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About Yale Alumni Magazine | View Entire Issue (May 6, 1897)
Votume VI. No. 29 NEW HAVEN, CONN., THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1897. Price Tren Cents. MR. JOHN W. HENDRIE. Something About the Law Sehool’s Generous Friend. The completion of the Yale Law School building seems nearer than its friends dared to hope that at this time it would be, when the project was un- dertaken a few years ago. This fact is due to the generosity of a graduate of Yale, whose contributions to the Fund have already been, noted in the Week- . ly and whose generosity towards Yale has also been shown by his handsome contributions to the Woolsey Statue. Up to January 21, the gifts of Mr. John W. Hendrie, °51, to the Building Fund of the School, had been $25,000. Two or three weeks ago, the friends of the School were both surprised and de- lighted to hear from the Treasurer that a check for $10,000, in addition to previous donations, had been received from Mr. Hendrie. It was estimated, when the building was completed up to the present point, that the addition of the front would cost about $70,000 or $80,000. Through the gifts of Mr. Hen- drie, one third of this sum has been realized already. Mr. Hendrie, whose most recent por- trait is given elewhere in this paper, _ lives at Sound Beach, Conn., on a farm which has been in his family for several generations, and on which he himself was born, in November, 1821. In early life he worked there and says in his autobiography, in the last class record of °51, that the exercise he re- ceived there in blasting rocks, build- ing stone walls and doing ordinary farm work, laid the foundation for the excellent health which he has always enjoyed. When he was twenty-two years old he launched out for himself, by se- curing a position as teacher in the ola Greenwich schoolhouse, receiving the compensation of seventeen dollars a month. This income he was ahle to augment very considerably by engag- ing in the lobster industry, and net fishing. He found time to knit his own gill net in his spare moments, be- tween, as he expressed it in this same sketch, the duties of ‘‘school teaching, sharpening pens, making fires and sweeping out.” He also built his own lobster pots. The income from his fisheries would sometimes go as high as sixty dollars a month. Some time after this he improved his position as teacher by taking a position in the Steep Hollow School, three miles away, where he received eighteen dollars a month and board. Later he went to the Miannus District, where his in- come was twenty-five dollars a month. After his teaching at Miannus, he went to the Hopkins Grammar School of this city, and from there he entered Yale. He refers in his autobiography most enthusiastically to his pleasant college days and particularly to the kindness of President Woolsey and the members of the College Faculty. For three years after graduation, he took charge of the Stamford Academy and succeeded in building it up on a successful basis. Then the desire to try his fortunes in California took possession of him. It was the time when the fever was running high ana the reports were so exciting from the gold fields “that students in Yale, even - well along towards graduation, were prompted to sell all they had ana start for the Pacific Coast.” Mr. Hendrie had succeeded in collect- ing about a thousand dollars with which to start on his quest for a fortune in California. With this beginning and with his own industry and zeal and business ability for his principal cap- ital, he succeeded so well that in nine years he was able to permanently re- tire with no small fortune. He made the reputation there of not only being an excellent business man, but one of such reliability that his word was al- ways as good as his bond. He never engaged in mining, but was in mercan- tile pursuits in San Francisco and in branch stores in other parts of the State. He formed a partnership with Mr. H, M. Lockwood, a merchant of New York, and their business soon grew so well that Mr. Lockwood went back to New York to pay entire atten- tion to the manufacturing of the goods which they sold there. Mr. Hendrie says that in the early part of his ‘busi- ness career, his capital was so small and his obligations were so large, that he taught school at night in order to make sure of making enough to meet his notes. Mr. Hendrie has for a number of years spent his summers at Sound Beach, and his winters. in California. A short time ago he visited New Haven. In closing his autobiographical sketch in the Class Book he says: “I may say, again reverting: to my personal career, that I have in all the years that have gone since graduating day, remembered the benefits bestowed upon me by Yale University. As the Class appeared on that day, as the valedictorian delivered his address, and finally as the diplomas were given to us, one by one the whole seene has been before me many and many a time. On| the sea, on the des- ert, in the woods, and amidst oranges and palms, the experiences at Yale have furnished pleasing reminiscences. I oft- en revert to the benefits received from our Alma Mater and in those thoughts there has never been any lingering feel- ing but pleasure.”’ ——_—_+0¢-_____— The Juniors Testify in Court. The case of Thomas Hylands against the members of the Junior crew came up in the Hamden court last Thursday afternoon, April 29, before Justice of Peace Clark, of the Centerville Web Company, wtih Grand Juror Woodruff of Hamden, representing: the prosecu- tion. The same points were brought up as in the City Court. Mr. Hylands reiterated his charges that he had been assaulted by the Yale men, and his team taken from him. The Juniors tes- tified that they hadn’t laid hands upon Hylands, and only took his team be- cause they had contracted for it, and were obliged to take their clothes to the boat house that day. H. W. Wilcox, ’98, admitted that it was he who drove the team, and he was fined $5 with $20 costs. The other members of the crew were acquitted. H. W. Asher, counsel for the Yale men, promptly appealed the case to the Court of Com- mon Pleas, _— ~~ < > ie cau Water Company’s Prerogative. According to a recent act of the Con- necticut Legislature the New Efaven Water Company has received the right, subject to the approval of the State Board of Health, to prevent the use of Lakes Whitney and Saltonstall for boating and skating purposes. The Wa- ter Company will not exercise this right until the Board of Health deems it necessary. That will not happen this year, and probably not for several_years to come, although the time will eventu- ally arrive when the growth of the city will make it necessary. < >, Re, gcih Yale in New York Hospitals. In the recent hospital appointments in New York City Yale men made good records. At the Presbyterian Hospital, three out of the four places were award- ed to Francis O. Dorsey, 793; Frederick Rustin, ’95S.; and John Howland, ’94. At Roosevelt Hospital, George M. Cree- vey was tied for first place, and at the New York Hospital, Sidney L. Lasell, °92 took first place and A. V. S. Lam- bert, 793, was reappointed. In all, nine- teen men tried the examinations, and only one Yale man out of the six who tried, failed to secure an appointment. - been announced. It reads: JOH BE VW. HENDHIE, ’S1. READY FOR PRINCETON, The Men who Will Meet in Debate Next Friday. As the Weekly goes to press prepar- ations are being completed for the an- nual Yale-Princeton debate to be held to-morrow evening, May 7, in the Col- lege Street Hall at 8 o’clock. Imme- diately following the debate a banquet is to be held at the New Haven House, where covers will be laid for fifty. All Yale’s former representatives in inter- collegiate debate have been invited to be present. Prof. Arthur T. Hadley, ’°76, will respond to the toast, ‘Yale.’ It has not been possible to learn who is to be the toastmaster or the Prince- ton speaker on this occasion, and the presiding officer at the debate has not yet been announced. The subject of the debate has already ) ‘Resolved, That the power of the speaker of the United States House of Representatives is detrimental to the public interest.” Yale will support the affirmative side of the question. The judges of the de- bate will be Hon. Carroll Wright, Com- missioner of Labor; Hon. Joseph Quin- cy, Mayor of Boston, and Mr. George E. Waring, Commissioner of Street Cleaning of New York City. THE WORK OF THE YALE MEN, The Yale debaters have been working hard with the assistance in criticism of their work, from Professor Arthur T. Hadley, ’76, and Dr. E. V. Raynolds, 80 S., and have given special attention to team work. Several test debates have been held against other prominent debaters of the Union, One change has been made in the team since its first selection. Arthur E. Fraser, ’98, T. S., was originally chosen one of the three speakers, but has been forced to resign, his health being unable to stand the strain of preparation. His place has been taken by Edward L. Smith, ’97, the first alternate. Two of the Yale representatives, Messrs. Fish- er and Smith, have never taken part in an intercollegiate debate. Hdward Hicks Hume comes from Bombay, India, and is a member of the Senior class. He prepared for Col- lege at the Newton High School, and had some practice in debating while there. Last year he was alternate in the Harvard and Princeton debates, and again in the debate with Harvard this year. He is an original speaker, and his*manner is forcible. His great fault is that he sometimes says more than he means, thus opening himself to his opponents’ attack. Herbert Wescott Fisher is from New Haven. . He fitted for college at the Hillhouse High School, and entered Yale with the class of Ninty-eight. He has taken no active part in debating until this year. He has keen discern- ment, and is the most logical speaker on the team. He has a clean method of presentation, but his general form is not aS good as it might he. Edward Laurence Smith, the third member of the team, comes from Hart- ford, Conn. He prepared for college at the Hartford High School. In College, he has taken active interest in debat- ing, and is at present Secretary of the Union. Mr. Smith is forcible and a log- ical thinker. He also uses very con- vincing arguments. His form on the whole is not very good. ‘THE PRINCETON REPRESENTATIVES. The men who will represent Princeton in the debate to-morrow evening have had more experience than the Yale men and also speak in slightly better form. Two of their number were in the Har- vard-Princeton debate last December. A brief sketch of the men is given be- low: (Continued on sixth page.)
