Notes on the

Charles Alling Diary, 1883-1884


The complete diary is available at the Duggan Library Archives, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.). The notes below correspond to entries transcribed for the Hanover Historical Texts Project in Winter 2009 by the students of His234 "Studies in American Cultural History: The Middle Class," taught by Sarah McNair Vosmeier (vosm@hanover.edu). Those entries are available here.

 





Charles Alling, Jr., diary, 20 and 21 Dec. 1883, page 57
Transcribed, with editorial comment, by Meghan Cooper

About Charles Alling

Mr. Charles Alling was born on December 13, 1865, in Madison, Indiana. His mother was the daughter of Reverend Sylvester Scovel, who was the president of Hanover College from 1846 to 1849. Mr. Charles Alling went to Hanover College from 1881 through 1885. After Hanover, he went to Michigan University from 1886 to 1888 and became a member of the Chicago Bar Association. Following graduation, he was a lawyer and attorney for Women and Children (1895-1905), a worker for the Legal Aid Society, a Dean of Chicago Business and Law (1906-1912) , and a member of the Chicago city legislative (1897-1905). Until 1914, he was a practicing lawyer for Chicago. His retirement from this field probably resulted from the accident with Frank Kilmer, a prosecutor, who shot Mr. Alling’s right eye. Also that year, he married Jane Murdoch, on March 28, 1914. Instead of raising children, they filled their house with works of art. In their free time, the Allings participated in the University and Union League Clubs, went to the opera, and were active in the First Presbyterian Church. Mr. Alling died of a cerebral hemorrhage on November 25, 1931; he was almost sixty-six years old.

About college life in 1880s

During the 1880s, new activities were being added to the Hanoverian roster. First of all, the freshman excursion was born, which was an activity that was supposed to bring the new class together in a bond of friendship, like August Experience today. In 1883, the first boat trip was held. Two years later, the first dance was held. Classic Hall was the only academic building on campus. Obviously, the school was a lot smaller than it is today. In December, 1882, the first dorm was completed, College Point House. It had twenty-six rooms, three floors, a dining room, kitchen, and basement. Most of the college students lived off campus in Hanover or neighboring Madison. Men and women could not live in the same dorm. At Hanover, like the rest of American colleges at the time, women were probably limited to what they could do outside of class, as we read in Campus Life. The gymnasium was not built until 1896, but the college did have the first YMCA in the world specifically for college students. During the 1880s, football was a big deal. People went to the games and showed their colors and spirit. For those who wanted something else to do, the college was a proud owner of a 73 ½ equatorial telescope. During this time, campus life was starting to evolve into the campus life we have today.

Sources: Hanover College, Supplement to July Bulletin; “Charles Alling, Retired Lawyer, Taken by Death,” Chicago Daily Tribune, 26 November 1931; Frank S. Baker, Glimpses of Hanover’s Past: 1827-1977 (Seymour: Graessle-Mercer Company, 1978), 115-174; “Poet’s Corner: The Mistletoe Bough,” (accessed 26 September 2010); Helen L. Horowitz, College Life (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987).


Charles Alling, Jr., diary, 22 and 23 Dec. 1883, page 58
Transcribed, with editorial comment, by Tiffanie Patton, HC 2012

Biographical Information

Charles Alling was born on December 13, 1865, in Madison, Indiana. He became a student at Hanover College in 1879 and studied there for six years. Charles Alling was the first person in his family to complete college; however, his family was successful. His father, Charles Alling, Sr. was a hardware merchant and raised eight children. His family attended the First Presbyterian Church in Hanover, Indiana, and Alling speaks highly of this experience in his diary. Alling wrote his diary while at Hanover College, and the excerpt that I will be explaining comes from December 22nd and 23rd of 1884.

The Alling family can be referred to as middle class because Charles Alling, Sr. owned his own hardware store, making decent money and owning something. Also, Charles Alling, Jr. attended Hanover College. This college education would automatically put him in the middle class.

Explanations

Florence Harper was seventeen years old in 1884 and lived in Madison, Indiana, in 1880. She had four sisters and one brother, and her father was a druggist.

