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About Yale Alumni Magazine | View Entire Issue (Jan. 12, 1899)
aculties, where as they believe, those matters ought to reside; that. the clergymen have given closer and more loyal attention to corporative duties than the lay members; that clerical control draws students to the Univer- sity from religious families and com- munities, and has been marked by no sectarian abuses or “sacerdotalism,”’ but, on the contrary, by the utmost liberality; and that, if there has been overmuch of deference to the Presi- dent, centralization of authority has its advantages. The opponents of the sys- tem assert, on the other hand, that Yale, which last year in the two lead- ing departments together graduated more Presbyterians and more Episco- palians than Congregationalists, has grown too big to be fettered by sec- tarianism, even though such sectarian- ism is merely formal; that the system has been ultra conservative in too many scholastic and administrative direc- tions; that even abstract sectarianism prejudices the University in the outer world; that the lay members find no encouragement to initiative and action in the face of a clerical majority dom- inated by the President; and that the presidential prerogative “has increased, is increasing, and ought to be dimin- ished.” The facts as to the present scope and practice of presidential authority at Yale are subjects of interest. Under the laws of the Corporation, the Presi- dent is the head of its prudential com- mittee and ex-officio a member of all its committees. In the Academic Fac- ulty by refusing to vote or by his nega- tive vote he has an absolute veto of a majority measure, however large the majority may be. He is President of the departmental faculties and of the Board of Managers of the Yale Obser- vatory, but is not connected officially with Peabody Museum. In the Aca- demic Faculty during the last few years there has been, from time to time, complaint of the presidential preroga- tive. It is stated, for example, that President Porter adopted, as an ir- regular form of veto, a refusal to trans- mit to the Corporation votes of the Faculty, and his controversy with a prominent professor on the use of an alleged heterodox text-book will be re- membered. tained, there is no presidential veto, in the departmental faculties, but depart- mental professors say that any meas- ure opposed strongly by the Presi- dent would probably be dropped. Dur- ing the administration of President Porter he made an attempt in the Scientific School to compel chapel at- tendance by the students, but was re- sisted successfully by the Faculty of the department—an episode which suggests the limitation of the positive power of the President, however large his veto power may be. : Bearing contingently on the question of government of the University is a paragraph of the charter of 1745, which provides that the acts of the President and Fellows shall be laid before the State Legislature as often as required, ‘and may also be repealed or disal- lowed by this assembly (the State Leg- islature) when they shall think proper.” Under this may arise, in times to come, some interesting questions between the Connecticut Legislature and the Uni- versity. ——— The 1828 Class Book. The last Class Book of the Class of Twenty-Eight is a very unusual produc- tion. It is written, compiled and edited by the class secretary, Professor Oli-— ver P. Hubbard, who was cighty-nine years old last March. He has only re- cently finished his work on the book and published it. It has the usual valu- able biographical material and, in addi- tion to that, several pages of reminis- cences of the College in the old days, which are very readable. Besides, there are copies of term bills in the old days, when students weie charged for the reci- tation room fire at the rate of about fifteen cents per term, and an “average damage” charge was laid for glass at fourteen cents. Programs are also given of the exhibition of Society of Brothers in Unity. Following are some of the extracts: “The chapel had square pews along the walls in the galleries for the Faculty, which later gave way to ordinary pews. A distinguished clergyman (Y. C., 1805) preaching in the chapel on original sin, uttered the following sentiment: So far as can be ascer-. YALH ALUMNI ““The fond mother does not realize that the infant in her arms may become a viper in her bosom.’ Dr. Nathan Smith sat in the southwest corner of the gallery, and at once, in protest, took his hat and cane and left the house. The preacher at noon cautiously in- quired of his host, ‘What sort of a man was that, who went out during the service?’ and received in answer: ‘We consider him a man of uncommon good sense.’ “Dr. Fitch preached a very timely ser- mon which was so universally appre- ciated that a meeting of the college was held and a copy requested for publica- tion. The request was declined, “as, if it were thus regarded, he would use it at another time.” STATUTES. “The Class of Twenty-Seven having had Johnson’s colored band from Phil- adelphia for Commencement. and at a reported cost of $800, the trustees limited the cost of music to $50, and on this meager sum Bartlett got up the music, vocal and instrumental, and from college resources. The class felt much disquieted. “Each division of the Freshman class, on entering, presented to. its tutor a handsome velvet upholstered arm chair with table on the right and at his leay- ing a gift of valuable books. “The trustees subsequently ordered that no class should give presents to a tutor. He received it ‘all the saine’ when he demitted his office. “Another statute that no student should give more than $1.00 to any col- lege object. This was charged to a reverend trustee who afterward sent three sons through Yale. SERMON READING. “At the close of senior examination, the junior class occupied their seats in the chapel.and the other classes moved up. Six juniors, according to a custom that came down from a former century, were selected to read. printed sermons at prayers on Sunday evening. “The senior tutor would summon No. 1 to his room aftef Pp. M. service and hand him a printed sermon. He would take his place in the square pew north of the pulpit and after the invocation rise up on a candle box and read ‘ore rotundo.’ Toward the close of senior year, a reader with a voluble tongue and a high-keyed voice raised it to an extraordinary pitch, when a loud whistle was heard pitched on the same note ‘that brought down the house.’ The custom ceased in 1828 and its memory perished. “In the early part of the century an English traveler visited Yale cabinet, and noticed among its curios a two- headed snake, but spoke respectfully of the institution. It was discovered that all the specimens of the mineral king- dom could be packed in a candle box and only Adam (as of old) Seybert in Philadelphia could give names to them. “Chemistry, or ‘the black art,’ was a nonentity, and a dark underground laboratory, with groined arches to con- fine the explosions, was built in 1802 under the west end of the Lyceum and the Freshman recitation rooms. <A young man of parts, Benjamin Silliman, a representative of East and West Rocks, was sent to Edinburgh to light a torch at Arthur’s seat and Salisbury Craig, and ‘he brought back the correct Huttonian theory of their igneous origin. He worked fifteen years in this laboratory, which was. in 1822 trans- ferred to the old Commons of 1782, to which 30 feet were added on the south, making the length 90 feet. The Col- lege History: -V..4, p. 45a Says: ie same year a wing was added on the west for ladies... Not so.. It was added, 33 ft. x 14 ft. in 1835, at the suggestion of Prof. Silliman’s assistant. Fifty-one ladies attended the lectures in 1836, and the ticket-fees amounted to $510, which was equally divided to Prof. Silliman and College, according to custom. “About 1824, the professor of Rhet- oric went abroad to gather a harvest in the foreign field. He returned, like the bee, with acquisitions, one of which was a new pronunciation. The estab- lished one of ‘natur,’ ‘futur,’ ‘creatur,’ was vigorously assailed, and substitutes, as ‘nat-yer,’ ‘fut-yer, ‘creat-yer, urged. The contest waxed warm—the Professor of Ancient Languages was firm, and in his lectures in 1827 ridiculed the in- novation, saying he saw no more reason for saying ‘t-ube’ and ‘c-ube’ than ‘t-ub’ and ‘c-ub.. The new won.” MF HOH Ly GLEE CLUB TRIP. An Artistic and Financial Success— Entertainments. Well-filled houses were the rule dur- ing the Christmas trip of the Yale Glee and Banjo Clubs, which ended on Saturday night, Jan. 7, at Brooklyn, N. Y. The chorus sang well and the solos of Mr. Schneelock, Mr. Simmons, and Mr. Sheehan, and the work of the Sweep Quartet were received with many encores. The first concert was given in Plain- field, N. J., where a dance was given alter the concert at the Country Club Casino. The men stayed at private houses during the night and left for Al- bany in the morning. In the afternoon a dance was given at the Albany His- torical and Art Society and after the dance a smoker was given at the Fort Orange Club. Cleveland was reached the next noon and after a rather poorly-attended con- cert the Clubs were entertained at the Tavern Club and at the Cleveland Golf Club hall. At Toledo, the next stopping place, a tea dance was given at the home of Mrs. A. L. Spitzer, and after the con- cert there was a smoker at the Univer- sity Club. The Clubs arrived at Chicago Christ- mas afternoon and the day following was one of the pleasantest