Springfield weekly Republican. [volume], November 14, 1912, Page 12, Image 12

About Springfield weekly Republican. [volume] (Springfield, Mass.) 1851-1946

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12
EXERCISES OF DEDICATION
OF NEW WIIBRAHAM ACADEMY.
LARGE GATHERING OF ALUMNI.
OLD WESLEYAN DAYS RECALLED
And the Snore** of the Nett School
I* Predicted by Many Speaker*—
Addres*e* by Frank C, Dnna,
Chnrle* H. Raymond, llr Thomn*
Nicholson, Bishop Hamilton and
President* Shnnklin and Marlin.
From Otir Special Reporter.
Wild rah am, Friday, November 8.
The Wilbraham academy of old has
passed, and in its stead, nestled in the
autumn hills of this attractive town, has
appeared the New Wilbraham. More than
200 alumni, ex-students and honored
guests to-day gathered on the eatnpns of
the famous old academy to tread the old i
paths, listen to the sayings of men who
were once students, but have now become
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GAYLORD W. DOUGLASS.
[Principal of Wilbraham academy]
men important in the world's work, and
enjoy the wonderful atmosphere of quiet
and peace which exists about the school
with its six buildings among the oaks. It
was a sort of homecoming for many men
and women who once sat in the rooms of
the old academy, and a gala day for the
25 youths who are the present generation
of Wllhrabamites.
The ancient academy which has educated
girls and hoys for 95 years under the di
rection of the Methodist church has this
year been changed into a select school for
boys only, and many improvements have
been made in the group of buildings which
are scattered through the trees on the old
campus.
To-day's festivities are only a part of the
celebration. The guests will not remain
longer than to-morrow morning, with a few
staying until after the football game in the
afternoon, but there are two events of in
terest arranged for to-morrow. In the
forenoon the two literary societies, Old
club and I’hilo, will be organized in their
respective cluli-rooms in Fisk hall, and
the alumni members of each society will
conduct regular meetings of each society
in the evening. With the close of to-mor
row evening's program, however, the New
Wilbraham will have officially replaced the
old Wesleyan academy, and the new col
lege song will have been sung with these
words:—
O ivied walls. O storied halls,
0 shrine of long ago!
The altar fires our fathers lit.
Shall still more brightly glow.
This morning was given over to an in
spection of the improvements which have
been made and to hoars of reminiscences
in the dormitory before the fire places.
At noon a luncheon was served in the
new dining-room of Bieh hall, the large
dormitory which has recently been refin
ished and made more elaborate in its fix
tures. In the afternoon, after the street
which runs through the campus had filled
with carriages and automobiles which
brought many visitors from the country
side, the program of the day began. The
quaint chapel on the top floor of Fisk hall
was chosen for the gathering. There,
with 200 interested guests in the old
fasbioned seats, and with the oil paintings
of former masters of the academy adorn
ing the walls, the speakers of the da v be
gan their tributes to the new Wilbra
ham.
The Dedicatory Exerrlse*.
Prof Caleb T. Winchester, ’(ls. of Mid
dletown, Ct., was the chairman of the aft
ernoon. He gave a s.hort talk at the open
ing of the program, in which he said that
tlie present gathering was to dedicate the
new Wilbraham, but n«t to forget the old
school, which was so rich in memory. He
said the academy as it stands to-day is
seldom equaled among the boys' schools of
the nation in its equipment and in its tra
dition. It is an ideal place for a bov to
spend his preparatory years. He said he
could well remember his own first riavs
there in 1863. The school in those old
days was a beautiful old place and he
loved it. but he thought the decision of
the trustees to change the policy of the
institution was well founded and should be
carried out. Frank C. Dunn. ex-’B9, of
Gardner, who is chairman of the reorgan
ization committee, was the next speaker.
He talked about the labors of trie men
who had the interests of the school at
heart, and of the plans which had been
carried out in rejuvenating the academy.
He told how, after more than 90 years of
existence as a coeducational school, the
trustees of the academy in June, 1911 de
cided to give the school a rebirth. It 'was
to become a school for boys only. The
friends of the institution were solicited
for funds, and with the aid of the New
England Methodist conference more than
$40,000 was raised for the refitting of the
place. All during last year, the work of
repairing took place, and last summer a
new corps of instructors were employed
with Gaylord IV. Douglass as headmas
ter. During the latter part of the sum
mer personal interviews were held with
parents and prospective students, and this
fall the doors of the school were thrown
open and tile new Wilbraham boys’ school
began its work. The number of students
is not large, but the work done among
them is to be as excellent as that at any
boys’ school in the nation. The opening
of school came on September 18. Mr
Don u said that he felt that tlie re
juvenated school was to be a success.
