The herald., 1895-07-01

-'A-NSAH-'' nOU uolu Ill ulSu
esteem by the agriculturists with whom
was familiar when boy. They won
their way to the position now held
slowly and over thorny path. The
one thing known about the rotation
of crops in the remote period of which
I am speaking was that after corn was
grown for many years in succession on the
same fields (if they were not bottom lands
overflowed nearly every year) the crop de-
clined, and it was good thing to give it
turn in clover.
The success of the invader on white
horse in southwestern Ohio persuading
the farmers to take stock in farmers
college has been puzzle. 1t is only ac-
countable upon the theory that the man
believed that he was engaged in q mis-
sionary work of first rate Importance.
Nearly 200 young men assembled, and
there was perhaps never before or since
such q remarkable assortment of raw ma
terial for the plastic hands of educators.
Tho president of the college, Freeman G..
Cary, was strong and jealous man, ear
nest even to violence, with hatred of to-
bacco-that bane Of colleges, that soon in
duenced me to become a smoker-a waste
full habit that I repented and reformed
then ex-president of Oxford college (Mi-
ami university, was the inevitable Scotch
professor who taught free trade political
economy, and he was splendid old schol-
ar and gentleman after the manner of the
later and more celebrated DR.. McCosh.
Next in rank was DR.. John w. Scott, the
professor of literature and one of the most
kindly and charming of men, whose cot
70 in, tho midst nf viz nd fr,,i
and flowers it was an educational privi-
lege to visit.
Joseph G. Wilson, the head of the pre-
paratory department. a born teacher, who
was truly interested in his work and whose
endless patience and resources were inval-
liable, came next in general estimation.
Later he found his home in Oregon and
was one of her earliest representatives in
congress after laborious and most honor
able career on the supreme bench Of that
state. At the opening of the first session
of the college, which succeeded Cary's
Academy, nearly everybody started in the
preparatory department., and Joe Wilson,
whose genial dignity made the "Joe'' a
term of respect and endearment, was by far
the most important man in the faculty, so
far as the hard work was concerned. have
omitted Ormsby, the mathematician, who
made mathematics attractive, and the usu-
al teacher of French.
We were arranged on the Second day of
the session on the low wooden benches in
the recitation room of the old academy,
the building that had been occupied by
that institution before the college edifice
had usurped the first position among the
colleges on the hill. The boys did not
knnU naoh nthar fhov hoI i,,ok Ioo
raked in from half a dozen counties, and
were seated, according to the official list of
their names, in strict alphabetical order. I
was at the south end of one of the north
ern of two rows of benches facing east,
where the teacher stood, his black curly
hair and eyes shining. There were nearly
100 OF us, and we were wanted for exam
ination as to our accomplishments and
classification. Joe Wilson was to sift us
and report progress as he found where
we belonged, one of the great tasks of life,
never quite accomplished until the end.
The walk between the rows of benches
was on my right, and the boy on my left
was few years younger than and quite
slender, with fair hair and pale, serious
face. was wearing heavy brown home
made coat, with very largo buttons, and it
rative garment, though it might have
been dress coat, for tho tails were not in
the way Of my legs, save when sat down.
My left hand boy was very neat, and /
only remember of his clothing that his
Jacket was buttoned up to the top button.
We were seated next each other, because
our names began with the same letters,
and his name was Benjamin Harrison.
His elder brother, Irwin-the mothers
maiden name-was on his left, and they
were placed in that order because the ini-
tial B came before I in the all powerful
alphabet.
We did not stay in this order very long
Benjamin Harrison turned out to have
the advantage of the majority of us in his
preparatory studies. and no has held his
own pretty we'll, considering the talent he
has had to compete with, ever since. This
was the beginning of an agreeable ao-
quaantance, and when anybody tells me
that Ben Harrison is not good fellow,
why, know that he is mistaken. 1t is
perhaps not SO curious as it seems that the
boys talked of Ben Harrison as the one of
us who would be president of the United
States. suppose in most American
schools there has been boy picked out by
his companions for the presidential dis
tinction The prophecy that the presi-
dency will strike a young man is popu.
lar one General William henry Harrison
had been dead only eight years, and four
of his grandsons-Irwin and Benjamin
Harrison and William and Charles