The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-03-03
"oLp PoeE DWIGHT"
PecuIiarities and Great Learning Of
the Early President of Yale,

the Early President of Yale.
Timothy Dwight. afterward presi-
cent Of Yale College, learned the alpha
bet in a single lesson. Before he was
years old he had read the Bible. At
he began to attend the grammar
school, and as his father thought him
too young to study Latin, he used to
forage among the books Of his school
mates while they were at play, and so
/ learned the whole of the Latin gram
mar. At he was ready for the Fresh
man class at Yale, which his father.
however, wisely kept him from enter.
ing
When, few years later, he did enter
college, he was so cOvetOus OF time that
he determined to avoid all waste OF 1t
| through so base thing as bodily exer-
else, by extinguishing the need Of bod
lily exercise; and this he expected to ae-
complish by gradually lessening the
quantity of his food. At last he was
able to dine on twelve mouthfuls; that
vas his most luxurious meal; for break
fast and supper he deemed 1t his duty
to be less abandoned to gluttony.
III ESQ far succeeded in these hygien-
lc experiments as to have nineteen hard
attacks of bilious collie in the course o.
two months, and being reduced nearl.
| to skeleton, his father took him home
apparently to die. The family physl-
clan saved the young mans life, but
he always suffered from certain retrib-
utive legacies of his rash experiment.
When the Revolutionary War broke
out. Doctor Dwight volunteered as
chaplain, and the recluse, preaching
from pulpit of stacked drums, quick
ly proved of what sterling metal ne
was made. One of his printed sermons
was once read to garrison apparently
at its last extremity, with such effect
that the inspired men made rally II
which they routed their besiegers.
Afterward, While combining the Of
fees of minister and president of Yale
College, his influence rose to such a
height that envious people called him
"old Pope Dwight" His knowledge
was encyclopedia. On the occasion Of
an evening call, one of the ladies pres
ent said, II was so disappointed thar
he spent half the evening talking to nv
husband and the other gentlemen about
the cultivation of potatoes and the rails.
ing of sheep"
This was period when the atheistic
influence of French philosophy was
strongly felt, even in Puritan New En-.
gland. The young men of the Senior
Glass, partly from conviction, partly ia
try the mettle of their new president.
announced as the next subject Of their
debating class, Are the Scriptures OF
the Old and New Testament the Word
of GodT' When the evening arrived,
nearly all the students came forward as
assailants of the Bible.
Then the president began very quiet.
ly to review the discussion. He point.
ed out the errors into which the Young
men had fallen, and to their astonish.
ment convinced them that their ac-
quaintance with the subject was super.
hcial. He concluded with a mastery
presentation of the great positive proort
or the divine character of Christianity.
Gradually every man in the room be.
came convinced. Iu their new presi.
dent-with his superb war record-they
saw master whom they could love as
well as admire. =