The sun., 1898-09-25
DEBTS OF YALE STUDENTS.
Certain College Men Propose TO Collect
Debts Owed by Their Fellow Students
Tho idea Not Popular-Induceuents


offered to studenta to Run Up Bills.
New HAVEN. Sept ia now enterprise
has been organized at Yale. which Is remarka-
bic even among the peculiar methods that
the poor student makes use OF TO pay his un-
derRrnduate expenses. IL Is to be known as the
Yale Bad Debt Collection Agency. and s TO be
managed exclusively by Yale men. The idea is
70 collect by personal appeals accounts which
tradesnen have given up as hopeless and
which are ordinarily placed In a lawyers
hands It's promoters believe that the ef-
forts Of college men will be moro effective In
persuadlng delinquent creditors to settle
their bills than ordinary duns. They are
poor students who hope in this way to earn
sufficient amount TO support themselves and
pay their tuition bills. They will receive a
commission on what they collect and large
number OF accounts have already been re-
eeived by them from New Haven tradesmen.
1t is hardly necessary to say that the new
institution is not popular among Yale men.
The coegans alreadyi in town are up In arms
against It. They say that II is an outrage
against the fair fame Of Yale. They are es-
pecially wrathy that the agency should have
been organized by Yale men themselves. 1t
will therefore be an interesting moment when
the agents OF the new concern make their
appearance with their first bills. A warm re-
eeption is already assured them.
The new enterprise recalls once moro the
Ftandlng feud between the students at Yale
and.the merchants OF New Haven. Yale men, as
we'll as college men generally. have a some-
what extended reputation for not paying their
pecuniary obligations. A college mans debts
are supposed to be one Of the Indispensable
features OF the college course. 1t must be ad-
mitted that Yale men are not so Mortified at
the prospect Of accommodating bills In their
undergraduate days as they are likely to be in
after lfe and regard the whole matter with
the lght-heartedness which is noticeable In
almost every phase OF college life. Though
probably large number OF Yale men keep
within their allowances.and settle all their ac-
counts promptly on the first OF the month. It
still remains fact that the majority are al
ways very much down at the heels financial
wise The undergraduate who has spent all
his income before half the month Is over and
Is Obliged to, borrow. right, and left from his
pocket money is one Of the connonest fig fiS-
are frequently reduced to sore straits. They
constantly resort to the money lenders. who
PT at
Of their wardrobe at tremendous sacrl-
70 e many o % qre are New HSSen
men who earn their livelihood and in many many
pense Of c9sse students 'S'tRfs Of tRs Kind f5e
majority OF the colleGians who resort to such
poorer members Of the class: they are usually
the sons Of rich families. Some time ago
s Ws nSf9os aY Instance Sa OF this kind
himself received on the first Of each month
What the & average , ma man would look upon as 9
classmates until ther patience se was exhSusted l I
pawnbroker in town OWN held bel his notes for large large
sums, OF money advanced; his tuition bill was
SeW Haven busess s 2 26n%s
man: rE: who was OF portly figure and rather
ko%thG debt Of The class and % the na@e cluns
II Is saId by Yale men that Tie lnde5tedness
aesen eeS Of shf aaSen and drfSEey Sey
udspned es hse tSoas NeW Hasen
merchants are constantly growing against the
zcalopsly solicit. Many New. Haven drms
business weTe It not Tor the university styG men %
aaI tHSt that M Is brought prominently e the front
the aGsaon Ea when certain tHiors
BUSINESS The @ OPENING the ef fail tefm Is e
nhe eoeSe oT Al thess
monts and invitations to trade ali the taiiors
IN town fall over one anotherin their desire
men's furnishings shop is prepared to take un.
limited orders and to extend unlimited credit.
uhu thC dBcLlS VI houses strain
every nerve to furnish the freshman's rooms.
Ihe CAMPUS T. filed With aundry teams whose
their 3 6d tae sp and
down dow tnIiin ne campus bnttonholing the college
unparalleled poverty in their efforts to work
"r% te q Is IeeHHss Hsss Of the prospective customer
represe9tatives from New, York, Boston and
has rust settled down TO quiet evening when
gentle knock calls him to the door. ( bland
hnnd, white, pasteboard which conveys the
Intelligence that he is Mr. Smith. who rep.
New York He s has 'oauT large numbsr Is Of ssm 9
pies OF the latest fall goods on hand. which the
ReS than mds Sat G f smt
and nice fat order for several suits. He has
duces. himself who represents leading shoe
firm ip Boston, and informs the freshman
wear which he has for sale. and more likely
dictionary canvassers with their easy pay
of,he same kind; The chief grievance Of the
college postman Is the tremendous amount Of
lcge men through the mail.
Al this time there is nothing said about the
Sse IN a9 fncf ts talure nd 10 pay ms
HeRt at all. The New Haven tradesmen espe;-
clally are very Suaye in the manner In which
they extend unlimited credit, The precau-
whom they run accounts Is well iii ustrated @ din in
the system perfected by Eddie" Oakley, for
many years the proprietor Of Temple Bar.
credit the only question ne asked was the
applicants name. Receiving this Information,
catalogue, This catalogue was as serviceable
to him as Is Bradstreet's or Dun's to the or
dlnary business man; it contained, for his
purposes. the financial rating OF his applicant.
II he found the name OF the applicant In the
catalogue he extended credit to him at once
4 not, the credit was as promptly refused.
Though some OF he more conservative houses
look little further than the Yale catalogue
the majority OF college men can obtain unlim-
tied credit In New Haven simply on, the
tradeslnen have the thing worked out mathe.
matically; they, count upon losing a certain
proportion OF the money due them from the
high enouGh prices to make their balance