Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-05-20
PRESBYTERIAN,
Mineral Springs College,
Commencement Days at the Soda
vile College,
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENTS.

1L6 WIlJtI NlSll6u db JuS OOudNlllN
Cumberland Presbyterian college,
May 5, and spent part Of two days at
the famous Soda Mineral springs,
where Hon. M. A. Miller immortal
ized himself by securing the erection
of a state building over the greatest
soda fountain in the state. The
water gushes out free like Methodist
salvation. While the efferyescent
bubbles rise to the surface, the delic-
ious mountain air bears to the lips
the odor of wild flowers and flavors
each glass with the scent Of millions
of blossoms. No use for anyone to
set up soda fountain here in this
Cumberland Presbyterian town. We
had never seen a live specimen OF
this species and did not know but
what they were some kind of fur
bearing animal, like the old preacher
in West Virginia we heard tell about.
He was stranger and stopped at a
cabin to ask if there were any Cumber-
land Presbyterans in those parts.
The old lady took him around to the
back of the cabin where all kinds
of skins of wild animals were
hung up to dry. "There mister" she
said, care raccoon and bar and cata-
mount and my old man has killed nigh
onto five of every species that ever trod
the mountains. But l don't believe
he's eyer killed one of them varmints
you call Cumberland Presbyterians." "
We found these educated Presbyter-
ians in the mountain college town
agreeable and sociable people. They
treated us well and we lived well
while among them. A Salem man
you know can't live on mountain air
and mineral water. AS a rule they
live on something more substantial
with plenty of appropriations thrown
in. and this reminds me that here is
a flourishing, growing, well-attended
college that has never received a cent
of state appropriations.
THE ENROLMENT
this wear was about 100 young men |
and women. You bet, they believe in |
co-education up here, and the young
women hold their heads up and look |
as bright and cheerful and independ-
ent as the ayoung men. DR.. ID. M.
Jones Of Sodaville sent his boy Tom
my Miller to meet us DIT Lebanon
with a buggy. Tommy had pug dog
named "Pennoyer." That dog is
said to be the smartest dog in Linn
county and he is not middle-of-the-
road dog at all
THE COLLEGE
stands up at the edge of the Cascade
foothills, just a good appetizing walk
from town. The walk leads through |
the mineral spring building where
we imbibe several glasses of soda.
The more we drink the more we
seem to want, until we walk up the
hill with our insides swashing about
like a half-flled churn. DR.. Jone S
accompanied us and told us it was all
right so we didn't mind it.
Jones is an old pioneer of the medl-
cal profession and was one OF the Will
lamette medical faculty, and is now
lecturer on physiology and hygiene,
and engine, steam boiler, regulator,
whistle, smokestack and bell ringer OF
the college. He is devoting his life
and character and resources and enter
prise to the upbuilding of this school.
He talks about it by day, dreams over
it at night, prays for it, writes for it
and fights for it if necessary. He is
ably backed up by President j. II.
Geddes. They two are team and
its hard to tell which is lead horse.
Geddes can teach the classics or SCI
ences, unraYel mathematics or lick a
smart-aleck, solve equations in the
sixteenth degree or make rails to en-
close the college grounds. rGeddes is
no dude professor, but a man OF hard
common sense, an educator of life
long devotion, a progressive thinker
and man not all crusted over with
theology until nothing but a hardened
skeleton underneath.
shook hands with some of the
men and women teachers who were
working hard with their classes in
the big building and found all bright
and cheerful, hopeful and hard-work'
ing, putting on no style, just plain,
common, everyday people. But when
it comes to studies, well, they will
hold their own with any class of col
lege students in the state.
l was told that this college was orig
inally founded in Eugene, and the
class of 1860 contained such men as
Joaquin Miller, the poet, ii. r. Kin
caid, Secretary Of State, eX-Mayor
of Eugene ex-Congressman
Henderson, of Oregon. 1t is not al
xUavc tho hippast mOst-talk kad a bOut ! ,