graduate, yet lives to reflect honor upon his alma mater.

He has spent

a long life in the work of instructing both sexes, and has had few equals and no superiors as a careful, capable, and conscientious teacher. The following gentlemen are enrolled as graduates on the records of the college: Bishop Holland N. McTyeire, D. D.; Rev. John C. Granbery, D. D., of Vanderbilt University; Rev. A. W. Mangum, D. D., of the University of North Carolina; Richard W. Jones, M. A., of the Unireceived no answer. This failure to answer was rather a damper upon my enthusiasm and I thought that, after all, probably my theory was not practicable, or its merits would have been appreciated by a man eminent in electrical science.

"I therefore dropped the matter, and devoted myself to my studies, saying but little more about the telegraph. I was preparing myself by a collegiate literary course for entering upon my profession as a lawyer, and devoted myself exclusively to that purpose.

"Years rolled by, and I had almost forgotten the telegraph mat ter, when in the year 1844 I opened the Washington Globe one morning, and the first paragraph that attracted my attention was an account of the formation of a part nership between Page, Morse, Amos Kendall, and Smith, to erect an experimental telegraph wire between Baltimore and Washington City, and an application to Congress for pecuniary aid "The moment I saw the combination the conviction flashed upon my mind that Page had used my suggestions to him, made eleven years before, in the furtherance of the Morse project; and when I learned that at the time I wrote to P age in 1833 and for some years afterwards he was an examiner in the Patent Office and forbidden by law to take out a patent in his own name, my convictions were confirmed. Indeed, I was so positive of the fact that I wrote a communication to the Washington Globe, publicly charging Page with having availed himself of my suggestions.

"Being thus publicly charged with appropriating my suggestions, he was compelled to reply to my communication, and did so by admitting that he had eleven years before received my letter and diagrams, but excused him self for not answering it on the ground that he then thought there was nothing in it.

"In the meantime Morse, Page & Co., having received Congressional aid, proceeded to erect their line between Baltimore and Washington, which proved a success, and so linked Mr. Morse's name with the project as to give him the boom over every body else. "Not wishing [continued Mr. Clemmons] to place my reputation for veracity in the crucible of public criticism, and caring very little about the matter anyway, I remained silent ever afterwards.

"I should say that the alphabet which I suggested to Mr. Page was precisely the same as that which was used by Mr. Morse, and I believe is still used. I have long since ceased to give any attention to telegraphy, but take it for granted that it is now a very different thing from what it was in the beginning, on account of the numerous improvements resulting from experience.

"It is, in fact, hardly proper to say that the electric telegraph was an invention, or that it originated with any one man. It was a growth, not an invention. It commenced with Volta and Galvani, a hundred years ago, and has gradually grown up to its present stature. In the years of 1835, 1836, 1837, much attention was given to the subject, both in Europe and America. Scientists in En gland, France, Germany, and the United States were working upon the problem in those years. Dr. Jackson in Boston, Joseph Henry at Princeton, and others, were studying the subject, and, in fact, making experiments in a small way. Doubtless the idea of telegraphing by the electric current was original with several different persons, as well as myself. Its practical introduction, however, was due to Morse, and he is entitled to the credit of having first proved its utility. I think he is entitled to the greater honor, for while with others it was mere theory, he put it into practice, and conferred thereby its blessings upon the world. I would not pluck a single leaf from the laurel that circled his brow, or drop a word that would reflect upon his memory."

versity of Mississippi; Bennett Puryear, A. M., of Richmond College; O. H. P. Corprew, A. M., of Central College, Missouri; Rev. Turner M. Jones, A. M., president of Greensborough Female College; Rev. John S. Moore, A. M., of the Southern University, Greensborough, Ala.; Edward E. Parham, A. M., president of Murfreesborough Female College; Rev. Samuel Lander, D. D., president of female college, Williamstown, S. C.; Rev. Charles B. Stuart, A. M., president of Marshall College, Texas; James H. Peay, A. M., superintendent of public schools, Richmond City; B. W. Arnold, A. M., president of Corvallis Institute, Oregon; Rev. James B. Thomas, A. M., president of a college in California; Prof. F. C. Woodward, A. M., Wofford College, South Carolina; Professor Baskerville, Vanderbilt University; Robert Sharp, A. M., University of Louisiana; Howard Edwards, A. M., Bingham's Military School, North Carolina; Clarence Edwards, A. M., president of Beaufort Academy, South Carolina; Professors Shepard, Smith, Blackwell, and Smithey, now filling chairs in the college; and as one of the late honored sons of the college, Rev. W. W. Royall, missionary to China, who is now in charge of a branch of Dr. Allen's college at Shanghai. Besides these there are scores of others teaching in colleges and high schools whose locations are not known to us.

"Among those who have attained distinction in civil life may be named Hon. David Clopton, of Alabama; Hon. James F. Dowdell, of Georgia; Col. Richard H. Powell, of Alabama; Hon. W. McK. Robbins, of North Carolina; Hon. David R. Duncan, of South Carolina; Hon. Thomas J. Jarvis, Governor of North Carolina, and hosts of others in law, medicine, and in the less prominent, but not less honorable pursuits of life, who look back to their college days with pleasure and with earnest wishes for the permanence and prosperity of their dear old mother.""

SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES.

President W. W. Smith, of Randolph-Macon, at the opening of the year 1887-88 supplied the editor with the following supplementary information:

"To bring the sketch down to the present date, I would add that the college is free from debt, and has accumulated $100,000 toward an endowment, in addition to the equivalent of $60,000 in the annual payment of $3,600 to its funds by the Church. It is expected soon to increase the fund to $250,000. The attendance is larger than for twelve years, there being 144 present to-day, and we shall probably catalogue about 160, as against 109 last year. Improvement is being made in every direction."

Concerning the Greek course at Randolph-Macon College, the following interesting note has been furnished by Professor Richard M. Smith, a brother of President W. W. Smith.

"The professor assigns to each class, in addition to the strictly Greek work, a course in translations of the best Greek writers. From this the

student gains what he can gain in no college course by exclusive reading of Greek-a moderately good acquaintance with Greek literature. This is a new feature, and to it sympathetic and critical attention is invited. "In addition to this, standard primers on Greek history, literature, education, and social and religious life, are studied, and there are given on these subjects supplementary talks, taken directly, so far as is possible and advisable, from the classic writers themselves. Thus, for instance, Plutarch is made to lecture upon Demosthenes or Alexander, while Demosthenes and Eschines may contend before the class with their own speeches. In like manner, every important author mentioned in the literature studied is illustrated by a selected reading from his own writings.

"Based on this work there is required in every class an essay, such as Homeric Theology and Morality,' Contrasts between Greek and American Education,' 'Socrates,' and 'Greek and American Social Life.'

"The inspiration of this plan is the belief that God and Christ are in history, and that the Greek nation had a great mission for the world. The aim of the present course is that the student may be not merely trained by the Greek language, but also brought into extensive and stimulating contact with Greek life, Greek thought, and Greek achievements, and warned by Greek sins and disasters.

"Another feature of the course is that the student is made acquainted with the original form of the documents of what all must admit to be the greatest and purest religion, and not only studies them in class, but also hears lectures that strive to give him, not a good sermon, but all the light that the study of the Greek language and literature casts upon the New Testament. This light is great. It is easy to find. To have it is the desire, not of theological students only, but of every true Christian and of every wise man. To give it is the duty of one that professes to know and teach Greek. As few young men attend theological seminaries, it is the duty of every complete curriculum to meet this need.

"The course here suggested has been tested by the experience of three years. He who has followed it believes it to be good, and hopes it will be approved and improved by others."

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

Besides the authorities mentioned in the course of the preceding sketch, a good notice of Randolph-Macon College may be found in the Appendix to Part I of the Third Annual Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (Dr. W. H. Ruffner) of Virginia, 1873, pp. 145147. Perhaps the most complete and authentic history of the institution is contained in the document written by John Howard, Esq., counsel for the trustees on the occasion of a lawsuit brought against them and testing the right of removal from Boydton to Ashland. This document, or demurrer, contains a full record of all legislation affecting the college, and is of great importance.

CHAPTER XVIII.

EMORY AND HENRY COLLEGE.'

BY AUTHORITY.

About the year 1833-34 the practicability of establishing an institution of learning somewhere in Southwestern Virginia or East Tennessee that would afford educational advantages of a higher order than any then existing that were accessible, began to be discussed. The want of a first-class college was felt, especially by the ministry and those in professional life. Up to this time the few who wished to obtain more than a common-school education were forced to seek it abroad. Randolph-Macon, at Boydton, Va; Hampden-Sidney, in Prince Edward County, Va.; and the college at Knoxville, Tenn., were the most available. As a class, the preachers in the Holston Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church were doubtless most impressed with the need of a first-class college. Rev. Creed Fulton, then in the prime of his life, a member of the conference, warmly and zealously advocated the enterprise before the conference and in private circles. Under his leadership that enterprise soon took definite shape.

The Holston Conference, at its annual session in the fall of 1835, held in Knoxville, Tenn., resolved to establish somewhere in Southwestern Virginia what was then called a manual-labor college, an institution of learning in which the pupils were to be trained to labor as well as think. This manual-labor feature was a very prominent one in the enterprise as it was first brought before the public; a feature that was subsequently modified and finally abandoned, for reasons which will be noticed hereafter. It is not to be regretted, however, that this feature was made prominent in these incipient movements, for the institution was to be built up by a people engaged almost wholly in agriculture and the mechanic arts; a people among many of whom a prejudice existed against what was considered a learned and lazy race. The conference at this session took further steps by appointing Rev. Creed Fulton as general agent to solicit subscriptions, and, with the aid of a committee appointed for the purpose, select a location and enter upon the work of building. Mr. Fulton hastened to Virginia. The knowledge he had of the country, acquired as a travelling preacher, enabled him to select wisely and well. The first convention of citizens was ca led to meet at the old Glade Spring Presbyterian Church, in Washington County.

This college owes its name to Bishop Emory and Patrick Henry, as representatives of Church and State in Virginia.