New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-09-20
LIFE AT COLLEGES.


When Garfield reached Williams College, in June 1854
ne had about 5000 which he had saved while teaching
In the Hiram school, With this money he hoped to man
age to get through few weeks remained OF
closing school year. and no attended the rectaons
| the sophomore class in order to get familiar
with the methods of the professors testing his
ability to pass the examinations for the junior year
The examination for entering the Junior was pa
without trouble. Although selfJaught, his knowledge
OF the books prescribed thorough. long summer
vacation followed his examination this time he en-
poyed III the college library tho first large collection
books he had ever His absorption the double
work of teaching and fitting himself for college had bith
erto eft him little time for general reading the
brary opened world OF profit and delight He Ind
never read line OF Shakespeare extracts in
the school readngbooks. From tho range of 1c
non he had voluntarily shut himself OF at eighteen
when he Joined the church. having the
business OF life, and ,bbing the notion, then almost
universal among religious people In the country districts
OF the West that novereading - OF time and
therefore sinful, worldly of intellectual amuse
ment When turned loose in the college library, with
weeks OF leisure to range at will it's shelves
gan with Shakespeare which he from cover
10 cover Then he went to English history and poetry
Of the poets Tennyson pleased bost which ia not To
be wondered at the influence of the Iaurcnta ,yo
then at its height
Garfield studied Latin and Greek and took up German
"a an elective study. One year college completed his
classical studes on which he far advanced before
ae came To Williams German he carried essfuy
anred considerable buency in tho conversational use
the language. He entered with zeal into tho uterary
Work OF the school joined the Pholodan Society was
vigorous debacr and In his year OF the cd,
tors of The Williams Q"areriy college periodical OF
high order OF merit.
AT the end OF the fall term OF 1854 couc v,,,or
vacation of two months, which Garfield etpploy.d T.,
teaching writing-school at North Pownal Vermont
He wrote bold handsome egiblc hand not at all like
that In vogue nowadays in the systems taught in the
nnllg lItf Ia,.l
dividual and was the OF the boys and girls who
tried to initiate it in his Vermont class II ia said that
year or two before Garfield taught hs wrtngclass in
o North fowna school house Chester A. Arthur taught
the district school In the building
AT the end OF the college year. IN June Gnrneld ,ve,
bnck to Ohio and visited his mother who was then living
with daughter in Scion, His money was exhausted
aud he had to adopt one of two plans borrow
enough to take him through to graduation mt the end
OF the noxt year. or to teaching order to earn
the money, and thus break the continuity OF hs coI,e
course He then hit upon the plan insurinc his life
and assigning tho policy security for n loan Us
brother Thomas undertook to furnish the funds in in
stalmens hut becoming embarrassed was not able 70
do 3d. and ncighbor DIR. Robinson assumed the oh-a
ton. Garfield his for tho loan and regarded
'he transaction IA on fair business basis knowing that
he lived lie would repay the money and That If he died
his creditor would be secure.
His second winter vacation CarAeld snc,. q,
Poestenkil' eNew-York, country ncighborhood
about six miles from Troy. where a Disciple
minister from Ohio, named streeter was preacb
ing ana where he soon organized a writinc-scAool
to employ his time and bring him in n little MONEY oc
casonaly Garfield preached his friends church Dur
ing Wait TO Troy he became aoq uaned with the teach
es ana directors OF the public schools that city ud
"is one day surprised by the offer position i'm the
al salary far beyond his expectations of what nc cod
earn after his graduation and return to Ohio II vos
turning point In his life. If he accepted ne could soon
pay ms debts, marry the girl Ia whom he was cngore
ana i've life OF comfort IN attractive Eastern CITY
Dut ne could not finish hH college course and he onld
nave To sever the ties with his friends in Ohio md Win
the struggling school ut Hiram which he WAS decnl
attached HAD he taken the position, his whole sphso
qnent career would no doubt havc been different
Darhg his last term at Williams he made his first no,i,-
zeal speech an address before meeting gathered in one
OF the classroolns TO support the alton OF John
Fremont Although he had passed his majority n.or,
-FOUR years oofore, he had voted ,rhr old por
ana not interest him he believed them both corrnrt.a
Win the sin OF slavery; but when new partv orosa g.
COMBAT the designs OF the slave power 1t enlisted Ma
earnest synlpathies. His mind free from au h,o.
concerning the parties and statesmen or the post md M
ooiu equally admire Clay Jackson, Webster or Ron
Coh' lie ls the frat man nominated for the
whose political convictions activities hepor win -,
orth OF inc Republican party. He was graduated Au,
iooo WIN class honor established by President H.
klns ana highly esteemed In the collcgetb,t ~, 80,
physics-reading an essay on THE Seen and tho NJ
seen" ~ VI"