New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-03
VALE ALUMNI IA YEA SMOKER
GEORGE L. FOX TALKS ABOUT ENGLISH
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
LECTURE-A NOMINATING COMMITTEE



The Yale Alumni Association Of Ncw-York held
a Smoker at Sherry's last evening. The prlnci-
pal feature Of the entertainment was a talk on
English public schools by George J.. Fox rector Of
Hopkins Grammar School. New-IIaven. Mr. Fox's
lecture talk, as it was preferred to call 1t, in
view Of the Informal character of the meeting. was
highly interesting and entertaining The accounts
Of English school life and descriptions Of some
OF the schools were nterspersed with anecdotes and
humorous stories, al Of which were well told Mr.
Fox has made study of the English schools and
he took his camera along when he visited them
The result some beautiful views. which were
thrown on screen las; night illustrate the talk
Mr.. Fox said in part: You have heard Of the
famous saving Of Wellington that Waterloo was
the field Of Eton. In the English schools
have been developed those ideas Of fighting. re-
sisting. struggling against something, which have
made England such great and powerful nation.
"The public school in England doesn't mean a
free school. it does in this country. The public
schools are considered the most desirable. To have
attended them stamps man as belonging to the
noblcsse ] am at loss to know just how to de
fine them They are large having from 400 to loo
boys. They are boarding schools They prepare the
boys for the universities. They have a National
patronage rather than a local They are
church schools, the rec;ors ali being ministers Of
the Church Of England. Whittakers Almanac
gives the number Of these public schools forty
five The English Year Book counts fifty Of them
Probably most Englishmen would tell you there
were ten or twelve. Among the principal ones are
Winchester Eton, Westminster. St. Paul's. Rugby
Harrow and Marlborough.
There is a strict approximation rule that Is. a
boy must reach certain class at a certain axe
He must finish his course at nineteen. If ne does
not fast enough he is told. Providence never
sire to interfere with the workings Of Providence
The chief qualities Of these boys robustness and
viriy. Everything tends 10 root out efeminacy.
The heroic way in which learned to swim at Ne7-
me of the way the English masters put through
their boys. When the boys are graduated from me
schools they have covered much OF the ground which
is gSne oyer IN the rst two Years at our b cP%ges
TheX lay great strrss on lhssing' Wngn !, =
for and protect the little fellows. ana in turn
big ones They do not have T. do such meniai
and unpleasant. tasks as formerly once N" lltuc
cold weather and wake them in the morn.ns.
l have seen them come tumbng upstairs; a DOS,
last To arrive had 10 do the errand, hence me
Nearly ali the schools require the boys f. run.
play football or cricket take part IN som" oth'i
vigorous outdoor exercise. Tnere j. regular
never play for money. At only one place that !
know of 30 they ever charge an admission fr- 30
Some school picks OUT d rival school or tWp an u
they play against one another l,1I an >'-'
great gulf is fixed between professionals AMI ANA
Tours Tho manners Of the crowds ~ the public
games are irreproachabe. ! have never known an
instance 81 a game being by he crow mere
is never an attempt made 10 rattle any pay gr
side Ther- is no cheering. only clapping Of hands
ana an occas onal well done "
Mr. Fox then took his hearers through some oi
the bes:-kuown English schools with the ala 81 hs
stcrcoptcon. His talk was frequently aPlhaudrI.
and many spoke Of it afterwarl as a delightful en-
Iertainment.
ent went upstairs To the supper table. and th"g".
after supper - the drumming Of the banjo. They
sang college songs and enjoyed themselves. ~
Judge Henry T. Rowland presided.
business meeting was hell. and the following
committee. was elected % nominate officers. j.
Frederick Keruochan. Henry ". Taft. Hart ~
man Chandler =. Anderson AMI + kingshnry
Curtis Among others present We're l'f. tlwar !
r. Lambert II y Colt. sherman Eyarts, Julian
W. Cur,iss. Richard *. sheldon x. 4 rrAho4y,
O. G. Jennings George Adce and Payson Merrill