USGENWEB NOTICE:  In keeping with our policy of providing free information
on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long
as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may
NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other
organizations.

An Old Graduate

Cornelius Cole of California traveled across the
continent last week to take part in the graduating
exercises of his Alma Mater, Wesleyan University of
Middlletown, Conn. He received his Bachelor degree in
1847. Next September he will be 100 years of age and is
the oldest alumus of his University.

He was a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln and was one
of the party which accompanied Lincoln to Gettysburg for
the dedication of the National Cemetery. Commenting on
this incident, the Outlook says:

"The memory of his warm friendship with Lincoln is a
passion with Mr. Cole. Lincoln never showed any ill will
or anger in all his life, so far as I know," says this
sage and patriarch. He also corroborates from his own
definite personal recollection from the generally
accepted historical record of the Gettysburg address. He
says that only a small crowd gathered about noon for the
ceremony. The speakers were seated on a rude wooden
platform. Edward Everet finuished his polished oration,
which few now know anything about. Then awkwardly, in
the midst of an impressive silence, Abraham Lincoln
stepped to the front of the platform. He began quietly,
and finished suddenly with the never-to-be-forgotten
phrase concerning a government of the people. Then he
turned and took his seat, to the astonishment of every
one. The small audience was dismayed at his brevity.
Nobody present seemed to appreciate for the moment the
beauty of the speech or to have any instinctive sense of
the fame which would follow it."

Mr. Cole was born in New York State but was an original
"Forty-niner" in the gold fields of California. He has
lived in California nearly 75 years and is still 
practicing in that state his profession of the law,
going alone on the street car to his office everyday
just as he did in his prime.
----