New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-07-10
YALE'S OLDEST ''GRIl'
Judge Hedges Young, Tnurs
Nearing FlVeSGore.

McdIffiy FisCcGUIe.
Henry P. Hedges, OF Bridgzhanr..
Long Island, IS The Oldest living $50
of yale. He received his diploma ssr.-.
two years ago aEd was n the Legislas..
ffty-eight years ago by fat-er.~ -,
he. was eight years subject Of r..
George before the Declaration Of Iade7s-
dencey' That seems TO make US -
young nation.
Aside from his ge-ninety-thres-J,a
Hedges 1.-THE people of Suffolk Ccarty e.
ed him Judge and Surrogate Is an )
trernely interesting man learned, -s..
brilliant in conversation. has rern1-kas.
memory. and withal is right up to date
Accompanied ~ his wife. the judz- va.
hack to commencement this year. vran..s
and drove about the shaded streets q =
Elm city. attended nneetings-his specs
The alumni was the event OF TIE week
said one of the faculty; marched n -
cessfons-at the head when the asr-,r
twelve hundred OF them. went in to q,
banquet: sat IN the place assigned 70 - i
class of 80 in preference 20 the chair =.
served for him among the pro tenpore II.
ables: however, vas on the platform d1rirr
commencement exercises. enjoyed e~srv
thing with susto almost youthful. had Ii
wits about hiu1-abund1nt wits-au Ia
time.
A man Of wide renOwn-preacher tsss
Logan, editor, publicist-said 70 hin
Judge Hedges. I graduated not n-aay
years after you. and I've been back &c :!
good many Of the commencement and q.
loved them all, but have never been %
speech yesterday. I was reminded OF r n
bit of poetry;
The SHOWS Of time descended on him,
And they whitened him;
But they did not chill him.
For MS heart was warm
Whereupon the older man fel- cfrous,v
replied Brother W. YOU convince me thatI
the wrong man made the speech YESTERDAY
I ought to have been listening and yo1I
Should have been up on the platform"
AT interesting man. yes. indeed Hear
him tell of the receipt in East Hanlpte1
where his father then resided. OF ire revs-
paper. containing the speech OF Webster i
reply to Hayne '1y father got his pa1er
ar the postofice and took II tu,ncediate!v
over to DIR. l5eecher. Lyman Beecne.
father Of Henry Ward Beecher, Mrs Stowe
and other Beecher wonders. at that tirs
pastor of the presbyterian Church in -
villageD DR.. Beecher took the paDa- -
erly, dropped into a chair and made ~
sign till he had read the speech throt.s
Then my father asked Wei. DR. Beecsst
what do YOU think Of it, To which Or
Beecher replied, It's a cannon bal going
through a basketfuI Of eggshsIs
Years after Dr. Beecher had left East
famous birthstone Corner Church n
Boston. he came back for a visit to tie
village. You should hear Judge Hedges tell
about it in his animated way He says;
DIR. Beecher had two Of lis sons with
him and as he was 10 stay over SCEsily
we got him to preach The whole east end
of Long Island wanted TO hear him TAere
wasn't any church that would hold TIE peo-
pie. but as the church at sag Ha-bor was
bigger than the church at East Hampton, il
was decided to hold the services az the
Farbor. DR.. Beecher preached IN the morn
ing, his son William in the afternoon and
Edward. the eldest son. in the evening.
DIR Beecher naturally referred 10 his
pastorate at East Hampton While was
among YOU he declared, I ever Terventiy
upheld the doctrine Of justification by ta-ta
I never wavered. I made no exceptions
One day a merchant in The village came to
me and said: ''Dr- Beecher, do net ac-
cept this doctrine that you teach, but
want you TO know THAT I an good c-tlz1n
in this community, and I am entitled 70
your respect When sell a bushel OF gram
it's a bushel full. and a heaping handful
on TOD Of that Sir" said I, II you're
relying on that for your hope OF salvation
you may as well save your grain.
Judge Hedges has been content 70 remain
his ninety-three year-with more % follow.
I hope-in the little village, practising law
and filling his farm. maintaining an Office
at Sag Harbor. four miles away, holding
court at Riverhead wnea he was OF the
bench; writing the history OF his native
town. compiling and printing its records
delivering orations on important occasions
one at the celebration of the Goth arniTeE-
sary OF the town OF Southampton anothss
at the 25Oth anniversary OF the same to"l
ard another just now at the 255th annlvsF.
sary of Bridgehampton; expounding tna
Scriptures TO young and old
If he had come up 70 TIE city for us
career he would have made a brilliant sue-
cess and been a leading man Yes" adds
an eminent physician TO whom 7 told VIA.
1 have written here. ''and have died th-.-
teen years ago.
I repeated this TO Judge Hedges, ard 1s
said: There is one thing more. I have
always felt that by remaining at home
could be useful in maintaining the rigl;
relation between LonG Island and Yale,
E r. &
Uncle Ezra says: ''Waitin' fur dead mems