Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1886-07-20

His Youthful ays-His Alma Mater
Interesting Account OF His Ex-
p~eriences.
To tie Press and Dd6o:alea.
The wonders of travel are seen in
breakfasting n morning in the live
city of Yankton and taking our supper
in Oberlin tx g next day evening.
We left the miles behind too fast for
accurate observation, yet cur ride from
Yankton to Chicago and from the great
city of the lakes to the renowned seat
OF learning in northern OHIO wat as
pleasant as it was rapid. The journey
was enlivened by the genial presence OF
DR.. Ward, president OF Yankton college.
The president visited Oberljn to secure
a professor of music for the institution
over which he presides.
Your correspondent fret saw this
historical spot fifty years ago last May.
Then his route led him from Elyria, the
county seat of Lorain, where the stage
coach set him down through o low level
of forest land of oak, beech, maple and
elm by q road cut out through the dense
woods, which required the corderoy
railroad to keep eve empty teams above
ground. Not a house to enliven the scene
the. whole eight miles, ere the opening in
the forest made for Oberlin college
was reached. The lofty trees had fallen
by the power of the Woodlands x and
the brush and cord wood was scattered
in promiscious confusion over the would
be clearing. The stumps were in the
streets. The show for a college waf
small indeed. One hall made of slabs
called Slab hall, was open for coming
students. Abbir hall had long been full,
too full for comfort. This was the last
building to remind the visitor of the
Oberlin he knew fifty years ago, but
this relic of the past was but lately re-
moved. 1t went up in flame and
smoke and the ash heap was there to be
seen, This was all that remained of
the old Oberlin and the marks aver OF
the ruin are being speedy oblitesated
by a new and roomy block of brick
which is rapidly nearing completion.
Thus there was naught to tell the old
graduate OF his alma mater but the u
and the sky-all else have changed. Colo
NAL hall was built the first few months
after arrival in Oberlin. Boarding
hall, where preaching service IVES held
after Abbir hall was too small to hold
the inflow of students which freedom Of
thought had called this way; Taffon hall,
which went up the first year We had q
home in. Oberlin; the laboratory, where
the professor Of chemistry performed
with his crucibieB and retorts-all are
facts of the past. SO of the proprietors O.
the houses. Yes, the teachers themselves
are all quietly sleeping in the village
cemetery their last long sleep. The
stumps no longer are seen in the streets
the little saplings which the students. sci
out in the college square
of elm and maple have now grown to be
stately trees. Where the cord wood and
the brush and stumps were soattered
over the fields nov the beautiful resi-.
dence with lawns OF living. green, hedges
OF arbor, vitae or balsgan fir, with orna'
mental shrubs, flowers and ON endless
variety of trees costing their refreshing
shadows ont OF the day, these beauties
have opened into light and air. The oil
college structures have given place te
colossal structures of stone or brick
IA Thousand students are now where ir
former DAYS the hundred gathered
What mi sic now fills the orchestra Of
church and chapel. What platform
~utterances salute the ear and cheer the
heart of the listening crowds
The polished student of the present dc,
tells of progress in the past and bids III
be hopeful of the battle OF life which
these will be called to fight. Oul
children had sung from the glee book
"My Father 3 Growing DID," but VI
must make this journey to our almf
mater to see ii. The. boys Of our youth
those who survive, where here will
their withered looks and deeply furrow
ed cheeks-like we had seen it when il
days of old q little lad padded the cano,
in which VIZ were among the pas
sengers, into the middle of the father o
waters, where the widening river wa
over q mile in width. How placid
how still. how currentless the stream
No mill pond was more 30. Until VI
directed our eyes to the shore
then suddenly the truth flashed on tina
mind. Ii the trees and solid land wal
going mp stream SO rapidly surely WI
must be going down as rspidly. 81
when we looked in the faces and graspet
the withered hands of chums, classmates
and college associates, and saw tht
change, we realized as never before the
nearing of the mouth of the river which
would too soon launch us on the bound.
less sea.
1t had been forty-seven years since
the writer had attended a single com.
mencement. That last commencement
was on his " graduation day. This
class OF 80 numbered seventeen nem
bern. Nine Of the seventeen have
reai,hed the limitlsss sea. OF the eight
who survive four came for o class re-
union. The writer is the only one o.
1.-The living eight who yet keeps the field