The Washington bee., 1909-01-16

until today, his clientele, as a class, !
are the wealthiest Colored people in
this country.
Professor James Monroe, of the
class of 1916, a professor in the col
lege was appointed, by President
Grant, our Minister to Japan. He
took with him, as Secretary to the
Legation, the late Durham White
Stevens, of the class of 1871. Pro-
fessor Monroe remained there for
some years when he was called home
to represent the Oberlin District in
Congress, where he toook high rank
with the ableSt men in that body
His Secretary to the Legation-Stey
ems, remained in Japan and became a
citizen of that country, where he be-
came great power. as Attorney
General. Perhaps no American ever
had 50 many honorS bestowed upon
him as Stevens. He became one of
the greatest diplomats of that country
or any country, He was recently
assassinated in San Francisco by a
fanatic.
The sixth man to win honors, in.
MANY WAYS was the late Senator B.
K. Bruce.-an undergraduate, as was
Turner.
During the thirty-t,TO years 1 was
associated with him, as class mate,
companion, confidential secretary and
political manager, l wrote much spf
him for the press, hence there is but
little | can say of him that IS not
known I may add, however, that
although he was not a college man,
there were few men better equipped
for the public service: from the day
he Joined me at Oberlin he became a
student and was until his death-th1r-
ty-three years afterward. He laid a
I foundation so broad and comprehen-
sive and builded upon it so well that
he was a master mind in any emer-
gency and for any undertaking,
After he left our class at Oberlin,
in 1867, I remained, as a student, till
1872 when he sought HE, at my home
= at Leavenworth, upon his return
from the Philadelphia National Con
e vention as a delegate from Mississ-
ippi He came to urge upon me to
give up my course at Oberlin and
= join him in Mississippi as his tutor
and confidential secretary, and assist
him as his manager, in his fight he
intended to make for a seat in the
p United States Senate to succeed Sen
ator Ames, whose term would expire
March 4 1875. His offer was most
hattering: FIVE dollars per day-be-
ginning that day in June if l would
come to him by October I, and aftei
4 a residence in the state six months
, to gain a legal residence he would re-
sign as Superintendent of Public In
struction, paying FIVE dollars per day
and have the State Board of Edu
: cation name me as his successor, anC
any other position might seek in the
State. Flattering as were theSt
offers - such as rarely came to ;
S young man, l was so determined tc
Il carry out the dream of my childhood
, and the fondest hopes, as youns
Il man, to complete a full course, tina
i | declined them all and returned t.
Oberlin in September for the fal
term. There letters and telegram
came in urging me to come to him
Finally | submitted the matter to m.
> wife-them my atflanced- who de
i cided with Mr.. Bruce to go even /
l I remained but one year: so Septem
Der 70, 1872, found me at his hom
in Boliver County. We, at once tax
ing up the curriculum of Oberlin
i mapped out course of study, omit
. ting the classics he reading the litera
translation of them With his mul
tiplicity of ofices-for he then hel,
six-he never neglected this cours
of study until he prepared to com
- here to take his seat in the Unite,
States Senate, March 4, 1875.
" I did not accompany him; he di
=. not wish me to resign my position a
= Superintendent of Public Instruction
3 as silent Secretary of State, Regen
u Il CA.Ao TT,,,-arc,Exv nor nv cpn