The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-01-29
THE EARLY DAYS OF YALE
TREATED 1T MEETING OF M H.
 COUNTY HISTORICAL ASSN

Professor Franklin B. Dexter Tells
 Many Amusing Incidents of Early
 Days of Connecticut HalI-Students
 as Extravagant as in Modern Days
 Dr. Charles Ray Palmer Reads PoF-
 tion of Manuscript Written by His
 Father.
 Two very interesting papers read at the January meeting of the New Ha- ven Colony Historical society which was held last night. Prof. Franklin E. Dexter treated of Student Life at Yale in the Early Days of Connecticut Hall,' and Rev. Charles Ray Palmer read a portion of manuscript writ ten by his father some years ago on "A Glimpse at New Haven Eighty Years Ago" James Kingsley Blake presided.
 In his paper Prof. Dexter spoke of the carousals on which the students of the early days used to go and of the stringent rules made by the facul- ty to stop drunkenness. In those days fines were imposed upon students who were shown to have visited drinking places. Some of the incidents related were very amusing indeed. Prof. Dex- ter told of one occasion where the students stole number of chickens from the Widow Crockett and taking them to their rooms in Connecticut hall dressed and devoured them. On another occasion a freshman named Carey had his ears boxed by the pres ident for ringing the chapel bell to the annoyance of the college authorities.
 The rules of the sophomores with re- gard to the freshmen were harsh. and they imposed hard punishments on the latter.
 The records concerning the relations or the students with one another in the way of clubs and organizations are very incomplete, and we know little of them. They doubtless had such clubs, but the only ones of which we have any record are the Linonia and Broth CTS societies
 On the whole they took their life not too frivolously and not too seriously In proportion to their means Prof. Dexter thought they were as extrava- gant as any generation that has sue ceeded them. They do not need our pity. The life was to them stimulus They found it a zest and it is doubt ful if their capacity for enjoyment was any greater in later life.
 Dr. Charles Ray Palmer read a DOT ton of manuscript written by his father who entered Yale in the year 1926, and treating of the life of New Haven at that time. Dr. Palmer's fa- ther and several others came from Boston to Middletown on a packet in that year and then made the rest of the journey on land The New Haven of those days was very different from tho New Haven of later days. The city was then bounded by Grove, George, Olive and York streets. The green at the center was much the same as to-day except that the old state house and an old Methodist church stood upon it. The houses of the village made no architectural pre- tentions, The Silliman mansion was not yet built.
 President Day was in power then. He was very much revered by the stu dents. He could easily have been a great jurist, if he had entered that profession. Prof. Benjamin Silliman was then in the height of his power. He led the introduction of the physi- cal sciences not only in his own col lege but also all over the country. He started the American Journal of Science. His lectures in chemistry were largely attended not only by col- lege men but also by students from private schools for girls in the city. His lectures were remarkable for their symmetry and completeness.
 Other great men mentioned were Prof. Kingsley, Edward Beecher, Hor- ace Bunnell, Simeon North, later pres- ident of Williams college, and Dr. Milton Blagden. One of the most pop ular tutors was a man named Skinner. He later became mayor of New Ha- ven.
 Among the prominent men who en- tered in the class of 1926 may be men, tioned Prof. Anthony B. Stanley and Louis E. Woodruff, judge of the United States circuit court.
 A schedule of the events of the col lege day would be interesting. At o'clock in the morning the college bell rang and continued for five minutes Then there would be let up, and then the bell would start to ring again and continue for fifteen minutes. After the chapel exercises the students started off for class for the first reel tation, which was held by lamp light | After the first recitation breakfast was eaten. and at o'clock the bell rang for the study period, during which 1 each man was supposed to be in his 1 room boring over his books At Il | o'clock the second recitation was held l and at 1 o'clock dinner was served. At | 2 o'clock the study bell rang again | and at 4 o'clock the third recitation l was held At o'clock the bell rang | for prayers, and at o'clock supper | was eaten. After the supper the time l was supposed to be spent in study. |
 At the close of the meeting last night | a social session was held. Mrs. Henry | F. English, Mrs. Arthur N Wheeler | and Miss Mary Bristol acted as hos