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

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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

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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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and language methodsg Mary Armstrong, rhetoric and lit- erature, These teachers stand out clearly in my memory after a lapse of nearly forty years. Dr. Edward A. Sheldon ex- ercised an extraordinary influence over my daily life. I-Iis abundant sympathy and kindness held me in line. Again and again I would have abandoned school disheartened and discouraged had it not been for his words of cheer. Dr. Edward A. Sheldon and Prof, Edwin A. Strong approx- imate to my ideal of what constitutes an American gentle- man, NVhile attending the Oswego Normal I felt the need of training along the line of public speaking. I had always been fascinated by the preacher, orator and actor. I had no reason to suppose that I possessed even ordinary ability in speech. XVithin a comparatively short time after entering upon my regular course, I joined a dozen or more boys like myself and we succeeded in organizing what was then called the Adelphi Society. I distinctly remember my first effort at debate. I was confident that I could talk easily and fiuently for fifteen minutes. I lasted just a minute and a half. The others realized a like measure of success. XVe persisted in our efforts, however. NVe finally admitted young ladies to the society. In 1873 this society had become the leading one in the school. Its vitality was due to the good sense exercised in its organization, not that this good sense was premeditated. It grew out of the necessities of the hour. The society was recruited almost entirely from Freshmen, consequently the society had an element of per- manency, though without any marked degree of brilliancy. If I were to put a value upon my training in this debating society, as compared with my training in rhetoric and essay writing in the school, I should place the higher value upon the extemporaneous work. My present belief in extem- poraneous work is the sequence of my practice at the Os- wego Normal and Training School. During the past twen- ty-five years there has been connected with the Ferris In- stitute from one to three debating classes and to the bene- fits of this work many Ferris Institute students owe a large measure of their public success. On Saturday afternoons I frequented the Gerrit Smith Library. I read the books that interested me. I pursued no definite plan except that now and then I read some book that related to the school work I was doing in Ameri- can and English literature. I also recall getting books reg- ularly from the library. It was during my stay in Oswego that I first ran across a copy of the Popular Science Month- ly. The nrst number was issued Nay, 1872. I did not have sufficient money to buy the first nmnber without economiz- ing for some weeks. This mazagine awakened in me a de- sire to know more of science. This is the one magazine that stands on my library shelves, every volume complete to date. At the Normal School I shared little in the games. Oc- casionally I played baseball, occasionally I went boat riding on Lake Ontario, occasionally I found time for the theatre. My limited means, however, kept me from making unneces- sary expenditures. It was at the Oswego Normal and Training School that I first met Helen Frances Gillespie, now Mrs, Ferris. VVe were classmates during my entire attendance at the Nor- mal. Our first meeting occurred in 1872. In June, 1873,