The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-08-31
LIFE AT BEREA, KY.
A Rather Strenuous Commencement
in Which There Is
s-.,
Shooting.
Some Ripples That Accompany the
Higher Education of the
Mountaineer. II r.
Brooklyn Eagle.

In the early years Of the last century col
lego commandments in New England towns
combined the literary features peculiar to
these ocasions with the accessories now asso
combination still survives. Perhaps it does
in some western colleges, but BeFea Is the
| only community where Illicit whisky and the
ments Of the annual college festival. Berea
| college exists primarily for the mountaineers
as s and asdom
Fourth Of July celebration, it has adopted
| commencement as the time for Its annual
descent upon civilization for a holiday. The
aggressive Kentucky mountaineer carrtes
revolver just as a Coney Islander wears q
diamond in his flannel shirt front or as a
city man wears a watch fob with his even
| haitian or Martini He is not properly
equipped for a celebration unless. the revol-
shine slowed under mis- belt and bottle for
emergencies Is stored in his saddle bag. Thus
prepared the bad man Of the mountains
sets out for a celebration. and II he is un-
married he takes along girl reckless enough
| to accept the escort Of bad man and to
enjoy The moonshine and hair trigger revolt
vers
The outsider is somewhat puzzled to un-
derstand why this element Of the population
is attracted to a college commencement.
put the question to sturdy mountaineer not
In the bad class. He had been discussing
politics and the weather with the dthidence
which these men show toward strangers. At
my question DIX SQOulUeES SCluSuoO lho
a Tapping sail when the breeze hlls it, the
dark eyes flashed and there was defiant
ring in the theretofore pacific voice as my
host sTa an nSrg dat ba,. .ot RraHr to be
thar Il Him and his gall They're just as
good as anybody else an, and he stands ready to
| Appropriately enough, commencement day
at Berea this year was ushered in BY two two
thru the village about o'clock in the
| rnnrr1no A sl0env afrpn might hQVA n1tN-
taken them for explosions Of the giant
crackers which usher in Fourth Of July in
+ but ,ot ths ssdsnt t.gss t9n
| the comment that they did not believe an,
body was hurt; This surmise proved correct
and, IN tact. there was nobody "hurt-th ina
rested for drunkenness shout the little town
e emu ai peaceful eommencement usual!
there are rows somewhere about the villag.
after tho n1oonshine has got in its fine worl
and holes are e9ssd In
since anybody was killed at COMMENCEMENT
and tho time when murders grew out Of tn
equality Of negroes IN the edue stt' sart an
Ssrea's real work i. with the n,oHntaip zee
10 until Il Shall Occupy tie same
, sitton in the life Of Appalachian America
covering Six states, tnAt Yale Goes IN Con
is no other college to attract those people
They either come TO Berea or rest confer
with the meagcr "book learning" which ca
be picked up in the district schools whic
are kept open from July to Christmas. III
.acrifces some Of these students make f
east. sBerea keeps open the chance for
education for 500 year. altho ever
student she receives at those terms leaves ht
s24 in debt and increases the arduous VOL
OF raising funds outside. But when you q
kesp the charges down and the willingness
Of the president, his wife, and everybody
the faculty to march thru the streets
the cities hat in hand to get money TO 81
these boys and girls . chance.
met a boy who walked a1o miles M
. Berea driving q cow, 50 that ne 81
! his brother and sister might have sonaethil
= to live on for tho whit er term Of the collee
, I heard Of another who walked the same al
= tancs hoping to get work on the cole
= farm that would pay his way: There was
!. work, and he started to walk home agai
d but the president heard the story, rode All
= him. brought tho boy back and invented
), like that that Berea maintains q farm.
l. brickyard aud wood working shop, in viii
:. students can earn their oduce1ion % tn
= 60 along. II 10 for girls equally courageo
ID the best department. in domestic science
~ the country. The department IL already U
- der way with cooking, sewing, weaving
E spinning schools. One OF these girls Out
i. Ireied With her family to get to Berea.
parents wished to establish her IN luxu
60 tpension OF So q month. but the girl We,
Il hot marry him. AS she put It: When
lcou1dn't get shet OF him with no mile
speech, told him I'd see him In the MID