Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VOL. XL. NSO. 110. NEWBERRY, S. C.. TUESDAY NOVEJMBER 8. 1904, TWICE A WE.$.0AYA * PLEASANT REMINDER OF OLD COLLEGE DAYS OLD TIMES AT NEWBERRY COLLEGE. An Alumnus Is Reminded of His Col lege Days by Reference in Herald and News. Williamston, S. C., Nov. 5, 1904. Dear Elbert: I enjoyed reading the account of the dedicition of Holland Hall. Glad you had so many distin, guished men there-glad the dedica tory exercises closed so auspiciously -but above all I want to thank you I for gratefully recalling the services of that eccentric but loyal friend of t Newberry college, Prof. D. Arring- t ton, my old professor in mathematics. What a dear old soul he was! How I we boys did love him! Queer? I f should say he was, but his very oddi- f ties endeared himself, to the boys. I venture to remark that there isn't a boy who sat under the tutelage of "Old Davy" that would not now will ingly undergo any reasonable sacri fice'to befriend him or do him honor. t I can see him and little "Bettie" now C in memory's hall walking down the s streets of Walhalla, he about two I steps in front of her, slightly turned I towards her, with a sort of hip-hop 2 gait-talking earnestly or looking I seriously as if he could bite the head I off a ten penny nail. As much as to ( say-and we boys always gave him 5 the right of way-"here we come, t damn our fool souls, head us." Oh! = but we loved "Uncle Davy" or a "Daniel"-he never would tell us boys t ,what the "D" in his name stood for. a called him "Daniel" and sometimes, I most often; "Uncle" or "Old" Davy. Oh he was a bird-Knew Mathemat ics? I shoul think, he did and any- t thing- else you could mention, He wasn't afraid to tackle any- C thing. And one thing about the old fellow and his teaching, he always impressed you - with 1 teaching-a very desirable qualifica- 1 superficial, skimthe-air, knowledge, and all the way through. Well do I re- I member how elated the "Big Four"- I Haltiwanger, Busby, old Commodore 1 Moore -and myself-"us four and no more"-were bn one occasion when Dr. Smeltzer had- to be absent from' the college, and he announced that Prof. Arrington would hear his class es in "History" and "Natural Philos- 4 ophy" and "natural astromony." What I e twinkle of merriment wreathed our beautiful temples as we glanced I knowingly at each other-as much as to say, a soft job tomorrow. But "things.are not what they seem," as we found out. Imagine our conster nation and bewilderment the next day I in Roman history when Pr;of. Arring.. ton knew more about Romhan history than we had ever heard of, and com pletely charmed and infatuated us 1 with his description of the old city and its wonderful people-he was a I sort of walking historical encyclope dia. We were delight'd-to put it1 mildly. "We'll get him in Natural philosophy sure" thought the four wise-acres. But lo! and behold-he rolled up his sleeves, pulled off his~' boots and up went his pants, figura tively speaking, and such a talk on fulcrums, levers, especially the lever1 of Archimedes, and laws of gravita tion, and light and heat, and such kindred subjeets, that made our heads swim.-Then Astronomy, we were sat isfied beyond a doubt he was "rusty"1 on that subject-but he knew more about the planets, the astereoids, the oons of Jupiter, the rings of Saturn. he distance of the dogstar, and coin ts and falling stars, and eclipses and e whole "push" that our author cIntyre ever dreamed of. Catch napping? Not on your life! He* or seemedi to be omniscient! He.1 simply a fine old gentleman mention the names of those who o served Newberry college with a con- g ;ecrated service, don't forget to men :ion D. Arrington. He was the faith- p -ul friend and coadjutor of that great m ind noble christain hero Josiah Philip lil Smeltzer who served Newberry col- h ege when that service meant hard - wvork and great sacrifices and few :hanks and scant pay. With meagre ;alaries and often times slight assis :ance and cooperation from the :hurch, they toiled on, and on and n, when every step meant self-sac -ifice. Talking about his oddity, Prof Ar -ington was not what is generally 1ow known as a "society" man-he lever would have passed for a "dude" -he had an utter contempt for any hing like fashion or fashionable at ire. I see him now. Tall and erect vith his cut-a-way coat, quite too - mall for