The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-03-15

Du1IQlngS, Qa1ng, one OF tnem, Oack 10
1856
The place, full of traditions of the
Revolutionary war. had been favor
fte resort Of southern students up to
1861 The first war had battered the
front of Old Nassau hall, and the sec
picturesque damage in withdrawing
from the institution a large part of it's
southern patronage. The south could
i'll afford to send its young men far
away to college now. This year. in
deed. there came twenty men from the
southern states. 1t is remembered that
some of these youths needed recon
struction.
Wilson is remembered in no such
way. He was known as Democrat
of stout opinions from the day he first
opened his mouth on the campus. but
no recollection remains of his having
displayed any sectional passion. A
classmate remembers, however, that
on one occasion when a group of fell
lows were talking of the misfortunes
that follow in the wake of war Wilson,
who was in the group, cried out, you
know nothing whatever about itp' and
with face as white as sheet Of paper
abruptly left the company.
| All testimony goes to indicate that
Tom Wilson Immediately took his
place as a leader in the class. He ap-
peared as a young fellow Of great ma.
turity of character. blended with un
usual freshness of interest in all things
pertaining to college life. He had the
manners of a young aristocrat. His
speech was cultured. He soon won the
| reputation of already wide reading and
sound judgment. There is abundant
/ evidence that he was from the start
marked figure among the men who
now constitute the famous class Of
TO- There have been more famou:
| Princeton graduates than these, bu
there has never been class of so higl
an average of ability. Robert Bridges
one of the editors of Scribner's Maya
zine; the Rev. DR.. a. S. Halsey, secre
tary of the Presbyterian board Of for
eign missions: Charles A. Talcott. NJ
c.; Mahlon Pitney. justice of the su
preme court of the United States
Robert 81. McCarter. ex-attorney gen
eraI of New Jersey: Edward W. Shel
don, president of the United State
Trust company: Colonel Edwin
Stevens of New Jersey and Judge Rot
ert r. Henderson of Maryland are onl
typical members Of class of unusua
mental capacity. Among such me
Wilson from the start ranked high.
Not as a student perhaps He wa
never a bright particular star in e1
aminations. Princeton graduated
s.hoDor men, such students as ha
maintained throughout their fou
years course an average of 80 pc
cent. Not less than forty-two ont
the 122 graduates of 70 were "honr
men," Wilson barely got in anon
them. He ranked forty-first-
The fact is that this son of clerg!
men and editors hadn't come to scho'
to pass through a standardized Gu
riculum and ill his head with tt
knowledge prescribed in a college cat
logue. He had come to prepare hin
self for particular career. and befol
be had been at Princeton three montf
he had finally determined on what tn;
= career should be.
The class historian. Harold Pet
Goodwin. celebrating the advent
Princeton of the members of the ella
that graduated in 70. declares that
arrival Tommy Wilson rushed to Il
library and took out Rants 'Critiq1
of Pure Reason"
To the library Tommy Wilson u
auestionably did rush. but not TO re;
of pure reason. If ever there was
student who demanded facts, concre
subjects. applied reason. it was ii
same Wilson. even in bis college days
The truth is that. proving in the {
coves of the Chancellor Green HbraI
new then, one daY early in the ter
the boy stopped at the head Of I
south stairs. where the bound MAG
zines were kept. and his hand f
upon a Sic of the Gentleman's Mas
zine, that ancient and respectable
pository of English literature viii
DR.. Samuel Johnson bad helped
start away back in the middle of {
eighteenth century. with his reports
parliamentary debates. When Johns
Law on his deathbed he declared n
his only compunction was those parl
mentary renorts. for. Of course th
were "fakeS."
Now. it happened that in the sevent
the editor of the day. feeling round