Dartmouth Life in 1835

. What were those Dartmouth students like in1835? Were they much (Liferent from the carefree, easy-going undergraduates of today?What did they think about in those days nearlyone hundred years ago? They paid much lessmoney for their room, board and tuition, theydressed in a much more formal fashion thanstudents of today, they knew more Latin andGreek; they paid much more attention to religious observances; but they had no steamheat, they built their own fires and they "froze"much of the time as this interesting diaryshows; they attended singing school, and theykicked a football about just for the fun of thething. They had simple tastes, they possessedbut little sophistication, and the college campus was a place of quiet far removed from theturmoil and vicissitudes of a busy world.But let this boy tell his own story!

(Selections from the diary of Peter Thatcher Washburn,1835. Printed through the courtesy of Mrs. T. W. D.Worthen, owner of the diary and daughter of the writer.)

PETER'S FALL TERM EXPENSES CAME TO $17.67 3/4

Account Book. of Peter T. Washburn

EXPENDITURES 1831

Tuition in advance $9.00 Graeca Majora 3.50 Webbers Arithmetick .75 Adam's Roman Antiquities 1.50 Porters Analysis .50 Titi Livii . 42

Greek Lexicon $5.00 Bedstead and cord 1.25 1 half of furniture for room 2.54 Expenses at commencement 25.71

PALL TERM

Lamp $ . 373/2 Looking glass . 29 Clothes brush . 08 1/2 Clothes shelves .21 Washing room . 12 1/2 Repairing lantern . 03 Seven feet of wood .87 1/2 Pair of scissors . 06 1/4 Pair of towels .33 Pint of oil . 06 1/4, Quart of oil . 12 1/2 1-7 of a wood saw . 29 Peck of apples .06 1/4 Slate pencils . 01 Binding a Greek Lexicon . 62 1/2 Toll .03 Cutting hair . 12 1/2 Choice of chairs . 04 Table 1.37 1/2 Fire works . 02 1/2 peck of apples . 03 Advance for board 5.00 Quart of oil . 12 1/2

Lamp cloth $ .02 Peck of apples .0734 Transportation of C. Dictionary . 12 1/2 1/2 bushel of apples . 12 1/2 Class tax .25 Blank book . Building tax for lighting tall .19 1/2 bushel of apples . 06 /14 Pint of oil . 12 1/2 Butternuts . 03 Paid Fletcher for his half of wood & furniture 1.19 Apples . 04 Pint of oil . 15 Washing bill . 25 Wrapping paper . 02 Peck of apples . 03 Horse & chaise to Lebanon . 25 Expenses Fall Term $17.67%

MONDAY, Oct. 3d 1831. Rose at about 5 this morning, and attended prayers, and then recited a Biblical Lesson, consisting of the first chapter of Isaiah, after breakfast, I studied my Greek Lesson; at 11 o'clock recited in the Cyropedia—after recitation, till diner. I kicked the Foot Ball after Dinner I kicked the Ball, until I lamed myself very badly when I stopped. I then studied my lesson at 3 o'clock recited in Webber's arithmetick to Prof. Shurtleff, after recitation I attended prayers, and from thence went to supper. In the evening I studied Livy and read.

Tuesday, Oct. 4. Rose this morning at half after 5. Attended prayers & recitation. After breakfast I studied till 11, then recited in Greek. After dinner I drew from the Library of the Social Friends, Johnston's Travels in Russia, and from the Library of United Fraternity, the Maps accompanying Anacharus Travel, at half past 4, recited in arithmetick. After supper Mr. Nichols of Norwich brought me over a table, which I had engaged of him, & for which I paid him $1.38. This evening I was admitted a member of the Society of the United Fraternity, for which I must pay $5.00, after having prayers in our Room, I went to bed, at five minutes before 11.

Wednesday Oct. 5. Rose this morning a quarter before 6 & studied till prayer time. After breakfast I studied my Greek lesson till half after then went to the Inauguration of Rev, Robert Pages, over the Church & Society at this place; the exercises were very good, after dinner I went into the college library & looked at it a few minutes; this is very old and poor, consisting principally of old volumes of lessons, etc. from there I went to the library of the United Fraternity; this is situated in the Old College, or Dartmouth Hall, as it is called, on the East side of the Building; it is very large, containing over 4000 volumes, most of them elegant Books;—they have lately imported something like 4 or 500 dollars worth of books from England; these are most elegantly bound, and give a very fine appearance to the wholes I stopped and read here sometime. In the evening I studied my Livy Lesson; had prayers, & went to bed about 9. . .

Saturday Oct. 8th. We rose this morning a little after 5 & had prayers in our room we then studied till prayer time, after prayer I studied till 9 o'clock except during breakfast time; at 9 I went to recitation, did not recite myself. The Tutor putt it to a vote at what time on Saturday we would recite in Greek, & it was determined that the two divisions should recite together on Saturday at 11 o'clock, etc. etc. This gave us only one hour to learn our Greek lesson. I went over with the whole of my lesson, but very slightly, fortunately I was not called upon to recite. We spent nearly an hour and a half in the recitation Room. Saturday afternoon is always esteemed a Holiday, here by both Government & students, & therefore I did not study much this afternoon, I kicked the foot ball some & in the course of the afternoon I went with Fletcher, back of the Medical House to procure some Garnets. We found a few which were very fine. In the evening I read Knickerbocker's History of New York, which I had taken from the Library of the Social Friends. I had taken cold & went to bed early. . .