him, seedy, red and foxy, rom age and weather and freedom rom whist brush-if he ever bought new coat the three years I was at ollege and one after I left colege I lo not know of it. His vest was al vays too short and failed by an inch >r so of making connection with the. op of his pants waistband, conse [uently you could always see his hirt. Very frequently his "galluses" - vere made of cotton homespun or :nitted-which later ones, by the way, re the best kind you can wear. His >ants were generally short-too short, >robably by two inches-His shoes >ften tied with cotton twine strings, ometimes with leather strings, were he old fashioned brogans, mcre like -luts than any other object that I can t this moment recall-with this at ire he would move down street as gile as a cat, with that eagle eye >eering first this side of the street ,nd then the other-and if he had little Bettie" as he very frequently did, here would be that earnest, animated onversation as if he were hard bent >n solving some abstruce problem in :alculus or trigonometry. Oh! but lidn't we boys love him-not for his = ooks, fol he was not pretty by a ong shot, not for his clothes, not or his eccentricities-not for these out for the true manhood, the un linching loyalty, the unconquerable iatred to sham that permeated every ibre of his inmost being. He was very inch a man! and .we respected aim-we admired him-we feared him -we loved him-any' of us boys vould have*fought for film. Ask Ben romer-ah! Ben'remembers the old ellow-how. grandly :he pulled us all iut of that big "Larcey Trial"-every nother's son of us, went out that iight, stayed out nearly all night hold rg a trial in one of the society halls, ~nd didn't get home till soon in the norning-out all night and no . per nission from Dr. Smeitzer. But, lis en, we had a friend at court! "Old . )avy" was there bright and early iext morning the whole thing from a o z, and soon was impressed with the ~lorious deviltry of the thing and romised his advocacy of ouxr case be 'ore the faculty. And he won! God >Iess "Old Davy." I am so glad you vere so thoughtful to recall him and uis services. I wish I had time to write a book on the old fellow-it - vould be "rich, rare and racy" and ( viould out sell by far "Winning of the NVest" or the "Four Princes"-but im-e forbids. My heart is with the >1d fellow wherever he is-whatever iis condition. I would gladly walk ive miles to shake his hand-gladly vould I welcome him to the best my )ed and board could afford. Do you cnow where he is? As to Capt Pifer-you have him with you-may be he's like the poor. 'always with you." He is a typical Virginian-the beau-ideal of a south rin gentleman. and needs no wvords ->f praise from mne-he has my sincer est and profoundest respect and ad niration, :.. Again I thank you for calling up to my mind's eye my old professor F mathematics and induced me to -t into this reminiscent mood. "This building is a pledge and a ,ophecy, materialized in brick and ortar"-that is good and sounds just <e Ben Cromer, who very frequently is the knack of saying the right SUM1\ HARDW/ NAILS j Ve buy in large l xoing at Bargain FAI Ve are agents fo Ve have just rec plete stock o the mone or Liie and C Improve 3 The B Ale are still Bellit Coats, Belts, never bef Guns a llass, any size, s let the Cold a save you lo Matter What Pri Visit Us Ofteon thing at the right time and in the right -way. I shall sign myself one of the old timers, but just as loyal and true as any of the latter day saints. Best wishes, Your friend, J. B. O'N. Holloway. IER E RE. UNDERE AND. BAR ots arid can alw AND __ Prices every da: M FENC r the best fencini eived the largest f Leggings ever y. Every pair a emeq,t We are our Farm ist on the Ma wig Guns, Shells, etc., at those sar ore heard of in la nid Riffles 75 c. t o cheap that yoi nd Rain in. Our a large doct ces Quoted, You Can nYul ee Sil It is ipparent from the number of pocketbooks that were stolen in Trin ity church in New York, where the Archibishop of Canterbury preachea last Sunday, tfiat If any thieves went to scoff they surely remained to prey. -Boston Globe. 3ROS., IELLERS. BWIRE rays sell cheap. AkRNESS . Don't miss it. ING made--BUY THE BEST and most com offered for bargain. Headquarters By Using irket. Riffles, Hunting ne low prices [ewberry, o $45 al can't afford to Glass may or's bill. BUYlIT FORI.ESS at ~iug You Need.