The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-07-25
Something for Ambitious Students tn
Read.

Miss HENRIETTA HAMILTON, one of
the graduating class at the Normal Col
lege, died on Wednesday of last week
and was buried on Friday. In regard
to the cause OF her death there has
been considerable discussion, but care
full investigation seems to leave no
doubt that it was an undue application
to her studies. Miss Hamilton was the
daughter of Mr.. William E. Dodge's
coachman, and being bright, ambi-
tious and clever, had formed some
years ago the design of obtaining as
good an education as the public schools
Of NeV York afford, and of devoting
herself to teaching after she had COM
pleted her course of study. She was
rather tall and slender, having grown
very rapidly for the past few years,
with pretty and very pleasant face
and Intellectual features. She grad
uated from the Twenty-eighth-street
public school before she was fourteen
years old, and as fourteen years, how
ever, is the limit of youth, beyond
which the Normal College will not go
in admitting students, she was obliged
to wait, although unwillingly, and en-
ter that institute with the next class
following. At this time, even, she was
less than fourteen and half years old,
and from the accounts given was far
too immature to enter on such a cur
riculum as that of the Normal College,
| No objection under the rule can, how
ever, be urged against students who
have completed their fourteenth year,
and she was admitted, as three girls Of
the same age have been admitted this
week. Her father, although he knew
that she studied hard, did not suppose
that she was seriously injuring herself
thereby, and it was surprise to him
when she was Frustrated by her last
illness. She would very often. he said,
pore over her books constantly from
three o'clock in the afternoon till ten
at night. When she was taken with
commissions and intense pain in the
head last month he took her to DIR.
Delafield, who had ordered her to give
up her study at once and to rest.
There was NO doubt in his mind that
the system of the Normal College was
blamable, and that by the righteousness
of the course of study there were many
broken down in health. A call was
next made on President Hunter, of the
Normal College, for the purpose of
learning what he knew of the case.
Ex-Mayor Wickham, the Chairman OF
he Board of EducatiOn's Committee
on the Normal College, was talking
with the President and listened quietly
while the latter replied to a question
about Miss Hamilton's case. President
Hunter said: +" 1t does not at all appear
that Miss Hamilton died of ovcrwork.
Paralysis of the brain is disease that
laboring men often have. But the fact
of one Of our girls dying is made the
text for accusation against the Normal
College, and physicians, when they
cannot give a diagnosis of case, at
once say that the trouble was too much
| work."
81 don't agree with you," said Mr..
Wickham. Il think it is very proba-
BILE that among the girls We have here
there are good many who work too
hard. and who suffer from it.; and it is
very probable that this one died from
the effects of it. But do not see that
the school is to blame. The parents
who push their children forward, or
the students themselves, are the ones
who areto blame. We take all the pains
we can to keep them from over-study.
but we cannot watch them at home. =
N. Y. Herald.