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PF2.2.36
Date
2-13-1841
Transcript
Mr Jerome Buckingham
West. Res. College
Hudson Ohio
Kenyon College
Dear Friend Jerome
I snatch a few moments after drumming away for about two hours over Turners Chemistry before recitation, to commence a line of exhortation to you. I have been almost fearful that you was unwell or something of the kind for after sending you a catalogue & one or two papers I received nothing in turn. But hoping this is not case I shall proceed to make some general remarks & shall close by a more particular and analytical description of our concerns at Kenyon. And firstly, we are being frozen & thawed so often here, that an approximate analysis might easily be made of the carbonic, hydrogen & Nitrogen, atoms of which are composed. By the way how do you manage Turner up your way: your old classmates cant, or rather wont do anything with him here. We commenced him this session & have been driven through with nothing less than Locomotive Speed, & all the class are sick unto death of it; except perhaps Case who is expecting to study medicine & he makes a regular business of it. The work is certainly two extensive for the labor of one session. All I can say of it is that I have a confused mass of unamenable compounds mixed in a perfect chaotic state together. What I may do in review by way of bringing order out of this confusion, I cannot tell. Butlers Analogy, Evidence of Christianity, & Astronomy are our other studies. Take particular notice that our President has not come yet; & I hope he never will, I have conceived such a contempt for him that I never can respect him. He has a son here in the Freshman Class rather more silly than Andrew used to be. Excuse these expressions of my likes & Dislikes. I am getting dull in regard to most topics of excitement: this long winter session is enough to tire the patience of anyone. I have had one or two discussions in the Society upon which I have been considerably interested. The best – whether there is anything supernatural in Modern Magic? We carried the affirmative by the decision of both the chair & house. A new lea was turned over in regard to delivering orations in the middle of the sessions: by petition we got permission to have them in the evening & invite an audience. Some interest was taken in the matter and it all passed off very well. You have little idea how much of an improvement it is upon the old plan. If you have any good questions for discussion which you think will be interesting to us please send them down I have not found a new idea for I cant tell how long; do say if you have any at Hudson. I hope the smiling faces of those pretty ones are favorable to genius I mean those ladies who you supposed won to offer such an inducement to me to come to Hudson. They are indeed an inducement, & I must acknowledge that you will know my weaker part. But there are many difficulties still in my way this so bright a picture of bliss weighs heavy in the scale; But there are things in my way which I cannot well remove I must labor for a livelihood & I choose to do it in teaching some academy or something of that kind & at the same time pursuing my studies by myself, or with such assistance as I can privately obtain. In this way I hope to be able in a few years to enter upon the ministry & at the same time to have gained a little of the goods of this world, & not be compelled to live upon charity alone: for I have conceived a poor opinion of the charity of the world. If I take a wrong course it must I believe be so & take its way at least I can conceive at present of no other way. “Hard is the fate of the infirm & poor” At the request of our Tutor Samuel Johnson I send you here a solution of that troublesome Problem which you spend so much time upon while here. The Solution is by Prof Ross – In an Equilateral field stands a tree 40 rods from corner L 60 from A 80 from B & 100 from C required the length of the sides?
Let x=AD y=LD
AF2 + FC2 = 2PD2 + 2AD2
FB2 + PL2 = 2FD2 + 2LD2
34 = PD2 + 2x2
20 = PD2 +2y2
14 = 2x2 – 2y2
Y2 =x2 - y
2x:8::2:8/x ED = 4/x
2y:6::2:6/y DF = 3/y
(x + 4/x)2 + 9/y2 = 25
X2 + 8 + 16/x2 + 9/y2 = 25
X2 + 16/x2 + 9/y2 = 17
X4y2 + 16y2 + 9x2 = 17x2y2
X6 – 7x4 + 16x2 – 112 + 9x2 = 17x4 – 119x2
X6 – 24x4 + 144x2 = 112
X3 – 12x = = 10.58
X = 3.84
X2 = 14.745
X = 3.84
X2 = 14.745 x2y2 = 22.490
7.____
Y2 = 7.745 Öx2y2 = 4.74
__20
Side = 94.80
You request to know where Bryan is. He is still here walking the grounds with all the dignity of a little man. By the way he is much improved. Stands high in the estimation of the students & faculty. There has been a great change in him since he first came here. The Juniors have concluded to have their exhibition in the lower chapel on Tuesday Eve. The old 74 having been transformed last fall into a boarding house. Whilst the grammar school students recite at college & study in their rooms. I am still boarding myself at the rate of about 50 cts a week. I labor but little except to ring the bell perhaps not enough for my good. I do not certainly enjoy myself as well as I used to when I labored more. But I must bring this token of my respect to you to close by offering myself yet
The Friend of Jerome Buckingham
H Calhoun
Henry Calhoun
Ken. Coll Feb 13/41
Old “74”
George Bryan
50 a week board!
Recommended Citation
Calhoun, Henry, "Letter from Henry Calhoun to Jerome Buckingham" (1841). 19th Century Correspondence. 56.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/correspondence_19thc/56