Diary & Letters of Rutherford B. Hayes

Volume I [1834 – 1860]

[Page 27]

December 21.--[At] 4 o'clock A. M., started for home on
foot in company with Lamb, Comstock, and Calhoun. I arrived
at Delaware, forty miles, having been on the road about twelve
hours. I was not much fatigued. Spent a week very pleasantly.

Volume I [1834 – 1860]

[Page 28]

GAMBIER, OHIO, February 5, 1839.
DEAR SISTER:-- Seein' as 'ow I've not written a letter to you
entirely since I've been here, I'll do it now. (An excellent reason
for so doing). Now I'll tell you the snaps there have been of
late in this province. As long as "his supreme highness," Rev.
William Sparrow, Vice-President of Kenyon College, a true son
of Erin, keeps away, so long all things here go along pleasantly;
but as soon as he begins to exercise his "justice," then comes
trouble. As soon as he got back, in the chapel after prayers, he
said: "Young gentlemen, you will stop a very short time while
I make a very few remarks." He then talked about an hour, all
very good considering who it came from, and ended by saying,
"You will come to me after this to render all excuses!" Ho!
ho! how kind! I have not been obliged to be excused yet for
anything and shan't if I can help it while old S. is the law
and prophet. Among his few remarks he said: "I do think
if any one is despicable it is a hypocrite." Most of us at that
time "smiled gently like a wolf." Ho, ho!
In the Grammar School the faculty "in their wisdom" con-
cluded they would oblige the scholars to call the roll themselves
and in this way save the expense of hiring it done. They all
called it in their turns, like a set of fools, till it came the turn
of a young man by the name of Harrison, but when the roll was
given to him, he put it in his pocket and did not call it. The
next day the Principal told him to go out of the room. He
went out. Some of the other scholars looking rather mutinous,
the old Principal got up and made a flaming speech telling them,
"this is a monarchial form of government; and the power of
commanding is fixed here," at the same time striking his breast
an awful blow.
And what did the honorable faculty do upon this? Why,
went and said that the Principal of the Grammar School had
done his duty and that Mr. Harrison should beg his pardon or
leave the institution. An excellent alternative. As a matter
of course Mr. H. chose to leave but was obliged to wait till he
could get money from home. A day or two ago old Sparrow
met him and told him [if] he did not leave the hill in eight
hours he would give him a public dismissal. And "Mr. Sparrow
is a very kind, affectionate man; he'll do just right." A petition
was got up for the purpose of trying to turn the faculty's decree,
and every student in college signed it except one and he is a
"Marylander from old Frederick," same as old Sharpe & Co.
Mr. H. is now in [Mount] Vernon; the faculty have not yet acted
on the petition.
"Resist tyranny in every shape," is my motto, "but in none
[is it] so dangerous as when exercised by a number of tyrants."
This latter clause suits the faculty of Kenyon College. They
give a student a fair trial, they say, but do not allow him to say
a thing for himself. This is a "fair trial" truly.
As to going to Hudson College: I may possibly agree to go
there when I am turned away from this, provided they wish me
to go there very much. The same will apply to all the colleges
in the world except Yale and Georgetown, Kentucky. That's
my honest opinion on colleges. Mother wants me to like my
teachers. Well, I do like them--a great ways off. She says
I must not think my teachers are partial. Well, I don't think
they are. I know so; and do believe they are partial to me-
for one. Mother told me to begin a letter on receipt of hers.
I did so, and then burnt it. She says I must be careful of my
health. Well, I is careful. She also says I must dry my clean
clothes by the fire. Well, if I did that I should put none on.
As to our friends over to the Hall, H. Howard does not like
Mr. Dyer much, but Mr. D. likes him quite well. S. and E.
Hinton neither like Mr. D. nor he them.
I see you are so much obliged to me for five words that you
cannot express it, and now, of course, you'll be so much obliged
to me that you'll sneeze, gap [gape], and other omens of the
kind. Don't congratulate yourself too much about my making
short sermons when I am a preacher. If you had seen some
documents that proceeded from my pen, you'd be congratulating
yourself on the idea of what a long time you'd have to sleep in
sermons. I must say something about gaping. You need not
try to save any for me, for if you do your mouth will be open
all the time. . .
Please send me a half dozen "Downfalls of Babylon" to cover
books with. If you don't get a Journal and Register once in a
while, just lay it to Amos Kendall [Postmaster General], for I
start one from here every month and rainy days oftener.
And so Miss F. A. Hayes wishes R. B. Hayes to like his
teachers. You better get Uncle, Mr. Wasson, and all others
concerned to write to me to like my teachers.
I went into the college library for the first time and there saw
books some of which [looked] as if printed when Methuselah's
grandmother was a babe, and others so large they'd weigh fifty
pounds. I shall give you a list of the books I saw there that
you should by all means procure and read forthwith: viz.:
Bibles in the following languages, German, Irish, Welsh, Hebrew,
Spanish, Italian, Gaelic, Danish, Malay, Carshun and Syric,
Turkish, Chaldee, Singhalese, Georgian, Kythee, Nugee, and last,
not least, the English, all of which were 'most twice as large as
Mr. Vandeman's.
The dreaded examination comes on in six weeks and I verily
fear that about a dozen of us will have to study in vacation. The
beloved vacation is in six weeks from next Wednesday and is
changed to three weeks long. Good. In my next letter I shall
give you an account of how I spent my money and also that I
want forty dollars which is fifteen or twenty more than I want
next term.
Your affectionate brother,
R. B. HAYES, ESQ.,
No. 13, West Division, Kenyon College.
Miss F. A. HAYES,
Delaware, Ohio.