Charles H. Raymond, assistant head
master of the I.awrenceville academy in
New Jersey, and a man who once was an
instructor in the old Wesleyan academy,
was the next speaker. He talked on the
mission of the new Wilbraham. He said
that after 25 years’ absence he felt al
most us a stranger on the old campus, but
liis feeling for tlie old school was as strong
ua ever. lie said that he could not see
much difference between the mission of
the new school and that which was ful
filled by the old. Throughout the career
of the institution Wilbraham lias made
men and otherwise answered the demands
! which the times made upon it. What
more can it do in the future? Its equip
' ment and excellent spirit, however, are
such that the new school should be able
to more than maintain the old reputation.
The school provides courses which tit men
for entrance into either college or the
world of deeds and will do it well in the
years to come. The school is not mark
ing time, nor yet falling to the rear, but
is following the footsteps of many anoth
er institution which has lately changed
from coeducation into a homo for boys
only, which he thought was a wise change.
He said the associations, the ideas and
Jhe untiring energy which has always been
in the life of the academy will never die.
They will help to make the new school a
power for good. Bishop William Burt,
'74, who was expected ns one of the chief
speakers of the afternoon, was unable to
attend. He could only telegraph his siu
ecrest regards and regret that he could
not be present.
Or Thomn* \icliolsnn'a Address.
The third speaker of the afternoon was
Rev Dr Thomas Nicholson, secretary of
the hoard of education of tlie Methodist
church. He spoke with energy about the
work of the academy and its prospects.
He said that of five men who had had
the greatest influence of any living beings
on his own life, one was from Wilbraham
| and two were from other secondary
schools. From this influence he had come
to believe in secondary schools as a
source of greatness and nobility. I)r Her
bert Fisk of the academy was the Wil
braham man to whom he alluded. He said
that through Dr Fisk he learned much
of WUbraham’s history. On one occasion
in 1857 one of the old wooden buildings
of the academy burned to the ground. It
was rebuilt at a cost which almost bank
rupted the institution. On the day after
its dedication it. too, was burned.' Then
bisk, who was master of the school, went
in despair one afternoon to Isaac Rich,
and asked for help. Rich at first refused
to answer the appeal and it seemed that
the academy would have to limp along
until it could pay for its newly-destroyed
hall with only half of its facilities work
ing meanwhile. It looked like death to
the school. The next morning, however.
Rich called Fisk iu :uid told him he had
changed his mind. He said that when he
had been a fish boy peddling slimy, smellv
fish through the streets of Boston,‘and was
scorned by most people. Wilbur Fisk, fa
ther of the academy master, met him and
took him into church and Sundav-seliool.
There Rich got religion and accepted the
Methodist faith as well as an nndving
friendship with Wilbur Fisk. And, as he
talked to the academy head, he said he
feit that he owed it to the Methodist
church and to \\ ilbur Fisk to invest some
of his wealth in the academy at Wilbra
ham. Y\ ith Lee Clafiin of Boston helping
and the trustees of the institution strug
gling manfully, another hall was raised
where the former two had burned. This
very building has now been remodeled
and is tne finely-equipped dormitory for
the boys of the new Wilbraham.
Rev Dr Nicholson said he believed fully
that Rich s investment—an investment
which meant so much to the school—has
paid and paid well. The roll of graduates
who have gone out into the works of the
world alone shows that it has paid. If the
academy did nothing else than turn out
such men as the Fisks, George Steele and
the scores of others who are numbered
on its graduate list it has earned a high
rate of interest on the investment made in
it. Dr Nicholson said lie believed firmly
in secondary schools. Their work is a
great one. He lias toured through the
United States and Canada as well as the
countries of Europe and the secondary
schools of all nations have appealed to
him. He said he had read with shame
of the wars and graft and disgraces of
the modem life. He thinks that the na
tion needs to-day more than ever before
the incorporation into its life of the high
ideals for which the church stands. The
secondary schools are laboring strongly
and well to fulfill this need. The sec
ondary schools are great teachers of
patriotism, too. The battle of Waterloo
was won not altogether on the field but
also in Eton and Rugby and the other
places where the youth of England was
drilled in the true English spirit.
Another work of the boarding school is
the supplying of a crying demand for fine
school life for boys. Methodist pastors
used to be the prime movers of the world.
In fact, they moved about every other
year, but nowadays statistics showthat 60
per cent of the citizenship of America
move at least once a year. In this way
beys are constantly being jerked from one
school to another, falling in arrears of
their fellows continually, and finally many
of them become disgusted. The boarding
school, however, remedies the evil splen
didly. He said that men or women with
money to give to causes which would
mean something to them, should carefully
consider the boarding school such as the
new Wilbraham. The investment has al
ways paid well in the forming of manly
character, and the new Wilbraham with
the aid of friends will continue to send
into the world men of high ability.
Bishop Hamilton Speak*.
Bishop John Wesley Hamilton of Bos
ton was then introduced by Prof Winches
ter. Bishop Hamilton is a witty, inter
esting talker and held the attention of his
hearers for half an hour, as he told of the
historic background upon which the new
Wilbraham can rely. He said that there
are various elements in the school’s back
ground. not the least of which is flit 200-
acre campus and farm. The great men
who have labored in years past at the
school is a second and important element.