In Charles Alling’s diary entry, he mentions that he went sleighing with some friends and family members and that he had to pay a dollar for his sleigh. Following this statement, Alling questioned, “…but what is that to me?” This is interesting because a dollar was worth a lot more in 1884 than it is in today’s world. Alling talks about paying a dollar as if it were not a big deal to him because he has plenty of money. Since Alling was only eighteen in 1884 and a college student, the majority of his income was probably coming from his parents. Alling’s father, also named Charles Alling, was recorded in the 1880 census as being a hardware merchant, and other diary entries make it apparent that he owned a store. This type of property most likely made the Alling family better off financially than other families of this time.

Alling mentions that they took Graham’s horse out when they went sleighing. Alexander Graham was the same age as Charles Alling, eighteen years old, in 1884. He lived in Madison, Indiana, and also attended Hanover College.

Mr. Brown was the preacher at the First Presbyterian Church in 1884. When Charles Alling mentions S.S., he is referring to Sunday school. Alling wrote about the weather and how it affected attendance at church. One part that stood out was when Alling said, “Mrs. Snyder was away and the younger members let themselves out.” This is interesting because it illustrates one type of common etiquette from the nineteenth century. Like children were to respect their parents, young adults were to respect their elders. Mrs. Snyder was probably an elder in the church who led the choir. Since she couldn’t get there because of the weather, the younger church members were allowed to dismiss themselves. I did not find any information to prove that Mrs. Snyder worked for the church, but it is pretty obvious based on Alling’s diary entry.

Jen is probably Jennie Graham, sister of Alexander Graham mentioned before.

Sources: “Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885," Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Indiana); “Retired Lawyer, Taken By Death,” Chicago Daily Tribune, 26 Nov. 1931; U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Hanover, Jefferson County, Indiana, series T9, roll 287, p. 147, s.v. "Charles Alling,”; Claire Suddath, “The Middle Class,” Time, 27 Feb. 2009; Tenth Census, 1880, Hanover, Jefferson County, Indiana, series T9, roll 287, p. 118, s.v. "Florence Harper”; Tenth Census, 1880, Hanover, Jefferson County, Indiana, series T9, roll 287, p. 153, s.v. "Alexander Graham," Jennie Graham."


Charles Alling, Jr., diary, 24 and 25 Dec. 1883, page 59
Transcribed, with editorial comment, by Sarah Helms, HC 2012

Editorial Comment

Charles Alling, Jr., is the third eldest among eight siblings. He was born on December 13th, 1865. Charles wrote a diary during his junior year at Hanover College. He was part of the Sigma Chi fraternity and graduated with his bachelor’s degree in 1885. His father, Charles Sr., was a hardware merchant and his mother, Harriet, was a homemaker and mother of eight, ages ranging from twenty-two to one year old. Charles, Jr., had only one sister, named Kittie, who was two years older than he.

Alling refers to helping his younger brother Howard, age sixteen, at the family store. He goes on to talk about doing labor as a college boy. He calls it “honest labor” and goes on to indicate some animosity towards his fellow college-aged men who are disdainful toward manual labor. Interestingly enough, Horowitz explains this mentality in Campus Life. In this text, she explains that college men held themselves to a higher standard than those of the working class. Many college students, like Alling, came from the middle class and looked to gain preparation and experience for their futures. Alling seems to fit into the class of “college-boys” that Horowitz describes. He was to learn and gain experience during his years in college but seems to have enough peer-relationships to not be considered an “outsider.”

These entries in Charles Alling’s diary surround a holiday that most middle-class Americans observe with some fervor, Christmas. Alling discusses what each of his siblings received for Christmas. He references himself, as well as his elder siblings, as the “Older Ones.” He calls them the “poor way farers” when discussing what they received for their gifts. Upon further reading apart from this transcription, Alling describes the eldest siblings’ gifts as “good, but did not seem like a Christmas gift for he sometimes gives me as much as $20.” He is describing his father only giving him a five piece. In comparison to his sister, who received the same, he finds this gift almost inadequate when relishing past and future Christmases.

