Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-03-18
COLLEGE, PRANK OF MoNcuRz D. CONWAY.

DIR. Jesse T. Peck was president of
Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylva-
mia, i'll 1S4S, and was made the victim
of a practical joke about that time,
which was widely published, and re
garded as the very essence Of college
mischief The authors of the joke can
at this late day, be made known, for
the first time without subjecting them
TO censure. DR.. Jesse T. Peck Bishop
Peck now,) was a very large man,
dignified in his manner. and bearing,
and peculiar faculty for rolling his
rs in conversation, which made his
speech very impressive. E@a
AT Dickinson College, in that year,
were Moncure d. Conway, now famous
in this country and in England for His
high literary attainments, his vigorous,
brilliant intellect, and his strong
minded views on all religious and
scientific topics. His name is familiar
to every lover of literature, and his
letters to the Cincinnati Commercial
are one of the most interesting features
of that paper. Mr.. Conway TOR as his
fellow students styled him then, None
Conway was not regarded as a brilliant
student, but was rather noted for his
literary predictions. He appreciated
good humor, and enjoyed the practical
jokes for which college students have
always had a weakness.
In the same junior class was Marcus
]. PARROT. who afterward became a
prominent man in the Free Soil party
of Bleeding Kansas" and whose
name for years was connected with the
politics of the West. This was the
same Marcus J. Parrot who some
years ago while at the Langham Hotel,
in London, dispatched to the Grand
Hotel in Paris to reserve apartment for
him. On his arrival there great was
his astonishmeut to find that one of
the grandest suits of apartments in the
hotel had been reserved for him, while
he was greeted with the greatest dis
play of respect by mine host and his
staff.
This extraordinary attention to a
simple American sovereign was caused
BY ludicrous misconception of Mr..
PARROTS name. The dispatch conveyed
to the landlord the impression that the
grand apartments were for the Marquis
de Parrot a distinguished foreign
noble man. How Marcus J. Parrot
the private citizen, undeceived the
landlord, and selected more humble
apartments, it is not necessary to relate
Dickinson College was sustained at
the time we referred to by the
Methodist Conferences Of Pennsylvania,
Virginia and Maryland, and tie Animal
Conference was to be held at Staunton
Va, in March, 1848 Dr. Peck. as
was customary, made his arrangements
to attend the conference. and also to
witness the Inauguration of President
Taylor, in Washington.
The students were aware of the fact,
and one evening Moncure D. Conway,
Marcus J. Parrott, and e. 4. Magin-
ness, then a freshman from New AL
bany (now the portly manager of the
Louisville Industrial Exposition) sat
down to play a game of euchre. The
Presidents visit to Staunton was COM
mented upon and, in the mischievou>
spirit of studenshood, practical joke
was projected, which after mutual sug
gestions from each of the three assumed
complete shape.
Conway could initiate DR.. Peck's
handwriting, and pen and ink being
procured, he wrote letter to the
superintendent of the insane asylum al
Stanton, Va, IN which he stated that
very respectable citizen Of Carlisle
Penn, Hugh Blair, was subject tc
temporary alteration of the mind
during which he imagined himself t.
be Dr. jesse t. Peck, President o
Dickinson College. Then followed {
description Of the unfortunate Hugh
Blair, which description was an elab
crate picture of DR.. Peck himself. A,
Mr.. Hugh Blair had been absent som,
days, his friends were becoming alarm
ed and the supposition was that DR.
Peck would reach Stanton to attent
Conference on certain day, Mr.. Hugh
Blair had gone there, under his delusior
and would be on the same train. Would
the superintendent be so kind as t.
watch the train, and if the gentleman
described came, to take him to the As,
lum without exciting his fears, and re
tain him there till his friends could cal
for him, when all expenses would b,
paid and they would ever be grateful
&c.
The letter was sent, and the tri,
waited for the sequel.
DR.. Peck, in all his imposing dignit,
reached Stanton on the day expected
On stepping from the tram he was &C.
costed by polite gentleman with:
'Is this Dr.. Peck?
eyes, sir I am Dr. Peck, presiden