CHAPTER VIII.

INSIDE VIEW OF THE COLLEGE AT WORK.

After the usual summer vacation, the College classes came together and took up their work. They went about it with energy and industry. During this term Professor Brewer was so engaged with the Geological Survey that he was not able to enter upon his duties in the College. But the corps of instructors was able and laborious, and the hum of business seemed to be heard everywhere about the College. So passed the first term, closing with December. The examinations at its end were prolonged, and were attended more largely than usual. The reports of the Faculty and of the several professors and instructors, to the Trustees at the close of this first term, December, 1863, best indicate the extent of this work. They are given below:

FACULTY REPORT FOR THE FIRST TERM, 1863-64.

"The scheme of exercises for the term has been as follows:

Friday.... Greek Testament.. .Latin Composition....Composition, etc.

"The work of the professors was as follows: Mr. Durant heard thirteen recitations a week, with Senior debates; Mr. Kellogg, seventeen; Mr. Hodgson, seventeen; Mr. Brayton, five; Mr. Des Rochers, two; and Mr. Barker, three; which, together with one common exercise, amounted to sixty in all. The exercises have proceeded with the usual regularity according to the foregoing scheme. There have been no serious cases of discipline. In one or two instances, continued irregularity of attendance has interfered with individual and class progress, the irregularity being excusable, in part at least, on the ground of ill health, but very unfortunate. Notwithstanding the smallness of the classes, there has been a fine esprit de corps among the students. The examinations at the close of the term were protracted and thorough. While some of the exercises fell short of the corresponding ones a year ago, it is the impression of the Faculty that, as a whole, the examinations were up to any former average. Further information will be found in the appended reports of the several instructors. The Juniors have recited three times a week in German to Mr. Barker, whose record gives them credit for good proficiency and great regularity. The Sophomores have had two recitations a week in French to Mr. Des Rochers.

There is no report from him as yet, but the class seems to have made very satisfactory progress for the time spent on the study.

"MARTIN KELLOGG, Secretary.”

RHETORICAL DEPARTMENT.

During the term just closed, I have heard the Seniors read compositions once each month. The Juniors have read disputes upon subjects assigned them. From the Sophomores I have received recitations twice a week in Manderville's Elements of Reading and Oratory; a reading exercise was also connected with the recitation. The Freshmen have presented compositions, and have attended, though quite irregularly, an appointment for reading. In connection with other members of the Faculty, I have heard all the classes each month in the required declamations and orations. In this duty, and in writing, they have commonly manifested a laudable fidelity. Professors Durant and Kellogg have kindly heard some of the recitations properly falling within the range of this department. I could wish, and the interests of the College seem to require, that the services of some professed or well-qualified elocutionist should be secured to train the classes in speaking. It is all the more desirable, because the classes are small, and no selection of speakers can be made fitly to represent us on public occasions, and because, for the same reason there is a lack of example and incentive. I have devoted to the College classes an average of four hours a week, besides the time required for correcting and criticising the compositions and orations presented. I. H. BRAYTON.”

December 22, 1863.

LATIN DEPARTMENT.

"On account of my absence, Rev. S. S. Harmon gave instruction in my place during the first half of the term. The interests of the classes seem to have been well cared for in his hands. I resumed work about the middle of the term. The recitations falling to me have been as follows: The Senior class has gone over about three hundred and twenty-five pages of Weber's Outlines of History. It reveiwed one hundred pages, on which it passed examination. By request of the Faculty, I introduced Clark's Elements of English Language, and heard the class in this during the latter part of the term. We went through all the Lectures, but had not time to review. In both studies the class has, as usual, done well. The

Junior class has read about fifty pages of Cicero de Oratore, and has reviewed the larger part. The members have also furnished, once, original Latin compositions. They passed a very good examination. The Sophomore class has read, in Latin, the First Book of the Tusculan Disputations, and reviewed it all. After my return I could not well shape the work so as to bring in the De Senectute. In Greek, we have read all the Prometheus, and reviewed the greater part. The examination in this was particularly good. Since my return, the class has had lessons, mostly in advance, in both Latin and Greek composition. Reviewing some ground previously gone over, they were prepared, at examination, on twenty-five pages in Latin, and forty pages in Greek. The Freshman class has given four recitations a week to Livy, reading the First and Second Books, and reviewing all but fifteen pages. The fifth recitation has been devoted to prose composition, in which we have gone over about forty pages. One of the class has been very irregular, and deficient in preparation. MARTIN KELLOGG."

December 22, 1863.

GREEK DEPARTMENT.

"The Freshman class has had five recitations in Greek each week during the whole session, four in Homer's Iliad, and one each week in the Greek Testament. In connection with each recitation in Homer, a lesson in Arnold's Greek Prose Composition has been recited, with a thorough drill in the exercises. Particular attention has also been paid to composition, grammar, and etymology. It may be remarked that all the members of the class have not done equally well, but some have made an exceptionally good record. The Sophomore class has recited to me only once each week during the term in the Greek Testament. The Junior class has recited to me the whole of Whately's Elements of Logic, making clean work of those parts which the previous class omitted, and coming out with a very good elementary knowledge of the subject. The class has also read and recited to me twelve of Blair's Lectures on Rhetoric, a part of the Oration of Demosthenes concerning the crown (optional), and taken its part with the other classes in the study of the Greek Testament. In all these departments, the class has recited to me five times every week. The recitations of the class are never brilliant, though the last session has shown an improvement on the previous one. It is

still a model class for punctuality, and illustrates in its general and gradual progress how far persistence in one virtue helps to all others. The Senior class has also recited to me five times each week during the session, besides debating orally once every month. It has recited four times in Hopkins' Moral Science and Butler's Analogy and once in Greek Testament. The class has evinced a deep interest in all these studies, as always heretofore, and made good progress. The duty assigned me of conducting the devotional exercises in the morning, during Professor Kellogg's absence, and twice each week since his return, I have been able to attend to punctually in every instance. The students are usually all present at the moment of opening these exercises, and where they do not enter into the spirit of them heartily, seem to pay them serious respect.

December 22, 1863.

"HENRY DURANT."

MATHEMATICAL DEPARTMENT.

"The Seniors have had five recitations a week with me. They have completed Olmsted's Astronomy with the chapter on Eclipses. They have studied and reviewed Hitchcock's Anatomy and Physiology, and have also studied Wells' Chemistry as far as Organic Chemistry, but have not reviewed it. The Juniors have had four recitations a week. They have studied and reviewed Olmsted's Natural Philosophy as far as Acoustics. Apparatus is greatly needed to illustrate the various points of the study. Punctuality is still a characteristic of the class. The Sophomores have had four recitations a week. They have completed geometry, and have studied plane and spherical trigonometry. The Freshmen have had four recitations a week, and have studied Robinson's Algebra as far as required for this term. FRANCIS D. HODGSON."

REMARKS BY THE VICE-PRESIDENT.

"According to the College Laws, it is my duty to accompany these reports with such remarks as may seem to me necessary. In so doing, I will say, in the first place, that the College is in excellent condition and is growing into maturity as fast as time will allow. To be sure, the classes are small, but they are well up to the standard in scholarship, and it would be suicidal to lower this standard to gain the doubtful advantage of the prestige of large numbers. It is very clear to me, looking carefully at the working of the College, that the