Oregon Historical Quarterly/Volume 19/Reminiscences of Early Days at the Old Umpqua Academy
REMINISCENCES OF EARLY DAYS AT THE OLD UMPQUA ACADEMY
By GEO. B. KUYKENDALL, M. D.
With recollections of the Umpqua Academy fifty-five to sixty-four years ago, what a panorama of memory pictures come trooping up.
What a throng of faces young and fair, of forms youthful and strong, what a chorus of voices joyous in song, sport, laughter or screams of delight. What pictures of school days and social life; the old time school exhibitions, Saturday fish- ing excursions, with the inevitable swim in the Umpqua river, the Christmas anniversaries, Fourth of July celebrations, strawberry parties, rambles over the hill back of the academy, and rolling those great stones of conglomerate that went bounding and thundering down among the oaks, laurels and brush, and broke into thousands of pebbles that went sprawling everywhere, to the terror of chipmunks and cotton-tails.
Then their pensive strollings, book in hand, among the trees, or sitting in the shade, conning* over amo-amas-amat, or trying to conjugate some tough Greek verb or figure out a problem in logarithms, while robins sang in the boughs above, or saucy little chipmunks with striped backs, and with tails erect and bright inquisitive eyes crept over logs and stumps about you. Those were halcyon days. Ah, the soft, balmy, dreamy atmosphere, the deep blue sky, the beautiful oak and laurel crowned hills and the enchanting valley spread out be- tween !
Such are the memory pictures that come to me like a dream of a long past, far away fairyland.
Through the mists of over sixty years there comes to me a picture of the old Umpqua Academy, standing up like a great white sentinel, against the tree clad hill back of it. Here I see a group of boys playing marbles, there a bevy of girls with wild flowers, decorating each other's hair or arranging garlands and bouquets; down on the campus I see a game 28 GEO. B. KUYKENDALL of "town ball" or "three cornered cat" being played, while others are running "lickety-split" in games of "black man" or "dare base." Just across to the west of the building on the level grade and under spreading oaks I see little fellows down on their knees, with faces near the ground imploringly calling, "Doodle bug, Doodle bug, Doo-oo-dle bug, half bushel of corn's burn- ing up," and others nearby are playing "mumble-peg." I seem to hear other voices "Keep a calling him he'll come out," or "Augh, get back there don't fud'ge! knuckle down when ye go to shoot," or "Get down close to the ground and get the peg between yer teeth." Up from the grounds below comes a sound whack, whack, whack, "One, two, three, good- black-man-for-me." When I think of this scene, there comes up the question, "Where are all those faces and forms so vibrant with joy and animation ? There are, alas, but very few of the earliest students of the old Umpqua Academy left, nearly all have answered the last summons, the school of life with them has closed, and "The names we loved to hear, Have been carved for many a year On the tomb." But many of them left their mark and we are proud of them today. Whenever we think of the old Umpqua Academy there come up many incidents, some joyous or inspiring, some sad and pathetic, others of ludicrous nature. Among the early students that attended the academy, there were a number that boarded at the home of John Kuykendall, some were there two or three winters. Among these there were tall Frank Carter, and small George Yale, both of whom, when seen together seemed to belong to the "odd sizes." We boys had beds up stairs in my father's house. Early one morn- ing the sight of Frank's pants and clothes on a chair, by the side of his bed suggested a practical joke and some sport. One of the boys slipped into Frank's room and took his clothes and left in their place a suit of George Yale's. He then hid all UMPQUA ACADEMY 29 other clothes leaving- Frank the option of going without, stay- ing in bed, or of coming down to breakfast with Yale's clothes on. The rest of the folks were duly notified of the arrangement, so that all might be ready with appropriate remarks, questions and witticisms when Frank appeared in the dining room. When Frank got up he discovered his clothes were gone, and there was nothing to do but get into Yale's little breeches. So he managed to squeeze into them, and then had consider- able pulling and straining to get the coat on. Being duly rigged out he came down to breakfast, and was greeted with a fusilade of well chosen facetious remarks about the fit of his clothes, such as, "What's the matter ? A snake bit you ? you're terribly swelled up this morning." "How did you get your clothes on ?" "Never saw a man grow so much in one night." "Going into the show business, Frank, you'd make a dandy