Their very spirit still pervades the place
and should be an incentive to help largely
in the work of the new institution. He
said tbat those nol ! lives had done far
greater good on a low salary by infusing
themselves into the graduates of the in
stitution than if they had gone into other
walks of life for thousands of dollars
every year, as they could have done.
The Aims of the Original School.
One of the features of the afternoon's
program was the reading of the original
plan of the academy when it was founded.
Principal Gaylord W. Douglass made a
short address on the aims of the new school
and then read the five aims which the old
school was calculated to carry out. They
were, first, to supply a course of study
which would fit boys for admission to the
best colleges and to produce within them
the habit of intellectual labor; second, to
discipline the mind to a love of practice
and method; third, to preserve the health;
fourth, to habituate the body and preserve
the mind, and fifth, to guard the morals
and laud virtue.
Presidents Shanklln nmt Marlin Speak
President Shankliu of Wesleyan univer
sity spoke for a few minutes of the acad
emy. He stated that the school is yet in
its infancy, in spite of the long years at
its back. He thinks boys are fortunate
in getting a chance to drink in the old
traditions of the place, and the at
mosphere will tend to make true men of
them. The cry of the nations nowadays is
“Show us your meu,” and Wilbraham will
answer it to its fullest capacity. He said
a roll-call of the graduates of the school
would produce many names of honor. Dr
L. 11. Murlin, president of Boston uni
versity. also spoke briefly, and said that
the officers and trustees of his univer
sity were in strong sympathy with Wil
lirakam and were willing to help when
ever occasion arose, as well as to be “in
at the shouting” when victory was won.
Rev J. I’. Kennedy said that the new
Wilbraham was beginning with a great
groundwork. The 80 years of growth,
the backing of the New England Metho
dist conference and the long list of promi
nent graduates all were firm foundations
on which to base the future of the school.
Evening was falling, and the lights of
the chapel were turned on before the bene-
THE SPRINGFIELD WEEKLY REPUBLICAN: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1912.
diction was pronounced at the end of
the program by Rev M. 8. Howard.
New Alumni Association Formed,
At the close of the afternoon’s program
i almost the entire assemblage remained
! for the formation of a new permanent
: alumni association. The old Wilbraham
! association dissolved into this new or
-1 ganization, which will be known by the
name "Wilbraham league.” The election
of officers iu tlie league resulted as fol-
I lows: President, Warren F. Shelden. ’9l,
of East Orange, N. J.: first vice-president,
Irving L. Camp, 1900, of New York city;
■second vice-president, George Coleman,
'77, of New York city; secretary, Miss
Ruth Dennis. 1903. of Brookline: treas
urer, Frederick Fuller, 'B4. of Boston.
The two directors of the league will be
Rev Dr William Rice Newhall, '77. a for
mer principal, of Somerville, and Ken
neth Goode. '9B, of New York city.. The
league adjourned after a discussion on
the matter of raising funds for the acad
emy.
Soon after 6 o’clock dinner was served
to the student body and the entire group
of visitors in the main dining-room in Rich
hall. About 150 persons were at the
tables. Following the dinner came the
evening devotions, which was a beautiful
little religious service around the fireplace
in the large hall or "rotunda” iu Rich
hall. Principal Douglass led the devo
tions.
The Evening Program.
The literary societies, which form so im
portant a part in the life of the little
school, had complete charge of the evening.
It has always been a custom for the two
societies to meet in a union session on
Saturday evenings, and the session this
evening took the place of that meeting. The
alumni who are former members of the
two societies. Old Club and Philo, con
ducted the meeting as of yore. Everitt
Fisk of Boston presided. He made a few
preliminary remarks and the program be
gan. Howard Dearborn. ’9B, of Wiucben
don, gave a declamation. Dr Frank Potter,
'75, of Portland, Ct., gave a reading, and
then the debate which had been in prep
aration among the old graduates of the
school for about 20 minutes, started. The
question was, "Resolved, That a finantinl
panic will result within a year as the re
sult of Woodrow Wilson's election to the
presidency of the United States." The
judges decided that the negative, supported
bv Irving Camp of New York city and
Warren Shelden, the new president of the
alumni association, had won. The affirma
tive was argued by George D. Stoddard,
state librarian at Hartford. Ct., and Lucius
Whiton of Netv London, Ct. The judges
were Rev Dr Charles E. Rice, Prof C. T.
Winchester and Principal Douglass.
The “Union Evening Journal,” which
was a paper full of witticisms about the
New Wilbraham. was then read by El
wood Eia of Manchester, Ct. With the
report of “the critic,” which is an im
portant conclusion of every literary so
ciety meeting, the evening's festivities
came to a close, and the guests of the New
Wilbraham retired to their rooms on the
campus or in the village to await to-mor
row’s events.
Tke coming of the friends of the acad
emy here to-day meant something more
than merely a visit to see the remodeled
school. There was also financial support
extended the new school by the visitors.
