The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-07
A BUSINESS UNIVERSITY.
An Old Student Returns to Greencastle and
What He Saw in the Old Town.
,nce Of tho indianapolis Journal.

GREENoAsTLE, Feb. 6.-I can heartily sympa-
thize with Rip Van Wrinkle in the surprises
which COMPOUNDED him on his awakening from
sleep of twenty years. Things do so change in
that time. and perhaps no changes so great as in
ourselves are seen if we could but see ourselves
as others see us. Twenty years ago last june
left Asbury University, an Undergraduate, and
cast my lot with many others of my own age to
fight the battles of my country. expected to
return and graduate when the cruel war was
over; but year in camp life obliterated almost
every vestge of college aspirations, and drifted
further and further away from what to me then
seemed the center of the universe OF
course / remembered Greencastle and its
institutions just as / left them, for, though not
out of humanity's reach, was cut off entirely
from all communication with the town. Hence,
while drifting eastward few weeks ago, con-
cluded to stop OF and spend day or two and see
what effect time had had on matters and things
hereabouts. l was fortunate in finding an old
friend who cordially opened his doors to me that
have gladly accepted his invitation to tarry until
the weather moderates. Hence / am here to-
day / say an old friend meaning not only q
whilom friend, but one on whom time has played
some FRANKS, for he is three score or more, and
most of his life has been spent in an about
Greencastle
The review of the past, by the aid of my
host has been SO instructive to me, and
Greencastle and its university are so
Statewide if not national in their interest, that
l have thought letter or two to the Journal
might be acceptable for there have been some rev.
Citations to me that may be revelations to others,
as my host. though not officially connected
university for 0p 11nnr
been in position to know all the outside and
some of the inside history of this popular and
promising institution He has freely unbo-
somed himself in the many fireside chit-chats
these weeks have afforded, seeming to forget
the disparity in our ages as we talked over old
things and new.
First let me speak of my own impressions.
An additional railroad, east and west, gives addi-
tional travelling facilities, and the town has
grown into quite city Better houses are built,
though very few yet are extrav-
agantly grand. L remembered the old
college building In my Juvenile days thought
my way to the hotel, there stood the beautiful
stone structure the new building and just be-
yond was the old building so changed by fire
and remodeling as to retain nothing of it's former
beauty; and here, and there and yonder were
two-three-four new buildings, for new de-
partments and new departures. But the greatest
change was in the faculty. DR.. Thomas Bow
man, the ideal gentleman, and scholar and
preacher; Dr. John W. Locke. the profound
mathematician, and Dr. Tingley, the man of
science and Hoyt, and Wiley, and Rogers-all
gone. Need it seem strange that to me none of
the present faculty measure up with their pre-
decessors, as knew them in my young man.
hoodi l referred to this in one of my talks
with my old friend. He cool1y answered
that much allowance must be made for
the standpoint of vision, that the men now
in their several places are eminent in their call
ing But look at them from the stand point of a
older frOY
perience and enthusiasm of youth. Perhaps
that is the way of it. and these men may all be
worthy successors Of worthy men,
Referring, one evening. to the change of name,
my friend said thoughtfuly, eyes, the name
is changed" That was we'll enough, if that were
all These new buildings that you see are put
up however, at our expense-not Mr.. DePauw's.
We paid 500, 900 in cash into the building 1und
and the buildings now under way will hardly
cost that yet. in an important sense they are
the work of Mr.. DePauw He superintends
them with almost as much detail as he would
an addition to his glass works. ana
for that he is to be commended. He
supervises every contract and carries into their
construction the same close business tactics that
mark his private affairs. This has been particu
larly the case since the change Of name, and I
may almost say change of proprietorship, for
Mr.. DePauw is practically the sole proprietor of
the institution at present He elects the pro-
fessors and fixes their salaries, and defines their
duties, and it is understood that their remaining
" i W
few years ago, lightning unexpectedly struck
first one and then another, and it is hardly Sc
cret that at least two who have been several
years connected with the institution, stand on
slippery ground, hardly knowing whether 10 be
or not to be. Whether their removal is de-
pendent on some untoward influences or not
is not certainly known. Jealousies among
so many men are not infrequent,
and it should surprise no person if one who has
the ear of Mr. DePauw should sometimes
whisper what he thinks Mr.. DePauw would like
to hear His business methods are seen in
fixing the salaries at a minimum and then in a
purely business way, saying that eff you can
not serve at that there are those who are more
than willing to take your place." Then, to the
literary duties of the chair, he often adds other
duties, such as making this one or that special
superintendent OF some Improvement, requiring
them to pay the hands, and otherwise look after
secular things. This is business, you see: and
business is business Until his second connec-
ton with the board, some fourteen years ago, it
was the order of the board and the custom
to pay full years salary for full
years work. the question first coming up
in the case Of the late Professor Downey;
but since he has introduced strictly business
methods it is not So If professor comes on
duty in September and closes the next june
having served only nine months he gets three
fourths OF years salary though he has done
the work of a year A few gears ago the now
popular Prof Bassett closed his former connec-
ton with the university at the close of the June
term, and though he had taught the full collegiate
year, he got only three-fourths of his promised
salary. SO with the present faculty. Their last
year, come when it may, or as it may. is to be
but three-quarters of year. Of course this
throws damper upon them. and they dread
to die resign; bat this is business. and the
university is run on business principles. This
letter is already too long. In my next will give
some further items of interest referring to some
of the faculty. VIAT0R.
The Undeveloped Riches of Alabama.
A. X. Mcclure, in Philadelphia Times.
Just what this vast field of as yet INFESTED