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PF2.2.82
Date
10-20-1839
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Kenyon College Oct 20th 1839
Friend Buckingham,
Yours of the soc found me anxiously awaiting and truly glad to receive it. I cannot help thinking from its tone that you more than half wish you had remained at Kenyon. A “7 by 9 room” - fellows not very agreable” - “16 recitations a week” with compositions declamations [?]” are things not much to be desire. However it is not my business to spy out the [infamites] of the land at [Hadson] but to enlighten you as to our doings at old Kenyon. First and foremost there, the number of students in college is rather greater than last session. There are some new ones and I do not recollect any that have left ([sessions] of course expected) besides yourself, save Wood and Goodrich (both dismissed). Our recitations got on with unusual punctuality and strictness, in the Sophomore Class particularly. As we anticipated Prof. Buckingham (north a dozen [Smiths]) instructs in mathematics [?]. No excuse, no shaming, no prompting, answers with him. Understand the lesson you must and now there he will roam about the room, flourish up to the blackboard and give dissertations of principles with a vengeance.
[?ash] supplies the place of [Ufford]. He has already become very unpopular and some of the fellows have commenced teasing him with as much [tolduels] and [roguary] as ever was displayed in the days when Moody and Helde resigned [?]. For a number of nights he has been on the watch till 1 or 2 o clock yet the woods have been set on fire in every direction around the college and have been burnt up to the very wood piles. But tonight was the worst time of all I went up to a meeting at the Bishops but had not been there ½ an hour before we were aroused by the cry of fire. We rushed into the [str?] and at the first glance supposed the old college was gone. It however turned out to be the carpenters shop in the woods near Redings house which was in full blaze before we reached it and in a short time tumbled down I have no doubt that the matter will be traced to some of the young [hopefuls] about college.
A French class has just commenced under OKill. There are already 12 members and it will probably increase to 15 or 20 - Rhodes, Ben. Norton, Buttles Elliot, and Myself are among the members. We have 2 recitations a week and expect by the end of the session to read easily - that is- if we can (You can’t raise a Prof of French at the W. R. so we beat you there).
The Philos have done gloriously, we have about 20 new members some of whom are first rate. The exercises too thus far have been excellent, as good, I think, as the very best of last session. A motion was brought forward the last might to appoint a committee to [?] into the cost expectancy of setting up a newspaper or magazine connected with and conducted by Philomathesians. The committee will report next night. We cannot yet tell the exact cost of publishing but suppose it will be 6 or 700 dollars a year for 1000 copies of a paper the size of the Rochester [?] over a fortnight. If the society concludes to go ahead they will issue a prospectus in 2 or 3 weeks. Do you think you could procure any subscribers at [Hudson]? And if so how many? This week we have had a [greatfuss] in laying the [course] stone of Bexly Hall. Among other athletes [?] was a diploma and list of members of the Phi. Soc. by which [mecuis] you preserve the J. Buckingham has been immortalized with mighty little exertion on your part. Your friend Ethan arrived here sick a day or two after you left. He stayed about a week during which time he had a chill every day where finding himself utterly unable to study he went out to his grandfathers where he remained till yesterday. He is now a complete living skeleton scarcely able to move. Solfad will be ordained to morrow morning, [?] in the afternoon and if apart speaks truly [?] be named next week [?] returned [?] week. Be you had been detained thus far in the session in order that he might as he says “officiate as groomsmen at the wedding of a friend” Everything else goes on here pretty much the same as every. Your other friends are all well. If I should mention half of the respects best wishes that are sent you by them it would fill more than a letter so just imagine if you please the whole story. Since it is that if the fellows are not such as you could wish them at Hudson you have many warm friends here who speak of you often and regret that you would have been there exceedingly. Do not fail to write soon - and I am sure you will excuse me for having delayed so long to answer you when I say that I have been for more than a week past quite sick and am even now far from well - Do not get any other cause.
Excuse you and believe we remember your sincere friend,
Luc G. Peck
P.S I have sold of your furniture the table - 4.00 desk 2.00 chairs 100 - oil 70 - The only thing of much consequence that remains is the curtains. There I think S. Matthews (who has the room) will take but cant till - The table which belonged to Sobbs and which you said Hays moved take Matthews says he bought off [?] himself and paid him for - Please mention it to Sibbs hat if he has forgotten to circumstance he may call it to mind
I have mounted by way of [?] into March’s Bullseye - North D[?] for a ch[?] - Thus far we have provided as easily as could be wished Boyd hain have the room opposite - Your old friend Hale has returned. Barttly is well but the poor fellow has not looked up since the [?] news came in - Just imagine Butly’s face when he first heard the [?] I assure you I was astonished ---
Recommended Citation
Peck, Lucius G., "Letter from Lucius G. Peck to Jerome Buckingham" (1839). 19th Century Correspondence. 77.
https://digital.kenyon.edu/correspondence_19thc/77