I was confused as to who Van was, and found that he was Alling’s seven-year-old brother. Rob, who is also mentioned, is short for Robinson, who was ten years old at the time of this entry. Alling uses “ditto” several times when explaining that his family members had received the same or similar presents for Christmas.

Sources: "Census of Madison City, Jefferson Co. Indiana, 1880," Heritage Quest Online,; Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz, Campus Life (New York : Knopf, 1987); "Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885," Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.).

 

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Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, 28 and 29 Dec. 1883, page 62
Transcribed, with editorial comment, by Kelsey Weihe, HC 2014

 

Charles Alling was 14 years old at the time of the 1880 census, which would make him about 17 years old at the time that he was writing this journal entry in December of 1883.  He was in school at Hanover College and his family was living in Madison, Indiana.   His father was also named Charles Alling, and his mother was Harriet Alling.  The Alling household was very full at the time of the 1880 census: Charles, Harriet, Albert, Kittie, Charles, Howard, William, Robinson, Van Wagenen, Frederick, and E. McLaughlen were all living under the Alling roof.

It is evident from Alling’s diary entry from December 29, 1883 that Alling still played a large role in the family while in school.  Alling still helped his father with work in a business that requires “stock taking.”  Further research of the 1880 census shows that Alling’s father, Charles, was a hardware merchant.

In Alling’s December 29th entry, he mentions going to “the operetta – Pepita.”  From this and from Alling’s earlier mention of having a small gathering with dancing and good company, the reader catches a glimpse of Alling’s middle class status.   Also, at the time, going to college was a privilege of the middle class or higher, which again supports the inference that Charles Alling’s family was a middle-class family.

Another middle class value that Alling embodies is his care for his appearance.  This diary entry shows that he cares about the condition of his clothes – he wants to look clean. This is a quality that Rev. John Todd discusses in The Student Manual.  Rev. John Todd talks about dressing neatly and cleanliness in general and its importance in society as a gentleman.  Readers could also take this as meaning that this may be one of his only outfits, and therefore he really needs to keep it in good condition. Alling’s entry also emphasizes that he is hard-working.  

Sources: U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Madison, Jefferson, Indiana, series T9, roll 287, p. 147D, s.v. “Charles Alling,” Ancestry.com; John Todd, The Student Manual (Northampton:  J. H. Butler, 1835).

Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, 3 and 4 Jan. 1884, page 65
Transcribed, with editorial comment, by Brandon Doub, HC 2013

Charles Alling Jr. references a ‘Tom’ as he speaks of taking stock at his father’s hardware store – Alling and Lodge Hardware Co. The hardware store was located at 118 East Main Street in downtown Madison, Indiana. At this time, it was owned by Alling’s father, Charles Alling senior, and his partner, Gavin Lodge. Tom Todds is an individual mentioned in not only this entry, but Alling’s December 31st entry as he wrote about working for his father. Hence, it should be gathered that the Tom mentioned is the Tom Todds who was also an employee of the hardware store.

Alling mentions having ‘been out’ to Kimmel’s to skate. Census and land ownership records indicate that a George Kimmel lived just a few blocks away from the Alling residence located at 519 Main Street, now named Jefferson Street. Mr. Kimmel, a brick maker by trade, resided at 912 Walnut Street on a plot of land that spanned beyond city limits. Mr. George Kimmel’s particular property and a stone quarry, ever-so conveniently, were located just off of Crooked Creek. Local historians recount a number of small ponds that had sustained by the creek for various reasons or another on the outskirts of the 3rd ward. Sadly, they report that most all of them have been filled in and built upon over the last sixty to eighty years.

Edith Fisher is referenced as having gone home with Walter. Though the ‘Walter’ in this context remains to be unknown, Edith Fisher is signified as being a sophomore at Hanover College during the 1884-85 academic year. Edith is listed as having been one of the few that took “Special courses” compared to the traditional Scientific or Classical courses.

Also within this entry, Alling makes quick mention of ‘Lot Brewer.’ Again, census and land ownership records indicate that Miss Lottie, or “Lotta” Brewer was the daughter of Samuel Brewer, a printer living in the 4th Ward. The Brewers resided at 509 West Street. Lotta Brewer is seventeen years old when she is referenced in this passage.