Friday, Oct. 14. Recited this morning & made a mistake in construing; and recited at 11 o'clock in Greek & made no mistake; heard the speaking from the 4th division of the class this afternoon, after supper I kicked the foot ball a little while; and got kicked over for my pains.

Saturday, Oct. 15. Recited in Livy & made no mistake. Played football all this afternoon.

Sunday, Oct. 16. Went to Meeting all day today; in the Evening, went to a meeting at the Old Chapel.

Monday, Oct. 17th. Recited in Greek at 2 o'clock and made no mistakes, recited in arithmetick at 4 o'clock & made no mistake; played football tonight. . .

Friday Oct. 28th. Recited in Livy this morning & made no mistake. Studied Greek all the forenoon & recited again at 11 o'clock & made no mistake; at 2 o'clock we began to draw books from the library for the winter vacation; I drew Cleavelands Mineralogy, & the two first volumes of Taylors German Poetry. I declaimed this afternoon before the President; he found no fault, except with one gesture that I made. In the evening I attended a celebration of the Handel Society of the College. . .

Tuesday Nov. Ist. 1831. The tutor did not come in this morning to hear us recite, and after we had waited 10 minutes we dispersed. Studied Greek all the forenoon & at two I recited and made no mistake. Did not recite in arithmetick. This evening Merrill gave me some verybeautiful cyanite; which he obtained at Norwich Vt. Attended the society meeting this evening. . .

Thursday Nov. 3. I sawed some wood this morning before breakfast; Recited at 9 and made no mistakes. Did not recite in Greek. Prof. Hadduck did not attend to hearing the compositions read this afternoon. In the evening the proof sheets of the catalogue were examined found one mistake in my name. Went to bed at 11 o'clock. . .

Friday Nov. 11. Our class mate Livermore died last night about 11 o'clock. His death was unexpected. Two others of the class are now sick. Recited in Greek and made one mistake. Recited again in Greek and made no mistake. This afternoon I went to Lebanon with Senior Merrill after some petrifactions. We hired a horse and chaise. The petrifactions are found on the north side of a hill in open land. They are mostly roots of a birch tree with some leaves intermixed, as also the leaves of some small trees. The person who now owns the place is excavating in search of copper ore; they have now got down about 10 feet, & have come to very good copperas ore, or sulphuret of iron; the petrifactions are found, never deeper than a foot from the surface; embedded in petrified earth. They are dug out by means of pick axes. We had very good success, and obtained a large quantity of handsome ones. We got back a little after 7 in the evening. . .

Friday, Feb. 17. I rose this morning just before the bell began to toll. Could not stop to kindle up my fire, but away I went, my clothes huddled on any how, and my toes half froze, to ,the chapel, sat there freezing a few minutes and then went to the recitation room, no fire, bitter cold morning, like to froze both my ears and my nose, besides some dozen of my toes; 0 the beauties (thought I to myself) of going through college. . .

Wednesday March 21. Recited in Horace this morning, and made a mistake in scanning. The tutor did not correct it. But I do not flatter myself that when he says nothing about a mistake, it is because he does not notice it. Studied algebra and Horace during the fore- noon, am getting into the habit of having a lesson before hand in each study. Recited in algebra and made no mistake. After dinner I read in the library a little while. Attended Public Speaking at 2. I spent the afternoon in preparing a piece of composition for tomorrow. Subject, Eloquence. In the evening I studied Horace and Algebra; read in Cuvier's Theory of the Earth.

Thursday, March 22, 1832. Attended the recitation in Latin this morning but was not called upon to recite. Studied algebra this forenoon, recited at 11 in algebra and made no mistake. From dinner till 2 o'clock, I read in the Library one of Scott's Works. The Bride of Lammermoor. At 2 I read a composition before the class. Subject Eloquence. During the course of the afternoon I read some in the Library. In the evening studied Horace. . .

Wednesday June 13th. 1832. After having rode yesterday 40 miles in the stage I concluded this morning not to go into prayers. I accordingly got up a little before breakfast. Washed and dressed me, and when the bell rung I went to breakfast. I board this term at Mr. Haskell's at the foot of the hill, about a half a mile from the college, and give 7-6 a week. After breakfast I sat down and got a lesson in Greek (Xenophon's Cyropedia) and at eleven o'clock attended recitation. I was called upon in the first place to read the back lesson, but not being prepared he passed me over for the present. However he called upon me afterwards, and I read three or four sentences at the beginning of the lesson without making any mistake. After recitation, Merrill (with whom I room this term) unpacked his minerals and let me have some. He gave me some very beautiful specimens of epidote from Franconia, also chrystallized Hornblende, garnets, and various coloured slag from the same place, and some handsome specimens of staurolide from. . . In the afternoon I also procured some minerals from Weld. I spent the chief part of the afternoon in putting our room to rights. In the evening I got a lesson of nine sections in Livy for tomorrow morning. Just at dark I called down and paid Mrs. Davis $11.63 the balance of my board last term.

Saturday July, 1833. I waked up this morning just as the bell was beginning to toll, and huddling on my clothes, got up there in just season enough to be tardy. Recited in Latin this morning to Prof. Adams and made no mistake. Assisted in inspecting the library till ten and then studied Greek till eleven. Recited in Greek and made no mistake. At 2 was the senior auction. I purchased a couple of pearl oyster shells for 37 1-2 cents, and some engravings for 50 cents. At half past three I attended the singing school. After prayers I played a few games of backgammon.

DARTMOUTH IN THE THIRTIES

ANOTHER BASEBALL TEAM According to Dr. Parker this tribe of athletes came from the Medical school in the mid-80's