The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-06-24
LETTERS FROM rHB PEOPLE
Old Graduate TcstiHes to His Under-
 standing of Yale Spirit.

Old Graduate Testifles to His Under
 standing of Yale Spirit. To Editor of the Journal and Courier:
 When in Boston, in early January, I chanced to be stopping at the hotel where the Yale club had it's meeting. and subsequently, learned that my ciassmate was the president, went to the meeting and received a hearty well come, as Yale man would The club was entertained by MT. -, & capital reconteur, himself Tech graduate, and during the evening he remarked to me- What wonderful thing this Yale spiTit ls." His remark set me thinking again in the same old way. What is this Yale spirit? l have seen it mani fested on the Pacific slope and have it on the Atlantic; it is to be met with on the Lakes and on the Gulf. Each, north, south, west it fiourishes. Now what Is 1t, any way?
 It seems to me that It is primarily spirit of genius attachment. Some speak of 1t as loyalty. I would say | that 1t Is more than simple loyalty, 1 sopething warmer, something more virile, good as that Is; something more has more red-blood In it's veins It Is loyalty plus enthusiasm. It IS not gush, for which 1t may be mistaken, 1t is not veneer, it is not put on. The spirit is akin to the feeling that one has for homo. It led tho class of T8 to cable to the sick bed in tho Philippines, 'sWe love you, Bill, and are with you in all that you do" At the same time 1t Is 1 not mawkish or mere sentiment IL is { pure manliness. Yale expects every man to do his duty to quit himself like man.
 This spirit Is democratic. It fig helpful The Yale spirit is not one of money bags, or of pride of ancestry alone. "Whc holds himself as nobly born. is noble in spite of birth" Money, ances- try, talents are to be used, not hoard ed It is not what oness father, or grandfather was, or did; but what he Is hinseif
 The Yale spirit is resolute, It loves an uphill game. and is apt to play,tts best when playing against odds, II is a, pi- oneer splrit It is more wont 10 think of results, than of rewards, They can take care of themselves.
 It Is fond of accomplishment, because it believes In the benefits to pe, deRived from the thing, done- All over 'Sfis c9un- try I've can see in judges, in edueafors. in moulders of thought and opinion In every walk in life, the Influence, of'thls spirit.
 It is fair. It does not strike below the belt. It believes in the Get there Eli" spirit, but 1t does not. or should not, want to get there at all haSards, It is on account of this, I would say that the popular song "Yale, Yale, dear old Yats," etc, does not describe the true Yale spirit.
 It is rugged. Some may think of 1t too much so, too little given to the yavs of the world. On the other hand it is not mere brusqueness. Force does not mean rudeness. Polish is not the main end. Anything but right and sub stance IS not to be accepted as the gen. uine thing
 This Yale spirit is honest It has faith to itself It is not self-sufflcient and bull-headed, but rather it tries to be sure of it's position and then to so ahead. This means that it is plueky. Having taken position H does not readily give up.
 It is buoyant and hopeth all things.
 It loves, and demands for itself, in- dependence. Independence in thought, word, and deed.
 While 1t Is all of this and more, it is gentle. Of the kind that recognizes the home as the. basis of all social life; and the home means the family, and not a collection of furniture. Love is to the Yale spirit the greatest thing in the world. s. A. F., TT.