A younger brother by four years, William, helped Charles junior ‘sweep’ the sidewalks off ‘every now and again’ after an evening of snow. Charles goes on to state that he and his brother Howard, two years younger, attempted to visit the Lepper girls. Census records indicate the Lepper girls mentioned were the daughters of Mr. and Mrs. William and Mary Lepper. The girls, Lilly and Daisy, are sixteen and twelve years of age, respectively, at the time of the entry.

Alling also writes of an unknown female by the name of ‘Sadie L’ attending Moore’s Hill College. Moore’s Hill College was a college founded in the small town of Moores Hill in southeastern Indiana, not too far northeast of Madison, Indiana in Dearborn County. Opening in 1854, Moores Hill College remained in Moores Hill until 1917 when it closed its doors to make the move to Evansville, Indiana. Moores Hill College reopened its doors in 1919 under the new name of Evansville College. Today, some 156 years later, the legacy of Moores Hill College lives on through what is now known as the University of Evansville.

Miss Florence Harper is the seventeen year old of Mr. and Mrs. Fred and Emily Harper. The Harper family resided at 412 West Third Street in Madison, Indiana. Fred Harper was a prescription clerk that worked at the northwest corner of Main and Jefferson Streets.

Lastly, Alling mentions an orchestra playing at the 2nd Church S.S. Presumably, the church being referenced here was the old 2nd Presbyterian Church located in Madison at 101 East Main Street. The church was constructed in 1835 and though the church no longer resides in the building, the building remains. Today it is named the ‘John T. Windle Auditorium’ and is said to be open to the public for cultural and presentations and other special events.

Sources: Ron Grimes and Bob Thomas, Jefferson County Historical Society volunteers, conversation with author, 22 Sep. 2010. U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Hanover, Jefferson County, Indiana, s.v. "George Kimmel," Heritage Quest, HeritageQuestOnline.com. Edith Fisher, “The Alumni Record,” in Bulletin Hanover College, ed. Joshua Bolles Garritt et al, Vol. V, No. 11, March 1, 1913. U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Hanover, Jefferson County, Indiana, s.v. "Samuel Brewer," Heritage Quest, HeritageQuestOnline.com.  U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Hanover, Jefferson County, Indiana, s.v. "Charles Alling," Heritage Quest, HeritageQuestOnline.com. U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Hanover, Jefferson County, Indiana, s.v. "William C. Lepper," Heritage Quest, HeritageQuestOnline.com. “History,” University of Evansville,  (accessed 25 Sep. 2010). U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Hanover, Jefferson County, Indiana, s.v. "Fred Harper," Heritage Quest, HeritageQuestOnline.com.


Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, 10 and 11 Jan. 1884
Transcribed, with editorial comment, by Emily Fehr, HC 2013

Charles Alling was a Madison native, born to Charles Alling and Harriet Scovel in 1865. Alling’s father was a merchant, which is possibly why Alling was prosperous enough to attend college.  Alling continued his education by attending Hanover College and graduating in 1885.  Today, we are fortunate to have Alling’s diary, in which he wrote almost daily from September 1883 to December 1884.  Alling was not the first of his family to be part of Hanover College.  His grandfather, Sylvester Scovel, became the fourth President of the college.   Scovel became president in 1846, and his term came to a sudden end on July 4, 1849 when he died of cholera.

Doctor Fisher’s name is actually Daniel Webster Fisher, and he is often referred to as D.W. Fisher.  Fisher began as a “Holliday Prof. of Logic and Mental Philosophy and Crowe Memorial Prof. of Biblical Instruction.”  Fisher’s impact on Hanover College did not end with teaching.  He became president of the college in 1879, ending his term in 1907.  There is further evidence of Fisher’s Presidency in the 1884 Hanover Monthly, which includes an advertisement for the college listing him as president.  It is interesting to compare the cost of Hanover then to Hanover expenses now.  Tuition was free, boarding ranged from $2.75 to $3.50 per week, and other expenditures ranged from $40 to $60, totaling no more than $175 to $200 per semester.  This advertisement encouraged people to enroll in the upcoming semester, noting that Hanover accepted both sexes and promoting the two tracks offered: Classical and Scientific. 

