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

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, ,ff ,f 1 A A.. . A,,. W . .... as 1 Y, Y , , , , ,,,, VVA, . ...,,, , ,,,,, , , , .,,,,.,.y,, .1 , . , Z gb ,Z , ------ fff' e ,, 'Y-4z,,f,.+-gg, '.,..v2o,.,i-V, ,. i... .. 1111. l,,f i ,. . . .,,,ff,W,4Wa,WzZW! ,,,,,..,....,,,, ,,,. F ,,,, :ef?Epff:f,ff.T,.,. ,,,,, 7 ,. ww... .grae-V YY,n., ..., . Marlmhrn-Svihnvg in the 152112 Smivntirz C. B. WALLACE, C801 University School, Nashville, Tenn. N the late Seventies a traveler from Lynchburg or Petersburg had com- pleted on arriving at Farmville about one-half of the journey to Hamp- den-Sidney. The cumbersome ambulances of Dunkum and Morton. with a mixed load of passengers and baggage, consumed approximately as much time for the second stage of the journey as the railway train W Q? CTF? consumed for the first. A new student, coming without previously arranging for a room, was invited to share for the first night or two the bed of some member of one of the literary societies, between which there was a keen rivalry for members. No new student brought hayseed enough with him to make him an unwelcome bed-fellow for the partisans of the societies. The formalities of matriculation were simple. The Carnegie unit had not been invented to plague pupil, school master and college with its rather mechanical way of testing a boy's preparedness. We were all admitted. My only recollection of any entrance examination is of some simple questions on English branches. We did not take these very seriously, as I named Worsham among the principal cities of Virginia. Exclusive of the residences of the professors, there was only one college building, now called Cushing Hall. We regarded it with veneration and admiration, for it was old and we were informed that a competent authority on architecture had pronounced ils proportions absolutely perfect. It does remind one of Nassau Hall. If there is any real connection between the two buildings, that is just one more tie between Hampden- Sidney and Princeton. All of the college work was carried on in this building. Here were recitation rooms, bed rooms, laboratory, chapel, library, literary society halls and on the hrst floor, northeast corner, a students' eating club, appropriately called The Mess. There were few comforts for the physical well-being of the students. Light was furnished by oil lamps of varying degrees of dimness. The passages were dark and cold. The rooms were heated by wood fires. The wood was bought at SL50 a cord and was stacked at the west end of the college. Many students cut and carried in their own wood. My room-mate was handy with the axe. I was not. So he cut our wood and I carried it to the fourth floor of the third passage in a hod shaped flame. Two Alabamians burned coal, hauled from Farmville, especially for them. The rest of us were envious of their wealth. There were no bathtubs with water connections in the college and none on College Hill so far as l knew. The student of today exercises in the gymnasium, or on the athletic field, has his hot shower followed by a dash of cold and a rubdown, sits in his room under a bright light, props his feet on a steam radiator and pities the students of the late Seventies for their hardships. His pity is wasted. Xxfe 16

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AROUND THE CAMPUS

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were not conscious of hardships. At that time few things had been introduced into homes or schools, Quae ad efeminandos animos pertinent. The President of the College was Rev. M. P. Atkinson, D. D., who taught Logic and Mental and Moral Philosophy, a suggestive and stimulating teacher, who encouraged his pupils to think for themselves. The Sciences, Chemistry, Physiology and Astronomy, were taught by Prof. L. L. l-lolladay, a man with sunshine in his soul,', whose wide knowledge of his subjects atoned in a measure for the meagerness of the equipment at his command. Latin was taught by Prof. Walter Blair, the rather frigid courtliness of whose dignity was equaled only by the refinement of his scholarship. Creek was taught by Prof. Addison Hogue, the best drill master in Greek in America, an indefatigable student who expected us to manifest a similar energy. Mathematics was taught by Col. Delaware Kemper, a genial veteran of the Civil War, who could easily and often be beguiled into telling us war stories when we did not know our lessons. There were usually about seventy students in attendance. There were no instructors, no tutors, no sub-freshmen. No courses were offered in French, German, History or English. Monthly compositions, however, in English were required. Lessons missed on account of absence had to be made up by private appoint- ment with the professor. Occasionally a not over-scrupulous student would use the same lesson more than once to make up missedrecitations. Col. Kemper once remarked: Somehow I get certain propositions in Geometry indissolubly associated with certain members of my classf, ln his senior year a student was expected to have a fairly com- prehensive knowledge of the subject pursued in the previous years. To make sure of this Senior Reviews were required. We would privately work up such subjects of the previous years as we were not pursuing in the Senior year. Then an entire evening would be spent by one or two students with a professor discussing Chemistry, or Logic, or Mathematics. There were no electives. The menu was short, substantial, unvarying. We each took all of it. Just here the student of today may with reason bestow some pity on us. Certain subjects of the utmost importance that have since been introduced, were not offered to us. We have felt the need of them in later life, but there is at least some compensation in our having to learn some subjects that were not to our taste. That lesson has been valuable in our lives. The two literary societies deserve more than passing notice. Every student, without a single exception during my three years at Hampden-Sidney, joined one or the other of the societies. The campaign for new members was strenuous and exciting. Practically every member took part in the exercises of his Society. It seems strange to me, and it is disappointing, to see references to the non-literary society menu in college publications. Medalists were chosen by election with no soliciting of votes. On certain occasions, the members of the two societies met in a debate or an oratorical contest. After each speech, a marshal arrayed in a gorgeous colored sash would go through the audience. collecting in a hat notes of congratulation from the speaker's partisans and other friends. A hat full of these notes would be taken to the platform and poured into the lap of the much relieved speaker. Considering the age of the students, the work done in the literary societies was most excellent. ln them many a man famous for his eloquence first tried the 17