The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-03-21
HEREDTTY IN EDUCATION.
Interesting Revelation of Yale's Last
Trienntal CataIOg.

Triennial CataIOg.
James Otis Denniston says in the
New York Observer the recent discus
, sion about a new president for Yale uni
versity, draws attention to the last tri-
ennial catalog of the institution. APP
parently, a mere list of names and
dates, the book carefully studied re-
veals much alike profitable and inter-
esting. One fact shown in its pages, is
that education runs In families. There
are given the names of 1S,44O graduates
having altogether, as is estimated,
about 1900 different surnames, repre-
senting the many natonalities forming
the American people. But counting the
names which appear at least 10 times,
there are of these only 800, including
9,0O7 graduates; the other S,942 students
have among them the remaining $500
names; to less than 400 families belong
has long been known that grace belongs
to families, for the promise Is, IT will
be a God unto thee and to thy seed af-
ter thee" These figures show education
to be the blessing of elect families
These fathers, themselves scholars
were eager to secure for their sons the
blessings of education.
Another fact equally prominent. is
that these elect families were almost ex-
clusively of the Puritan stock. The
names of the 400 run back very COM
monty into the last century, often to it's
first decades They are almost exclu-
sively English. The Puritan emigration
into New England ended about 1640,
when the long parliament convened in
England. After that there were few
newcomers for 200 years. 1t was in the
early Puritans that these families had
their origin. This appears also from the
Christian names of these students,
which We're often, especially in the last
century, taken from the Bible We have
an instance Of this in the Christian
names of the presidents of Yale all
save one, scripturaI. The list is Abra-
ham, Samuel, Timothy (three tlmes).
Thomas Naphtali, Elisha, Ezra, Jere-
miah, Theodore, Noah Many of these
names seem quaint at the present time,
as the following: Pelatiah Azariah,
Chiliab, Ebenezer Devotion, Shubael,
Gershom, Free Grace, Medad; they
show familiarity witt. and love for,
Gods word.
There recently appeared in the OBJ
server an able and most delightful arti-
Gle on THE cure souls" by Rev. W. r,
Huntington Of New York, showing the
goodness of its author. What noble
progenitors he has The name first APP
pears among the graduates of Yale in
1888. Sixty-five of tn alumni are named
Huntington. In 1856 the 49th of the list,
all but four of. them with Christian
names from thenwords of apostle and
prophet; some Of them are: Jabez, |
Eliphalet. Jeddidiah, Enoch, Erastus,
Rufus, Asahel. It is not strange that
Dr. Huntington is o cody man. His an
cestry makes him not only scholar
but saint. For all these years his
blood has been made pure by that which
flowed on Calvary.
This Puritan origin is also curiously
and wildly illustrated by the appear
ance and non-appearance of two par
ticular names, Samuel and Charles To-
day these have no particular character
of association. In the last class gradu- 1
ating at the college, Charles appears 13
times, Samuel four. But it was other
wise in the last century. In the first So
years of the history among the 1751
graduates Samuel appears about 104
times; Charles only five times. Samuel /
speaks of tbs prophet. and of the tears
and the joy of his mother, Hannah, who
said II am a woman of a sorrowful
spirit, I have poured out my soul be-
fore the Lord For this child / prayed,
and the Lord hath given me my petit
ton. AS long as he lives he shall be
lent to the Lord" In the last century a
hundred mothers made like prayers
and VOWS, called their sons Samuel, and
sent them to Yale. There are eight |
Samuel Huntingtons. Equally notice.
able is the absence of Charles which
does not appear at all until 1868. The
Puritans did not love the Stuarts The |
name Of Charles I and Charles III was
infamous among Them they would not
give it to their children.
Surely these names are profoundly |
Excavations at Jerusalem |
reveal the Old foundation stones of the |
temple. bearing in Phenician letters in |
red paint the marks Of the workman Of |
Hiram king of Tyre. Above them in
the light was the gold the Jewels the /
sacred cedar. The ruins Of 30 centuries
and seventeen sieges lie above those
great stones to the depth Of 100 feet.
But still they support the walls above
them. The work of old Puritans at
Yale has passed out of sight, much of |
it that remains is only a list of names
'Vox ct practerea nihil," but the pros
perity and splendor of the institution of
to-day rests upon the old founda TONS
At the base of a granite mountain
appears the spring; the heat of August
does not warm its waters. In January
the brook flowing from it keeps the
meadow green. The spirit of the faith
ers, if still it shall control the institu-
ton at NV Haven, shall make science
and religion the controlling forces of the
future. The new president may not be
q minister, his name need not be limo
thy or Samuel; but his name ought to
De in the Lambs book of life. TIe ought
20 be scholar, man of executive abil-
ty; more than all, man of God
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