Reminiscences About Ann Arbor

A gentleman who signa himself A. .Marsh, writes frotii Birniinghain, to the Detroit .1 urna!, tliis bit of reminBcence thal will le of interest tu 'u redders : "The lioors of Lodi acadeiny were tirst opened in the fall of J847. An adlies.s was delivered oue eveuing iy Prof. Nutting. The next day aloul seventy-live students were enrolled. Tlie firat tudents to go from the acadeniv to Michigan üniversity were Ileiny Duuniug and Jo.seph Bigelow, in the class of '52. Dunniug was a briglit uaind, alovely character. lio lioii a few moutlis after couipleting liis cour.se. Bigelow Btudied law and settled in Detroit, where he becaine eminent in his profession. "Charles Becker, of Aun Arbor, was another member of the same class in the Uiiivorsity. He died in college. Justin D. Ful ton, the eminent Baplisl preacherof lioston, was at that time a meinber of the sume eias.s, and lie said that "if tüe studeuts of Michigan University liad been called upon to seleci the purest .spirit aniong them as their ambassador to hen ven, they could have cliosen no other than Charles Becker. Another member of the sanie chiss was Tillnian C. Trowbridge, the missiunury to Coustautiuople, and president of Robert college. "Charles G. Clark was the ouly representative of Lodi acndeniy in the next ihiss, whoin I now recall. He was aftenvard post-uiaster at Ann Arbor aml editor of a paper. In the next class were Harrison Bassett and Leonard Wood. It :is a strong class. Besides üavidson and Duffield and Morton there were tiie Evans brotliers, Cordley and Parker, and others wliom it almost seeius invidous uot to mention. Morton was a ' L?reat reader, a fiuent writer and I er. He could read an essay frona blank paper. Corddy couW see as far with oue eye as most mMi cóuld with two. He afterwaid became the well-known pastor of a Congresjational church in Lawrence, Kansas. In the next class, that of '55. Lodi aca.lemy, was representad by Edward L'. Clark, Augustus Marsh, Ariel Scott and Edwin Willets. Clark took acourse iu the law departnient and was admitted to the bar. Wlien the war broke out he enlisted as a private soldier. He ras iu Gen. Butler's couimand at the capture of New Orleans and was killed there, not killed in battle, but treaeherously assassinated. "Willetts was a thorough scholar, good in all departments, excelling in maththetnatics. He and Miss Jane Ingersoll were botli students and teachers together in the academy, and it was not a great surprise wlien tliey were married. He died in Washington, Oct. 24, 1896. The members of the class were Andrew Bigelow, uow pre-iding Ider of M. E. chun-h at Fliat; Charles Dunlap, fortnerly Presbyterian pastor at South Lyon, uow ;it Adel, Iowa; James B. Eldridge, now circuit ju'dge at Mt. Clemens; GaJucia C. Gibbs, foreman in Troy; Mark Lañe, a great goodnatured fellow, whoui lus companions dubbed "Ajax" and who became an Episcopal clergyman; Cliarles Hewitt. of Ypsilanti; Alexander Martin, lately one of the judges of the supreme court of Missouri ; Jasper Packard, wlio succeeded Schuyler Colfax in Congress; Emanuel Sehmid, sou of a Lutheran minister in Ann Arbor, and Charles Toll, of Monroe. AND STILI. ANOTHBB. Jerome W. Turner in the Detroit Journal, also ives a chatty letter of interest : On the arrival at Ann Arbor of those of us who entered the University in 1853, we soon found ourselves members of the different Greek letter societies. Hobart Miller, Samuel P. Duffield and myself joiued the Chi Psi's- if I remeniber rightly, the oldest organization of that kind in the University. Duffield, I recollect, used to play the violin, and many a time in those early ihiys we gathered around him wliile he sang to the accoinpanimeut of his fiddle " A Rare Old Plaut is the Ivy Green." He liad also quite a penchant ïor poetry, and wrote very creditable lines. However, I alwajie thought he was strongest in prose, and had acertain originality of poetic expression in that tnrm of composition, which would have given liini a good place in iiterature, if lie had steadfastly pursued it. I sometimes