/m r LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 029 934 598 1 Hollinger Corp. pH8.5 .D 2152 S2 :opy 1 LIFE AT HARVARD A CENTURY AGO As Illustrated by the Letters and Papers of Stephen Salisbury, Class of 1817 'I BY BENJAMIN THOMAS HILL Rbipbinted fbom Pboceedings of the American Antiquarian Society AT THE Semi-Annual, Meettng, Apbh., 1910. WORCESTER, MASS., U. S. A. THE DAVIS PRESS 44 FRONT STREET 1910 f ^^^ IN EXC-' *t ► JUL 15 -H (i \ \ LIFE AT HAKVARD A CENTURY AGO As Illustrated by the Letters and Papers of Stephen Salisbury, Class of 1817. In the collection of the manuscripts of the Salisbury family, which has come into the possession of the Society, is one series of letters which are of especial interest as show- ing in some measure the college life and customs at Harvard a century ago: — the correspondence between the second Stephen Salisbury and his parents during his college course, from 1813 to 1817. After two years of preparation at Leicester Academy, Stephen Salisbury entered college in the fall of 1813, when he was fifteen years old. There was a little group of six buildings at Harvard at that time: — Harvard Hall, containing the college library of 15,000 volumes; Holden Chapel; and the four dormitories, Massachusetts, Hollis, Stoughton and Holworthy, the latter built in 1812, from the proceeds of a lottery. University Hall, completed in 1814, contained four dining halls for the college commons on the ground floor, with two kitchens beneath, six lecture rooms on the second floor, and a chapel above. In the faculty were thirteen professors, including those of medicine and divinity; four tutors, of whom Edward Everett was one ; and an instructor in rhetoric and oratory, and one in. French. There were also thirteen resident graduates. Of the 301 undergraduates, 86 were in the freshman class, which numbered among its members George Bancroft, Caleb Cushing, Samuel A. Eliot, George B. Emer- son, Samuel J. May and Stephen H. Tyng. There was little of college life as we know it now. The diversity of outside interests and amusements of the present day was wanting; and the students were kept under as strict surveillance by the authorities as they are now in most of the preparatory schools. Organized athletics and games were unknown, and the chief forms of exercise were walking and riding. An item in young Salisbury's accounts in his freshman year shows that he paid six cents for a ■football; and his father writes "Your Scates shall be sent you but you must not scate on any Ponds or Rivers nor neglect your studies for any Amusements''; while his mother implores him to skip rope in his room when it is too stormy to take his customary walk. In his junior year he belonged to the college military company, and took lessons in dancing. There is no mention of his being a member of any society, nor does he appear to have mixed much with the other students nor to have had many intimate friends. He lived outside the college, at Captain Luther Dana's, where were four of his classmates: — George Bancroft, with whom he roomed, John L. Payson, Joseph Ray and Samuel Soley, and one sophomore, Charles Hammond. There are nearly three hundred letters in the collection. As the following extracts show, they dealt largely with his daily routine life, his studies and his health. He was as much under the influence and control of his parents as if he had lived at home. His dress was prescribed, his actions and conduct determined and an accurate account of all his expenses required. In reading these family letters, it should be borne in mind, not only that college discipline and methods have greatly changed, but also that this college student was a boy of but fifteen years, who had practically never been away from home before. . That he was not lavishly supplied with spending money, and that he was held strictly to account for every penny, are indications not of parsimony but of thrift, and a purpose that he should learn frugality and exactness in all money matters. There is abundant evidence (to cite but a single illustration, in the bills for his commencement dinner, at the end of this paper) that upon occasion money was liberally supplied. The first letters are from Leicester, and relate to his entrance examinations at Cambridge. Leicester July 17**^ 1813 Dear Mother Will you please to send me my Greek Majora (not Minora) (which I believe you can get at M^ TrumbulFs), and my atlass and the second volume of Websters mathe- matics which I left in the book closet I think last monday, which was the second day I wore them, I burst my silk pantaloons on each side of the seat, in runing; and therefore I have sent them home. I saw Uncle William in the stage the other day. give my duty to my Father and love to my friends. Your dutifull Son S Salisbury jr Leicester August 1813 Dear Mother / I delayed writing to you, because I expected to be ezamined by M*" Nurse this afternoon, in the books which are required at college,^ but as he is gone away this afternoon, it will be put off till monday; M'' Clark and M*" Nurse both think I can enter. I should like to come home a week from next Saturday, which is the week before exhibition. M*" Clark says I fail the most in writing latin, because I have not atended to it before, but by a little practise