clown." "That suit is a beautiful fit, never saw you look so well." He really did look comical, about like a giant in a little boy's knickerbockers. Frank had arms and legs of the Abe Lincoln pattern, with a good deal of spread and reach to them. We had been used to seeing him with coat sleeves which reached only to within wistful distance of his hands, and pants that left consid'erable unoccupied territory far up his boot leg. We all wore top bots those days, when we could get the money to buy them. The picture he made that morning was cer- tainly "fetching," and we all shook with laughter, while good natured Frank smiled as if enjoying a delightful reception which he gratefully appreciated. He showed no signs of irri- tation or of temper, but sat down to the table in his comic rig and ate his breakfast with as much complaisance as if the whole proceeding was just what he had ordered. While we had fun at his expense we felt deep down in our hearts that he was one of the best fellows in the world. Years afterward he took the degree of M. D., became an excellent physician and held an honorable position in his profession and in his community, and the state of Oregon. 30 CEO. B. KUYKENDALL How the years have flown by since we were boys together. The last time I saw him was at Newport, Oregon; he was going to see his married daughter who was dangerously ill. When the old Umpqua Academy was in the height of its usefulness and influence, there used to be a number of boys and young men come in from distant parts of the country and "kept batch," or boarded themselves and went to school. They came in from southern Oregon, from about Jacksonville, Le- land, Canyonville, Cow Creek, Looking Glass and from the northerly parts of the county, from Yoncalla, Elk Creek, Green Valley and the classic precincts of "Tin Pot" and "Shoestring." Among the boys that "batched" were Henry Byars, Calvin and David West, Lowery and Ed Watson and P. L. Willis, John Allen and sisters, the Applegate boys, and many more. Most of these attended and belonged to the debating society at the Academy, and some, if not most of them, there had their first experience in "speaking in public." The Academy boys were a pretty good lot, generally free from drinking, card playing, and worse vices, but they were a lively lot, and some of the old folks said they were "a leetle too full of vinegar," and of course the vinegar would slop over occasionally. There used to live just a short distance below the academy, Dr. Miller, a large, rather tall, sedate man, who administered allopathic doses of medicine during the week, and on Sunday gave good strong doses of orthodoxy from the pulpit. He was of the old style physician who bled people, not when they settled with him, but with a lancet. The doctor had two daughters, the younger of whom, Ella, was regarded as quite handsome and good looking. Some of the young fellows found the Miller home an exceedingly attractive place to visit, but the doctor was a little inclined to be austere, and was not in favor of alliances, taking a neutral position usually, but assuming a belligerent attitude on provocation. He had a brother-in-law that lived with him, George Young, who was a capital hand at a practical joke, and hearing of the success of the clothes stealing raid on Frank Carter, concluded to UMPQUA ACADEMY 31 work up a similar scheme on Lowery Watson, acting in col- lusion with some of the other bachelors' roost boys. One evening Lowery called at the Miller home and stayed quite late and George proposed that he remain until morning. Lowery retired to bed, and along a little before daylight, he reached out for his clothes and found them gone. He got up and found that while there were none of his own clothes, there was a pair of Dr. Miller's long-legged trousers placed for his use. Dismayed, he began a search for his clothes but was unable to find them. He did not feel like calling on the family for assistance, or advertising his predicament. The position was certainly disconcerting. The Bible says some- where that, "Some bless with their mouths, while they curse inwardly." It is easy to imagine one could, under such circumstances, have some of the "cuss inwardly" feeling. There seemed to be no other alternative, and so Lowery pulled on the doctor's pants, rolled up the redundant length and then made a flying dash out into the rain, across the prairie, making a halo of webfoot spray around him as he paddled his way to the bache- lors' roost. There he found his chums were ready to open up their artillery on him. Of course they guyed him, but he took his medicine and was game. He lived to distance some of his practical joker friends in the race of life, became an honored member of the legal profession and sat on the judge's bench. Even while yet in school, some of the students exhibited gen- eral talents or abilities that foreshadowed their future. Henry Byars, who was in my classes, excelled in mathematics and mechanical and engineering drawing. Parrish Willis was good at mathematics and bookkeeping, and was very studious and methodical. He then had a heavy, shocky head of hair that was inclined to kink and curl about his neck and ears. It was probably this that gave him the "nick-name" "Kink" Willis. He had a good mind and was a credit to the Academy, became an attorney of ability, and held positions of honor and trust in Portland and Multnomah County, Oregon. 