The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-07-10
FIRST RHODES SCHOLAR.
William Crittenden Back in Califor-
MIA. With High Record at Oxford
Says Americans Woke Up.

SAYS americans WOKE Up
Berkeley, Cal, July 6.-Rhodes
scholars from the wild and woolly
Western Hemisphere may have sent
chills up and down the spine Of old
Oxford by perforating window panes
with bullets from 44-calibre six-shoot-
ers, and stories may have come across
the sea as to the rather poor rank OF
the American students, but California,
lust the same is pretty proud of a
Young fellow named William Critten-
den, who has just got back from his
course as a beneficiary of the great
foundation made by Cecil Rhodes.
! Crittenden was the first Rhodes
scholar to reach oxford. He was also
the first to get away-at least the first
to get away with a clean record for
the full course. AS matter of fact
Crittenden finished up his three years
work in two years and spent the ex-
ira year seeing things in odd corners
of the continent and in taking a spe-
cial course in law.
Now, about everybody in this sec
ton Of California knows Crittenden.
In fact, he is notorious. To begin
with, he was one Of the brightest pu-
pills in q school hereabout. AS one
result Of his youthful attainments, he
was picked out by man who runs a
chain Of newspapers in America to
make a trip around the world and tell
all about IL in every edition from the
Connecticut bulldog" to the II p. NJ
extras. He did the job very conscien-
tiously.
When he got back and went into
the University of California everybody
seemed to know all about Crittenden,
and the hs.zing that he got in his
freshman year would put west
Point in the shade and cover it up
with leaves. Pretty much all his first
|, term was spent in telling inquisitlve
upper class men in compulsory lee
lures lust now he and the newspaper
chain had done it. Just the same, he
took it ali in the proper spirit and
came to be one of the most Doular
men in college. He was president OF
the junior class here when he was
picked to SO to Oxford.
From what can be learned unoffl-
cially about Crittenden's stay at Ok
ford, he seems to have been the best
of the American students, as far as
rank goes, at least. Anyway, Cali
fornia will claim that honor until the
returns come in.
There was lot of talk a while
ago about the poor scholarship O. the
American Rhodes men. Crittenden
says that they are all doing very well.
Furthermore, he belives that the
Rhodes plan is a great one and will
be of lasting benefit. "The first year,
he says, 'the Americans did not take
things seriously enough. The lie
was so free and easy that the Ameri-
cans cid not seem to realize that there
was any work to do. The second year,
however, the men got down to real
work, and now they have a higher re-
gard for the English system of edu-
cation than they had at first
For the English students whom he
met at Oxford, Crittenden has only
warm praise. 'I do not think he
says, chat the people Of this country
appreciate the Engiishman. The Eng
lish are about as honest and sincere
and straightforward fellows as you
can meet anywhere. They are not at
all effusive; they have a sort Of dig
nifty and reserve about them, to be
sure, but once you get to know them
they certainly are fine friends. They
stick by one another in spledid fash
ion.
"They received US Rhodes scholars
with a great deal more courtesy, even'
than they show one anothr. They
knew we were strangers, and tried to
do everything they could to put US at
our ease. They seemed to see that II
the Rhodes scholarship scheme was
to succeed they would have to give
us an opportunity to see the Engllsh
home and the English life. Taking 1T
for granted that we were decent sort
of men. they invited us to join the
different societies and asked us to
visit their homes. I remember that
one man invited US to shoot deer IN
his private park. That, Of course, was
rather tame spart for Californian.
nut one couldn't help approaching
the spirit in which the Englishman
gave the invitation.
crittenden, while travelling in Asia
Minor q. short time ago, had an ad-
venture with a gang of bandits. Now
he is prepared to settle down to law
practice. or at least to the further
study of that profession. with the
f.