Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-08-10
LETTER FROM OBERLIN.

Oberlin has Just held its forty-fourth an
nual commencement. Six years more, and
it will celebrate its semi-centennial. Those
of US who remember when it was founded,
about as well as we remember anything
that happened ''before the war;" are sure
ly growing cid. The early students have
been sending their own children here to
school for dozen years and more. 1t will
not be long before the children's children
begin to be sprinkled in among the gradu-
ates.
Your county always has good many
representatives among the ten or twelve
hundred students that gather here every
year, and few notes about college matters
may interest your readers. The graduating
classes this year numbered 54-9 from the
ology, % from college, 20 from the literary
course, and from the Conservatory of
Music. Two young ladies took the degree
of Bachelor of Arts, after seven years of
classical study.
Oberlin is quite in the way of thinking
for itself in political matters, but it ap-
pears that the graduates to nan vote the
Republican ticket, and to woman, ratify
it-I suppose. Of the college graduates, 6
go into the ministry, 6 into the law, into
teaching and 2 into medicine; 6 are unde-
cided, with the chance that the ministry
gets several of them.
Commencement went off most pleasant
ly. in spite of the railway strike, that kept
away so many visitors who were planning
to attend it. There were ten full DAYS of
public examinations, society anniversaries
addresses, and graduating exercises; and
abundant evidence in all of them. that
0berlin stilrholds its students to thorough
work in their studies, and teaches them to
think for themselves.
The choice music at all the exercises,
and the two delightful concerts by the Mu.
steal Union of a hundred trained singers
in one of which the entire Oratorio Of the
Creation was rendered most admirably
testified to the good work which is done
by the Conservatory of Music. 1t has had
over 200 students the past year. Almost
its entire corps of teachers add to othel
superior qualifications for their work, the
advantages of training at the best musi
cal school in the world-the Leipzig Con
servatory
1t was announced that this was the las
Commencement that would be held in thl
heat and dust of August. Hereafter thert
will be winter term, with the long vaca
tion in the summer, and COMMENCEMENT
will come early in June, This will be al
equal accommodation to those young mel
who wish to work at home summers anC
go to school in the winter; and to tn,
young women who wish to study winter
and teach summers. Students in the reg
ular courses who need to teach winters t,
help meet their expenses, will be afforded
special facilities for studying in the sum
mer, and so keeping up with their classes
The fall term, this year, begins Sept. II
and the winter term, Dec. 4.
The endowment of Oberlin is painful
inadequate for university that educate
over thousand students year-not S
large, indeed, as that Of some academic
that do not have hundred students. II
charges to students, too, are very low
lower, if l mistake not, than of any othe
college in the land, with equal facilitie.
Its endeayOr is to put an education i
reach of any yeung man or woman, how
ever poor, who is wide awake, industriou
and economical, The entire charge fC
tuition, incidental and library fees, is onl
$27 year! Board of very fair quality
with furnished room, can be had in Or
vate families as low as 80 so week. NJ
Q few students manage to earn enough |
meet all theiF expenses as they go along
though one needs extra pluck and goo
health to do that and not suffer in sphela
ship. These low charges, and this sma