The morning journal-courier. (New Haven, Conn.) 1907-1913, 1908-04-02
A PRECOCIOUS BOY
Wonderful Achievements Of
John Trumbull O Cen
fury Ago.
-
PASSED YALE EXAMS AT 7
-
Puny and Intellectual Youth Who At
tanned Ripe Age of Eighty
one Years.
PASSED YALE EXAMS AT

Few people In Connecticut realize
that there once lived q boy In Water
bury who possessed the remarkable
precociousness which enabled him to
pass the Yale examination at the age
Of seven years. He DIDN'T enter Yale
until his 18th yea, yet the record re
mains, and ought not to be lost sight
of. The boys name was John 1rumr
bull, born In 1850, and died full of hon
or. scholastic and political, at tho ripe
age Of 81 years, in 1881, lie was frai
and tender as a youngster; and his re-
markahle intellect oyerbalanced his
physical makeup, Nobody thought he
would grow up and his mental
achievement at an age when most
boss nowadays are entering the dis
trict school, attracted tho attention of
scholar and distinguished men in his
day
1t was said of him at the time he
passed the Yale examinations at the
/ age of years that he was so small
and puny he could hardly lift the bull
! ky volumes in which he passed his ex-
aminatons. From all accounts he was
a thorough going intellectual wonder,
and although he did not make the tre-
mcndous success Of life that his start
OFF, indicated yet he left record for
early attainmonJs that can be hardly
excclcd,
Like most Of the wonders of that
day he was the son of Congregation
al minister living in section Of Wat
erbury now known as Watertown, and
the elder Trumbull was a trustee of
Yale college. The old gentleman tu-
tored his son as soon ms he was able
to learn his letters which must have
been at about the age Of years for 1t
is told that about the time most boys
arc preparing for the kindergarten
course, young Trumbull had talked
Greek and Latin.
Before he was years OF age he had
made serious inroads into both the
Greek and Latin languages, and his
father was so delighted with the
youngsters prccocity that he pushed
him along with all the ylgor OF strict
old minister Of those days His pro-
gress was so rapid that he passed an
examination at the age Of I which was
sufficiently advanced to merit him
admission to Yale college This
meant. OF course, that he had pretty
accurate and comprehensive knowl-
edge of both Latin and Greek, and n
good dose of theology and moral phil
osophy thrown IN. on account Of his
extreme youth and small stature, as
well as subsequent III health, young
Trumbull didn't enter Yale until his
18th year
while Mt New Haven he demonstrate
cd IN every possible way his wonderful
ability as n scholar and he won all the
scholastic honors he went after. He
outclassod all competitors for acad-
emlc honors and Il Is recorded that
his mind evinced discipline of
thought and a styls rarely discernl-
bic IN students Of far more advanced
years. Trumbull was graduated from
Yale In the class Of 1851, but he didn't
leave the college until 1910, MS he re-
NAMED three years longer and studied
polite literature During this period
he bocgmc well acquainted with tho
FIRST president, Timothy Dwight who
was In lower class, but had already
anti oti,nti,n 40 "a I'll
able scholar, and which his life after
ward proved him to be.
IN I'll two tutors Of the college re-
signed. and Dwight and Trumbull
were chosen TO take their places. They
worked hard TO raise the standard OF
learning IN the college. Their new
tangled methods were not met with
appreciation, It Is said by the college
officials. but tho innovation started by
these two intellectual youths finally
won out. and were successful. With
Dwight, Trumbul produced many os-
says. mhch after tho style Of Addison
and steele In The Spectator and IN i772
appeared "Thn Progress Of Dizziness,
which Us said To he the most flnlshod
of Trumhulls poems. While tutoring
IN Yale Young Trumbull studied law
as side issue, and In TIA Resigned
his tutorshlp. and was admitted to the
bar of Connecticut.
He didn't start IN TO practice M that
time but took a stage for BOSTON anc
went into the office Of sturdy olt
John Adams, then the leading law.
yer Of that city aud ono Of the prin.
! cpals IN the big political revolution
that was fast reaching 4 culminatinf
point His spare time In Adams
office was spent In mixing into iht
questions that woro presenting thom
folvcs IN the great impending struggle
between tho Colonies and Great Bri
tain He. puhllehcd In TIA an "1;asa,
on the Times" and returned sool
: afterwards tn New Haven whore h,
4 commenced tho practice Of tho Law
\ under the most promising conditions
, Trunhull remained IN New llavei
\ for five years during which time III
took u prominent part IN the po
lltical activities OF the day, and It wal
at their home that he wrote the flrs
portion OF the poem "McFngal,
which was printed In Philadelphia, n
, time when congress was In session
, and which was republishod I'm diff
= fercnt parts Of this country and II
Europe. Tho poem, which was In tn,
lIudibrastc vein. and pronounced Il
be the best imitation Of Butler
famous satire, was not finished unit