Lehigh University - Epitome Yearbook (Bethlehem, PA)

Page 22 text:

( d ' g O EFSTOG E g d l) Al ' li ' r- the l.rhiu ' li ' ;illry IJ:iili ' (iacl .Is cohiiiIcIinI :in;l .linlf c l ' :ii-kcr luid liccoin. ' oi ' ir of the rii ' licst men ill his stiitu. Hiiotlicr vision, ui ' c.iici ' . griiiuliT. caiiU ' to liiiii. II cjiiiir ,is he rciiiiMiihcrfd the nie;ig:n ' ailvantagcs of the ilistrict school of liis boyhood, the i;-] ' iiii si ruiiulc with poverty and llir cars of hard, nnriMiiittinu ' toil with wliirli h ' .s whoh ' life had been erowdcii. lie seiil foi- his friend and bishop, the Kiirht Keverelid William Haeon Stevens of Philadelphia, s:iyiiig that he wanted to eonsnlt with him about doiii - soniethiiif;- to help yoiiiiK men to get an I ' dueation. ' eal•s afterward, as Hisliop Ste -ens rei ' oniited 1o me thai ineiiKn ' able inler ' iew. lie deseribed his great as tonishment, when, in reply to the ((nesiioii a-i to how nmidi Judge Pa(d er wanted to give, the Judge replied A half million dollars I ' Phis was probablx ' the lai-g ' st sin- gle sum liieh. u]) to that time, had been given to education. And so the institution was founded, tiltiugly taking its name from the bu.sy valley wliieh had been the scene of his struggles and trinni|ih. The still larger benefactions which followed his initial gift — the stead - growth fi ' om the little elass-rooms of Christmas Hall to the gi ' eat group of majestic buil.ling.s — tlu ' evei ' -inereasiiig yearly output of young men trained and eipiipped for the liusiuess of life — all this is fa- miliar history ' . It is specially gratifying too, to all those who can personally recall Judge Packer, that one boy whom he greatly admii ' ed and in whose welfare he was keenly interested is now the President of Lehigh, 1 have read of an old Roman wall in England whiidi has withstood the ravages of time for so many generations that the simple-minded peasantry of the neighborhood believe that it iuu,st have been reared by more than human hands. In building their own humbler structures they are said to lie very careful to bring a bit of the old wall so as to insui-e to their own work equal stability and permanence. And so, as each Lehigh man goes out from his Alma ; Iater. should he take with him something of the courage, energy, and determinatiou. something of the inspiration and examiJe, of its illustrious founder. WlIXIAM R. Bl TLliK. 70

Page 21 text:

gfO (S(F(iT0 (i O ]] the nearby Xes |uehoniiig and otlier mines, and entered upon a period of great pros- perity. It was at the age of about forty-six that a great vision came to him — a vision destined to lead to the distinguishing work of liis life, it was yet tlie day of small things in the anthracite coal trade, liut he carefully noted the steadily expanding market, and his keen, business foi ' esight suggested that witii an inexhaustible supply of coal at one end of tiu ' valley of the Lehigh, and a jji ' actically unlimited markei at the other, the one tiling needed to connect the two was a railroad. Some years before, a charter had been granted to a corporation under the very geiiei ' al name of tlie Delawai-e. Leliigh. Schuylkill. Susipiehanna Railroad Co. The time limit of this charter had almost expired with nothing done. On Oct. 1. 18-11. with charac- teristic promptness lie bought up nearly all the stock and proceeded at once to pro- cure additional sul)sci ' iptions. In 1853 he changed the name of the old coi-poration to the Lehigh Valley Railroad Co. and began the work of building with great vigor. P ormidable and unforeseen obstacles were encountered, not only difficult prob- lems of engineering. l)Ut. that y-ai-. the advance in labor, materials, and provisions, and especially the epidemic of cholera which visited the region, enoi ' mously increased the difficulties in his way. It was said that at one time his entire fortune was ser- iously imperiled. With almost su]ierhuman courage and determination the great work was com- RIGHT REVEREND WILLIAM BACON STEVENS, D.D.. LL D. pleted and on .Jiiiii ' 11. 1.S. ).5. the road was opened for passenger travel from South Easton to Allentown. On the 12tli of September of the same year the first passenger train was run to Mauch Chunk, the train being operated with rolling stock bori ' owed from the Central Railroad Company of Xew Jersey.

Page 23 text:

WILLIAM SUDDARDS FRANKLIN, M.S.. Sc. D.