Ferris State University - Ferriscope Yearbook (Big Rapids, MI)

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home. I found myself less embarrassed than in the Spencer Academy. The Principal, Chas, Evans, was a bright, vivacious, inspiring, helpful man. Under his tuition the country boy received sympathetic consideration. During my attendance at the Candor Academy I became acquainted with Edward E. Snyder, four years my senior. Two months in autumn, September and Qctober, we boarded ourselves. Our stove and pipe were the worse for use. In making ad- justments of old lengths of pipe I not infrequently became angry and made comments not suitable for publication. On one occasion I said, Edward, why do you never get mad? He said, I can not afford itn. This remark awakened in me a thought that still lingers in my mind. He was a philosopher. One day Harry Denman, a refined and noble boy from a cultured family, invited Edward to tea. Know- ing our mode of living he kindly invited me. I declined. VVhen Edward and I arrived at our room an hour in ad- vance of the tea he said, Ferris, you are going over to I-Iarry's, aren't you ? I said, UNO . He said, f'VVhy not ? I replied HMy bringing up makes it impossible. I would fail utterly in my manners . Hie laughed and with a firm voice said, You are goingu. I went. Never before nor since that hour have I had a more embarrassing experience. The napkins and individual butter dishes were unknown im- plements to me. Furthermore, I was unaccustomed to being helped. At home I helped myself. Edward E. Snyder is now a skillful homoeopathic phy- sician in Binghampton, N. Y. His amiable disposition, quiet self-control, and pleasing manners exercised a gra- cious influence over my daily conduct. In the following autumn I attended a teachers' institute at Waverly, N. Y. This institute was conducted by Dr. john French, author of French's Arithmetics. He, was an enthusiastic instructor.- His broad knowledge of human nature, his appreciation of practical things induced me to become one of his ardent admirers. During the week the candidates for teaching were examined. On the last hour of the last day the County School Superintendent, Mr. A. 1. Lange, discovered that I had passed the examination. I at once, through my old schoolmate, Edward E. Snyder, be- gan my search for a rural school. Six or seven miles from Candor, N. Y. and fourteen or fifteen miles from my home I found a school district called Fairfield. I persuaded the school officers to give me a trial. I offered to teach a week, and in the event of a failure I would make no charges. I Uboarded roundu and for my services I received S28 per month. I made few rules, visited every home, assisted the weak and lazy, restrained the careless and tried to inspire all of the children. The following spring I entered the Owego Academy at Owego, Tioga County, N. Y., the county seat, situated eighteen miles from my home. Wliile attending the Acad- emy I had for a roommate and classmate Minor Watkiiis, a young man I had met some years before while attending what was then called the VVest Candor CRuralj School. W'e boarded ourselves. At the Academy I became acquainted with three or four young men who exercised a wholesome infiuence over my conduct. At this writing I am unable to describe them with defmiteness. In the Academy I main- tained a good reputation as a student. In fact, I succeeded in passing the state examination for Regents Certificate. This certificate would, at that time, have admitted me to Cornell University without examination.

