Evening journal., 1909-04-13

classes in mathematics and taught physics
astronomy, and a good many other things
that now, I grieve to say, have escaped
my memory in more than one sense Of tnat
phrase. Professor Porter was an extreme
" clever talker upon a great variety Of
SUBJECTS and those of us who came un-
prepared to recitation. sometimes express
ed a not altogether sincere interest in his
favorite topics. Our first Professor of
Chemistry was c. p. Williams, whom we
commonly called. for his initials, Chem
ically Pure Whiskey." not from anything
in his habits that justified such an appel
lation but merely out Of our overfowing
good nature. We liked and enjoyed him,
played with his children, tots Of three or
four, and were on friendly terms with Mrs.
Williams. I am eternally grateful to Pro-
fessor Williams for having introduced me
to the novels Of Thackeray, which were
not so old-fashioned then as they may ap-
pear now. Soon after the College reopened
Professor Williams went and Doctor Wolf
came; a young man fresh from Heidel-
berg. and considering all things, astonish-
ingly patient with the raw, mlschievous
lads whom he had TO teach. Our Professor
OF Military Tactics and French was
gentle. simple old Frenchman named
Macheret Nothing could induce him to
write my name anything but "Wallandig-
ham," and his distressed exclamation, af-
tel, some specially stupid bit of mischief
on my part 'Wal-lan-dig- you are
incorrigib still sounds in my ears. He
died in a charity hospital. where 1 went
to see him, and to this day 1t is with me
matter of sharp regret that l should
have subjected so true gentleman to so
many annoyances. These gentlemen con-
stituted the whole faculty, as I recall IT,,
unless I should include the inimitable Bill
Taylor. the colored ianitor. who privately
rated himself, 1 suspect in the rank Of a
professor. The faculty and Bill were popu-
lar. Not a man OF them was really dis
liked, and 1 think most OF them had the
genuine affection of us all. They must
have been shamefuly overworked. and
they had to deal with lads who were for
the most part woefuly III prepared The
members Of the faculty were also UNDER
paid. for the college was ridiculously poor
A peculiar blessing OF the old place for
some of us lay In the fact that the two
literary societies and the College Library
had a few thousand books. which includ-
ed the great English classics and transla-
tlons from much that was best in the
prose and especially the poetry of Con-
tinental Europe. / read more good litera-
ture in my first three years at college,
than have read in any dozen years since.
That first Frenchman class was a conec-
ton OF youths varying I'm age from fifteen
TO twenty years. with one or two grown
men well advanced In the twenties. The
grown-ups were oftener hazed by the boys
than the boys by the grown-ups. The
heaviest man In college was Sam Black,
afterward perpetual Mayor of New Cas-
tie. who at twenty weighed 265 pounds,
and could kick the hat off the tallest man
in college. George Morgan, now OF the
Philadelphia Record. was the shortest man
in college during my three years attend
ance. and his closest companions were two
fellows each of whom lowered foot or So
over his head.
In 1871 or 70 the college was open to
women, and we had group Of uncom-
monty nice girls. I am not now an advo-
cate Of collegiate co-education, but think
we all then liked TO have the girls in col
iege. OF course they carried off the honors
made us appear stupid in class and else
where, and were OF absolutely no use
when mischief was afoot but they wer,
solid friends, and the man who dropped q
disrespectful word about girl always
found somebody to give him black eye.
The most unpopular institution of th'
college was the early morning recitation
at half-past six a. m. in Spring and FAN
at In Winter. A stupid relic OF monasti'
education. The bell rung from the cupol'
gave us half an hoty to dress. but few
got up until five or six minutes befor
class hour and fellows commonly cam
into the prayers that preceded the recita
tion with dressing gowns 10 conceal tn
! defects Of costume. Nat Motheral VIII
{ could take the longest strides for a mai
of his height that you ever saw. wa
barbarously required 10 walk In from III
Z country. a mile and a half to that earl
recitation. II was my special business. a
+ walked up from home. to wake Tom
caulk with a long and hideous howl tha
E incidentally woke also the whole neigh
{ borhood. I have never understood why
= was not shot in my tracks by some out
, ragged and droWsy householder. Alex Wi
hanson, whose father had big stor
= down town. used to fetch sweet cracker
y and jelly, TO stay our stomachs during tn
q early morning recitation. How Williamso
= and | survived that diet ! cannot guess.
e Hardly second in value to the class rooi
e was the educational influence of the IVY
: literary societies OF our day. the Delt
s Phi and the Athenaean. We met on Satui
c day mornings and gave hours TO debat
g speeches. essays, parliamentary procee,
S ings and the like. Lew Bush was the III
). OF the Delta Phi. and il was a seriot
e loss to us when he quit college early to 3
d into business. Perhaps it is the glamot
Of years. but I think OF few things wit
t such pleasure as Of those Saturday morl
J. ing sessions IN Delta Phi Hail. We had
:, great acquisition in George S. Bell. vi
J. ginian. now pastor Of a Presbyteria
n Church at Annapolis, who since he wa
}. studying for the ministry. could authoi
k itatlvely open our proceedings with praye
}. Not the most ribald betrayed lightness {
K disrespect during Bells short invocation
d He was one of the most popular men