TH"EINSTITUTEMO THLY

FOR JANUARY 1919Published By The

Wt' t Virginia Collegiate InstituteInstitute, W. vs.

Vol. 11 No.3

EDITORIALS

r.======;:lHE A L U M N I ANDfriends of the W. Va.T Collegiate Institutehave reasons to takepride in the installa-tion of a ReserveL.::===~ Officers' Training

Corps at this school.It is announced elsewhere in

these columns, that Captain Pur-nell is the Professor of MilitaryScience and tactics over this unit.

The presence of the unit here istangible evidence that the nationalgovernment has determined toforestall any future unprepared-ness, if any calamity shall ever re-quire that its men be called to thecolors.

Since the rudiments of theprinciples of military science must,at such schools as this, be taughtin conjunction with the moral, thecultural and the practical, we seegreater benefits arising from theinfluences such teachings mayexert than those that spring frommilitary knowledge.

We know that things militaryappeal to a certain percentage of

young men, to whom the call toother, and more pacific lines ofservice has but negligible influ-ence. We reason, that the ex-istence of this unit will be nobarrier to the many young menwho may desire to secure the bestfrom what else we have to offer.

The school to the former and tothe latter class, yet offers anopportunity for knowledge andhelpful vocations that were neverneeded so much in the history ofthe world, as they are needed now.

The draft revealed an appallingstate of illiteracy among our race,that even the United States lastCensus repor1 did not divulge.The physical examinations of thedraftees too frequently disclosedthat we were physically unfit evenfor the duties of normal life.

It is up to the public schools,and especially to the state schools,colleges and universities to do theirpart for a better manhood physical-ly, mentally, and morally.

The Colored Schools of theUnited States welcome this inno-vation. In lieu of West Point, it

THE INSTITUTE MONTHLY 3

offer an opportunity for advance-ment in the military service of thenation, that has hitherto rather re-stricted. The influence exertedupon society by the prospectiveR. O. T. C. graduates will be morerefined and more helpful, than ifthey had received their trainingunber less favorable conditions-

THREE MEMBERS OF RACEIN W. VA. LEGISLATURE

HON.T. G.NUTTERT. G. Nutter was born at Prin-

cess Anne, Maryland, June 15th,1876; he attended the public schoolat Princess Anne, and graduatedfrom the High School thereof in1899, and later graduated fromHoward Uuiversity, Washington,D. C. in 1899, receiving the degreeof LL. B. His father died shortlyafter his graduation and he wasforced to return to Princess Anne,in order to look after his mother.While he was there he was appoint-ed Principal of the Schools of Fair-mount, Md., and served in thatcapacity from September 1899 toApril 1901, and then declined reap-pointment in order to enter uponhis profession.

He was admitted to the Bar ofMarion County, Indiana Novem-ber 13, 1901, and to the SupremeCourt of Appeals of West Virginia,March 15th, 1903, and has prac-ticed coutinuously in Charlestonsince that date. He has appeared

in a number of important criminaland civil cases and has been rathersuccessful in handling the same.

He was assistant Land Clerk inthe Auditor's Office for about sixyears; Supreme Leading Knightof the Improved Benevolent andProtective Order of Elks for five

HON. T. G. NUTTER,

Member of the House of Delegatesin the State of West Virginia.

years and Grand Exalted Ruler forthree years; he was Grand At-torney for the Grand LodgeKnights of Pythias of West Vir-ginia for several years and lastAugust was elected Grand Chan-cellor of the Grand Lodge and Pres-ident of the Pythian Mutual In-vestment Association. He is Sec-retary-treasurer of the MutualSavings and Loan Company, capi-

The Institute MonthlyEntered as second-class matter, January 29,1914, at the post-office at Institute, West Vir-

ginia, under the act of Marh 3, 1879.

JANUARY 1919

home in Keystone, W.Va.

A Literary Club, the purposeof which is the discussion of cur-rent international topics, was or-

4 THE INSTITUTE MONTHLY 5

tal stock of $125,000, being theonly colored bank instituted in theState of West Virginia.

