The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-12
EDUCATION WITHOUT MONEY.
now AMBITIOUS STUDENTS HAVE
GOT THROUGH COLLEGE.

ithaca. May 13.-There was a time when
Cornell University was called the poor
mans college. That would hardly be an apt
pseudonym to apply to it now, for there
are perhaps more fraternity houses in It'll
AGA than in any other college town in the
limited States-one indication that a large
percentage of the undergraduates here
4ave plenty of money. Nevertheless. there
Is stiu an astonishing number of students
here who are by their own individual eff
forts earning for themselves a college edu-
cation.
There are many opportunities at Cornell
for a poor student 10 help himself BY the
law of the state the university gives free
education to about 400 students, who hold
state scholarships, which are awarded
yearly on the basis of competitive exami-
nations held at the different high schools
throughout the state. There are also year
Nv awarded to freshmen entering the uni
versity without condition of any kind on
q basis Of competitive examination held in
October in Ithaca, thirty-two university
scholarships, each of a cash value of $500
II Is possible for clever student to get
one of each of these scholarships on enter
ing, and this is not infrequently the case.
The first thing that the ordinary work
ing student has to try to do on coming to
Cornell is to swallow his pride. If he does
not succeed In doing this to some extent
his life will be hard one. There are a few
genteel and at the same time lucrative en-
pigments, but all vacancies in these are
quickly taken up by upper-class men or by
those who have had experience. The most
popular way of earning or rather of saving
money is to wait on table. There are no
dining halls for men students at the uni
Versity and in consequence there are doz-
ems of student boarding houses throughout
tho city. The proprietors of nearly all of
these employ student walters, giving them
their meals in return for their services for
an hour three times a day.
Another profitable work for a number
of students is collecting laundry for out
of-town establishments. Each student
in this business has a regular route from
which he collects and to which he deliv>
ers laundry. A good,s large roue is
something much to be desired. 1t is gen
orally the result of systematic canvass
and faithful attention to business. Each
student gets a percentage of about % on
his collections. A student once made a
dollar day in this way, but this is much
more than the average.
A young man who recently came to
Cornell from New York is a good exam
pie of what grit and perseverance can ac-
complish. AT home this youth had lived
with brother and two sisters His pa
rents were dead and there was just
enough money to keep the family supplied
with what was needed. Although there
seemed no possible way of his borrowing
any money he determined to get college
education and selected Cornell.
One thing seemed an impossible barrier,
and that was the 500 year tuition fees
Then he heard of the state scholarships
and, although not particularly bright
student, determined to have one. There ia
q clause in the state law with regard to
these scholarships which requires a stu
dent holding one to have attended a high
school in the state at least six months be-
fore the examination, and, as there were
at the time no high schools On New York
city, he came to Ithaca and attended the
local school.
He got a room in a garrett, which he
paid for by taking care of a furnace,
keeping sidewalks clear and doing other
odd jobs for the owner of the house.
BY running errands and doing extra work
he managed 10 earn a few cents with
which he purchased his food. His bin of
fare was moi elaborate, for 1t consisted
chiefly of milk and oatmeal, which he
cooked on a little oil stove.
In the summer vacations he went into
the country and worked for neighborJng
farmers, earning his board and enough
money besides to buy clothes enough to
last him year. When he had spent the
requisite time at the high school here
he returned to New York and took the
state scholarship examinations. AS
they are comparatively easy, he sue
ceeded in getting a scholarship. He
then came to Cornell and entered the
school OF law. During his first year at
Cornell he washed dishes at a boarding
club for his meals. Often he would be
employed in this way until 8 o'clock at
night. Finally he got position at Sage
College at waiting on table for his board
Since then he has gradually found meth
DDS of helping himself along, and now
he is junior and is paying his own
board al a So boarding house.
This student has no more than ordl-
nary ability, either as a pupil or as a
man of business, and the majority of
young men would have been able to
accomplish what he has accomplished with
much less effort. He is proverbially awk-
ward and unlucky, and is continually
hurting himself seriously. One of his chief
misfoTtunes is tendency to fall desper-
ately in love. AS he himself has said,
When fellow Is poor he can't afford
TO go with the girls" but this fact did
not prevent him becoming enamored of
coed shortly after his arrival at Cornell.
He bad very hard time for awhile, and
came near being busted OUT of the uni
Versity-such a disastrous effect had his
directions upon his studies.
He got in the habit OF going to sleep
sitting in his garnet With a big law book
IN his lap, thinking and dreaming of
Helen" instead of getting his lessons.
Finally, however, Helen threw him over
and, though this almost broke his heart,
MS lessons were better prepared after
ward. Several times since then he has
mad experiences Of this sort until now he
considers the girls at Cornell heartless
creatures, and unworthy Of a mans true
devotion.
When even a slow student can work his
way through, a bright young man with
lots of energy can generally better his
condition with startling rapidlty There is
a member of the senior class this year
who Is an especially good example of this.
'-anning from Onecnta N. Y, with almost
40 money, he cook c room In the top story
OF Caseadilla place, a large stone build
ing, once used as dorrnltory, at q rental
of 1923 year. He waited on table In the
dining room of the place and made in adj
dition from rs cents TO 81 a week collect