The news & observer., 1905-06-09
A FRIEND AT COURT IN BoUTELL

There was no doubt about The i'm
preston that the charming personality
and the wise and temperate utterances
minds of the people of the State on
the occasion of his visit to the Uni
versity commencement.
1t is pleasing to note, however, the
fact that after his return to Washing
ton the pleasure which he expressed
at his experience and observation OF
the University and North Carolinians
was still so strong upon him as to
lead him to talk in the North as he
had talked in the South of his admi-
-ation for the old institution. Evi-
1ently Mr.. Bouteil understands the
spirit of the University and of the
State. He is so much of gentleman
and a scholar that he ought to have
been born in the South Possibly,
however he will do more good in the
North and West. The following por-
lion of an interview with Mr. Boutell
after his return is taken from the
Boston Evening Transcript:
Washington, June 5.-Representa-
tive Boutell of Illinois, who is a Bos-
ton man and cousin of the late Sen
ator Hoar, returns from Chapel Hill,
y. c., where he went to deliver the
commencement address at the State
University, delighted beyond measure
with what he saw at that famous in
stitution. On commencement day, the
people from all the country around
l-;xyn int ca hot hnt
and 500 vehicles were assembled there,
with the horses tied under the trees,
something which the universities of
the North know little about. Chapel
Hill has a spur track, from the main
line. connecting Raleigh and Green's
boro, but the old country roads still
lead most of the visitors TO commence
ment. The people of the countryside
feel that this is their university, and
it's observanceS are part of their
life.
With one exception this is the oldd't
State University in the country. It's
establishment was provided by the
state constitution of 1916. It's first
class graduated in 1895. It's alumni
contained many distinguished names,
including one President of the United
States. The university has not lost the
flavor of the old times. 1t is a centre,
high thinking. The atmosphere is
redolent of culture and refinement and
is surprisingly free from the CONNER
cialism and lavish display of wealth
and luxury of many of the educational
institutions of the present day. Mr..
Boutell who is a Harvard man, thinks
it would be good plan if some North
ern young men would go there to
study. The village itself is extremely
n of E,nQl1n
or of Old England, tucked away in
the North Carolina hills.
The commencement exercises were
held in an octagonal memorial nall
over whose walls the ivies have many
years been growing. The governor of
the State, who is by virtue of his Office
the president of its trustees, presents
the diplomas From custom which
goes back to the early days of the in
stitution, he passes out an Oxford
Bible with each diploma, as the gift
of the State to the graduates of its
university The democracy of the
place greatly interested Mr.. Boutell.
One of the leading members of the
graduating class, who took a promi-
nent part in the exercises, was young
man OF especially courtly bearing and
fine presence. He seemed to belong
to the old aristocracy of the South.
visitors interest in the student, eX-
planned something of his history. The
young man had come from One-room
cabin in the western mountains of the
State. and had arrived at Chapel Hill
without a dollar, earning his way
through from start to finish.N Mr.. Bou-
tell predicts a brilliant career for the
Young man on the theory that the
places of leadership in the world are,
after ALL not far removed from the
simple living of those who till the soil.
Because of the element of self-help
among the Chapel Hill students in
their beautiful hill town, and its at
mosphere of real scholarship, Mr.. Bou-
tell believes it will play a large part
i'm the future history of the State. ln-
cidentally he learned that he was the
first Northern Republican ever invited
to deliver the commencement address
there.