Waterbury Democrat., 1901-08-05
PROF. GATES. HONEST MAN.
An Event That sent This College Graduate Into the World an
 Optimist.

"Yes, the last act of my college career made an optimist of me- unused the graduate whose sheep skin showed that he had look for ward of three years to his triennial, says the New York Sun. ''I am per suaded that every college should have chair for the propagation of hon. esty in the sale of old furniture, and have Prof. Gates to fill it.
 Didn't you know Gates? Why, he was as much a part of the college as the president himself. I don't know but that he was more impor- tant part; certainly my last inter- view with him impressed me more than anything the president said in his baccalaureate address.
 Gates was short on flesh, but long in the hearts of the boys. He bought their old furniture. He didn't have much to do except to sweep up little now and then and look down the college we'll for stray freshmen. He was bear on furniture in the spring, and bull in the market in the fall You will understand by this that he bought all the old traps the seniors had to sell in the col lege-days-are-almos season, and resold them to the freshies when they came in with the September equi- noctiaI. The beauty of Gates was that he would buy anything-let him name his own price.
 "I remember with awe the hush and solemnity that attended the 4lnal services in the college church, when the president began: Young gentle men, members of the graduating class But somehow they didn't set my heart a-futter half as much as did Gates on the following day, when he came to my room to set price on my belongings We haggled a lit tie over the chairs and the bedstead, but came to an agreement when l threwin the student lamp. It had had a good many hard knocks in four years, and I thought final throw wouldn't hurt it. Then came the question of the carpet.
 ..Now, Mr. Gates said I, what will you give me for that fine carpet?
 s.He looked at the rag from this point of view, and from that. He poked with his foot at several worn spots and turned back a flap by pulling out a few tacks, just to em- phasize the fact that the carpet had been turned Finally he straight ened up and said:
 ''Well, sir, don't think it's a very fine carpet
 ''But there I had a reply for him.
 1cf recall how you praised it when you sold it to me four years ago.
 'That seemed to stagger him little. and he wanted to know what I would take for it. I told him that I wasn't setting any price on it, but was waiting for bids. I was eying him closely, and presently detected by the way he stropped his chin with the back of his right hand that he had evolved an idea.
 "'I'll tell you what I'll do,' said Gates, I'll mark with you
 "'Mark with. me, what do you mean by that?' said I.
 "'Why, I'll make on slip of paper what I'll give for the carpet he re- piled, and you mark on another slip what you'll take for it. Then we'll split the difference and I'll give you whatever that is.'
 "'Agreed,' said I, and we marked.
 "Well-and this is what crowned, the close of my college course with optimism and sent me out into the cold world believer in public con- science-Gates marked twelve dollars and I marked eight dollars"