I looked at the Hanover College Timeline to find out important events at Hanover in the 1880s.  The first thing that caught my attention was that women were not “admitted to full privileges as students at Hanover College” until September of 1880.  The next event that struck me was the charter of Kappa Alpha Theta on campus on January 2, 1882.  The first fraternity at Hanover was established in 1853, only 29 years before the arrival of a sorority on campus.  I mostly noticed the shift from focusing on men to focusing on men and women as I looked at 1880s Hanover College.  Calla Harrison, the first woman of Hanover College, graduated in 1883.  Finally, I felt as though the establishment of the Department of Music and Art in 1887 was important.  I view this as important because today we see the arts being cut out of the curriculum in schools.

Sources: Clinton D. Christensen, "Finding Aid to the Charles Alling, 1865-1931, diary, 1883-1884," 2000, Duggan Library, Hanover College, http://library.hanover.edu/pdf/MSS21_Alling.pdf (accessed 25 Sept. 2012), p. 3; Hanover Monthly:  From 1883.-84.-85. (Hanover College);  “Hanover College History,” Hanover College:  Duggan Library, http://library.hanover.edu/archives/hchistory.php (accessed 24 Sept. 2012); Annual Catalog of Hanover College 1884 (Hanover College:  Duggan Library); Sarah McNair Vosmeier, lecture for “Studies in American Cultural History: The Middle Class,” 19 September 2012.

 

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Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, 19 and 20 Jan. 1884, page 75
Transcribed, with editorial comment, by Jennifer Wullenweber, HC 2012

About Charles Alling

Charles Alling was born in Madison, Indiana, on December 13, 1865, to Charles Alling and Harriet Scovel Alling. He was the grandson of Sylvester Scovel, fourth president of Hanover College. Alling graduated from Hanover College in 1885. He attended the University of Michigan from 1886-1888 where he received his Associate of Masters degree in law. From 1897 to 1905 he was an Alderman in Chicago. From 1902 to 1907 he served as judge advocate and Lieutenant Colonel of the Illinois National Guard. Alling served as the Dean of Chicago Business School of Law and was the Grand Consul and editor of the national publication of Sigma Chi. Beginning in 1907 he worked as an attorney for the Illinois State Board of Health. He married Jane Murdoch on March 28, 1914. He died on November 25, 1931, in his home at the age of 66.

About this excerpt

Mr. John B. McCoy was a Baptist preacher in the Hanover area, possibly at the college itself. In the census of 1880 he was 34 years old and had a wife named Lizzie, but had no children. It was very unusual in the 1880s that Hanover would have a Baptist preacher though because the college is rooted strongly in the Presbyterian faith. Charles also talks about the Y.M.C.A. Hanover had a Y.M.C.A. built in 1883, which is where most of the students exercised and possibly had group meetings held. After Y.M.C.A. Charles was talking to Howard Fisher who was a classmate of Charles and graduated from Hanover in 1886 about predestination.

Sources: Alumni Record: 1827-1927, Bulletin of Hanover College, Vol. 20 No. 4, Jan. 1, 1928; Frank S. Baker, Glimpses of Hanover's Past: 1827-1977; "Charles Alling. Retired Lawyer, Taken By Death," Chicago Daily Tribune, 26 November 1931; U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana, series T9, roll 287, p. 28.


Charles Alling Diary, 7 April 1884, page 83
Transcribed, with editorial comment, by Michael Gilliam, HC 2011

 

Background and Explanations

In the second paragraph, Alling talks about how the Spring Exhibitions had just ended. I discovered that the Spring Exhibitions were speeches that were given over the course of several days. One example was a speech delivered during the Spring Exhibition of March 25, 1863, by a man named John Holliday, a student at Hanover College at the time. This particular speech discussed the Civil War and hatred toward slavery. These exhibitions probably would have been very popular amongst the students at Hanover College because their own peers gave some of the speeches, as well as some guest speakers.

Another interesting passage I found in Charles Alling's entry from April 7 was his discussion of his sister. He states that she came down for the Spring Exhibitions and visited Dr. Fisher. We discovered in class that Dr. Fisher was mentioned several times in different entries leading us to believe that he was close to Alling, and apparently his family as well. Charles Alling had only one sister named Kittie, who was two years older.

