Carthage College - Driftwood / Crimson Rambler Yearbook (Kenosha, WI)

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THE COLLEGIAN way gdClZ when . . . r N Wednesday. May 10, 1871, a vast crowd assembled in Carthage t0 5' lay the cornerstone of the building known as Old Main to the present generation. People from the surrounding community and distinguished visitors from distant parts of the state came for the great event. At noon the women of Carthage served dinner to 3.000 people at the Courthouse Square. Long-before this auspicious day. however. Carthage College had been a dream in the minds of thoughtful men in the Middle West. August 31. 1869. a convention was called at Dixon. Illinois, by authority of the Luth- eran Church of the West. at which time it was resolved to secure a loca- tion and to found a college of high grade. Committees were appointed and a second meeting planned for December, 1869. chiefly for the purpose of receiving bids for the erection of a college building. At this meeting. held in Carthage because of its central geographic location, many towns presented claims for the location of the college and agreed to furnish the necesaary buildings or funds for opening such a school if the Lutheran church would provide the necessary endowment. Perhaps because the convention was meeting here, the site chosen was Carthage. A local board of trustees was selected. and work was begun on the building in July, 1870. The laying of the cornerstone took place May 10, 1371. The four-stoz'y building, 85 by 65 feet. was completed in the autumn of 1872 at a cost of $35,000. On September 5, 1870. Prof. L. F. MA Easterday had opened a pre- paratory school in the Burbank building on the south side of the square. At First there Were only sixteen students but the roll increased to 58 by the end of the year. The next year 84 were enrolled. In the spring of 1872 the school was transferred to the rooms which had been completed in the basement of the College building. 011 February 26. 1873, Pres. D. L. Tressler of Lena, Illinois. was elected Professor of Ancient Languages and also assumed the Presidency of the College. Prof. Easterday became Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy: Rev. 1. M. Richard was Professor of Latin: and I. M. Hel- frich. the Professor of Music. In September 1373, the college opened with 160 students. In 1875 the first class was graduated. President Tressler's death in 1830 led to a period of financial distress and general depression. but the young college survived the storm and has continued to thrive even though progress has been difficult. Mr. Henry Denhatt's generous gifts stimulated the benefactions of others and gradu- ally the resources of the college grew until her present endowment now exceeds $350,000100. hM. B. SCHMIEDESKAMP. Page 15

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1. THE COLLEGJAN I ' J'J mJ mJ :JEEMM

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THE COLLEGIAN petsonalittl . . . Can We acquire It? By Doms OTI'ERBEIN .- ITTLE self denials. little honesties. little passing words of sympathy, 1 little nameless acts of kindness, little silent victories over favorite temptations-these are the silent sylph-like threads of gold which weave themselves together into just the pattern that would mark us with distinction as individuals, Personality-what more is it than distinction? A distinction great enough, appealing enough. lasting enough to cause people to realize its presence. If more of humanity would take time out from its hilarious- worldly living to realize how much of the makings of a personality each of them has in his makeup. what a changed world we'd begin living in. Trials, temptations, disappointments-all would be helps. not hindrances. for they'd be used rightly. They'd not only test the fibers of our char- acters but they would strengthen them as well. Every conquered tempv tation and every trial endured would represent a new find in ourselveSe would make our souls noble: and stronger than ever before. The trouble with most of us today is that we whimper at the slightest sign of dis, content or displeasure-we make ourselves miserable just by thinking about ourselves. about what we want. about what we like, abOut what respect we think others owe us. and about how really good we think we are. Nothing is so miserable as a self-satisfied exceptionalist. Because we do have our times now and then when we honestly feel down-in-the- dumos. as it were we shouldn't just give way to the idea that everything is all over for us. lust remember that even though the sun sets every evening. it does get up again in the morning, as bright and shining as ever. The happiness of our lives depends on the quality of our own thoughts awelll have to guard accordingly To be happy ourselves is a most ef- fectual contribution to the happiness of others. Certainly we can acquire a personalitye'lonly to trust and do our best, and wear as smiling a face as may be for others and ourselves W that was Robert Louis Stevensonls remedy. We'd merit a great deal in remembeiing his words as well as those once uttered by Louisa May Al- cott. Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations I can- not reach them but I can look up to themr see their beauty, and try to follow where they lead. Personalityecertainly you can acquire it.