At the request of a numberof white and Colored citizens, heentered in the race for the nom-ination for the House of Delegatesand was nominated and elected.He was elected by a majority ofthirteen hundred and eighty-eightvotes and took his seat in theLegislature on the 8th of January,1919. He is at present serving onthe Judiciary Committee of theHouse, the most important Com-mittee of that body, and is alsoon the Insurance Committee andthe Committee of Waste and Un-appropiated Lands.

HON. HARRY J. CAPEHART

Hon. Harry J. Capehart was bornin Charleston W.Va. , May2, 1881.He graduated from Howard Uni-versity Law School in 1913.He was admitted to practice beforethe Supreme Court of West Vir-ginia within one week after hisgraduation, and appeared in hisfirst case before the State SupremeCourt a year later. He was elect-ed a member of the City Councilof Keystone 1917, which positionhe now resigns to enter the Legis-lature.

He was elected a member of thelower house of the West VirginiaLegislature November 6,1918, andtook his seat January 8, 1919. Heis married and lives in his own

THE INSTITUTE MONTHLY

Ferguson, G. E.Ferguson, William P.Few, Herman·Fleming, HenryFulks, O. E.Gray, J. WesleyGordon, SamuelHodge, OrlandoHodge, WalterHughes, LeonardHenderson, JohnHouston, WilliamJackson, HoustonJones, J. McHenryLetman, JohnLockett, JohnLomans, GillespieMoss, RussellMarshall, HurtMcKinney, Mansi!Mills SumnerPril1erman, Delbert M.Patterson, GeorgePeters, WilbertPogue, WillReid, I. J.Vaughn, WilliamVaughn, CharlesWashington, JamesWright, SamuelWells, HolleyParrish, TallyThorton, WilliamBuckner, StanleyHardy, RussellDeans, DavidDean, Benj.

* If you know any other student orgraduate whose name is not in this list,kindly send some to President Byrd Prill-erman.

HON. JOHN v. COLEMAN

Hon. John V. Coleman, a residentof Kimiberly in Fayette CountyWest Virginia, is the third Negroto represent that county in thelegislature of the state, Mr. Cole-man takes pride in styling-himselfa laboring man who, thru his ownefforts, has won this signal placein the gift of his citizens.

He is a freeholder, active inchurch and civic uplift, and asecret order member of nationalreputation.

Mr. Coleman has also been post-master of his home town.

INSTITUTE BOYS IN THESERVICE IN FRANCE

Alexander. FredAllen, LewisBlack, RobertBallard, MatthewBrown, HughestonBrown, BerkleyBuster, LaurenceBruce, ClarenceBurke, ClarkCarpenter, RussellCarpenter, WilliamCalhoun, John C.Clark, Benjamin T.Connors, LymanCunningham, Arthur B.Davis, CharlesDavis, WilliamDavis, WiJliam H.Dixie, TurnerEdwards, RobertFairfax, NorwoodFairfax, Elliot

ORGANIZA TIONS

ganized by the male students inthe Chapel, Friday, January 17th,1919. The following officers wereelected.

President, Charles Fairfax; VicePresident, Henry Price; Secretary,Clarence Hubbard; Assistant Secre-tary, Charles Penn; Treasurer,Randolph Porter; Sergent at Arms,Harry Saunders; and Critic, Prof.W. D. Johnson.

Intense interest has charac-terized its sessions, and some veryheated discussions have developed.Among the topics discussed havebeen: "How far should Germanybe punished for her part in War?"and The "League of Nations."The working basis of the dubare discussion outlines in "WorldCitizenship"and literature dealingwith reconstruction problems edit-ed and provided by the Student De-partment of the Young Men'sChristian Association.

The club has not yet beenofficially named.

-0-

What could better serve to deep-en our faith in righteousness and tobuttress our hope for the birth of anew day than an expression of con-fidence and determination, thatsuch shall be,coming from the lead-ers of the nation?

The halls of Wallace Lodge,Yonkers, New York, where theConference of Student Young theMen's Christian Association Secre-taries was recently held, were for

6 THE INSTITUTE MONTHLY

three days vibrant with the voicesof America's Christian leaders,seeking a plan to call to, the atten-tion of the world that all men arecreated equal. The recent achieve-ments of our soldiers on the battle-field of Europe have demonstratedto the dominant nations our abilityto qualify when given afair chance.Early in the war national statesmenvoiced the futility 'of attemptingto futher restrain the progress ofour. To-day the collossal task offore-stalling another such worldcatastrophe, and of insuring a justand lasting peace, magnifies thethe inconsistency of World De-mocracy and racial distinction.The delegate to the Peace Con-ference struggling with the prob-lem of making an amicable inter-national adjustment. In the samemeasure that they succeed will ourhope be realized.

