The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-05-02

that are of interest. Union was founded
from fund raised by lottery, though
that fact has been forgotten doubtless by
a large part of the public, but in this it
is not alone, for writer who fourished
in 1945 said in the course of an article
upon lotteries that there were then ''but
three universities in the whole country
that were not founded by lottery specu-
lation-Harvard, Yale and William and
Mary, Virginia. -
It was at Union that most of the col
lege secret societies originated-so many
Of them having been founded there, in
fact, as to cause Union to be termed the
''mother Of the Greek letter society"
It was st Union, too, that the college
version of f'The Promised Land, - a spir-
itual song in the first instance, was first
sung, and it was an early president Of
the institution, DR. Eliphalet Mott, who
abashed and punished in most effective
style some students caught in the act of
robbing his chicken coop by asking the
delinquents to dinner with him the next
day and feeding them on the chickens
which they had killed, albeit the story
has been told on several other prorni-
nent educationalists.
This DR.. Eliphalet Mott was a great
man in his day. Before he accepted the
post of Union chief executive he was
pastor Of Presbyterian church in AL
bany. In 1904, just after the duel be-
tween Burr and Hamilton, in which the
latter lost his life, DR.. Mott delivered
remarkable sermon upon that event.
This discourse speedily made the young
divine famous, and it's ability drew to
him the attention of Unions trustees
DR.. Mott served as president of Union
for the remarkable term of 50 years, and
so completely was the institution recast
during his long administration that it
has been spoken of as his monument
Besides being an eloquent preacher, a
profound scholar and a teacher of re-
markable clearness he was good deal
of politician, and it was no doubt due
as much to his ability in this direction
as in the others that he was able to
make his administration Of the affairs of
Union such a conspicuous success. He
was also a practical scientist, and it was
his inventive ability that gave to the
world the baseburning heater stove and
caused the cities of Albany and Troy to
become the center of the stove manufac-
turing industry in America.
DR.. Mott died in 1865 and was sue
ceeded by DR.. Laurens P Hickok, who
had been vice president. Two years later
he retired, to be followed by DR.. G. A.
A. Aiken, who also retired after two
years. DR.. Eliphalet Mott Potter, a
grandson of DR.. Mott, followed, but soon
resigned to take the presidency of an
other college. He was followed by Pro-
L =
gave out last year, when the present in
cumbent of Unions presidency, DR..
Andrew V. V. Raymond, was cho-
sen. DR.. Raymond is but two or
three years over 40 and is therefore
in the prime of life Himself a grad
uate Of Union, having been graduated
in 1875 with high honors, he has al
ways been sincerely devoted to the IA
nous old colleges best interests. In
1878 he entered the ministry, becoming
pastor of one of the Congregational
churches of Plainfeld, N. J. He also
preached at New Brunswick, n. j., for
some time, and five years ago was made
pastor Of the Fourth Presbyterian church
at Albany, where he continued till cho-
sen to fill the place at Union once &C.
cupied by DR. Mott.
He received the degree Of D. D. in
1885, but he attained another sort of
honor, one that endears him to all ath-
letic college students. some years earlier
than that, while he was still an under
graduate. This honor was won on the
baseball diamond, where during game
in which he took part, he established
record for long distance batting that has
probably never been surpassed, certain
| y not By any college player.