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The Dorr Letters ProjectJason Whitman to Thomas Wilson Dorr: |
Introduction
Jason Whitman, a close friend of the Dorr family, was from New Hampshire and was a student at Phillips Exeter Academy at the time Thomas Dorr was a student there. This letter was written when Allen Dorr (1808-1889), the younger brother of Thomas Dorr, was enrolled at Exeter and while Jason Whitman was still in attendance. In the early 19th century, Exeter was a feeding school for Harvard College.
Letter
Exeter June 24, 1821
Friend Dorr,
Among friends apologys are
useless. They can overlook trivial offenses. But
am I not arrogating too much to myself, to think
[...]that my letters can be any thing but im-
pertinent intrusions upon your more impor-
tant avocations? If you look for news I fear you
will be disappointed, for Exeter is the same old place
& arar our daily routine of duties is ‸the same it has been
for years past, true we, once in a while, take
a [...]new book, but they are all such as you are
familiar with, & consequently how interesting so ever
they may be to us, nothing I can say of them
will be interesting to you. These scenes are soon
to be changed for the untried, but I suspect
less tranquil [...] ones of college life.
How we shall be able to pass that day, which
tries boys souls, as well as determines their mer-
its & proficiency in classical lore ‸I know not. But if after
Fowely, Elwyn, & Gourges have gone through
it with success, we should fail who have
exerted ourselves to the utmost to prepare
for it, it would be a pity. My pecuniary
circumstances are such that my getting an educa-
tion will depend upon my own exertions, & I
understand that the most effectual method
of obtaining assistance, is to endeavor to ex-
cel in my studies. This I am confident can
be done ‸only by diligent & preserving industry.
For although I have advocated
genius, yet it will not do in practice
& I find, I can say from experience, that
any one who does in reality excel, must do
it by application. I was very sorry to
suspended. I hope however it will do him
good, though from what Prentiss says of
his native
not a very good place for studying.
The college punishments although in-
tended, like the Penitentiary of the Leaguers,
to have a corrective influence on
the character of the scholars, yet it often
happens the reverse. This proceeds per-
haps from the
send them. I hope this will not be the case with Sturges. I spent the
greater part of two days at Cambridge
with Smith and Davis. I was very much
disgusted with the appearance of many
of the freshmen, mostly Southerners, whom
I saw at Smith’s room. I did expect,
that young gentlemen who were devoting
their time at least, if not their atten-
tion to litterary pursuits, would when
they met together converse like reason-
able beings, if not like litterary char-
acters. But I was greatly disappointed.
The conversation I heard was such as
would be a disgrace to persons in the
lowest condition of life. I find that
Davis is rightly called a "Jack Ass;" for
like that
ally braying without any sense in what
he says. Your Brother is still
very studious. How he recites I know
not; since I study out & consequent-
ly hear none of the classes when they
recite. But I must conclude.
Believe me to be your unworthy friend,
Jason Whitman
Master Tho’s W. Dorr
Questions
What do you think Whitman’s opinion is of student life at Harvard College?