A collection was made at the close of the
afternoon program, and $775 was either
given in cash or pledges. The alumni
league, which was formed this afternoon,
made its first move to financially aid the
academy. It decided to raise a fund which
will be used to maintain the academy
library. It will be called the Prof Ben
jamin Gill memorial fund, in honor of a
popular Instructor who taught at the old
Wesleyan academy. The committee which
will have charge of the fund will be made
up of Mrs M. E. Murdock, 1866, of Boston,
Frank Porter, 1880, of Portland, Ct., Miss
Cora Chandler, 1882, of Boston, George
Stoddard, 1885, of Hartford, Ct The
Wilbraham league will also undertake to
raise $2500 to furnish and equip the “ro
tunda” or large assembly hall in Rich hall.
Thus was the New W ilbraham officially
started on its way with a day’s gathering
of alumni and friends of the quaint little
school in the hills. Its 96 years of life
have made a wonderful reputation for the
little school, and with this turning point
in its career passed the academy will
move forward, not as a coeducational in
stitution, but as a select boys’ school with
more financial backing than it has ever
had.
YELLING AT THE TURKS.
American Oollegre Slogan Help* the
Balkan Allies—Peculiar Effect of
Jayhawker Yell on a Bulgarian.
An American college yell is helping to
down the Turks in the Balkan war. In
several of the skirmishes between the Bul
garians and the Moslems the “Rock
Chalk, Jay Hawk, K. which is
the battle cry of the university of Kan
sas, has echoed across the field, and helped
to urge the fighting Bulgars to victory.
Boris J. Patchjieff, a young Bulgarian
who was edncated in engineering at the
western school and who has been made a
major in the army of his country, reali
■ized the need of a battle cry for his men
and taught them the sonorous yell of the
Kansans. In every charge which has been
made by Patchjieff’s battalion, the yell,
which is famous In the middle West, re
sounded.
The adoption of the Jayhawker yell by
the Bulgarian soldiers came about in a
rather dramatic way. Young Patchjieff
came to the United States several years
ago for an edneation in some engineering
school. He traveled through the country
visiting various colleges in an effort to find
oue that suited him. He reached the uni
versity of Kansas on a fall day when 10,-
000 people were watching the Nebraska
football team battering the Kansans. At
a crucial moment, and in most dramatic
style, the rooters for the Jay hawkers
seemed to prevent defeat with their long
drawn. booming “Rock Chalk” yell.
the Bulgarian was so impressed with
the effect of the yell that he enroled in the
university of Kansas the next term. In
college he was known as "the count” not
because of his superior ways, for he was
the most plebeian student in the school,
but because it was whispered about that
he was of noble blood. On his return to
liis Dative land he joined the army and
during the past few weeks, evidently re
membering the day when the Jayhawk
yell saved the Kansas football team, he
lias used it as a battle cry against the
Turk.
CLASSICAL TEACHERS MEET.
The seventh annual meeting of the west
ern section of the classical association of
New England met at the high school in
Holyoke Saturday, a large number of col
lege professors, high school instructors and
principals being present from all over the
state. Principal Howard Conant of the
local high school acted as chairman and
the address of welcome was given by Su
perintendent of Schools Francis MoSher
ry. Following the welcoming address the
next speaker was Miss Mary L. Richard
son of Smith college, whose subject was
“Fresh glimpses of old Rome.”
Following Miss Richardson. Miss M.
Adele Allen of the local high school gave
a report of the New Haven meeting of
the New England colleges and prepara
tory schools. The next speaker was J.
Edmund liars* of the Hotchkiss school
in Lakeville, Ct., who spoke on Dr Rouse's
method in teaching Latin. He gave many
blackboard illustrations and said one of
the advantages of the system was in
teaching the pupil to speak the language
correctif.
OLDEST GRADUATE OF YALE.
DR D. F. ATWATER’S MEMORIES.
Recollections ~f the College of TO
Year* Ako—Dr Atwater Now 05
Years Old.
Yale’s oldest livinK graduate. Dr David
F. Atwater of this <‘ity, celebrated
.his 96th birthday recently and the day
; was one which was of interest to Yale
alumni throughout the country. For over
j a year now Dr Atwater has held this
. unique distinction, and the oldest living
: graduate as one who remembers Yale in
the early days of the college and repro
t sents its history is always held in high
J honor throughout the Yale body. The ex
: perienee which* Dr Atwater has had in
I outliving all of tlie members of the class
I of 1839 at the college and of 1841 at the
medical school, well as the great, pro
portion of those in the classes that fol
lowed him in the university, is an impres
sive one, and he has many interesting
reminiscences of New Haven iu the days
j&E|| |||■ .
fey. -y
' ; \ ■
DR DAVID F. ATWATER.
[Oldest living graduate of Yale.]
when he knew it. His own attitude to
ward his position as oldest living graduate
he expressed humorously in a letter to
the Yale alumni at the Western Massa
chusetts association dinner last winter,
when he said the thought embar
rassed him on account of the old adage,
“The good die young.”
