Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-08-07
"REMINISCENCES OF TILpEN.
How He Thrashed Big Fellow-His
Acts of Generosity.
Fran, tAs Mem York World.

From the NetO York World.
NEW HAVEN, Aug. 4.-Samuel j. Til
den entered Yale College in 1893. He was
then 10 years old. He did not complete
his course. Owing to his studlous habits
his health broke down in the latter part
of his freshman term and he did not re-
turn the next year. When Mr.. Illden
first entered Yale he was very shy and
seldom entered into New Haven society.
II was good natured, and would put up
with good deal before resenting wrong.
A classmate living in this city tells the
following little stories of him:
When Mr.. Tilden said that he would do
a thing he would always adhere to his
promise. When the freshmen of '33 were
marching about on a class day Tllden
was among the number. He carried
good-slZed cane, the same as the rest.
One big, burly fellow, who is long since
dead, took great pleasure in annoying the
''4irl- boy" as he nicknamed him. When
the students got down Chapel street the
big boy, who carried no club, tried to
take Tilden's away from him. Tilden
told him that If be did not leave him alone
he would punish him. The other man did
not mind the threat, and the idea OF the
little fellow licking him was, he thought,
laughable. So he kept up his "fOoling'
den all OF u sudden dropped his cane and
pitched into his annOyer, and the thrash
ing that that big fellow got was long re-
membered. The students all cheered
him, and from that day until the term
closed Tilden received no more annoyance
from the man whom he whipped.
Tilden was OF retiring disposition, but
he delighted in doing good turns to poor
men. One night he carried poor drunk
! a N a bnrpr n hnnGp a
the other students laughed at him. On
another occasion mis- washerwoman'sl little
child died and the poor woman had hard
ly enough money to bury IL. Tilden got
the boys to chip in, and they raised
enough to bury the child deceDtly. He
was generous to fault, and often got
taken in by the other students through
| his generosity.
He had his photograph taken while here
in college, and small one all covered by
dust and dimmed by age was to-day dis
covered on the walls of the old gallery
where he had his photograph taken. 1t
| showed bright, rather girlish face, but
the manly forehead is there. His photo
graph was taken in a suit OF the style of
those days, with lOw-cut waistcoat and
standing collar and cravat. The back of
| the photograph is Endorsed, "Samuel j.
Tilden, Yale, '33. Presented to William
~ APAAA ~abh1 AOOo' NhgCA wac
the photographer.
In Mr.. Tilden's class at Yale were Sena-
tor Evarts and Chief Justice Waite.
Tilden and Waite were very dummy,
and often went out together or visited
each others rooms, and would chat for
hours on the politics of the day. Tilden
had learned deal OF politics by listening
to the conversation of Van Buren, and
others, who were wont to meet at his
fathers home. He got the spirit of ex-
element that was then prevailing over
the events of Jackson's administration.
Young Tilden was only Is years old
when he wrote his thoughts under the
title of address to the People," Tilden
would often say while in college what a
| great pleasure 1t was to him when Van
| Buren, read the address. adopted it, had
a dozen of the leading Democrats of the
State to sign it, and published it officially
In the Albany Argus, where 1t occupied
halt page. Tilden was a great lover OF
the gymnasium while at Yale, and good
walker. He used TO delight in walking
to the East Rock 10 visit the "Old Judges
Cave" When leaving college he told his
classmates that 1t was not probable he
would come back again His room was
in the old North College, and his name,
| cut out In rough letters on the cOal-bin
| door, can still be seen.