of the trip. A stag breakfast was given by Mrs. A. E. Clark at the Hotel Metropole at noon and in the afternoon Mrs. Robert S. McCormick gave a tea at her home. After an unusually well-attended con- cert in the evening at Studebaker Hall, the Clubs attended a dance at the Hotel Metropole, which was-given by Mrs. W. E. Kelly. The Clubs left Chicago early the next morning and arrived at Springfield at 8 A. M. Here the concert was given in the afternoon, and afterwards the men attended a tea given by Mrs. D. O. Hayes. In the evening a large dance was given im their honor at Odd Fel- lows Hall. At St. Louis the men were privately entertained at lunch after giving a short introductory concert by request to the Merchant’s Exchange. After the regu- lar concert in the evening a smoker was given at the University Club. Memphis was reached the next after- noon, where the Clubs were royally en- tertained at a dance given at the Hotel Gayoso after the concert at the Au- ditorium Theater. Memphis was left the next day and the Clubs reached New Orleans in the afternoon, when a tea was given by Mrs. Matthews. The concert in the evening was at the French Opera House. The Clubs remained at New Orleans for two days and spent a very enjoyable time. BROWN’S Evi" the popular cure for IRRITATED THROATS. Fac-Simile Mh Pe Vin th Signature of 129 They left for Nashville on New Year's Day, where a tea and a dance were given for the men before and af- ter the concert. 3 The next ston was at Cincinnati, which was reached on Tuesday. In the afternoon a reception was given by Mrs. J. W. Warrington, and after the con- cert in the evening the men attended a very enjoyable smoker given for them at the Grand Hotel by the Cincinnati Yale Alumni Association. The next concert was given at Pitts- burg on Thursday evening at Carnegie Hall. In the morning Mrs. George Oliver entertained the men at breakfast and after the concert a smoker was given at Schenby Hall. Pittsburg was left the next day and Baltimore was reached the same day at 6 P. M., where a concert was given at. Liehmann s.. Hall, The last concert of the trip was given at the Academy of Music in Brooklyn on Saturday evening. After the con- cert a smoker was given at the Brook- lyn Club and in the morning the men returned to New Haven. Procure a copy of JANUARY - Outing Now on sale by all first-class newsdealers, To be had of all A 1 booksellers. There are two stories by New Haven Women in this issue: “Florida Fishing MARY T. TOWNSEND. ‘A Fox Hunt on the Pedee,” by JANE MARLIN. Other articles of interest on seasonable topics may be:‘ found under the following heads: SHOOTING. Those to whom the study of game in its natural haunts is of more importance than the killing of grand animals for the head as a trophy, will follow with pleasure Ep. W. SANDyYs over the snowy trails of his Xmas in Moose-Land. When that New Brunswick sportsman, FRANK RISTEEN, undertakes to tell of an adventure with big game, usually he has something to say worth listening to. In A Christmas Caribou Hunt he well describes a fascinating form of sport as it is followed in the provinces down by the sea. Our new possessions in the Spanish Main open fresh fields of winter recreation, as all who have experienced A New Wear’s Day West Indian Sport can testify. ICE YACHTING. To outpace the wind and ind in mid- winter all the exhilaration Of the high seas is left to the owners of the Iee= Yachts of To-Day, by H. PERcY ASHLEY. : CYCLING. The glamour of the far Orient touches with poetic instinct the pen that describes Through Lotus-Land Awheel. WINTER SPORTS. Still holding a vivid place in the imagina- tion, The Passing of the Ice Carni= val is a memory happily revived. TRAVEL. WILLIAM B. CAMERON has found much _of interest in the great lone Northwest, but some of his best descriptive matter is embodied in his story of what happened during A New Wear’s Day ata Hud- son Bay Trading-Post. These articles are only a few of the many 200d things to be found between the white and gold cover of our holiday issue. Sketches,*® by s N wis SS WX i =: SSS SSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSSS IG * poey,:«SAND RETURN “449 \ "yg Intermediate Cabin, $35.30 % oe PREBBREY.NY / DB so ay “Uy wrk <e a, >. THEO. G. EGER, Traffic Manager, 6 BOWLING GREEN, NEW YORK. A. P. LANE, New England Passenger Agent, 201 Washington St., Boston. es Aenereouee see reregexeanssecsage WY LULELOUE YP Uff G4 ZA YY, GL Yai SL a , YW = Cunrerensimsspuousnasiae Q NCAT y) Dah 444 4 TO Aa ® d F FLORIDA |, AND THE SOUTH = i NEW YORK TO 30 V 4IACKSONVILLE $43,2° \ FIRST CABIN | ———s —_———————— CHARLESTON $32 00 First fF em CABIN jb “AND RETURN Intermediate Cabin, $24.00 Above Rates include Meals and Stateroom Accommodations.... 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