The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1890-02-20
FROM DAVIDSON COLLEGE
A Sprightly Letter From this Excellent
and Growing Institution.
Especial Correspondence Of the Sent,nel.l

and Growing Institution.
Especial Correspondence Of the Sent,nel.l
DAVIDSON COLLEGE, Feb. 15.-
Thinking that few jottings from
Davidson might / e of some interest to
you and many of your readers who
have "gone through" here, forward
a few, and the first thing, of course, to
be noted is the all-prevailing LA
Grippe" which has "gripped" about
half of the citizens and students here,
and nearly all of the f. Guilty. 1t has
been "fine time" for tie doctors, but
very much like the fable of the .sBoys
and Frogs!' although no case here has
proved fatal as yet, and will not we
hope, for all have nearly or quite re-
covered.
The oldest citizen here-Mr. 1. w.
Sparrow, 80 years Of AGES expected
to die to-day, not with la grippe
but heart disease and general debility.
He is brother of the late Rev. DR..
Sparrow, President of Hampden Sid :.
ney.
The societies here have recently
held their annual election of marsl,als,
orators, etc. Rev. DR.. Hoge, of Rich
mond, Va, is to preach the Bacca-
laureate sermon, and Gov. Gordon, of
Georgia, to deliver the annual ed
dress before the Literary societies.
Mr.. Charlie Wharton is chief mar
shall. Speaking of ''chief marshal"
reminds me that l heard this week
that "the boys" were going+to cele-
brate Washington's birthday here
next Saturday, and that Mr.. A. B.
Andrews, jr., is to be chief marsal.
Well, if he can manage celebl atiou
as we'll as his father can a railroad, it
will doubtless be success.
If any one should ask why they
celebrate 22nd of February and Goth
of May so regularly in Mecklenburg,
or at Davidson College, the answer is
obvious: The "Mecklenburg De
claration"- was the conception
of American Independence on
Goth of May, 1875, drawn up within
few miles of this place, and some of
"the old veterans of the Revolution
airy war went from this section, proln-
inent among them Gen. Davidson,
who fell at the battle of Cowan's
Ford, and whose sword and brace of
pistols are now hanging in this Col
lege library. This College was NAM
ed and dedicated to his memory, and
there is to be suitable monument
erected to his memory on the campus
ere long. At the unwilling of the
monument we expect to have some
big guns, and we hope the editor of
The SENTINEL will be among them.
We shall need Long guns as we'll as
big guns.
And now as Ihave given the origin
of the name and location of Davidson
College, I hope no ore else will write
me at Davidson College Davidson
county," nor ask me Gas several have)
"whar is daviecin colliage?" A year
or two ago as was driving through
the country from Winston. via Mocks-
vile, South River, and Franklin in
Rowan county, asked a gentleman
at the latter place for directions to
Davidson College, and he looked at
me with surprise, exclaiming:
"Why, man. you've done come by
Davisin Collage now! Hits right
over the river yander."
/ told him that was Yadkin Col
lege Gin Davidson county,. His re-
ply was, chats all the Davisin Col
liage that 1 ever heard of. Mister,
that road will take you to Thyatisa
church."
Every we'll, sir, thanks; if 1 get
there 1 can find the way to Davidson
College"
"W ell, lookee here, mister, whar' is
Davisin Collage, anyhow"
at is situated, sir, in Mecklenburg
county, on the A. T. & o. R. r., just
halfway between Charlotte and States
ville."
"Oh!-ah, ha, that's the place We
waginers used to call Da> isin School
house. Yes, l remember hit now"
"No, sir, it is not a ..schoolhouse,' but
it is one of the finest colleges South of
Yale. The college building alone cost
$4,000, and it is well equipped with
the most improved apparatus, having
over 5000 specimens in the geological
department. Rev. j. B. Shearer, D.
D., is President, and, by the way, he
is giant, theologically, Intellectually
and nearly so physically. The faculty
consists of professors and one tutor
one LII. D. and two Phi. DIS mong
them"
"Well, there used to be little I'LL
lage there when l went apast there;
do you call that Davisin Collage,
too p
Eyes, sir; the town is also called
Davidson College, but it is not such a
small village now, but quite g town.
About 5000 bales of cotton are ship
ped from here every year, and there
are one or two cotton factories in en-
bryo:"
"Well, sir, you ought to advertise
your collage and town, and let people
know whar' you ar"
The last remark made me feel "a
little cheap" There is sound philos-
ophy in his last assertion. If this col
lege was advertised extensively, and
its merits known as they should be,
instead of being only 100 students
here as there are now, there would be
200, and might be 500, in short time.
There is plenty of room to accommo-
date them, and plenty of brain to
teach them.
By the way, speaking of cotton fac
tories in embryo, reminds me that
Messrs. Slough, Cornelius & Co. have
one in successful operation near here