The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1883-07-18
HOW THEY PAID THEIR WAY
THROUGH COLLEGE.
shifts and Expedients of Conege-Life.

HOW THEY PAID : THEIR WAY
THROUGH COLLEGE.
shifts and Expedisnts of Conege-Life.
The United States has very aptly been
termed the Land of Sef-Made Men.
Large numbers of its most famous and
successful men have been born, if not
m poverty, in at best but very humble
circumstances, and have risen to emil
hence mainly by their own unaided ex-
ertions. It Is said that in some of our
colleges from one-fourth to one-half of
the young men who have been graduat-
ed, have paid their expenses with
money they have earned by their own
labor. At the college where the writer
was . student, twenty-six of the one
hundred and eight students who were
then obtaining an education there de-
pended upon their own earnings for
obtaining every dollar that their edu-
cation cost Them Various were the
expedients to which these aspirants
for academic honors and 8 liberal edu-
cation were sometimes reduced; yet /
doubt whether, on the whole, the fa-
yored sons of wealth enjoyed college,
life more than did these young men,
remember one In particular whose
means Of earning money were exceed
ingly meager, and who used to ssboard
himself' in his room. During one fall
term OF fourteen weeks he felt that he
could spare for the whole term but sew
enteen dollars for food, sum which
certainly did not admit of many luxu-
ries Squashes were very plentiful and
cheap that season, and he came to the
conclusion that there was q great deal
Of nutrition in q mealy Hubbard
squash His stove had little oven in
the top of it, in which he baked half
squash at . time. A spoon, with salt
and pepper and now and then ball of
butter which his mother sent him, COM
pleted his culinary and dining outfit,
Tor he took his squash in the shell and
followed it with . hearty draught of
water at the pump. He certainly
seemed thrive upon this diet, and it took
. good man to play better s.first base"
than did this sturdy going vegetarian.
Some of the young fellows often joked
him about his squash dinners; but he
was always ready with q quick, cheer
full retort- He made no secret of his
poverty, and was not ashamed of it. He
knew very well it was not his fault that
ne was poor. And they might have
known it, too, had they given the mat
man actually got through that term at
the rate of dollar week for food, which
left him three dollars of the seventeen
he had set apart for that purpose, and
with the three remaining dollars he
bought Smiths Classical Dictionary.
hardly need add that he achieved sue
cess in life. BE is now prosperous
publisher.
Several of the twenty-six young men
above named were, so fortunate as to
have friends who advanced them mon-
ey, at six per cent interest, which was
to be repaid after they had graduated
and had time to earn It. To secure the
debt, in the event of their death, they
insured their lives for fifteen hundred
dollars each, paying the annual
premiums on the policy, but allowing
fhe interest ON the money borrowed to
nccrue- Such method permits the
student to give his whole time to his
studies while in college, but really does
not tend to develop the self-reliance
that comes from being independent Of
fnvors from friends.
Another student, who was q class
mate of the writer and whom I used to
call Marty busted himself during the
vacations In selling sewing-machines.
BE was so good salesman that his
percentages on the machines he sold
1Fere sufficient to pay all of his college
Expenses If, toward the end of q
be1m, his money had been all expended,
he Would get leave of absence for .
week and set of with his sample for
. brief campaign among the farmers
wives.
Another Of my classmates went every
summer into the bayfield,. The farmers
usually paid him two dollars day for
his services, and he would come back
20 college in September as brown as a
Moor.
Others taught school during the win
ter vacations, which at that college were
az weeks in length; and one or two
Ssudenfs acted as tutors for boys in
wealthy families at stated hours during
term-time-
Some of these needy young men
were very economical in clothing. One
of them made the sum of fifty dollars
eufIice for the amount paid for his
clothes for three years. It is hardly
necessary 10 say that he did not 60
sGy much .'into society" which is not
an injury to student. Balls and at
Eendance upon young ladies are not
conducive to close application and stu
nous habits.
One Of the sternest methods OF self
help which I remember among my
Htudent acquaintances was that prac-
Essd by Freshman, whom his class
mates called "Calhound." from the
nnispronunciation IN q class debate OF
he name Of the celebrated Southern
statesman. During the winter term
&Calhound" would disappear for two
or three hours, immediately after morn
ING recitation, and again after prayers
Af tour o'clock In the afternoon. For
hong time his classmates did not know
where he went or what he did; but
near the close of the term it was dis
covered that he had taken contract tc
ont wood, by the cord, for the use oi
locomotives, at q railroad station .
mile and q half away. He received
dollar cord, and cut about a-cord PEI
dav. and at the same time he kept uE
his studies with his class he com
pleted his contract, and cut fifty cords
81 wood during the term. for which he
received fifty dollars While at worf
with his ax, be would have his Latir
or his Algebra propped open on
sfurnp hard by. and after hard boul
~ : thick log, he would sit down ane
master passage, or an example, Jot
ffno the franslafion, or the solution, OF
= Sxre white chip which his weu-aP
nlied Az had thrown cut q scarf