Dr Atwater’s family has long been dis
tinguished for prominence in Connecticut
affairs. One of his ancestors, David At
water, a planter of the New Haven col
ony, lived on the “Neck” in early days,
having come to America in the Hector,
in “the goodly company of Rev John
Davenport, Theophilus Eaton and others.”
The Atwater elm, . still standing, was
planted in 1740 by David Atwater, a de
scendant of the early settlers who came
to New England in 1636.
Dr Atwater was born at North Bran
ford, Ct., October 29, 1817, the third son
of Rev Charles Atwater, a graduate of
Yale in the class of 1805; the latter stud
ied theology under the first Dr Timothy
Dwight. Yale, 1769, was ordained to the
ministry and installed in the Congrega
tional church on March 1, 1809. Dr At
water entered Y T ale in 1835, during the
important period in the history of the
college when Dr Jeremiah Day, Yale,
1795, held the president's office. The doc
tor is justly proud of '3o* for the class
roll contains many notable names, among
them United States Senator Dawes of
Massachusetts. Prof Josiah D. Whitney
of Harvard, Charles Astor Bristed, ’39’s
leading man of letters, and founder of the
“Bristed scholarship;” (Jen Henry R.
Jackson, brigadier-general in Hood's army
and United States minister to Mexico;
James O. Putnam, chancellor of the uni
versity of Buffalo and United States min
ister to Belgium, and Prof Enoch Fitch
Burr of Amherst college.
Memories o£ Old Yale.
The doctor's memories of the college
date back to the days when all entrance
requirements were on the classics and when
examinations were conducted orally from
the gallery of the chapel. The buildings
were a row of plain brick dormitories with
a brick chapel in the middle, and an
atheneum and iyceum building in which
recitations were held, the whole group be
ing enclosed by 'ho famous old wooden
“Yale fence.” Tinder boxes and flint fur
nished the means of lighting tires to heat
the buildings, friction matches not yet be
ing patented and being only an exclusive
luxury which were sometimes brought over
from England. They were regarded as a
great source of danger. The different con
ditions are also realized by the fact that
Prof Benjamin Silliman was then discuss
ing the development of steamships and
holding that it would never be possible to
build them capable of crossing the ocean
safely. Mail came into New Haven once
a day by stage from New York, and while
Dr Atwater was in college there was a
demonstration of liverymen against, build
ing the railroad between Hartford and
New Haven lecause it would injure their
business . The New Haven and Northamp
ton canal was then a means of transpor
tation of freight and passengers, passenger
boats leaving daily for Northampton. Mod
ern payers of high prices would be im
pressed by the faet that the odrinary price
of room and hoard in New Haven then
was from $2 to $3 a week. Feeling be
tween the townsmen and the college men
was not of the best and riots between
“town and gown” were not infrequent, the
classes choosing their biggest men as
“Major Bully” and their smallest man as
“Minor Bully” in anticipation of such
times.
The secret society of Skull and Bonos
had been formed when Dr Atwater entered
the college, hut he saw the organization
of several other important Y'ale institu
tions. The Yale literary magazine was
founded in his freshman year, ami the
Yale chapter of the Alpha Delta Phi fra
ternity was established when he was a
sophomore. literary societies were the
important organizations of the social life,
“Linonia.” “Brothers in Unity," and “Cal
liope being the three large ones, each hav
ing its own library and existing-in strong
rivalry with the others. The modern
“athletic’ college, against which criticism
is heard, had apparently not yet developed,
for the doctor remembers that there was
a very small gymnasium which was little
used.
After having spent two years in the
study of medicine, part of which time
Dr Atwater served as assistant physician
at Bellevue hospital in New York, he re
ceived his degree from the Yale medical
school in 1841. Among his memories of
that year is of a banquet in New York,
fiven by the mayor in honor of Churles
lichens, who was then making his
first visit to America.
Met Father Mathew.
At the end of the year Dr Atwater
opened an office in Brooklyn, where he
continued for nearly 12 years in the
successful practice of his profession.
During most of that time he was health
physician to the city, and was for one
year a member of the board of alder
men. The following incident of those
days the doctor recalls with real pleasure.
One day, us he was driving by the
municipal building in Brooklyn, Mayor
Hall called to him. On reaching the
mayor, the doctor was introduced to
Father Mathew, the Irish temperance re
former, whose “crusade of 1838” was
memorable in its results throughout Great
Britain and Ireland. Dr Atwater en
joyed greatly taking the good father in
lus carriage to St Patrick’s cathedral,
where he was about to celebrate mass.
He has many recollections of well known
people of those days, among them Father
Mathew, the famous Irish temperance re
former, and Jenny Lind, whom he heard
when she made her American debut at
Castle Garden, under the personal man
agement of P. T. Barnum.
During Dr Atwater's active life in
Brooklyn, he served as surgeon of the
G4th regiment, New York state infantry.