MISSION CALL

Why sit thou with arms afold,Since 'tis something thou canst do?Rise and be pressing onward,For the Master calls for you.

The field is o'er the oecan,Thou shouldst go and labor there;Indeed thy Master needs thee,Why sit thou contented here?

In this great Bible country,Treasures are near at hand;

Yet Heathen are in darkness,Waiting for the King's command.

THE INSTITUTE MONTHLY 7

Though wounded himself, hecarried all of his men who werewounded too badly to walk to shel-ter and to the dressing station.This particular night he was incharge of the food detail, the mostimportant one, and no officer totake it, so he was detailed in theplace of an officer. He had fiftymen. You see, in the day we cando nothing but keep down in ourshelter holes to keep from beingshelled. At night we fight and getone meal in twenty-four hours.The nights here are as brightalmost as day, still food and watermust come up to us, who are onlyforty yards from the enemy.When food and water start up onthe other side, and are seen, no tmuch of it gets there unless anawfully good man is in charge.Boots always brought food andwater to us, although the last timehe got it after he had taken hiswounded to shelter and first aid.He brought it to us after beingwounded himself, and I had tomake him go to the hospital thenext day. I think he will soon beback.

The hardest of the fighting isnow over and we will soon be onour way home. So far, I haveheld my own. I have never fallenshort. I have never sent my menany place. I go first and tellthem to follow. When going overthe top I always go first. My menlove me as if I were their fatherand seem more worried about me

than themselves, I mean they arebrave men and great soldiers. Iwish I could tell you all about thiswar and the devastated country. Iwill 'tell you all when I returnhome. Tell Dad the Civil Warwas a picnic to this. Ha! Ha! Ha!All war is bad enough, but this isthe worst in the history of war.Tell Mother and Dad that Lutherand I are O· K. and still in the oldgame and we will win soon now.Love to all the boys and girls. TellElwood and Sam Blair and all theboys about Boots. He is credit tothe old United States of Americaand our little burg, St. Albans.

Your brother,S. S. Gordon.

1st. Lieut. Co. C 370 Inf.

Wake to thy sense of duty,Bring the Heathen in the fold;That your name may be written,Far above in letters of gold.

-Dr. M. T. Sinclair.

.j

H. Q. o« 3I7t1z Engineers,A. P. 0.766 Mobile,

American Expeditionary Force.

October 12, 1918.Dear Mr Ellis:

No doubt you will be surprised tohear from me, but I have beentrying to write you for some time.I recived your letter of June 14th.The letter reached me sometimein August. You gave me an addressin Richmond, Va., but I knew thatunless you contemplated spendingthe summer there, it was to lateto write you.

I have had some wouderful ex-periences over here. Isupose youkeep up with the latest war newsand have drawn some mental

NEWS FROM ~~OVERTHERE"

Mr. Dana S. Gordon,St. Albans. W. Virginia.

Dear Brother:Just a line to say I am well and

doing fine. Thanks to the Deitywho has never forsaken me. Noone could have gone through whatI have unless God was with him.Dear old Boots (brother' is in thehospital, wounded, but not seri-ously. We have been in a drivefor thirty-four days. We are inthe third line now for a little rest.

Boots wrote me the other daythat he is in the Scottish Hospital.

All nurses and doctors are wom-en. You can tell the boys at homethat Luther has been tried by thefire and came out shining gold,-aman, a Gordon, a chip off the oldblock. He was in one of thoseplaces where I have seen strongmen tremble and cry like babies,and weak men go crazy in fiveminutes. He had forty-five min-utes of it and never turned pale.

He held his men together andsaved the lives of many.

