The Henson Journals

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Saturday, October 19th, 1912.

I went with the president to the collegiate prayers, which took place in the same building as that in which I lectured last night. I gave a five–minute address to the students, taking as my subject their duty to themselves in the matter of creating honourable memories, binding about the persons & scenes of their collegiate life associations which wd strengthen & enrich rather than enfeeble & impoverish their manhood. After breakfast Mr Emmett (said to be descended from, or of the family of the Irish rebel) came in his motor to take me to see the great Electrical Machinery works which have created the prosperity of Schenectady. Mr E. is himself an inventor of distinction, having invented a turbine engine for ships, which would economize the cost of driving them. Thus he holds that the "Celtic" could be run by his machine, at the same pace as she now attains, with an economy of 900 tons in bulk, and 20,000 dollars in cost. After 4 years persistence, he has induced the government to give a contract for a large collier, the "Jupiter", &, if – as he confidently assumes – this proves successful, he expects numerous orders. In the works here about 18,000 men are employed of all nationalities, Germans & Irish, perhaps, predominate among the skilled workmen, the latter been especially successful in organization and leadership. The inferior work is done by Italians, Poles, Ruthenians, & Syrians. Mr Emmett took me through [129] [symbol] some of the immense shops. The dolourous gloom, the deafening clamour, the bizarre & frightful shapes of the metal engines, amid which the workmen moved as slaves among monstrous Fiends – all coveyed an impression of an Inferno. What, I reflected, can come to this poor plastic stuff of humanity upon which for 9 hours daily is bearing the influence of such a place?

I asked Mr Emmett whether he thought the 'boss' & 'the machine', which loom so largely in American politics, may not be connected with the fact that the successful American takes into his citizenship the notions gathered in his factories. He replied with an energetic defence of the 'boss' & 'the machine'. These institutions, he said, drew their strength from the best feature of American life – its wonderful tolerance. Even the 'crook' had no prejudices to surmount, & hence, no doubt, there were many 'crooks' in political life. But to eject the 'crooks' would threaten a condition which guaranteed an open road to the obscure meritorious. "For my part I think it's a greater thing to keep your boots unsoiled in a filthy road, than to walk on clean pavements". There was not time to discuss this somewhat provocative proposition, when we arrived at the President's House, & I had perforce to bid farewell to an entertaining & extremely able companion.

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We bade farewell to our host & his family, & took our departure from Schenectady in a pouring rain. Mrs Richmond claims to be a descendant of John Locke's brother. An engraving of the philosopher hangs in the study, & presents an arresting resemblance to our hostess. The open brow, bold nose, & well–marked brows are all reproduced.

The line ran for some distance through a beautiful district, which, when the weather cleared, was seen to advantage. In the dining car we found old Mr Battishall, who was proceeding to Cleveland. He joined us in the parlour car, & was very conversational. He showed me two sonnets of his own composition – one on the stigmata of SS. Francis & Catherine, the other on the Duomo of Florence. We talked of the social problem in England & America; & so killed the time until we reached Syracuse, where we left the train, & had nearly an hour's wait. Here I bought a local paper, & found mention of Algernon Crapsey, the ex–Episcopalian clergyman, who was evicted from the Church a few years ago on a charge of heresy. He appears to be a Socialist agitator, acting in co–operation with Mayor Lunn. He is reported to have come into collision with the police by reading the Sermon on the Mount in public against their orders. The offence seems trivial, but there is a strike at Little Falls: & it must be assumed that the police have reasons for this action.

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The classical names throughout this district arrest the traveller's attention, – Utica, Syracuse, Rome, Ithaca &c. There must have been some dominating pedant among the railway officials, who 'developed' this country. Perhaps they foresaw the total neglect which was about to come upon classical studies in this country, which they thus stamped with classical labels. Syracuse is a manufacturing town with about 150,000 inhabitants; & is said to derive the power which lights its streets &c. from the injured Falls of Niagara, distant no less than 160 miles.

We reached Ithaca shortly after 8 p.m.: & were met at the station. We recovered our baggage, & drove to Dr White's house . The old gentleman has a hale & even vigourous appearance, & talks with much animation. He spoke much of Goldwin Smith, who began his life in America as a Professor in Cornell, & contracted such an affection for the place that he left the bulk of his fortune to the University.

My wife and I have completed 10 years of married life. The occurrence in the Abbey Church on Oct. 20th 1902 is now a stem, around which a large growth of associations has gathered. We have had some great disappointments, & have traversed some of the heavier experiences of human life; but we stand together after these years with an immensely larger mutual knowledge, & assuredly an undiminished treasury of mutual affection.

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