He was a charter member, both of the
American medical association and of the
church of the Pilgrims. Dr Atwater is
now the sole surviving charter member of
the church. His name is also among the
original members of the New England
society and of the Society for the Improve
ment of the Poor of Brooklyn.
In 1853, on account of impaired health,
Dr Atwater took charge of some property
in Cleveland, O. Upon returning East,
the doctor settled in Bridgepord, Ct.. and
while there served as a director, both of
the Bridgeport national bank, and of the
Bridgeport library. Dr Atwater married,
on September 14, 1848, Sarah A., daugh
tev of Dr John Sears of Sharon, Ct. She
was a direct descendant of Elder William
Brewster, “the Pilgrim.” Since 1883 the
doctor has lived in this city. During
these later years he ard Mrs Atwatei
have been members of the South Con
gregational clmrch. Dr Atwater has
served the church during many years as
a member of various committees. At
present he is auditor of the church funds.
Last year the members of two Y'ale
clubs, the newly ortrauized Springfield
club at Yale and the Y’ale preparatory
school club of Western Massachusetts,
elected Dr Atwater an honorary member.
The doctor's only son, Charles B. Atwater,
a member of the class of 1879, a loyal
member of the Y’ale Alumii association of
Western Massachusetts, also lives in this
city. His daughter Sylvia is his only
grandchild.
“FRUITS OF CULTURE.”
Story of the Tolstoi Flny Cho*en by
Yale Dramatic Club.
It has been announced that the Yale
dramatic club is to present this year Tol
stoi’s “Fruits of Culture,” which, though
deficient in action, contains some of Tol
stoi’s best satire and humor. A brief
outline of the play is as follows: Leonid
Fedorovich Zoyezdintsey, a believer in
spiritualism, who likes to amuse his
friends with his stories, is approached by
three peasants who wish to buy a piece
of land, paying for it by the instalment
plan. Leonid, for spiritualistic reasons,
will not grant their request. The peas
ants are now ushered to the kitchen after
an amusing scene between them and the
lady of the house, who objects strenuous
ly to their uncleanliness.
At this point, Tanya, a maid in Leo
nid's household, who has her own ideas
on spiritualism, steps in to assist the
three poor sons of the soil. She is in love
with Semen, nnotber employe of Leonid.
Tanya and Semen decide that all can be
arranged satisfactorily if the latter will
play the part of a medium in what fol
low's. She then goes to Leonid for ad
vice as to marrying Semen, holding up
against him the fact that he is n medium.
Leonid, whose friends have discredited
some of his stories, is delighted to find a
medium right iu his own house. He there
fore arranges an exhibition with Semen
and Tanya as the chief actors, in order
to convince his friend, the doctor, of his
spiritualistic ability.
During this scene the accomplices, Semen
and Tanya, bring it about that Leonid
signs a certain paper selling his land to
the peasants. This scene is full of humor,
the poor peasants furnishing much amuse
ment. Everything is working out smoothly
when Anna. Leonid’s wife, sees through
the plot, and exposes Tanya and Semen.
Here, however, Prof Aleksyey Vladimiri
vich Krugosvyetiov. another accomplice,
rises to the occasion with such a long
drawn out. high-sounding explanation,
which is all based on spiritualism, that
every objection is silenced. The play con*
dudes with the happy marriage of Tanya
and Semen, and a general triumph for the
peasants.
YALE HONORS NATHAN HALE.
Statue to the Revolutionary Hero to
he Put Up on the Campus.
A statue of Nathan Hale is at last to be
erected on the campus at Yale. For years
Y'ale graduates have been urging that a
statue be set up honoring his memory, but
for one reason or another no design has
proved satisfactory to a sufficient number
to insure the work being done. Nathan
Hale was a member of the class of 1773 at
Yale and left college to enter the colonial
army in the early days of the American
Revolution. It is considered especially fit
ting that a statue of the young patriot
he placed where it will be an inspiration
to undergraduates. The statue will be
from a design by Bela Lyon Pratt of Bos
ton. It will be the figure of a young man—
Hale at his death was not older thau a
college junior of this day—facing his fate
manfully. It will be placed close to the
last surviving building of the Old Brick
row, now called Connecticut hall, which
was standing when Hale was an undergrad
uate. It was in this building that Hale
roomed while at college. Graduates have
guaranteed the cost of erecting the statue.
Yale Fond Equal* ?165,000.
The total subscriptions for improve
ments of the new Yale field, including the
building of the proposed coliseum for
football, now amount to $165,000. The
subscriptions are upon a basis of pre
ferred football ticket privileges.
RAMSAY AT M. I. T.
Tells Student* of His Hobby of Un
iversal Reading Language.
The student convocation of Tuesday
last week at the Massachusetts institute
of technology testified to the estimation
in which Sir William Ramsay is held, for
there was standing, room only and fully
1100 of the 1500 students were in attend
ance, and this for an occasion that was
purely voluntary. In his brief introduc
tion President Maelnurin said that the
purpose of these convocations is to show
the students that there is a world out
side the laboratory t and class-room and
sffs] that Sir William would exemplify
this principle, for his subject would be
entirely aside from chemistry, and he
would let him develop it in his own way.