8 THE INSTITUTE MONTHLY

pictures of the great struggles, butregardless of what one may reador hear from some one who speakswith authority, I think it is im-possible to get a clear conceptionof the horror of this universaltumult without seeing a part ofit. We moved up closer last weekand now we reside in territorywhich until recently was occupjedby the enemy. I wish I was ableto give you a good description ofour environs. My tent faces NoMan's Land of a month ago.

At a distance, it resembles aplowed field. I went through ittoday.

It is almost impassible-dugoutsdemolished, trenches caved in, treesuprooted or shot to pieces, bare of I

limbs, deep shell holes and manywire entanglements.

Down in a ravine near us is a vil-lage of dugouts. Some are in goodcondition and were well equipped-had tables, chairs, and stoves.I saw one that had pictures on thewalls. Some had poultry yardsand flower gardens. A narrow-guage railway runs through thesehills. In some places it has beenblown up. Perhaps the enemy didit in his retreat. There are manyGerman graves near here, andsometimes we come upon a row ofsilent tributes to the cause of De-mocracy, marked by a small crossand perhaps a blood-stained helmetand gun. There are many evi-dences that the enemy departed inhaste, as he left many implements

and other useful things.We have crossed France on al-

most a direct line with the port welanded in. We passed manywrecked villages, one in whichevery house had been shelled.

The guns are roaring con-tinuosly tonight, but this is a com-mon occurrence.

All the boys are well. I sawLaurence Buster last week. He isSergeant Major of his regiment.

I was informed of RomeoFerguson's death sometime ago.

Please give my kindest regardsto President and Mrs. Prillerman,teachers, and students.

I am writing in a little tent, bycandle light.

Your sincere friend,Wilbert A. Peters.

Summer SchoolAt the West Virginia Collegiate

InstituteJune 16-July 25, 1919

On Active Service Witll tileAmerican Expeditionary Forces,

A. P. O. Mobile 766.

November 11,1918.Dear President Prillerman:

I am now writing you at thistime because I am out of the moun-tain and my condition permits meto do so. I have been so awfully

THE INSTITUTE MONTHLY 9

Summer SessionAt The West Virginia Collegiate Institute,

June 16-July 25,1919

busy I just haven't had the timeand could not get to a Y. M. c. A.to get stationery, President Prill-erman, I have met nearly all theboys who came from Institute.They frequntly speak of home.James McHenry Jones and MosesLindsay stay in the same dugoutwith me. We make ourselves ascheerful as we can with our pre-sent condition. Our regiment hascertainly made a record over-seaseverywhere we have been. Weusually go into the cities immedti-aely after the doughboys go overthe top. We even operate the Ger-man narrow gauge railroad. TheboyS cerainly "know their stuff" onthe line and off the line. I am yetin Regimental Blacksmith Shopshoejng horses as usual. I havenever been hurt seriously. Noneof the other boys of the 317th En-gineersor the 302nd Pioneer Regi-ment have been hurt. RussellHardy, Russell Moss, David Deans,Lawrence Buster, and Fred Alex-ander say they like the engineersfine. I heard some rumor here inthis old ruined city that the Hunshad enough of us Yankees. I guess

you Americans get more news overthere than we soldiers over seas inthese mountains. James Jonesand I frequently speak of the greatthings we intened to do when turnto the land where life is worth liv-ing. I have performed my dutyand accomplished my aim-thatwas to whip the Huns across theRhine.

I recived your letter in Sant Dia,France, which you sent to LongIsland when you were in Washing-ton, D. C. It was quite a consol-ing one at such a time.

Edward Fulks and I journeyedto one of the old parks from whichit is said that one can see intoStrassburg, Germany.

Wishing you and your school aMerry Christmas, I am as ever,

Your scholar,H. S. Charlie Lewis Allen.

General Order No.2.

I67111Field Artillery BrigadeA.E.F

1 The Commanding General ofthe 167th Field Artillery Brigadedesires to record in the Orders of

THE INSTITUTE MONTHLY THE I'N S TIT UTE M 0 NTH L Y 1110

the Brigade his appreciation of thehigh qualities displayed by officersand men during the recent oppera-tion in this sector. They havebeen zealous soldiers and skilfulartillerymen. Their recompenselies in their knowledge of well doneand in the commendation of thosequalified to speak. By day and bynight, often under a hail of shrap-nel, often through clouds of deadlygas, they marched and fought,dragged their guns sometimes byhand into line, kept open theirlines of communication andbrought up their supplies, alwayswith a cheerfulness that earnedthem the admiration of all.

