The Days of a Man 1883 



the senior class a vacation of three weeks at the end 

 of the academic year, in order that they might pre- 

 pare their graduating orations. For the tradition 

 that each member should discuss some public 

 question on receiving his degree died slowly; it 

 had, moreover, a certain practical value in bringing 

 the families and friends of the young orators to 

 Commencement. And when the larger number of 

 graduates made it impossible for all to appear, six 

 or eight were chosen, usually according to merit of 

 one kind or another, though sometimes by lot. 

 Afterward a distinguished speaker from the out- 

 side divided the time with a few senior orators, or 

 (later still) with the president, who gave the class a 

 farewell word of advice. 



The senior As the eighteen members of the class of '83 were 

 tramp ^\\ students of mine in Geology, we arranged to 

 utilize the special vacation for a geological tramp 

 across southeastern Kentucky from Rock Castle 

 River to Cumberland Falls and Cumberland Gap, 

 returning by way of Mammoth Cave a total dis- 

 tance of two hundred miles across a region wonder- 

 fully picturesque, through noble forests intersected 

 by sparkling streams, and all instructive from every 

 point of view. 



Mountain Not the least element of interest lay in the moun- 

 f lk tain folk themselves. Simple, unlettered, poor but 

 hospitable, they gave us whatever they could, though 

 often our whole company, the men at least, had to 

 sleep on the ground or on the floor of barn or porch. 

 Corn bread, bacon, eggs, and milk were the only 

 foods on which we could regularly count, with oc- 

 casionally a chicken or "a mess of saleratus (soda) 



C 246 3 