I shall get so as to write well. I sent my vest in a silk pockethand- kercheif by M^ Stearns, give my duty to father. I remain your dutifull Son Stephen Salisbury J"" ^ Terms of admission to the Freshman or Lowest Class. — Every person admitted, must be thoroughly acquainted with the Grammar of the Latin and Greek languages, and with the following books, viz. Dalzel's Collectanea Graeca Minora, the Greek Testament, Virgil, Sallust, Cicero's Select Orations, and with the following rules of Arithmetic, viz. Notation, Simple and Compound Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division, Reduction, and the Single Rule of Three. He must be able to translate English into Latin correctly. ' In 1815. - Ancient and Modern Geography. And in 1816. - The whole of Arith- metic will be required in the addition to above. 6 Dear Stephen Worcester Ocf 14 1813 . I have sent you this day by M*" Paul Gates the Sulkey Bagg Cont^ a Bagg with 5 VoP Millet History - and the Art of Speaking - a Box of Wafers & a Bundle of Stockings - Also your Hatt — When ever you send up your Clothes or any thing else you will first put them in the inside Bagg & Tye that Bagg up & put them into the Sulkey Bagg Remembering to tye up the Strings & Buckle every Strap that belongs to the Sulkey Bagg, that nothing may be lost out on the Wagon procure the Laws of the College, Study them often & obey them — Attend to your Studies -and conduct yourself in such a Manner, as to meritt a Good name, as a Scholar and for good behaviour - be Cauteous in the Chose of your intimate Acquaintance, be civil to all, but intimate with few — I am dear Stephen — Your Affectionate father Stephen Salisbury Dear Mother I am disapointed in not receiving a letter from you. Mama I have a request to make you know my room is on the lower floor so that every body that goes by can see what we are about, for instance, Saturday Uncle Edward rode out to see me, and as he did not wish to get off he rode up to the window and looked in and when he saw me there, he rapped on the window for me to come out ; also my clas- mates when they want our company in a walk, have only to stand before the house and look and see whether we are there, and then call to us; therefore I should be much obliged to you if you would send me four short curtains, such as I have no doubt you have seen, which are put on a little below the midle of the window, I should like to have them made with rings so as to draw. Mama will you please to send me a little more money, I have spent all that I had except one dollar and 6 cents. Please to give my duty to my father. I must get my lesson for I must go in, in half an hour. Your dutiful Son Stephen Salisbury Jr Cambridge Oct 27 1813 Dear Mother I received my first quarter bill the other day which was $23, and 82 cts, 10$ of which Papa paid in advance, when he gave my bond. My time passes a great deal pleas- anter than I expected. * * * As it is after ten I must look over my lesson and go to bed, for I have to recite before breakfast. I have not received my bundle yet. Good night. Friday morn. I have just received my bundle; I was much disappointed in not receiving my curtains; for I cannot do without them for when we are dressing, nothing hinders people who are going by from looking in upon us; not only that but saucy young fellows, going by, first look in to see whether there [are those] within strong enough to oppose them if there are not they strike on the window to frighten us and almost push it in now if we had curtains they would not know how large we were ; and then we could go to the window and drive [them] of and curtains two feet from the bottom of the window could not darken the room much, will you please to send me 13 dollars and 82 cents to pay my bill. Mama will you please to send me some apples and nuts, please to give my duty to my Father. Your dutiful son, Stephen Salisbury, Jr. The quarter bill and the bond which was required ot every student upon matriculation, follow. Stephen Salisbury To the PRESIDENT & FELLOWS of Harvard College Dr. To his first Quarter Bill, ending Sept" 30, 1813 Interest to be paid if not discharged within - ' three months DOLLS. CENTS Steward and Commons ------ 2. 50 Sizings ----------- Study and Cellar Rent ----- Instruction -------- n. Librarian --------- 8 Natural History ------- Medical Instruction ------ Episcopal Church ------ Books ---------- 9. 48 Catalogue and Commencement Dinner 44 Repairs and Fewel ------ 36 Sweepers and Sand ------ 4 Assessments for delinquency in payment of Quarter Bills ------ Wood ---------- Fines ---------- 23. 82 Credit by Cash in advance 10 13. 82 Nov" 20 1813 Rec^ payment Caleb Gannett Coll Steward. KNOW All Men by These Presents, That we, Stephen Salisbury of Worcester in the County of Worcester, and Josiah Salisbury of Boston in the County of Suffolk and Commonwealth of Massachusetts Merchants are holden and firmly bound and obliged to the President and Fellows of HARVARD COLLEGE in the sum of two hundred ounces of silver,^ to be paid unto the said President and Fellows of Harvard College ; to the which payment well and truly to be made we bind ourselves, our heirs, executors, and administrators, jointly and severally, firmly by these presents. Sealed with our seals this Twenty second day of