think that we are quite unconscious of our real mental qnality and ability. James Watson, of my class- afterwards known throughout the astronomical world as Prof. Watson- actually began a translation ofVirgil, that he thought was going to surpass Dryden's and he one day called me in to his room to hear him read portions of it. At the same time, he was only great in mathematics, and did not seem to kuow it. "Ed. Thurber," as we used to cali bim, gave promise of future standing in his profession. Prof. Haven, who at that time taught rhetoric, I remember on one occasion said, after Thurber had delivered hiinself of oue of his own productions, "] do not wish to make invidious distinctions between members of the class, but Mr. Thurber has shown considerable power." When we did not require the "Ivy Green" and classic music, and simply wanted a dance in one of the old recitation rooms of the dormitory period, one Chapel, also a member of our class furnished the melody. If I mistake not he still lives and ís á prosperous farmer in Sandstone, Jackson county. The last time I saw him was at a democratie state convention years ago, and 1 put to him the only really important qnestion, "Are you happy?'' His answer was not "responsive," as the lawyers say, andhe replied, "I am satisfied Hiere is nothing aaer death!" I said "Fudge !" auil wè arted. Ilon. Levi T. Griffiu was also á inember of the class of 1857, and I have enjoypil a very pleaaant acqnaintance witli liini ever since. He luis had u tiubii hen I liave mat bim, of alvvays sayii1 r. "How o]l you ure gettin;j" wiiic, J regard as iinich better, even in a j. .cular wav than chat oíd formula, "VV'liat secret have you aot to nrevent age?" George Landon, of Monroe, now Judge Landou, was also one of "tlic boy." He wan a reat pet of Prof. Fasquelle, t'or lie was quite protíoient in Germán and KrenMi wheu lie entered college, and jiuke t.he former langvtage Htiently. Ín thi.-s fonnection, I recollect tliat ulien mie of the class was out. French iinr tlifi french in liis pronunciafioii one iliiv fasquelle broke in upon him witli. "Yi u remiud, uie sir, of an e(iieniiian, wlio being about to mount lus luirse in tlie presence of some ladiee jumped so hard that lie feil over the uther side into the quagmire." When the writer of tliis went to Ann Arhor he speedily became avquainted with Darius J. Davison, of the United .States coiirt faine, and of J. Sterling Morton, now necretary of agriculture, for tli'v werjClil Psi'8, and room-mates, mil as unlike as possü)le. Morton Inbbed Davison "Pickwick," and I do íot remember what endearing name Davison gave him in return. At that early day, Morton showed (MDsiderable ability as a writer, and I believe wa.s invited to deliver a Fourth oi July oration at Ann Axbor, by a commíttée of citizens. "Mort," as' we used to cali hiin, was expelled fnin "the institution" aboiit four weeks before lie wou ld háve graduaded, ii he had bee1 allo wed tn remain. I believp his offence was what was called "contempt af autbority." Caretossness in girihood causee the .ff" itest suffering and unhappiness in " lw'e. LLttle irregularltieö and .akiies.s in giiils shüuld bo looked niter promptly and trcutment grivt-n ai unce. Dr. Pien-eV iavorite Prescriptioii prnmotes regularity of all icmiiiine iiinctions, niakes sti-on.a-tli ancl builde up a sturdy bealth wtth which t-f meer the trials to come The Favorito Prescription is not a universa' panacea. It is goodi for one tlii.njf. It is diJteeted, Lsoaeiy at ome largan. TV. Pipi-po'p Tommon Sense Medica] Advfeer, a 1008 page medkali work, profneíiy tlluatrated, wlll be sont free on. rec%ipt of 21 one-cent stamps to cover postasro ortíy, Addi-css, WoPüd's Disppusary Medica] Assooiatinn, Buffa-lï). X. T. "Lmok at the fttouds from the top and see tlio siiliveir linina-. Yo can do it trom our trairas. We go above them n p!nies. The Jfexian Central R'y with lts two t ho-usand miles of track, Peaches all the principal place of interest. For furfcher partfculars, apply to M. H. Kirng, Gen. Western Agt., 236 S. Ctork st., Chicago, 111.