Sir William spoke of the idea qf a
universal language, something tbat could
be understood by persons having different
tongues, yet not at all to displace these.
He noted the rise of Volapuk, saying that
its difficulties lay in derivations that were
far-fetched and in its grammar, so that
it was not a success. Then there has
been a whole set of languages, Esperanto
being the latest. It is a language that
expresses itself by a set of tags that modi
fy tlie roots, and in his opinion is not
going to be the language of tne world.
“My idea is very different from these or
the modifications called, Edo,” said Sir
William, “but more like a modernized
Chinese, only that there shall be no at
tempt to pronounce it, and each one will
read it in his own tongue! There was
given then a short dissertation on let
ters in which Sir William showed his fa
miliarity with even the oriental tongues.
The Egyptian had picture characters, just
as the North American Indians and other
aborigines. There are about 500 combina
tions of the si.' Egyptian letters, so that
it is not a difficult task for any one to
learn them, but here there comes the
fact that the same combination would
have a number of meanings for each com
bination, so that little picture signs are
necessary to show which group is one
defining the meaning. The old Egyp
tion was therefore a sort of ’double-bar
relled language.’ ”
Sir William noted that on some of the
islands in the Mediterranean a division
took place, on the one side there were de
veloped the individual letters with which
we are so familiar, while in the Orient
there came the Sanscrit and Hebrew
letters and the Chinese sigvns. Some of
this development was shown, that of A
from the character of the horned bull, but
now standing on the horns with the nos
trils uppermost, for example. But in
the Chinese it was the picture that sur
vived, the sides of an almost vertical
angle, being the legs of a man, standing
for the word, man. But many of the
pictures separated themselves from the
origin and have their meanings changed.
The outline of the lunguage was then de
veloped. being the expression of ideas
and not of words. Existence in its bal
anced condition is suggested by the com
mon equality sign, and time, or rather,
the two times, all time and instant time be
ing represented by the dash and dot, re
spectively (— and .). Placing the dot
between the equality, lines, if central is
“now,” if forward is “future,” and if
backward is “past.” For man. Sir YVill
iam adds to the two legs of the Chinese an
upright for his body and a straight line
across between the feet makes a skirt
and woman. The real personality of
man is in his body, so that the upright
stroke is I and from the other manly lines
the other pronouns. Various other funda
mentals were noted, but time did not
permit of development at length. He
showed a large amount of ingenuity and
thought expended in determining what
are the most necessary thoughts and in
what way may they be most simply and ap
propriately expressed. The speaker sug
gested that the work is in progress and
some problems ahead in the way of clas
sifying ideas calls for more time than one
busy man can expect to spare. The whole
was a very interesting little excursion
into the fundamentals of intercommuni
cation.
LECTURE BY NOTED SERVIAN.
Prince Lazarvitch - Hreblianozlch
Speaks Before the Good Government
Clob.
The good government dub of Williams
college was addressed last week Wed
nesday night in Williamstown by
Prince Lazarvzich-Ilreblianozieh, a
noted Servian, who is in this coun
try giving a series of lectures. The prince
is the present head of one of the old im
perial dynastic families which ,uled for
several centuries in Servia, and he has
served as an army officer. He lias spent
some time in investigating conditions in
northern Africa and in Central and South
America, and is a scholar in economics
and international law. He has also written
several works. His political life began in
1893 with a campaign against Kings Milan
and Alexander of Servia because of a
secret treaty with Austria, and he has
stood politically for the unification of
the Servian race and the creation of a
great state. He has been an important
figure in the country for several years.
He took for his subject Wednesday “The
importance to world peace ot' the new
Balkan confederation.” He began with a
general reference to the situation there
at this time and followed with a history
of the Balkans, explaining the movement
of the Balkans again the Turks and
events leading to the confederation. He
said that the confederation would not af
fect the status quo, but tbat there would
be no reason for the powers to interfere.
He spoke at some length upon the bravery
of the Servian soldiery, becoming eloquent
in his description of its accomplishment
and devoting considerable of his time to
it. His lecture was extremely interesting
and while it repeated many things that
had appeared in print, he was able to
add much that was new.
Cap and Bell* Gives “His Excellency
the Governor.»»
Cap and Bells, the dramntic society of
the graduates of Williams college, enter
tained the house-party guests Saturday at
Williamstown with a presentation of “Hi*
Excellency the Governor.” the play which
the club is giving this year. Besides the
guests of the students there were many
alumni and students in the audience which
Idled Grace hall. The presentation was
one iif the host that the dub has given
in years. The cast was the same as in the
play at Northampton recently, but many
ot the faults of tlie first production wire
dominated Saturday night and the club
scored a big success.
ASK FOR EXTENSION OF SCHOOLS.
Popularity of Innovation Made by Last
Year’s Extension Service of the
MaKHiichnsctt* Agricultural College
Shown by Increasing Number of
Call* for Similar Schools.
