The Washington herald., 1908-01-12

Observation-Disclosures Dare-deviIs.
Under the very shadow of the lofty
elms of the Brown University campus.
where for half a century he has watched
successful generations OF BrunoHlans
come and go. dwells the oldest living
graduate Of Yale-Willlam Davis Ely,
OF the class of '35, says a Providence
special in the New York Tribune
BY recent decision OF the university
officials the date of graduation rather
than actual age determines the actual
possession of that title 10y an alumnus
thus settling a long disputed point \
few days ago Mr Ely was officially no.
tined by the Rev Arson Phelps Stokes
secretary Of the Yale Corporation that
10 MIN belonged the unique distinction.
In his ninety-third year. William Davis
Ely is not as old in manner and appear
ance AZ many a man who is twenty years
his junior With elastic steps he takes
almost daily walks abroad from his
home, at ] Magee stree, often descend
ing steep College Hill to the business
center of the town unattended Ex-
cepting d difficulty in hearing, he is the
physical peer of most men Of sixty With
mind unclouded, his memory marks back
over a span of years by ScTiptUral war
rant measuring the life of mankind, re-
calling the days when, first as an under
graduate, and later as member Of the
faculty, he was part and parcel of the
him as its oldest son.
Tail and rather slight I'm build. with
snow white hair IN abundance and spot
less, well kept beard keen eyes OF blue,
verging upon gray, he is the very en-
bOdiment of the traditional Yale spirit
strong, alert, capable even with the CEN
tury milestone in view.
Yes, ] have been informed that I am
the oldest aIumnus Of Yale" he said in
an interview. L believe there are two
graduates Of the college who are about
year my senior in age, but both of
them were graduated after me. George
i. Spencer. of Corning, \. Y. was a
30 man, and Chester DUtton, Of Concor-
dia, Kans.. was a member Of the class
Of 49,
No, 1 can't say that il makes me feel
any Older to know that I'm the oldest
alumnus. I've known for some time that
/ am an old man, you know; but / am
sensible OF the distinction which my
years thus thrust upon me.
The Good ola Days.
yale was a fine place in those DAYS"
Mr.. Ely declared, but not much like
the great institution it is now. To-day.
with its thousands Of students. il is
great university. In those days a class
Of 100 was q big one. Yale in my time
was very much what a New England
high school OF academy is to-day. Our
class of 80 entered with ninetv-eight
members, but graduated less than half
that number-fOrty-SeVe Now they are
all gone excepting me.
II suppose the young men at Yale now
would think that their lines had not
fallen in the pleasantest OF places if they
had 10 pursue the daily routine which
the students went through back in the
SOS Then there wasn't much play go
ing on. and a lot of hard work Then the
young men mostly went 10 college 10
study and 10 learn something l won't
say they don't now; but / can speak
from experience as TO those times. and
only from hearsay as to the present.
ITO begin with, college prayers came
at an hour In the morning when I am
agine many of the present Yale under
graduate body are just turning over for
a second nap. In The winter we didn't
have to turn out for prayers in the
chapel until o'clock, but in the summer
10 was 8 o'clock. Time after time we
would get up and stumble over 10 chanel
when it was almost dark Some cold
mornings in November even. the bows on
their way TO prayers would see meteors
or shooting stars it was so dark
After prayeTs-and il behooved one 10
be there, or 20 take the consequence
there was usually recitation or a lee
ture until breakfast at the commons
II tell you more about the commons
later and how We got rid of them as a
compulsory Institution
After breakfast there was a period
given over TO study or to trips TO the
pOst-OffiCe, or like pressing business.
Then recitatons OF lectures between II
and = o'clock, usually, after which. az
about o'clock, came dinner. The old
fashioned supper was the concluding
meal of the day, and was partaken of
at about 6 o'clock, following an after
noon OF lectures and recitations. In the
evening most OF the young men thought
that their studies demanded their atten-
tion.
The War on Commons,
Commons was an institution that had
been handed down 10 us for generations.
There was a tradition that President
Dwight had said that the college couldn't
be governed without commons. Some Of
Us thought differently, and We proved
our theory
] i was a tutor when the change came.
Some Of the younger professors and tu-
stors thought that instead of being an aid
80 college discipline commons was the
Source of half the devilment in college.
81 afforded an opportunity for the stu
: dents 10 get together under ii compulsory
institution, ana when the food wasn't
lrst class they raised trouble at times
The undergraduates sat by classes in
commons, which occupied a big building
n the center of the back campus I be-
lieve it has been razed long since. At
the time of which I speak perhaps four
or five hundred men gathered there three
times a DAY. The manager of the com
mons WAS the college steward His name
was Twining, and he was the grand /
father of Arthur Twining Hadley. the
present president. He was a tine old
man and substantial citizen. on a /
raised dais stood the tables at which the /
faculty We're seated, while In the halls /
We're the students tables. If they made
q disturbance at their tables they were /
likely TO be disciplined. as they were un-
der the eyes of their instructors.
There was the same bill of fare an /
parently for the same day Of every week. /
and the young men could generally tell I
what was coming, allowing of course. /
somewhat for the changing seasons. / /
remember one day we almost always had /
oysters. 1 don't recall whether Il was 4
Tuesday or Wednesday. We were gen |