2 New conditions confront usand to conquer them nobly willgive the Brigade as much honor asthe winning of a great battle.Morale is now to be put to asterner test. The inspiration ofpreparation for the conflict is nowlacking. The stimulus of battleitself no longer sustains us. Yetthese days of peace require as finea morale as did the days of war.Already an excellent beginninghas been made. The Command-ing General is not unmindful ofthe splendid manner in which themen received and carried outthe order to turn over their equip-ment. It seemed as if they recog-nized that no Brigade has more atstake than this, and their cheerfulcompliance bore witness to theirdesire to live up to their responsi-bilities.

3 The slightest relaxation indiscipline now would bring in itstrain serious consequences thatwould react unfavorably, not onlyupon the soldiers themselves, butalso upon those in America whomthey represent. Maintain whathas been won in Training Campsand on the field of battle by thestrictest discipline. Rememberthat soldierly qualities can bestbe kept by close-order drill andinstant attention to military ordersand courtesies. Remember alsothat the reputation of the Brigade'demands it, and that the busysoldier is the happy soldier. By'its conduct in line, this Brigadehas earned a prestige that anyorganization may envy. Maintainthat proud record and it will notbe forgotten in America.

4 This order will be posted.By Command of Brigadier

General Sherburne.

friends are hoping for his speedyrecovery.. Corporal G. E. Smith, our pro-

fessor of chemestry, who has beenon a leave of absence with the A.E. F., has returned to this countryamoung the first coutingent ofhomeward-bound soldiers. Pro-fessor Smith visited the InstituteJanuary 19, and was gladly wel-comed by all. He will resume hiswork here at no distant day.

Mrs Mabel Overton Fowler, andMiss Clara Overton Fowler, wifeand daughter respectively ofProfessor G. Selton Fowler, ofour department of mathematics,returned home from Chicago,Thursday, January 23. ProfessorFowler has assumed an air ofpaternal sobriety that only comesto the newly-wed over their firstborn.

Professor W. D. Johnson, whowas absent from his classes for afew days on account of sickness,is meeting his classes again.

Lieutenant Lafayette Campbell,an old graduate, was a pleasant vis-itor the latter part of January.Lieutenant Campbell was honorab-ly discharged from service at CampSchenectady, N. Y., and is now em-ploy of the Mutual Savings andLoan Bank at Charleston.

Mr. Thomas Mayo, sergeant inthe quartermaster's department atCamp Grant, was a welcomed vis-itor at the school for the week end-

ing January 18.

Lieutenant L. E. Bendett ofWashington, D. C., paid this schoolan official visit the latter part ofJanuary.

Lieuteant Daniel Lee Ferguson,dean of the Collegiate department,who has been on leave of absencein an artillery camp, has returnedto his home here.

"Y" secretary, Mr. R. P. Scott,made a flying trip to Columbus hishome Tuesday, January 21. It isreported that Mr. Scott is doingsome research work in esotericmasonry, and expects soon to con-tribute valuable information onthe anatomical functions of theancient free and accepted goat.

Captain J. H. Purnell, has beendetailed professor of Military Sci-ence and tactics over the R. O. T.C. forces here, by the war depart-ment. Captain Purnell has enter-ed upon his duties with a vim, andthe outlook for a creditable unit isvery encouraging.

First Lieutenant Robert Hen-dricks, who had been commandingofficer of the S. A. T. C. unit here,was ordered to Camp Lee, Vir-ginia, to be discharged, and leftfor that point January 25.

LOCALS AND PERSONALS

Miss Sadie Henderson a formerstudent at this institution died ather home, Macdonald, W.Va., aftera brief illness. She was a teacher inthe public schools of Fayette Co.She leaves a Mother, Mrs. ClaraHenderson, and a brother, Mr.Alex-ander Henderson, who graduatedfrom this institution in 1904.

President Prillerman has beenunable to be in his office for sometime on account of illness. His

.---Summer Session

At the West Virginia CollegiateInstitute

June 16-July 25, 1919

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