That the extension schools of agricul*
hire held in various parts of the state last
year were a great success is being very
thoroughly shown at the present time by
the increasing number of calls coming to
the extension service of the Massachusetts
agricultural college for the holding of these
schools this year. Most of the communi
ties where those schools were held during
1911-1912 are urging that the schools be
repeated, and many other communities are
putting in applications for sessions. The
courses have been strengthened and valu
able demonstration material added to the
equipment of the department, so that the
extension schools of 1912-13 should prove
more satisfactory than ever. One or two
new optional courses have been added, but
the courses in fruit-growing and poultry
management for the men’s department and
the home-makers’ course for the women's
department seem to be the star attractions,
as ever.
The schools are of five days’ duration,
the session generally beginning on Monday
morning and closing Friday afternoon. The
instructors are furnished by the extension
service of the college, ana the local ex
penses—such as furnishing halls, lights
and entertainment for the speakers—are
paid bv the community in which the school
is bold. The following schools have been
definitely arranged for: Ashfield, Decem
ber 2-6; Brimfiela. January 13-17; North
Dightou. January 20-24; Littleton, Febru
ary 10-14. Other schools are being ar
ranged for, the dates of which have not
yet been settled definitely enough to be an
nounced.
President Metklejohn’* Problem.
President Meiklejohn gave the Amherst
undergraduates something else to think
about when he propounded a philosophical
question in- chapel Thursday for them
to decide. He said in part': "You may
remember that some days ago when I was
speaking to- yon of Epictetus, that 1 ad
vanced the old Socratic doctrine that vir
tue is wisdom, and vice,is ignorance. I
told Dr Fitch about it and that some of
the students did not seem to agree. Ho
said that he (lid not agree with me either
because such' a doctrine would eliminate
moral responsibility. Now I don’t believe
that it destroys moral responsibility. I
believe that the wicked man is a fool and
that the good man is wise. When the doc
tors disagree it is time for the patient to
decide. Why do you go wrong, because
you are a fool or because you deliberately
intend to do harm? I leave that problem,
with you. Consider it.”
PROF EUCKEN OF JENA TO COME.
Noted German Philosopher to Deliver
Three Lecture* at Smith College,
Arrangements have been made with Prof
Rudolf Eucken of Jena, Ger.. to give threa
lectures at the college on the successive Mon
day afternoons of the 11th, 18th and 25th.
An opportunity is thus afforded to the stu
dents and other persons interested to hear
one of the most distinguished of living
philosophers. He is regarded by many as
the most vital force in the philosophical
thinking of our time, and is the acknowl
edged leader of the new movement which
is aiming at the spiritual regeneration of
life and thought in Germany. Prof Eucken
is the author of a large number of books,
many of which have been translated. In
1908 he was awarded the Nobel prize in
literature. One of his earliest volumes
was translated by M. Stuart Phelps, the
first professor of philosophy at Smith col
lege, and this work has recently been re-
PROF RUDOLPH EUGKEN.
published in a greatly enlarged edition. The
lectures, under the auspices of the philos
ophy and German departments, will be in
German, but as Prof Eucken speaks slow
ly and very distinctly, the language should
be no obstacle to those who have attained
even a moderate degree of proficiency in
it. The lectures will he giveu at 3 o’clock
in Assembly hall, and are open to the sub
lie. The subject is “Das Menschliche
Gluck.”
FOR MILLION DOLLAR CAMPAIGN.
President Bnrton of Smith Announce*
Sew Gifts—One of $50,000 and An
other of $30,000.
President Burton made an announce
ment in regard to the million-dollar cam
paign at chapel exercises Monday morn
ing, which was received with much inter
est and enthusiasm by the whole college.
On his recent trip to Cincinnati, Chicago,
Minneapolis and St Paul he secured addi
tional pledges totaling $103,000. Mr and
Mrs David B. Gamble of Cincinnati made
a pledge of $30,000 and John C. Shedd of
Chicago, president of the Marshall Field
company, gave his pledge for $50,000. The
fund now actually totals $487,858.27.
Many results of work already done are
still to be gathered, but it is obvious that
President Burton is working upon a plan
which is commending itself to the judg
ment of the best business men of the
country. When the general education
board, the founder of the Sydenham Clark
Parsons professorship, Mr and Mrs Gam
ble of Cincinnati and Pasadena, Cal., and
John G. Shedd of Chicago, together with
mauy others in Minneapolis and St Paul,
who made smaller pledges, express their
commendation of the undertaking in such
a large and generous way. it is appurent
that the million-dollar campaign is receiv
ing the approval and support of most com
petent judges.
No credence need be attached to the story
that the Bulgars are delaying their entry
into Constantinople because of threats by
the Turks of destroying St Sophia. Yet
the wSrld will rejoice If that beautiful and
historic structure escapes unscathed, and
the occupation of the city Ivy marines from
warships will be moch less likely to pro
voke such wnuton vandalism than the entry
of the hated victors.