Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1910-04-14
Early Recollections of
Oxford.
BY A about ei-year-old Oxford Be,

adherence 10 full well rounded
course otstudy. When ! entered
that college there were nearly 80
in the Freshman Glass, every one
studying Greek, and our first
lesson was about thirty lines in
Homer. The Sophomore Glass
numbered over 40, all studying
Greek, and their first lesson was
in Hercdotus, followed by the
plays OF Sophocles and Eruipides.
The Junior Class numbered about
80 and the Senior % or 30. They
all had to study Greek and Of
course Latin. The Irregulars.
numbered about 30 aud could
choose their studies, but il was
always discouraged by the pro-
fessors, they insisted the students
should take the full course. Who
will say that that it was not the
best?
We hear of burning the mid
night lamp these days, but do
not often see it. IL was a COM
mon thing then. My eyes have
never recovered from the intense
and long continued study forced
upon me in those strenuous times.
Two very different classes
studied late then. One was the
duh but ambitious student who
was determined to succeed. the
second was the class who would
go out on a "tarc" and get in
about 10 o'clock, and then had
to buckle down to hard work
preparatory tor a morning lesson
in Analytical Geometry for in
stance, or Calculus. | haven't
said which one belonged 10.
a private note from the edi-
tress informs me that the people
are interested in the papers
nave been presenting. and this
encourages me to write some
more though | really feared tina,
was getting "worrisome.
said in former article that
my father moved to Oxford in
lS1o. purchasing the lot Just in
the rear Of the PRESBYTERIAN
church. He sold that to Mr.. d.
B. Burnet: after living there one
year and bought the property
Just east OF the church from Mr.,
Wm. Strong.
Mr.. Burnett was a very staid,
quiet character with some means,
lie put up the first, and / SUP.
pose the only tobacco and cigar
stand that ever was in Oxford
For several years it was devoted
exclusively TO that purpose,
! though later he mixed a little
lager beer along with his tobacco
and cigars. His wife was 4 reaI
shouting Methodist and when
she got happy, she let folk.
know 1t in good old fashioned
, style. | came very near savina
in good old fashioned Methodist
style, but we had lot of c P's
in those times that could beat the
, Methodist in q shout =" and give
: them fat and go last and tire,
. ahead in the game" Quoted
) from an old friend), am not
sure of that however. But when
/ during a revival. Mrs. WYATT
Mrs. Stockard, Mrs. Fades, Mrs
Dunlap, Mrs. Wallace, Mrs,
: Mitchell and Mrs. Burnett, the
| hrst as captain, and the last as a
= hrst lieutenant. turned ,heir bat.
: teries loose, then sure enough
there were thunderings heard in
the camp Of Isarel. Uncle Billy
a McMahon, uncle Billy Burnev
and my old friend. Mitchell. were
often on hand with their double
4 shotted q Founders to add music
: 70 the scene, while George 7.
Stainback could be heard with
r his dep bass voice saying Praise
: Cod loud enough 10 i'll half a
dozen churches.
Mr.. VIM. Strong sold the proD.
3 efty east of the church 10 my
! father and moved to a place in
, North Oxford which ne seems 10
have owned Tor some years pre-.
vlous, and may have once lived
/ there. He was a contractor ard
builder having for his partner.
> MIR. Harvey Wallace, the latter
. living IN East Oxford in a house
now occupied by Mr.. B p. GRAY.
Harye" was good carpenter
out the moment that an idle time
presented itself, he was out and
OH with his SQUIRREL rifle. never
falling to bring in a nice lot of
game by nightfall. He was con-
sidered one of the best shots in
the county and a clever man.
1t was weekly occurrence for
Harvey Wallace, John Strono
and several others to meet down
IN the hollow on Pontotoc street
and shoot at target. Doubtless
many a quarter of beef came into
some good woman's kitchen on
the strength Of her husbands
"centerlng the bulls eye.'
burney's Branch was named
after dear old uncle Billy Bur-
ney who lived on the hill bevond
the branch during the 4O's and
owned the land about and below
the spring. Lower down it was
called Smiths Branch, named
Tor that grand old home made
sound to the core, Democrat
smith, who lived two or three
miles from the fountain head