Volume I [1834 – 1860]

[Page 30]

GAMBIER, OHIO, March 10, 1839.
DEAR MOTHER:--I am about to try to write an answer to
your and F.'s "bone" letter; "bone" 'cause it had forty dollars
in it. When I get home so as to talk it over I think I can con-
vince you about the "dismissions" being unjust, but I am too
lazy to write enough for that. There has been a very smart
young man dismissed from the junior class since I wrote last,
and I think unjustly. But as I don't expect to be dismissed, I
shall drop this subject. You said Uncle said "I must not walk
home in a day." Well, it is immaterial. I'd as soon be a minute
or two over a day as under. But what pleased me particularly
was your saying I must "bring my clothes home," as if I would
forget to wear any. You say I missed seeing many friends by
not being home, but if I had not been here I should not have
seen some of my friends, for instance Mr. Sparrow or Mr.
Dyer, etc. Uncle will get a letter at the end of the session from
old Sparrow and I reckon it will say I am a tolerable good boy,
considering my birthplace. I am afraid I will not write to
Uncle this term. But the gun story took my eye. Edgar Hinton
came over here the day I got your letter and I told him his gun
had burst and 'most killed his father. He said, "Why, the gun
ain't spoiled is it? He might have known he could not load it."
That's good! ha! ha! whew! Now I will account for my money.
You recollect I gave you an account of all except what I got
Christmas and five dollars which I then had left. It has gone for

Wood ....................................... $2 00
Society expenses ........................... 9 00
Sugar and my expense coming back ........... 1 00
Tuition in oratory ......................... 1 50
Paper, stationery, etc ..................... 1 00
Postage on paper and letters ............... 1 00
Portfolio .................................. 1 25
Gallon of oil ............................. 1 00
Algebra .................................... 1 50
Slate ...................................... 25
2 Mending shoes ............................ 1 00
Supper at Cake Shop ........................ 25
____
Total ................................... $20 75
Left in treasury $4.25. Plus $40 equals $44.25.

Of the $44.25 which I now have, I must pay $2.00 for wash-
ing, $34.75 for board, and $2.00 which I owe to Mr. Jones in
Mount Vernon. My debts are in all $38.75. So you see my ex-
penses this session, buying furniture and all, will be 'most $1oo.
This includes travelling expenses, etc.
We shall study none after Wednesday. Then comes examina-
tion and I am rather dubious whether I shall pass or not. I
rather think I shall. If I don't, I shall just bring a book or two
home to study rainy days.
I am your affectionate son,
R. B. HAYES.
MRS. SOPHIA HAYES.

