Autobiography of Seventy Years, Vol. 1-2Hoar, George Frisbie
History
Autobiography of Seventy Years, Vol. 1-2
Hoar, George Frisbie
United States -- History -- 1865-1921; United States -- Politics and government -- 1865-1900
Another rather interesting figure among the men of the classes
above me was Thomas Hill, afterward President of the College.
He was a good mathematician and a good preacher. But he was
not as successful in the Presidency as his friends hoped.
The only thing I remember about him of any importance is highly
to his credit. One winter's day a little gaunt-looking and
unhappy pig that had strayed away from a drove wandered into
the College Yard just as the boys were coming out of evening
prayers. The whole surface of the yard was covered with a
sheet of thin and very slippery ice. It was rather hard to
stand up on it. The boys came across the pig, which was frightened
and attempted to run. After running a little, he would slip
on the ice and slide and tumble over, and then gather himself
up again and try once more. There was a general shout and
a general chase. Poor piggy strove to elude his pursuers.
His own tail was a little slippery, so that if a boy caught
it he did not hold it long. The whole college, pretty much,
engaged in the pursuit, which certainly seemed to be great
fun. But, on a sudden, there was a loud, angry shout from
a stentorian voice as Tom Hill jumped in among the pursuers,
who were just on the point of conquering the bewildered animal.
"For shame. Take one of your size." The boys saw the point,
were filled with mortification, desisted, and allowed the
poor creature to go in peace.
The boys generally boarded in the College Commons, where they
could board for $2.25 a week on one side, and on the other
called "starvation commons" for $1.75 a week. In the latter
they had meat only every other day. A few of the sons of
the wealthier families boarded in private houses where the
rate of board varied from $3 to $3.50 a week. The rooms were
furnished very simply, almost always without carpets, though
in rare instances the floors would be covered with a cheap
carpet which did not last very well under the wear and tear
of boyish occupation. The students generally made their own
fires and blacked their own boots and drew their own water.
But there was a family of negroes named Lewis who performed
those services for such boys as desired, at a compensation
of $5 or $6 a term. The patriarch of this race was a very
interesting old character. He was said to be one hundred
years old. He was undoubtedly very near it. One morning,
just as we were coming out of the morning prayers, shortly
after six o'clock, old Mr. Lewis drove by with a horse which
he was said to have bought for $5, and a wagon of about the
same value. He had a load of all sorts of vegetables which
he had raised in his little garden near where the Arsenal
stood and was carrying into Boston to market. One of his
old wheels broke and the wagon came down, spilling the old
fellow himself and his load of vegetables. He lay there flat
on his back, unable to get up, surrounded by turnips and
squashes and onions and potatoes, etc. As he lay with his
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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