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encouragement aroused in me a hunger for knowledge, a desire to do something and be something. Wliile attending the rural school I engaged in the simple out-of-door sports such as quoits, goal, baseball, wrestling, snap the whip, and, in winter, fox and geese. I was never a leader in games, although in baseball I was a fair catcher. During the summer I frequented, with other boys, the big creek where I learned to swim. In winter I had my share of en- joyment in riding or sliding down hill. I also learned to skate. At the age of twelve I had the use of my father's 'tsmooth bore riHe'l with which I traveled thousands of miles over the hills and through the valleys hunting par- tridges, quails, squirrels and rabbits. llrom spring until autumn I trapped for woodchucks. At the age of ten I had one playmate, Rossman Snyder, who received all of the attention my leisure hours and half- days would permit. I still have a tin-type picture represent- ing us in a standing position just prior to his leaving for his new home at Oxford. Michigan. I am unable to recognize in my life any influence, or abiding effect growing out of this association. He is now, QIQOQD, a resident of Detroit, Mich- igan. I could mention other playmates of rural school days but their influence was essentially negative. Although I had five sisters I was not fond of the society of girls. To be frank. I shunned them. At the age of fourteen I entered the Spencer Union Academy where I made rapid progress. These were not happy days. My ill-fitting clothing and awkward manners excited the ridicule of the village boys and girls. W'hile attending this school I had the good fortune to have as a companion George Barker Stevens. He was about 1ny age, less aggressive, less crude, but as I discovered later, the possessor of more brains than I ever dared to claim. In English Grammar I was particularly dull, so dull that the teacher by way of encouragement called me a blockhead. George was quite as dull in algebra and he likewise was called a blockhead. In arithmetic and algebra I was strong and so we exchanged consolations, George consoling me in grammar while I consoled him in arithmetic and algebra. During these few months at the Academy George frequent- ly walked out with me to my home and I as frequently went with George to his home. I do not recall that we so much as dreamed of following any particular vocation when we should attain manhood. The nearest approach to this came when we bade each other good-bye on our last day at the Academy. I said, George, what are you going to do?', He said, 'AI may teach after I get sufhcient education. In answer to his return question I made the same answer. George, like myself, fulfilled his boyhood's prediction. After several years had elapsed I learned that George had gradu- ated from Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y.. that he had graduated from a Theological Seminary and preached at XVatertown, N. Y., received the degree D. D. from the Uni- versity of ,lena and finally had been appointed to the Dwight Chair of Theology at Yale University. He held this position at the time of his death in 1906. During his connection with Yale he had the honor of being acting President during President Dwight's six months' absence abroad. George Barker Stevens is another one of the numerous specimens of late fruit of a rich and lasting quality. I treasure his friendship as one of my boyhoodzs choicest blessings. In the spring following my sixteenth birthday I entered the Candor Union Academy eight miles distant from my

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During the summer I worked at home on the farm, as I had been accus- tomed to do in all the pre- ceding summers. One day I chanced to read a notice in a little paper, How to ir Make a Bad Memory Good y Q and a Good Memory Bet- h ter , price ten cents. For some reason, I labored un- der the impression that I had a poor memory. The booklet was a disappoint- ment. It was a compact outline of a mnemonic sys- WOODBRIDGE N. FERRIS at the age of eighteen tem. In a footnote on one of the pages was a refer- ence to O. S. Fowler's book on Memory , On a Saturday I picked blackberries and in the evening I delivered these berries to the village postmaster four miles away for 31.25. I purchased a money order and sent the same to Fowler 8: XVells Company, of New York, in payment for the book. just a week from that day I had the pleasure of receiving the book. On Sunday I hid away for hours at a time and read what to me was a revelation. Up to this time I was not aware that there were other .worlds than the little one I had journeyed in. This book called my attention to the fact that some men had brains and that, so far as the author could discover, brains were made to he used. This book was the beginning of my present library. In autumn I attended a teachers' institute at Owego and there I heard Prof. Hoose, then President of the Cortland Normal School, give a forty minutes' illustrative talk on science teaching. Then and there I decided to attend a Normal School as soon as my means would permit. I have often referred to this event in my life. This event has in- duced me to advise men and women to read, to attend teachers' institutes, educational associations, religious as- sociations, and farmers' meetings with the hope that a forty minutes' talk or even a twenty minutes' talk might awaken in the attendant new visions, In November I returned to Fairfield and taught my sec- ond term of school at 3530 a month, boarding a week in a place instead of a single night. During the winter I read the two companion volumes of Fowler's book on Memory . These books gave me an introduction to the study of phren- ology. I am aware that the word phrenology is likely to alarm the reader, but it was through these books that I was awakened to an appreciation of the value of the study of human nature. No small part of my success in life is due to this awakening. After finishing this term of school I concluded to enter the Oswego Normal and Training School. Without any advice, without any clear notion of what I wished to accom- plish I drifted into the classical course. My actual at- tendance at the Oswego Normal and Training School ag- gregated in all three years. Dr. Edward Sheldon was President: Herman Krusi taught geometry, without a text- book: Edwin A. Strong, now professor in the State Normal College at Ypsilanti, taught physics and chemistry, I. B. Poucher, arithmetic and algebrag Sarah Cooper, English 444