THE FIRST YEARS OF CORNELL- 1868 -1870 349 



were reduced to a minimum so much so, in fact, that there 

 were hardly ever any of a serious character. I felt that 

 then and there was the time to reiterate the doctrine laid 

 down in my &quot;plan of organization, &quot; that a professor 

 should not be called upon to be a policeman, and that if the 

 grounds were to be policed, proper men should be em 

 ployed for that purpose. This doctrine was reasonable 

 and it prevailed. The Cornell grounds and buildings, 

 under the care of a patrol appointed for that purpose, 

 have been carefully guarded, and never has a member of 

 the faculty been called upon to perform police duty. 



There were indeed some cases requiring discipline by 

 the faculty, and one of these will provoke a smile on the 

 part of all who took part in it as long as they shall live. 

 There had come to us a stalwart, sturdy New Englander, 

 somewhat above the usual student age, and showing con 

 siderable aptitude for studies in engineering. Various 

 complaints were made against him; but finally he was 

 summoned before the faculty for a very singular breach 

 of good taste, if not of honesty. The entire instructing 

 body of that day being gathered about the long table in 

 the faculty room, and I being at the head of the table, the 

 culprit was summoned, entered, and stood solemnly be 

 fore us. Various questions were asked him, which he 

 parried with great ingenuity. At last one was asked 

 of a very peculiar sort, as follows: &quot;Mr. - , did you, 

 last month, in the village of Dundee, Yates County, pass 

 yourself off as Professor - of this university, announ 

 cing a lecture and delivering it in his name?&quot; He an 

 swered blandly, &quot;Sir, I did go to Dundee in Yates County; 

 I did deliver a lecture there ; I did not announce myself as 

 Professor - of Cornell University; what others may 

 have done I do not know ; all I know is that at the close 

 of my lecture several leading men of the town came for 

 ward and said that they had heard a good many lectures 

 given by college professors from all parts of the State, 

 and that they had never had one as good as mine.&quot; I 

 think, of all the strains upon my risible faculties during 