32 GEO. B. KUYKENDALL Ed Watson had a fine mind and abundant ability to acquire learning. After graduating in the Willamette University went back and graduated 1 at Harvard, and was chosen to go back and take part in college boat races on the Thames in England. It would be easy to extend this list and note characteristics of many of the Umpqua Academy early students, and tell how they came off with honors and success in life. My space limits will permit the names only of a few, among which were Stan- ley O. Royal, Miller G. Royal and his younger brother and Anina T. Royal, who married Rev. Clark Smith and went as a missionary to Africa, where she died of African fever at her post of duty, proving the stuff of which some of the academy students were made. Then there was George W. Riddle, who has written his name in the annals of home re- gions and the state of Oregon, Dr. W. P. Grubbe, Angeline Grubbe, Morris Harkness, Homer Harkness, Chas. Wesley Kahler, George Kahler, the Applegate boys and many more. School government at the old academy a few years after it opened up, took a sort of Puritanical trend, with the idea predominant that the "old Adam" (some said it was the devil) in the boys and girls, had to be held down and squelched out. Very strict rules were made in regard to the associations of sexes, it being assumed that the devil in them was bound to break out unless the lid was screwed on tight and held down. It was a rule that the boys and girls should not walk side by side going to school, and all exhibitions of gallantry were to be taboo; they should be kept separate and under strict sur- veillance, and "raked over the coals" for the slightest over- stepping. This, as should have been foreseen, had exactly the opposite effect from what was intended. It was like trying to stop the water of a garden hose by placing a thumb against it, there was no stop, but a big splatter. The young folks could not be kept under thumb, and the trustees had a troublesome time enforcing the adopted regime. While people in the country around sometimes thought that the old academy and vicinity was a sort of slow place, an exUMPQUA ACADEMY 33 perience of some of the hallowe'en pranks "pulled off" around there sometimes would 1 have dispelled this illusion. When Dr. Miller found his gates off the hinges, his pigs turned out of the pen, and F. R. Hill had a new wagon dis- sected, one wheel hung up in the top of a tree over the road to the academy, and the other wheels and gears scattered to the four winds and several other breezes of heaven, or sunk in the "old swimmin' hole," and when neighbor Clinkinbeard, who had his wagon loaded with wheat, ready to go to mill, found it next morning sitting astride the "comb" of his barn, all loaded up, just as he had left it the evening before, and his forty-foot well rope tied in the top of a tall oak, it looked as if there had been something doing around there. He might well have wished he had an Aladdin's lamp to rub, to summon the aid of genii to get his wagon down from its exalted posi- tion. At midnight, when the old Academy bell rang out a wild alarm by the spooks, through the medium of a long rope reaching from the bell to the neck of a wild calf on the campus, it was an indubitable proof of the operation of spirits, but the trustees interpreted it as the work of the devil in the boys. We have all read how persons in sleep, or the somnambulistic state, could lift or carry in the night a stone or other heavy object that they could not budge when awake in the day time. It was a matter of fact that four Academy boys could lift with ease, and carry an outhouse and set it up on Dr. Miller's or Flem Hill's porch that would have taken a team to move. The psychology of this is commended to the investigation of mental philosophers. This sort of proceedings received a heavy jolt, or at least John Clinkinbeard did, during a series of meetings held at the academy. There was no church building in the vicinity then, and church services were held in the academy. While the church people were holding a revival, his satanic majesty often stirred up a revival of his work among the boys. During one of these meetings the spirit of deviltry became rampant. One evening there was a large