The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-03-18

row Wilson again domiciled In the
Jersey collegiate town. He was now a
man whose renown had begun tn
spread in the world. an author. a pub
lie speaker Of enviable repute. the
head of a family. figure of consid-
Grafton. doctor. If you please. both Of
philosophy and of law.
The Wilson's rented a house I'm Ii
brary place. After few years they
built home for themselves on an ad
joining lot. an attractive half tim
bered house designed by Mrs Wilson
The new professor stepped at once
into the front rank, as indeed became
a Princeton graduate. membersof one
Of the most famous classes the old
college had graduated, d man thor
oughIy imbued with the best tradi-
tons of the place. But his lectures
Princeton had no tradition that ac-
counted for their charm. They in
stantly became popular; the attendance
mounted until it surpassed that ever
before or since given any course of
study at Princeton. Before long very
nearly 400 students. almost the total
number of juniors and seniors com
lined. were taking Wilson's courses.
and they were no "cinches" either.
Widely Informed. marked by a mastery
of fact even to slight detail, inspiring
in their range and sweep and spiced
With 4 i,ciYaGinG sense of humOr. Pro
lessor Wilson's lectures were further
marked ~ the great freedom with
which he Delivered himself of his
views on current events 1t was his
custom to put students on their honor
not to report him; there were always
likely to be i'll attendance students
who had connections with city news
papers who might frequently have
made good stories out of the pro
fessor's lively comments on the poll
tics of the day. but none ever took ad-
vantage Of the opportunity.
The classes were now so large that
the work of professor consisted al
most entirely of lecturing. As we
shall see later. it was not then the
Princeton idea to give the students
any particular oversight or inspiration
elsewhere than In the classroom. Yet
the Wilson home became and always
remained a resort hugely popular with
the young men who were so lucky as
to be admitted to it. and its doors
were Hospitality hung. Professor Will
son, in short. stepped into the position
Of first favorite alike with his col
leagues of the faculty and with the
undergrads. They have at Princeton
a way of voting at the end of each
year for all possible sorts of popular
pCrsOnages." For a number of years
Professor Wilson was voted the most
popular professor. He was able he
was genial. he was active. a member
Of the faculty committee on outdoor
sports and of the faculty committee
on discipline. In faculty meetings Mr..
Wilson soon became one of those most
attentively listened to.
During the twelve years, 1890 to
1902, Mr.. Wilson continued to fulfill at
Princeton the duties of professor of
Jurisprudence and politics. They were
twelve years of steady yet pleasant
labor-years of growth and of grow
ing influence both in the university
and in the country. Four new books
were added to the list signed by this
man who wrote history and politics
with so much literary charm-"Divi-
sion and Reunion" An Old Master"
Mere Literature and George Wash
ingtOn." He was heard now in occa-
sional addresses In many parts of the
misunderstanding public questions be
fore commercial, industrial and pro-
fessional bodies. The vigor OF his
views on questions of the day, as well
as his readiness, grace and power on
the platform, gave him place among
the recognized leaders Of national
thought. He had for time continued
going down to Johns Hopkins, and
now he gave occasional lectures at the
New York Law school.
At the end Of a decade in his chair