Below is the first letter home from Oxford. Charlie wrote it after having settled in for just a few days. It’s full of his first impressions, what he’s hearing from savvy insiders and upper classmen. His tight focus on money and his ambition to take a Bachelor of Civil Law degree are already apparent.
We also learn that the English, girls too, have enormous feet and eat turnips almost every day.
This letter includes what seems to be a recurring character, Carol Foster, a Rhodesman from Idaho who seems to draw at least minor trouble all the time.
Particularly for those in or who remember college, imagine have a “scout”–essentially a butler, serving you in your dorm!
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October 15, 1905
Sunday P.M.
Dear Ones at Home:
Got Mamma’s and Rose’s letter last evening and you better bet was glad to get it. I’m commencing to get settled down all O.K. and shall try to tell you as much as possible about things here.
The colleges here are of course the main thing and tho there are said to be some 60,000 people in the burg, one would never suspect it who wasn’t told. So far as I can find out they all in some way or other live off the university.
The colleges are built all over the place practically with town sandwiched in any way it can. Streets are many of them mere alleys and run in every direction. Often only a few blocks long. However, there is so very much attention given to shrubbery and everything grows so well here that I never saw anything anywhere near approaching it in beauty.
All the buildings are of course built in the old style many of them a good many centuries ago and tho modern buildings would be much more convenient, one would hardly wish things changed.
We St. [John’s] men have already been matriculated into both college and Uni. In fact were the first freshers [freshmen] to be operated on as we opened first. All the tutors whom I have met so far seem very agreeable indeed. None of the upper class men for the first year have anything much to do with the freshers. Even after they have you in to supper or breakfast the next morning on the street will not recognize you.
The freshers are in that way supposed to mingle among themselves. For the most part they are very boyish looking lot but seem to have some pretty good men among them. There are 7 Rhodesmen here. One Tasmanian, one Canadian, and five Americans.
We three [American Rhodes scholar] freshmen Mohler, Alburn, and I have rooms close together. All are new and newly furnished but of the three mine are the smallest and rather the most poorly furnished. The advantage which to a large extent makes up for that defect is that the bedder and sitter as they say adjoin the others have to go upstairs to bed. We have single beds, a dresser-bureau combined and washstand, two chairs and bath tub (-tin-) in bedder. My sitter has an extension table, grate [fire place], sort of sideboard for china groceries etc. with shelves, a large cupboard, small wardrobe, five small upholstered chairs, two having arms, a double chair and one big easy chair. Sitter is probably as large as yours and bedder about 3 by 12.
The other boys have larger sitters with more furniture and Alburn has a sofa but I like to dress by the fire after a cold tub.
The scout does everything for one in the way of taking care of things. Builds a fire, pours out your bath and then wakes you in the morning, takes your order for breakfast and then in 1/2 hour brings it in. Washes dishes, cleans up and keeps the fire going during the day.
I just had lunch, bread and butter strawberry ham and cheese. The food is very good and well cooked. In fact by paying for it you can get anything you want.
A decent breakfast, say for instance oatmeal, bacon and eggs with coffee and dry toast costs about 45 cts. Dinner, three courses with potatoes and turnips cost about 50 cts. with sweets extra.
They serve ale or beer at dinner and practically everybody smokes. I’ve called on three of the tutors and they all smoked most of the time.
It gets dark here about 5:25. Consequently, the P.M. Is given up to athletics from 2 to 5:30 and then lectures tutorial work etc again. Nobody but freshmen get up until from 8 to 9, they at 7:30
I am to make ten lectures per week which is considered a remarkably heavy schedule. One of them are in this coll., one in Christ Church, Balliol, Brasenose and Univ. Then every Mon. at 8 take a paper from my tutor on the work I’ve gone over. I got Junior Foreign standing but of course want B.C.L. work. Can’t apply for it until Dec. so go right into the work as tho. I had it now and then in case they turn me down on the proposition take Law Prelim in June and go on for the honor school of Jurisprudence and A.B.
Played tennis with Kendall [the 1904 Rhodes Scholar from Oklahoma] the other day and got skinned 3:2. He has been playing all summer in Germany tho so I don’t feel so very bad. He has some fine prizes he won over there.
Murray [the 1904 Rhodes scholar from Kansas] helped us get furnished out so I think we did pretty well. My china, spoons, ironware, ptos ec. Came to about £3 1/2. Rent my furniture.
Am going down to the river tomorrow P.M. for a try out in the boat. [Rowing] Is the greatest and cleanest sport here. Our coll. has all of the ‘04-’05 eight and one new man from Eton said to be as good as anyone on the river so a fellow has a very slim show of making the team this year at least but I want to learn anyhow and maybe it will be easier next.
Went to the Mansfield coll[ege] chapel to church this A.M. Is a Cong[regational] institution. Mighty pretty, pipe organ etc. and also had a very fine sermon.
My lectures begin Tuesday. I told grandpa about those postals alright but he insisted that I might have them changed so I let it go.
Charlie Armstrong got around, was sick in el Reno [Oklahoma] so got delayed about a week in getting home.
The American Club, old Rhodesmen and a few other Americans gave a reception to the new men last night. Had a good time. They served cigarettes, tobacco, coffee, sandwiches and three kinds of wine.
I am around with Mohler most of the time. Carol F. [Foster, 1905 Rhodesman from Idaho] is having a most distressing time. Is rather too big a talker and made a little splurge about smoking, booze etc. right at first. Since then the has been ragged (hazed) pretty constantly. Last night he said he had given in and bought a bottle of whiskey and some cigarettes. That was what the hazers always demanded.
We have been treated very nicely so far. Simply ignored is much better than being hazed. After the first year however, the fellows get along finely. Mr. Wylie [the administrator of the Rhodes Scholarship funds] paid everyone as soon as we went around. Some the first day. Didn’t have to touch that $150. Shall send it sometime this week. Don’t know how yet but probably in the form of a draft in registered letter.
My bookcase costing about £4. Law books are rather costly. Am in a lot better shape than a good many of the men. Foster for instance told me last night that he was down to about £30. Had to put up £40 for furniture. Some of the men had to put up caution money also.
We have 5 acres of fine gardens. All the colleges have them mostly not so good however. I’m writing this in the Junior Common Room a sort of reading room for undergrads. Cost $15 per term of 8 weeks. Charged in battels everybody pays whether or no.
This whole country looks more like a park than anything else. The grass is fine and stays green the year round is cut up with rivers and canals, is about half wooded, the trees set out, and tended and I haven’t so far seen an wire fence in England. Every one speaks very softly, has enormous feet, girls too, sprouts a mustache if possible, sticks you on very corner.
Ordered a dress suit the other day. Have to give $30. About forty fiver in U.S. and will not be made nearly so well either. However I got a derby for seven bob or shillings that would cost about $3 at home. Things to eat tho are very high. The boys say that it is much cheaper on the continent. Kendall says he hasn’t had friend chicken since he left Okla. Nearest thing to it is grilled. They eat turnips here most every day. Don’t like that.
With love to all,
Charlie.
Disliking turnips seems to run in the family….