Volume I [1834 – 1860]

[Page 32]

DEAR F--:--I admire your story of the crackers very much
for they are eatables. If R. Moody had been cunning he would
have given me that gun. I rather fear we will not use it much.
You say your risibles were excited by my letter. I s'pose that is
some new-fashioned cape or bonnet, but I must say I don't see
what there was in my letter to make your capes or bonnets shake
about; but no odds, I don't doubt your word tho. But I hope
you will not say I cut your letter in pieces without good author-
ity, for I have neither cut up or burned one of your letters or
otherwise mutilated them. So, now! I am glad you have trav-
elled so much, but you will read no more of Dr. Fiske's travels
for he is dead. He died two weeks ago. You ask me if we shall
have time to go to Lower Sandusky this spring. I think we
will, for if we went but two miles a day we would get there be-
fore the end of spring. I don't think we would have time for
much of a visit but still I should like very well to go. I suppose
your six-feet girls were measured with a pole where the feet
were not more than nine inches long, but they should be tall, for
the Mansion House is a tall house.
I am astonished at your cruelty in preferring quills to steel
pens, for in using a steel pen you are assisting thousands of poor
souls to gain their bread, viz., ironmongers, miners, blacksmiths,
etc., who gain their living by making steel pens; but on the
other hand you would reflect upon the pain of Madame Goose
and Mr. Gander in having their feathers plucked out by the
roots. Oh! it is horrid to think on, tho I am now using quills
myself.
I hope to be home if nothing happens on Saturday the 23d of
March. I don't know whether I shall write any more or not.
I remain your affectionate brother,
R. B. HAYES.
MISS F. A. HAYES.

Volume I [1834 – 1860]

[Page 33]

DEAR MOTHER:-- In your letter you show some fear that I do
not write enough, but you need not fear, for this season we are
compelled to write compositions of some kind or other at the
rate of about three in two weeks; and as for improving in pen-
manship, I have given that up long since. I do not wish to
go to Yale College but I think I shall remain here, though I
think Hudson College is as good, if not better than this one is;
and I have no doubt it soon will be much better than any other
in the West anywhere.
I was sorry to hear that H. Moody is not to be married in
Delaware, as I should very much like to go to the wedding.
My bill here this session will not be so much as it was last by
fifteen [or] twenty dollars, I think. The beginning of the session
the studies were tolerable hard, but now I can get my lessons
very easily.
As for writing long letters, I cannot do it when I have nothing
in the world to write about.
I have not been absent from recitation or any other duty this
session. We get up at five o'clock and have about two hours of
playtime before nine o'clock; and as a matter of course if we
have more playtime, I like the summer term the best.
I remain your affectionate son,
R. B. HAYES.
P. S.--I am thankful to you for sending papers. I've just
received the New Orleans Picayune and Express.-- R. B.
MRS. SOPHIA HAYES.

Volume I [1834 – 1860]

[Page 34]

