New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-07-01
YALE'S CLASS OF '53.
LETTER FROM ONE OF ITS MEMBERS.

coNcEAIING SHEER IN QUOTATION MARKs-THE
APPRILAIION FAMOUS" AND HOW 1T WAS WON.
lFRoM sTAFP CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRmUNE.l
NEw-HAyES, juno 29.-The age grows Irreverent.
observe the most discouraging tokens of it in the
quotation marks which the press of the country
sometimes called "hcentious." sometimes "venal"
sometimes "hireling" tJmetimes "yicous'-but
which will mildly characterize in this relation
disrespectful-have placed around the famous"
Yale Class of 1853. Ia it only an unfounded sus-
picon of my sensitive soul, or do 1 actually detect
something covert in these suggestive inverted
commasf / fear my suspicion is not ground
less; that these Fluctuations have been
started on their round by the represen-
tatves Of later classes in spirit Of irreverent riv
airy, and that they actually mean what the lively
broker does when he says "Oh, hire hall y or the
truculent newsboy when he shouts "Give us
rest" One newspaper, not long ago. suggested in
tone of sarcastic levty that the college seemed to
have exhausted itself in graduating this class and
the wonder was what had kept it alive since that
time lt was question with the class whether they
should instruct their District-Attorney Phelps, to
have the author of the paragraph indicted,
send out detachment Of their " Major-Generals"
to bring him in dead or alive or have their Profess
sor Wilton withdraw his book on the Interpretation
of the New Testament word aioniOn so that the pun
finally to leave him to the buffetings of his
own conscience and a life of vain regrets.
More in sorrow than in anger, they said, at
last Hes young yet Let him live and be sorry
for it as he grows old" 1t is uncommonly for
giving class. This young mamie is believed to be
member of the class of l871-night have come
INTO the class meeting and called them bald-headed
and they wouldn't have set bears him even
though the market were full of them. They are
that kind Of fellows. They are panied to SEQ such
lack of veneratOn the part of the younger
graduates. but refrain from cutting them down on
account Of their unrpeness.
There is an impression abroad disseminated l
suspect by the suggestive quotation marks referred
tO-tha the class is indebted for its famous" ness
to the fact that it numbers among its members sew
cral who have been more or less connected with the
newspaper press and that these gentlemen have
seized every occasion to keep the class before the
public. 1t would take entire page of The TRIB-
UNE TO tell you how wretchedly and basely false is
that impression and probably two pages at least
to make some people believe it. II is true that the
class had from the start leaning toward the press
Ii was the only class that published a college
paper in its Freshman year. 1t got out but one
number OF it, TO be sure, but that was great num-
bcr containing besides some very remarkable wood
cuts, poem by Stedman, then Gidt 10. Stedman be-
gan publishing n newspaper Immediately after leav-
ing college, Then there are GeorgeW Smalley. ofTHE
TRIBUNE; Delano A. Goddard, of The Boston Adrer
fser; j. Eyarts Greene, of The WoroestT Spy;
J. Stoddard Johnston. of The Frankfort Ryl
Yooraan; Abner J.. Train. who was for
many years editor Of The HeP- Hdren Palladium;
and will not deny that have sometimes written
for newspapers myself. But / hope no one would
suspect any of Of setting aoat paragraphs lauda-
tory of the class Perish the suspicon II our duty
as journalists has compelled us to chronicle the sue
ccsses Of classmates, we have done il always with
great modesty, only mentioning incidentally that
they were members Of the Yale Class of 1883; aud
n at any time we included our own among the
names published II not to get notoriety for our
selves or shine by borrowed light and good company
don't think that OF usit was only To show that we
knew whereof we spoke. don't know in fact how
the class became " famous p-(with quotations.. /
think II woke up one morning and found
itself so. Instead Of seeking notoriety it has
shrunk from the public gaze with great assidmty.
Possibly with too great assiduity: perhaps it at
tracted public attention by the fuss it made in
shrinking Such things have happened. may be
permitted 10 say, however, that since the public
seems now to be sufficiently impressed with the fact
that il was n remarkable class, it has been decided
that instead of mentioning IN connection with the
names OF prominent men that they were members OF
this class il will hereafter be proper to make the
distinction between the great classes into which
the human race is divided TO w.t. the class of 1888
and tho rest Of mankind. by remarking. whenever
any outside person distinguishes himself in the fu-
ture: 1T is a singular circumstance in connection
with his career that he Is not member OF the IA
mona class of 1882 hope the press will take due
notice Of this The class feels that il may have oc-
cupied public attention too much for the past
md Is
twenty-five TO give the rest Of the world chance.
Could anything be fairerf
Before letting the curtain drop though, let me
indulge in a little remnscence, il can without
being interrupted by rreverent newspapers, with
that sort of prolonged O-o-o-hp which sometimes
preets n garrulous person IN Congress- or the Board
Of Aldermen or other disreputable gathering. Few
classes were ever so abundantly endowed with
noets IL seemed TO have been born with al had
almost said with "lyrop in its hand, but know
too well the capacity OF the human mind to ring
changes on that word and will not say lute,p
for then know somebody will be spelling II loot"
and vet | will have my figure: it was born with
barp-angelic and heavy, but, never mind-in Its
hand As early as Freshman year, poems were de-
livered in the Brothers in Unity and Linonian So
oieties by Edmund G. Stedman, Henry c. Robinson
and Albert T.. Kent-and all good poems, need i
sayi Then Charlton Il. Lewis delivered the class
poem IN Senior year. Theodore Bacon de-
liyered q poem before the Phi Beta Kappa
Society several years after graduation, ana
upon various occasions during tho course
college songs which still survive in the published
collections were written by Benjamin X. Phelps.
James Mccormick and Alfred Grant Possibly
there were others-I only remember these-and no
doubt there we're many "poets who never penned
their inspiration OF all these. Stedman only sur
wives as a poet and upon him the class rests IT'S
claim to distinction in that department The