Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1904-07-14
COMMENCEMENT Al AMHERST.
The Editors Twenty.fifth Anniversary
Mho was There, What They have
been Doing and Where They
colme from. Changes
In Twenty-Five
Years.

The last week in June the edition o
the COURIER had the privilege of at
tending commencement at Amhers
College and the twenty-fifth anniver
sary OF the graduation OF his class a
this famous old New England school
Amherst never looked loyelier and GER
tainly went far towards justifying th,
assertion In beautifully illustrated
article on Village Improvement in thu
Outlook for July 2, that Amherst nigh
sswell claim to be the most beautiful
hill town la New England Henry
Ward Beecher in his Norwood" hal
immortalized Amherst by his wonder
full descriptions of nature and scenery
surrounding Amherst, and 1t is fair
question whether Mr.. Beecher did not
derive quite as much educative stimu
lus and development from his love and
appreciation of the Amherst beautiful
and physical as he did from the Am
herst scholastic and collegiate. Al
any rate Mr.. Beecher never tired oi
singing the praises of the situation and
surroundings OF Amherst and certain il
Is that they combined in exerting a
powerful moulding and uplifting infiu-
ence upon the character and work OF
one OF the most famous of the earlier
alumni of Amherst.
The class OF 1879, of which the writ
er was member, has, we believe, one
distinguishing trait never before
equalled by any college class. We
graduated seventy-four men and twen-
ty-five years afterwards seventy.one
OF them were living. One Of the rs
men remarked to the writer that it is
now palmer than ever that 70 is a
tough set" and for once we didn't dis
pute 1t. Nearly fifty of the seventy.
one living we're present at the reunion
-apd what a reunion 1t was! The
wives and children present brought
the number up to considerably over
one hundred Our headquarters were
In the beautiful and commodious Town
Hall, the class secretary being superin-
tendent Of schools for the town OF Am
herst and having his Office there.
Eight children OF the class are already
in college, two graduating this year,
both with high honors and one of them
carrying off the 800 Bond prize for
the best performance on the commence
ment stage. One of the eight is the
class boy, Walter Chandler Knapp of
Oanandaigua, N. ", the proud possess
or and bearer OF the class cup, fine sill
YER trophy presented by the class to
the first son born to member of the
class. The class also has one grand
father, made such by generous fortune
after leaving home to attend this re-
union. He was everywhere greeted as
Foxy Grandfather" and an impromptu
collection was taken up to buy cup
for the first grandchild as we'll.
But how the boys have scattered and
changed Two thirds of them the
writer had not seen in twenty i've
years. and yet, despite the ravages OF
time and the beauties which art and
nature may develop on the masculine
form in quarter century, only one or
two OF them did he fail to recognize
and call by name. There was "Whisk
ers," the COURIER mans old chum,
better known TO the world at large as
George r. Beard, prosperous and
prominent New York stationer. He
is one of the three class bachelors,
whom the class choragus made stand
up at the class banquet, at The Nor
wood, Northampton, Tuesday night In
the presence OF eight or ten waiter
girls, to whose tender mercies and fav-
Orable consideration our choice collec-
zion OF class bachelors was duly con-
signed. There was Jamie, our great
scholar, associated with your editor for
one year on the editorial board of the
college publication, now the successor
OF the world renowned Prof. Won Holtz
as professor of history and political
economy at the University Of Chicago.
There was one missionary from Ceylon
and one dealer In oil and connoisseur
Of fast horses from Chicago. Califor-
MIA sent two college professors and
Texas one organizer and promoter of a
college, none other than the Foxy
Grandpa above described. There was
Shumway, originally from the same
town and high school mate OF the
writer, now the learned professor ol
Jurisprudence and the Roman law a,
the University OF Pennsylvania. Shum.
way Ia college ran q club to make his
living and 1t was Of him that the stu
dent annual publication sang as fol
lows.
IL may not be my way,
Itmay not be thy way,
But certainly ShnmwaY
Our hash will providel''
The class millionaire was there
"Charlie'' Pratt Of Standard Oil fame