Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-02-12
"CLD POPE DWIGHT"
Pccuiinritics and Great Learning of
the Early President of Yale,

the Early President of Ynic.
Timothy Dwight. afterward presi.
dent of Yale College. learned the alpha
bet in single lesson. Before lie was
A years old lie had read the Bible. At
G 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 ut 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. n few years later, he did enter
college, lie was SO cOvetOus of time that
he determined to avoid all waste of IT
through so base thing as bodily exer.
else, by extinguishing the need of bod.
lily exercise: and this he expected TO nc
complish by gradually lessening the
quantity of his food. At last he was
able to dine on twelve mouthfuls: that
was his most luxurious meal; for brea
fast and supper 10 deemed 1t his duty
to be less abandoned to gluttOny.
ii ESQ far succeeded In these hyglen-
ic experiments as to have nineteen hard
attacks of bilious collie In the course Of
two months, ana being reduced nearly
to a skeleton, his father took him home
apparently to die. The family physl-
clan saved the young mans life. but
lie always suffered from certain retrib.
sttt 1ns Ill ~ A., 4, y spr
When the Revolutionary War broke
out. Doctor Dwight volunteered as
chaplain, and the recluse, preaching
from a pulpit of stacked drums, quick.
~ proved Of what sterling metal he
was made. One of his printed sermons
was once read to a garrison apparently
at Its last extremity, with such effect
that the inspired men made a rally In
which they routed their besiegers.
Afterward. while combining the Of.
fees Of minister and president OF Yale
College, his influence rose to such n
height that envlOus people called him
"Old Pope Dwight" His knowledge
was encyclopedia. On the occasion Of
IN evening call, one Of the ladies' pres.
ent said, II was SO disappointed that
he spent half the evening talking to my
husband and the other gentlemen about
| the cultivation Of potatoes and the rails.
Ing Of sheep"
This was period when the athclstlc
influence Of French philosophy was
| strongly felt, even In Puritan New En-.
gland. The young men Of the Senior
Class, partly from conviction, partly to
try the mcttle 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 rs
nssnilants OF the Bible.
chen the president began very quiet
~ to review the discussion. lie point
ell out the errors into which the young
men lad fallen, and to their astOnlsl
ment convinced them that their nc
quaintancC with the subject was super
fetal. lie concluded with n mastery
presentation OF the great positive proofs
OF the divine character OF Christianity
Gradually every man In the room be
came convinced. In their new presl
dcnt-wlth his superb war record--the!
saw n master whom they could love g,
well rs admire.