Alumni Reminiscences 1878 of Anti-Slavery Rebellion

Name in full

Sherlock Bristol Born A.D. 1815 June 5th in Cheshire, Ct. Converted in August A.D. 1830 Entered Coll. Sept A.D. 1836 Began to preach (was confirmed) in Mansfield Ohio Sept 1844 Came to California Oct 1866 Age 63

Binghamton N.Y. July 27 1878

Rev. W.E. Park

My Dear Bro.,

Your note came to hand on Sat. I & am serialising in the most hearty manner a reply, which may possibly be of some service. Yours coridally John P. Gulliver

I was a boy of twelve when I entered Phillips Academy, Osgood Johnson was the Principal. I first saw him while slowly and limpingly, he was making his way from the door of the old Brick Academy down to his chair. His pallid face demonstrated by a dome-like brow with his large spectacles, and a peculiar spiritual expression, gave me the impression, to a degree I never got it from any other man, that what I saw was not the man, but that his real self was out of sight, behind those glasses, & that white placid face, and that great coat & muffler which he wore. He had a club foot, which struck the sidewalk with a thud at every step, and alternatiely raised his form as he walked. The tout ensemble made a great impression on my boyish imagination. His infirmities added to to his dignity and the whole effect of his appearance, was to inspire the idea that some supernatural being had been born lame, like Vulcan, and unjustically cast down from Olympus, after he had got out of sight in the depths of his capacions chains my attention was attracted to his home. It was a beautiful day, well turned, of his final action; but he carried his tail over on the side, as some troopers mean their not being that aquainted with the tricks of the home craft that tail has a daily wonder to me and with the club foot, stimulated my scientific curiousity, as a true

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classical environment is said always to do. As I have said, Mr Johnson was a man of real dignity. If any one wishes to realise this, til him attempt to enter the school room door of the Brick Academy, in opposition to a squeaking pulley & a ponderous weight, & turn ^{ing the} sharp corner & climb into the contracted wooden box at the right, and add _ing to his embarassments a heavy cane & a lame foot and a mountain of wrappings. But Mr Johnson did all this, and not one of the fun loving boys who crowded the room saw anything to laugh at. On the contrary no sooner was that wooden foot heard in the entry than we were all hushed. Every eye was fixed upon him in respect as he entered. Levi Wilder at the upper end of the room stopped tuning his violin. We rose in silence, while 'Mr Johnson' pronounced a brief invocation, uniformly asking that our morning devotions might be performed "as seeing Him who is invisible". Then followed a few verses of scripture, so read that a hidden radiance was made to flash out from its depths, as when a skillful lapidary holds before you a gem, so adjusted that all its inner light beams up upon your suprised vision. Then came the hymn; and was there ever such a reading of a hymn? With finer voice, but with distant articulation, and melodious

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cadence, he would read such a hymn as "Oh could I speak the matchless worth!" till the silence became oppressive & ^the tears would start in spite of us. Then Wilder would draw his bow very gently for a final preparation and lifting his head as high as possible to make up for his lack of inches. Started the "devotee of song." And what singing that was! We had just passed through a powerful revival in which nearly every member of the two academies had been hopefully converted. By the side of Wilder stood Isaac P. Langworthy, beloved & honored then, as now, Horace James, the soldier minister was there in a blue round-about. ? was there and Scooby, and Joseph Gibson Hoyt, and Putnam, and Enoch & Warren Childs & W.H. Long, and many another.

speak from much personal knowledge, [?] teacher at that time was James M. McLean - a large hearted, noble man, since distinguished as a pastor & scholar in the city of N. York. I also remember [well] when Samuel H. Taylor first appeared in our recitations room, blushing like a girl, and conducting his class in an apologetic, deferential manner, which stands no in an almost ludicrous contrast, with his subsequent [?] deciscion [?] . Mr Johnson was usually quiet, but always most [?] and thorough in his style of teaching. Nothing escaped his notes. Any [?] of an [?] scholar shift or of skill in [?] The original, with its nice shades of meaning, with idiomatic English, transported him with delight. I have known him to to allow, unconsciously, one star - and read the...