Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-15

Az anu TeCOuSITucIlOD 0d
"" duced the number OF students .
E775l at Charlottesville 10 32s in .
I'D the session OF 1ST9-sO. but .
war and reconstruction had not low. |
cred Vlrginia's lofty standard either % .
scholarship or Of honor. Wilson's life .
here was in many respects repeti- /
zion Of that at Princeton. Here. too. /
he Immediately took his place as q
leader. Study was rather more neces- /
Bary than at Princeton in those days
A man had TO work TO pass his exam
nations. sun there was a gay set as
well as a steady set. and Wilson had
friends among both.
Sports were engaged in TO the extent
OF an occasional baseball game among
the students or with a nine from a
neighboriug town, a foot race or two
In the autumn and some boat racing.
Wilson played a little baseball and
took long walks through the pleasant
country lying about. often alone,
though sometimes with a favOrite com
paniOn. At Princeton Greek letter fra
ternities were illegal. but they existed
with the approval OF the faculty at the
University Of Virginia, and Wilson was
Initiated into the Phi Kappa Psi
He joined the chapel choir and the
glee club. The latter circle Of har-
moniOus spirits made serenadinG ex-
cursiOns in the country roundabout
two or three times a week, winding
up its pleasure imparting career with
a grand concert in the town hall. Viii
son many a night stumbled along the
rocky roads with his fellow gleemen
20 arrive at last under the balcony Of
some damsel and lift his fine tenor
voice IN she Sleeps, My Lady Sleeps
and Speed Away" At the grand con
cert. which was given on the evening
OF the final ball. Il brilliant audience
that crowded the hall beheld the prize
orator and prize writer step down to
the foutliEhts and render a touching
tenor solo. Wilson is best remembered
aS u singer. however. by the thrilling
effect with which he usually achieved
the high note near the end Of The
Star Spaug,ed Banner"
Wilson did good deal Of writing
while Mt Charlottesville From the
road in front Of "Dawson's row" pass
ersby would see him sitting at the
window IN the southeast corner Of
"House r." durkly engaged with an
ink bottle. out OF which he had con
Jurcd before a year was up the writ
er's prize.
In March. 1850. the University Mag
azine printed an article by him on
John Bright, In the following month
another on Gladstone. The young
mans mind stlll ran. rs It had run at
Princeton. on the personality OF the
great political leaders.
The John Bright article was really a
version Of an Grafton which Wilson
was delivering that month. So great
had his reputation grown I'm six
months that there was considera bic
demand from outside the university
for admission. and the occasion was
thrown open to the public.
At Charlottesville. as at Princeton.
the student body was divided into two
literary and debating societies-the
Washingtonian aud the Jeffersonian-
In the common tongue, Wash" and
"Jen." The fortunes OF each alternate
ly waxed and waned "Jeff" was the
stronger in 1879. and Wilson Joined it.
His talents ut once won recognition,
but he found a competitor TO respect
In another "Jen" man. William Cabell
Bruce. a young orator OF extraordinary
ability.
The chief annual event at Charlottes-
vile was a debating contest in the
Jeffersonian society, at which two gold
medals were awarded, one for debat-
Ing, the other for oratortcal ability.
Bruce was given the debaters gold
medal. while the orators prize went
10 Wilson. The opinion OF pretty near
ly everybody, aside from the judges.
was that the award should have been
reversed. Bruce was ornate in style,
Wilson simple, direct and logical
In a wholly different vein from his
speeches in the JEFF" society was one
notable effort in which the university
favorite appeared when he delivered
medals TO the winners in athletic
games. Having agreed 10 make this
preSentR ton. Wilson was very much
exercised as TO what 10 say and i'm
parted his perplexity 10 an intimate
friend. who ratified off two pieces OF
nonsense which he suggested would
about suit the taste Of the audience in
the gymnasium. Neither piece contain
ed the slightest aiiuSion TO athletic
sports. Yet the orator worked them in.
The gymnasium speech represents
one Of the few occasions in which the
young student bent very far from his
dignity in public. but in private he
fairly dubbed with humor and viii
and was very much given to monkey
shines
IS he bad done at Princeton. Wilson
at Charlottesville also organized a
Smaller group OF thinking chaps for
debate. A member OF that group re-
members Wilson's unspeaksble disgust
when they chose as the subject for one
nights DISCUSSION the question whether