MEMORIAL OF C. W. HAYES 87 



with several fellow-students^ he worked at a summer resort in the Thou- 

 sand Islands, an experience he always spoke of with great pleasure. One 

 summer he also attempted to sell the Encyclopedia Britannica, but his 

 success was only indifferent, as he was not made for a book agent. While 

 an undergraduate, he taught mathematics at the Oberlin preparatory 

 school and was an eminently successful teacher. It was this that turned 

 his thoughts to an academic career, for during his senior year he writes 

 to his sister: 



"Who knows but what I may find mj- work in the class-room after all. . . . 

 After four terms ... I should be able to judge whether I have the faculty 

 of imparting knowledge and whether I like the work, so I can do it with my 

 whole soul. Without an undue amount of egotism ... I think I can answer 

 both questions in the affirmative. . . . What is before me to choose from? 

 Business, journalism, law, the ministry — to all these a decided negative may 

 be given. Medicine I have thought of, . . . but . . . there are some 

 qualities essential to a good physician which I do not possess. . . . Teaching 

 in some form is about all that is left. ... I sometimes ask myself what T 

 should do with my life if I didn't have to earn my bread. I would devote a 

 good part of it to natural sciences, specially biology and chemistry. Now, if T 

 can follow the same work and earn my bread, . . . are not the chances 

 greater that T will do this work with my whole soul than anj^ other? Again, 

 we only get half the mental blessedness out of knowledge until we impart it 

 to others, so that teaching that which we lo^ e ourselves and have enthusiasm 

 for does not seem a burden, but rather a great privilege. ... I have had 

 an ambition, even before I entered college, to one day occupy a chair of natural 

 sciences, though it seemed too presumptuous to ever realize it." 



Hayes was a born teacher, and it was only the enthusiasm for scientific 

 research developed at Johns Hopkins and in the Geological Survey that 

 turned him away from an academic career. Once started on geologic 

 research, he put all thought of teaching aside, though a number of attract- 

 ive academic positions were offered him. 



Hayes went to college for serious study and allowed nothing to inter- 

 fere with it. In spite of extra studies and teaching, he was by no means 

 a recluse, but entered into the social life of his classmates. In the simple 

 democratic life of Oberlin at that day no social distinctions were drawn; 

 both the well-to-do and poor students mingled in college life. Here, as 

 in later years, Hayes enjoyed intercourse with his fellow-man. His in- 

 tense modesty, almost diffidence, always gave him a distaste for formal 

 society, but no one entered more heartily or with greater enjoyment into 

 social life among intimate friends. 



On graduation in 1883, Hayes had acquired a broad education in the 

 humanities, some knowledge of French and German, an introduction to 



A'll — Bill. Gkol. Soc. Am, Vol. 28, 1910 



