Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-29
BY J. v. FITZGERALD.

kindergarten certainly wasn't any
place even for boy of S, when the
lad was able to outline plan of study
for the classics to his father. Rev.
David Hughes. Baptist minister in Os-
wego. N. Y, made up his mind to that
effect when his son Charles presented
such a plan to him shortly after he
had been entered in the infant class.
The result was that the boy was
taken out of school and tutored by his
mother and father. Mrs. Hughes had
been a school teacher before her mar
riage. Few parents were so we'll
equipped To teach bright lad at home.
PrecOcious Child.
Charles Evans Hughes was pre-
cocious child, as his formulation of q
plan to study the classics when he was
in kindergarten will bear out. He was
born in 1852 in Glens Fails, N. Y,
where his father had small congre-
CATION. He was delicate as child and
didn't romp and play much with other
little boys and girls.
Perhaps because he was not particu-
larry robust his parents devoted more
time to him than might ordinarily
have been the case. His mind devel-
oped rapidly. He showed a decided in
terest in books as soon as he was able
to talk. He was reading nursery
rhymes when he was 81 years old. He
was when his father was transferred
to church in Oswego, when Charles
was summarily removed from kinder
garten.
When he was 8, and the family was
living in Newark, N. j., the lad was
able to translate the Bible from the
Greek. He was also wide reader OF
Shakespeare's works at this age.
Graduated at Is With Honor.
He later went to school in New York
City, where he was graduated from
high school in 1875 at the age of Is
as salutatot'ian of his class. His ora
ton, because Of its scholarly tone and
the fine delivery of the small orator.
surprised big crowd that attended the
exercises in the old Academy of Music
in that city.
While attending high school he wrote
essays on such subjects as "The Limi-
tation of the Human Mind" SELF
Help and THE Evils of Light Litera-
ture." He was marked even then as a
deer. SStudent and thinker.
Re-. Mr.. Hughes wanted his son to
become a clergyman, If the boy felt a
real call to the religious life. Young
CHARLES had not made up his mind def
nitely as to his future career when he
entered Colgate at the age of IA. He
was slight boy at the time and timid.
save when 1t came to questions of
scholarship. Then he would talk well
and enthusiastically, even with his
elders. Mentally he was more mature
than his classmates.
Brilliant as College Student.
The boy spent two years at Colgate
from there he went to Brown Univer-
SHY, entering as a sophomore in 1879.
He Immediately showed all the promise
indicated in his high school DAYS. He
was a brilliant student, but modest and
retiring in disposition.
He gained many scholastic honors at
Brown. He won the prize for the high
esq standing In English literature when
ne was a Junior. Upon graduation. at
the age of 19 he was awarded the prize
as the student showing the most all
around promise. He was honor man in
his class.
BY This time he had finally made IN
his mind not to become q clergyman.
Deciding against following the career
for which his father had hoped, he
went from Brown University to Delphi.
N. Z. There he taught mathematics
In the Delaware Academy.
He studied law at Columbia Uniyer-
sity at night after returning to New
York City. and was admitted to the
bar when he was % years old.
While the young lawyer had been
slckly as child he showed great ply
steal capacity for work In the next
three years. He was engaged as a
clerk IN a law office during the day.
At night he acted as a teacher and
tutor at Columbia,
Taught During Vacation.
Finally his health suffered under the
strain ua 1uac nfAorad ~ tel