The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1883-07-28
HOW THEY PAID THEIR WAY
.. THROUGH COLLEGE.
Shifts and Expedients of College-Life.


The United States has very aptly been
termed the Land of Self-Made Men.
Large numbers of its most famous and
successful men have been born, if not
in poverty, in at best but very humble
circumstances, and have risen to emil
nence mainly 10y their own unaided ex-
ertions. 1t is said that in some of our
colleges from one-fourth to one-half of
the young men who have been gradual
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 liberal edu-
cation were sometimes reduced; yet l
doubt whether, on the whole, the IA
vored sons of wealth enjoyed college
life more than did these young men.
1 remember one in particular whose
means of earning money were exceed
ingly meager, and who used to "board
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 great deal
of nutrition in mealy Hubbard
; squash. His stove had little oven in
the top of it, in which he baked half a
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
; for he took his squash in the shell and
. followed it with hearty draught Of
water at the pump. He certainly
: seemed to thrive upon this diet, and ittook
= a good man to play better ''tirst base
al than did this sturdy-going vegetarian
Some of the young fellows often joked
eshim about his squash dinners; but he
was always ready with quick, cheer
full retort. He made no secret of his
poverty, and was not ashamed of it. HI
h knew very well it was not his fault tha
he was poor. And they might hav,
known it, too. had they given the mat
e ter one serious thought. This young
man actually got through that term a
the rate of dollar week for food, which
"a left him three dollars of the seventeen
he had set apart for that purpose, ant
with the three remaining dollars h,
bought Smiths Classical Dictionary
hardly need add that he achieved sue
cess in life. He is now a prosperou
publisher.
Several of the twenty-six young mel
above named were so fortunate as t.
have friends who advanced them mon
ey, at six per cent, interest, which wa
to be repaid after they had GRADUATES
and had time to earn it. To secure tn
debt, in the event of their death, the
insured their lives for fifteen hundre
dollars each, paying the annus
premiums on the policy, but allowin
the interest on the money borrowed t
accrue. Such a method permits tn
student to give his whole time to hi
studies while in college, but really doe
not. tend to develop the self-relianC
that comes from being independent {
favors from friends.
Another student, who was clas
mate of the writer and whom / used t
call MARTY" busted himself during ii
vacations in selling sewing-machine
He was so good salesman that h
percentages on the machines he sol
were sufficient to pay all of his colleg
expenses. If, toward the end of
term, his money had been all expended
he would get leave of absence for
week and set off with his sample" fl
a brief campaign among the farmer
wives.
Another of my classmates went evel
summer into the bayfield,. The farme
usually paid him two dollars a day +
his services, and he would come bat
to college in September as brown as
Moor.
Others taught school during the wi
ter vacations, which at that college we
six weeks in length; and one or tv
students acted as tutors for boys
wealthy families at stated hours duril
term-tmo,