Hampden Sydney College - Kaleidoscope Yearbook (Hampden Sydney, VA)

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You will find Hampden-Sidney men prominently identified with the affairs of Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Fort Worth, Naco, Galveston, Austin, Texarkana, Beaumont, EI Paso, Paris, Sherman, Tyler, Palestine, Wichita Falls, Corpus Christi, Corsicana, Gainesville, Marlin, Bonham, Taylor, Bryan, Crockett, Gonzales and Hillsboro. This list includes all of our largest cities and many of our most thriving towns. About fifty of the seventy-five Hampden-Sidney men in Texas are distributed among the above twenty-five cities and towns. This is a striking exhibit, leading to the conclusion that the Hampden- Sidney men in Texas today are men of metropolitan proportions. They are men of brains and character and vision, and they have, therefore, received recognition as an integral part of the religious, social, civic and economic forces that are working together to place Texas at the head of the column among the best governed and most enlightened com- munities of the world. Men of Hampden-Sidney, if you hear the call of the Southwest, let us know by what train to expect you, and we'll meet you with the band. J. L. Basis, '92, Milford, Texas, March l, I9I5. ',.e.'T 'nfl nw- - . A f - I A lafxxs +s.wf s'f .1 jf--1. ' i ' . 91, Y' wP .',.. ' - . ....f ,' '- 'el - ' V h w vr VIA gist.,-Q: :A rs 1 20

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themselves treasures upon earth. The writer has been in the palatial homes of several. While a guest in one such home a few months ago, the writer was told the following by his host: On my graduation day, l885, Dr. lVlcllwaine spoke to me and said, 'lVlr. D-, what are you going to do?' l answered, Doctor, l am going to Texas. To this President Mcllwaine replied, 'You are doing the sensible thing,' and then he advised me as to the best location in Texas and, said my host, to Texas l came, and to this very spot, and right here l have stayed and made my fortune. The gentleman referred to is not only a son of l-lampclen-Sidney, but a native of Prince Edward. Coming to Texas as a young man, just graduated from college, he engaged for a time in the philanthropic but unremunerative business of teaching: but the lure of the financial game was too much for him. He soon developed a genius for invest- ments, and now, though still vigorous in body and mind, and with, apparently, many good years ahead of him, he is one of the well-fixed men of this great State where verily, self- made men are plentiful. Of the seventy-five Hampden-Sidney men now at work in Texas, an impressively large number have already risen to enviable distinction. There are learned jurists, eminent physicians, able educators, leading ministers, wealthy ranchmen, bankers and merchants. A dozen or so of us met in the city of Dallas last week, on the occasion of the l..aymen's Missionary Convention. It is something quite out of the ordinary for a round dozen of Hampden-Sidney men to get together in one Texas town. Distances in Texas are too great for men living on opposite sides of this Empire State to see each other often. Estes, of Texarkana, and Dwyer, of El Paso, and l-lall, of Galveston, and Bondurant, of San Antonio, and McDonald, of Gainesville, are all loyal and enthusiastic sons of Hampden-Sidney, and all are in Texas: but they are situated very much as five men would be who resided, respectively, in Richmond, Kansas City, Atlanta, New Orleans and Cincinnati. It is eight hundred miles from Estes' front gate to Dyer'sl Men who must travel eight hundred miles to shake hands, cannot be expected to fraternize very often at alumni gatherings and banquet boards. The question of dividing Texas into four states is beginning to be agitated. Should this be done Hampden-Sidney men will be needed for governors, congressmen, judges, educators and constructive leaders along all lines in these new commonwealths. The success achieved by Hampden-Sidney men in Texas is a challenge to other stalwart sons of the old college to invest their lives here. Texas spells opportunity. The development of the vast resources of this Empire State has scarcely been begun. She is an agricultural empire of almost inconceivable possibilities. Texas alone could be made to feed, clothe and house the entire present population of the United States! But let not the gentle reader think that the prerequisites to success in the East are not needed out here in the Southwest. Hampden-Sidney men have made good in Texas because they brought to their great task here those qualities of mind and heart which always and everywhere compel success. 19

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Qbrigin nf Ihr lghilautlirnpir Snrirtg N the Magazine for IS93, p. 267, there is printed a statement made by X Q2 Dr. Mettauer, regarding the establishment of the Philanthropic Society. I The account given below is also by Dr. Mettauerg and the only reason for printing it now is that it does not correspond throughout with the page in :F on CE the Magazine. What appears here is an exact copy of a manuscript Q 3 fragment owned by the late Dr. Morton Holladay, and deposited by Q:-0? Mrs. Holladay, with other papers, in the College Library. This is certainly X the authentic document. Q5 Dr. John Peter Mettauer, a famous surgeon, drew up this statement CN after l850, as may be determined from internal evidence. Perhaps, the Q. Walter Coles mentioned by him was Edward Coles, secretary to President Madison, etc. By reference to the Magazine it will be seen that Dr. Mettauer continued his narrative through the summer of ISO6, when William L. Rives fbiographer of President Madison, etc., came into the society. The Philanthropic Society of Hampden-Sidney College was instituted during the year l805, in the month of March. It was termed a debating club and retained that denomination until the third meeting, when the present name was adopted. The following are the names of the originators and earliest members: Robert Chambers and Henry Chambers, of Mecklenburg County, Abner Crump, of Powhatan County: John West, of Campbell County: Robert Murkey, of Powhatan Countyg Edward Sandys, William B. Cowan and Robert Billups, of Lunenburg County, and William Scott, of Halifax County. These were the originators and founders of the Philanthropic Society of Hampden- Sidney College. At the third and fourth meetings of the society, under its present name, the following members were admitted: Miles Watkins, of Chesterfield Countyg Walter Coles, of Pittsylvania County: Henry Carrington, of Halifax County: John P. Mettauer, of Prince Edward County, and Nathanial Henry, of Charlotte County. FRAGMENT. 21