
Middletown Transcript, and probably there
may be some lone wretch who has beer
wrecked on this dismal "sand hole" long
since ago, who would be pleased to heal
from old Pennington again.
We would state that the institution
stands in the old accustomed place, but un.
like other things in Jersey, it has changed
considerably i'll the few past years. But
first, we would inform those Of your read
ers who have never heard of this, our
writing place, that we are writing of Pen
nington Seminary, a time -honored institu-
ton for the education of youth, in New
Jersey.
Pennington Seminary has a wide-ex-
tended celebrity, and stands in the fore
most rank of the educational institutions
of New Jersey. Here are gathered stu
dents from almost every State in the
Union, and from Cuba, the Bahama Is
lands, and from Mexico u strange crowd
of beings Of every stamp of humanity and
intelligence, actuated by different motives
and desires, rich and poor, industrious
and lazy, little and big, ugly and hand
some, humble and conceited, but all SEEM
ingly happy and contented.
The Seminary is pleasantly located,
seven miles north of Trenton, and is az
cessibe by stage. When you arrive at
the suburbs you are forcibly struck with
the squalid and miserable appearance of
the dwellings, and your first impression is
by no means favorable; but stop, PEN
nington, like all other good things, is
rough on the outside, and these barracks
that are suggestive of sneers and contempt,
are but the quarters of our denizens of
color, or to use a more popular expression,
the residences of '.our beloved colored
brethren and sisters" but Pennington
proper is as pleasant town as one can
find in the State, and borders on the hill
country of New Jersey.
Pennington presents many advantages
as place for the education of youth. 1t
has no glaring saloons or tempting bars to
ruin his character and soul; no concert
nall or theatres to win him away from
books, and nothing there is extremely
dangerous to his mind or morals, save the
numerous pie shops and confectioneries that
,onfseate, the stamps of weak Drained
1ouths and lay seige to their gastronom-
cal propensites. And then the atmos-
,here is cool, and free from the mosqui-
oes and bug fraternity of Delaware.
Now, as | have given you only few of
he charms of Pennington, will notice
ONE of the characteristics of the place.
AS | write in my sanctum, all is quiet
nd still, and not a sound floats to my ear,
ave the labored breathing or spasmodic
nores of some oyer-fed student; while
7ithout all is dark and sad: the floating
lght-cloud flies athwart the sky, and all
J still there, too, save the bark of the
oncly Watchdog or the mournful echo of
he lonely owl as he shrieks in the far-off
rood
What would our careful mothers say, if
hey would visit our comfortlcss rooms
ut what does the student care. He
iohoo eho pos1 vi uufeTSC circumstances,
nd travels on; writes to the Gov. for
lore money, and eats more pies. Many
the dormitories struggle under strange
ppellations, such as the ''Paradise Lost 1
Bummers' Retreat "Somking Car"
nd one wretch has christened his lodge
le "Lunatic Asylum" Different individ-
! are addressed by uncouth names, and by {
hich they are known far and near. One
dessa boy is called after the i" Cardiff
liant" in respect to his herculean form.
worthy student, justly celebrated for
s democratic principles, and adherence
the " fifteenth am endment." is styled
Senator Reyels, derived from that il 6
strious father whom the radicals hug so 9
osely. One poor saint, with more zeal |
an brains, staggers under the name of a
} ohm the Baptist" and a poor, seedy
dividual, different from any anybody
Sc, is properly named the climatic. {
lese are the characters" and character q
ic as they are, here, SO they will be out d
the drifting sea of life. $
We could write of many other things,
1t it is after midnight and I must turn
: 80 here goes happy good night. II
JESTER HUDsoN. t