GAMBIER, OHIO, July 9, 1839.
[DEAR F--] :-- I received the letter of Mrs. Hayes and Daugh-
ter in good health after a long but pleasant voyage of four days.
The only news here now is, the big monkey is dead and pussy
has got the hydr- I forget the rest of the word. As there
is nothing else to write of I shall attempt to give you a history
of our celebration of the Fourth of July, 1839. At 4 o'clock A.
M., the flags were hoisted--one on a pole by the chapel, the
others on the college, the band playing their prettiest in the mean-
time. We then went to prayers and thence unto a little the
poorest breakfast you ever saw. Time then flew as it were upon
snail's wings till half past 10 o'clock A. M., when after a great
deal of trouble Marshalls Lane and Comstock succeeded in get-
ting us in order. We marched into the chapel to the sound of
martial music. A prayer by the chaplain, Bishop McIlvaine [ex
officio President of the college], the Declaration of Independence
by Reader Gibbs, and very good oration by Orator Lightner.
We marched to Mr. Sawyer's, who is no more nor less than Eng-
lish Jimmy who used to live in Delaware, where we had the best
dinner I ever saw; and every one of the faculty and all the
rest said it was the best they ever saw. The first course, there
was beef, veal, pig, bacon, mutton, chickens, turkeys, peas, beans,
new taters, new turnips, plum pudding, bread, butter, water, and
other articles too numerous to mention.
Second course: twenty-nine kinds of cake more or less as
the case may be. There were eight kinds of cake I never saw
before; seven kinds I did not know nor never heard the names of.
Third course: lemonade to drink toasts in and ice cream.
There were lots of toasts given, a copy of which I hope to send.
We then marched to the chapel and heard about a dozen speeches
from different students. By this time it was 'most dark. We
went home and I went to bed after having spent the happiest
day I ever spent without exception. I believe there is not a
student but thinks we had the most happiness here of any place
in the United States. An ode was read at the table by Mr. Taylon
a member of our class. It was excellent and Dr. Sparrow was
so much pleased with it that his toast on the occasion was "The
Poet of the Occasion." Something of an honor to be toasted by
such a man as the Doctor! I will send you a copy [of the ode]
if it is printed, as I believe it is to be.
Mr. Calhoun was at your celebration at Delaware. He praised
the generosity of you folks very much. He thought it a grand
celebration; but I think I had rather have been here. We have
commenced reviewing in all our studies, preparing for examin-
ation. If I pass, in five weeks I will be a sophomore. Com-
mencement, there will probably be more here than ever before.
The class that graduates is a very smart one. The orator of the
Fourth and [the] reader are the smartest.
You in your letters quote Shakespeare more than Scripter and
I expect you read it more. However, an old stiff Presbyterian
reverend in Vermont says Shakespeare is an exposition of
Scripter.
Give my respects to the Husted family and all other cousins.
I know how to sympathize with you for having no knife as I have
had none this session. I hope to come next session with a larger
supply of everything than I did this. I hope you will have
peas or squashes, as the case may be, when I come to visit you.
Good-bye.-- "Consider me as one of your very best friends."
-Milton. RUTHERFORD B. HAYES.
Henry Clay is at [Mount] Vernon. I hope to see him.

Volume I [1834 – 1860]

[Page 36]

DEAR MOTHER:-- Your letter was very acceptable. I was glad
to hear that Uncle had found so good a friend. I hope he will
soon be well. Do not make me more than one or two shirts now.
Make them the same as my others, except much larger cuffs
and necks, as my others choke me rather much. My clothes are
not shabby but I have not enough. If it continues warm, I shall
be obliged to get a pair of pantaloons. I can get thin clothes here
much better than at home. I can get a "decent" pair for two
dollars and fifty cents. If it is not hot long I shall not get them.
My expenses here this term are more than I expected. For my
first year here the expense will be one hundred and eighty-nine
dollars. I never will or can get along as cheap again. The
term so far at least has been to me very pleasant. One of
the very worst and most profane fellows in college have been con-
verted by Dr. Sparrow's lectures and it was truly a great change.
I remain this time your affectionate son (not brother),
R. B. HAYES.
F. A. HAYES:-- My authority for signing brother is a certain
Indian chief who lived in the time of Caesar and ruled over Den-
mark, by name Mr. Col Wyconneechechechochuchekirmpanathe-
nothen.
Miss F. A. HAYES,
Delaware, Ohio.

Volume I [1834 – 1860]

[Page 37]

GAMBIER, May 4, 1840.
DEAR MOTHER:--I am again comfortably settled at my
studies. I am glad I came no sooner than I did for but few
came before me. There are not near as many here as there was
last session; but twelve in my class. The two best scholars are
gone. Dr. Sparrow leaves for good at the end of the session,
and several more of my class leave at the same time; there will
not be more than five left.
A three-dollar bill I took from Chauncey H--, I found at
Columbus to be counterfeit. I sent it back by Mr. Bunker. By
the by, I had a pleasant time at Columbus. I was much pleased
with William's* plan of fixing his house. I shall spend my vaca-
tion very pleasantly there, I should think. Mr. Hinton's boys
are very well pleased indeed. The teachers are fine men and
above all I believe they keep the house clean; the Grammar
School is also much improved, but here it stops. The improve-
ment in the college department is on the wrong side of the
face. Harry Howard came back last week. I shall get thin
clothes as I want them. I am out of the line so I will not
attempt to strive against fate but stop short. If all leave who
now think they will, I leave with them.
Your son,
R. B. HAYES.
P. S.--Tell F. I found Ossian's poems in both libraries. I
have them out now.
MRS. SOPHIA HAYES.



*William A. Platt, who had married Fanny Hayes, September 2, 1839.