crowd in the chapel room above, 34 GEO. B. KUYKENDALL and some of the boys tied' a rope across the bottom of the door, at the head of the "boys' stairway." John Clinkinbeard came out, and was just about to start down, when his foot tripped on the rope or cord, and he pitched headlong down the stairway, bruised himself up severely and dislocated one of his thumbs. It was lucky for him that it was not a broken neck instead of a disjointed thumb. This brought matters to a head, with a storm of indignation and protest, and criminal proceedings were threatened and about to be instituted, but the matter was some way quieted and never got into court. During one of the revivals when an invitation was given for "seekers" to come forward to the altar, many "made a move," and the altar was crowded. No doubt nearly all were sincere and deeply in earnest, but there were mischievous scamps that seemed to be making it an occasion for sport. One boy got up among the others, and while they were all down and praying, he made himself busy pinning papers or rags to the tails of some of their coats. When he had suc- ceeded in getting one pinned on, he would clap his hands and shout, "Glory to God, Hallelujah !" The capers of the young scapegrace were soon detected and his particular line of devotions was abruptly cut short. Rev. Wm. Taylor, a nephew of the noted Bishop Taylor, mission- ary in India, after he learned of the urchin's tagging opera- tions made a suitable diagnosis of the situation and suggested the proper remedy, "That boy needs to be taken out with a good hazel and labored with a while, for the good of his soul." I just now remember that I saw a few days ago, in the Oregonian, an account of the death of John Clinkinbeard, near Marshfield. John's mother was a sister of Dillard Holman, of the pioneer Oregon family, well known in the state. I am also reminded of the tragic death of Mrs. Clinkinbeard, many years ago on the beach. While standing upon a drift log she was watching the coming-in and receding waves. While gaz- ing in awe and admiration upon the majesty of the ocean, she had just repeated the words, "Thus far shalt thou come, but UMPQUA ACADEMY 35 here thy proud waves shall be stayed/' The log upon which she stood broke loose, turned over, rolled upon her and crushed her to death. But the limits set have been far transcended It would have been interesting to have said something concerning Prof. T. F. Royal, principal of the Umpqua Academy for years. He had many noble traits, fine teaching ability, great sincerity, earnestness and integrity. His wife, Mrs. M. A. Royal, was a noble woman, intelligent, cultured, tactful, a fine teacher of music, drawing and botany, who had skill in making her les- sons intensely interesting. At this moment I recall that the first school paper at the academy was called The Rosebud. It consisted of hand writ- ten articles by the pupils. It had a back made of white draw- ing paper, fastened with a ribbon. Underneath the outside title was the picture of a rose bud, painted in water colors by Mrs. Royal. The date was May, 1856. How interested and proud all were when the little paper was read that Friday afternoon. There comes to mind many incidents preceding, during, and just after the Civil War. A number of the older of the early students went to Roseburg to hear speakers during the vari- ous campaigns. I remember well of hearing Delazon Smith, Geo. L. Woods, Tom Dryer and 1 numerous others. There were hot times politically then, and the academy boys were all in- tensely loyal to the Union. How the war news stirred us, and how we waited almost holding our breath for the thrilling news of the battles, and how the boys, and girls, too, rang out the war songs of the times. How the patriotic thrills ran to our very finger tips. When the news of Lincoln's assassination came, what an overwhelming tide of grief swept over us ! We held a memor- ial meeting just afterwards in the Academy, which was public for all. I wrote a dirge, and a class of us sang it. That evening the building was crowded, and the air was vibrant with deep emotion. There was sobbing and crying all over the 36 GEO. B. KUYKENDALL audience. It seemed that every one was weeping. I never saw anything like it. There was a feeling of deep, heartfelt mourning, but a look of determination on the faces of people. The older students of the Academy were saying all about, "If the country wants me I am ready." The influence of the Umpqua Academy in keeping the coun- try around loyal to the Union was certainly very considerable. There are many things that could have been said of different persons, who were once students of the old Academy, and of their lives, works and influence. The longer the matter is held under consideration the more of submerged recollections come up. But I must stop.