In regards to Dr. Fisher, I found it very interesting that Charles was so close to him. We learned earlier in the semester from Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz and her book Campus Life, that the student-professor relationship was a very hostile one. It was not uncommon for riots as well as fights to break out during a school year, and we do not hear much of students taking an interest in getting to know their professors on a personal level. One explanation that did cross my mind while investigating this mystery in the archives was that Dr. Fisher had a son the same age as Charles named Howard. Obviously if Charles was close to Howard Fisher, he would probably know his father very well as well.

Another interesting topic of Alling's diary entry was in his final paragraph, where he talks about a certain young lady by the name of Ella Peace, whom he has taken quite an interest in. He talks about the date they had when he took her riding, which I assume meant on either horses or possibly bikes, and goes on to talk about how he sometimes gets jealous when other boys show her attention. He then says something very interesting when he states, "She is quite popular since Aunt Drusie & Uncle Newt allow her to go out in society." This made a lot of sense considering the male and female societies were still so segregated in the college environment. We did not yet have coed dorms, or even coed classrooms in some institutions, so being allowed to go out in public to hang out with those of other gender was a big deal.

Sources: John Holliday, "Conservatists," The Indianapolis Star Magazine, 25 March 1863, 1; Helen L. Horowitz, Campus Life: Undergraduate Cultures from the End of the Eighteenth Century to the Present (Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 1987), 23-55, 193-219.

Charles Alling Diary, 8 Apr. 1884
Transcribed, with editorial comment, by Jake Cummins, HC 2012

About Charles Alling

Charles Alling, Jr. was born in Madison, Indiana, on December 13, 1865. He attended Hanover College from 1879 to 1885. He graduated from Hanover College and continued to study law at the University of Michigan until 1888, when he received a law doctorate from the university. He was a member of Sigma Chi and became the Grand Consul and editor of their national publication. While he worked as an attorney for the Illinois State Board of Health, there was a murder attempt on his life. The gunman shot him in the eye, but he eventually healed. He married Jane Murdoch but had no children. He died in 1931.

About this excerpt

Charles Alling starts by stating that he has not been able to keep up on his journal entries because he was in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was there to help the Hon. Nathan Powell at the state oratorical. Nathan Powell was born in Madison, Indiana. After graduating from Hanover College in 1884, he studied law at Johns Hopkins University and Harvard University. Alling went to Indianapolis with members of Sigma Chi named Fisher, Wiggam, Turner, Irwin, and Voris. After the contest, they attended the Sigma Chi banquet at the New Denison. According to Alling, this event was the most extravagant occasion he had ever been a part of. He also comments on how expensive the banquet was by commenting on his "pocket book." He later makes a comment referring to himself as a "poor Boy." This shows that Alling did not see himself as an upper- or maybe even middle-class member.


Sources: "Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885, "Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Indiana); "Alumni File of Nathan Powell, Class 1884," Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College, (Hanover, Indiana).

Charles Alling Diary, 23 April 1884
Transcribed, with editorial comments by Amber Carrell, HC 2010

Charles Alling's junior year at Hanover, Spring Semester Classes
During this particular semester in April, Charles Alling was taking a total of six classes. It seems that at Hanover in 1884, students did not have much of a choice, if any, in classes they took, since what was offered was limited. These seven classes were divided into two groups. The two groups young Alling's classes were divided into were the scientific classes and the classics classes. Alling's scientific courses consisted of an Optics class, a Greek comedy class, an Anatomy, Physiology, and Microscopy class, and finally an International Law class. The group of classic classes taken by Alling in April of 1884 continued some of the classes from his scientific grouping such as Optics, Anatomy, Physiology, and Microscopy, and International Law. However, unlike the scientific grouping, the classics included a new course of Special Physics and Special Chemistry. Classes changed three times a year with each semester.

The composition of Alling's junior class

Alling's junior class in 1884 had nineteen students, including Alling. Based on the names of the students, it is reasonable to assume Alling's class was composed solely of males. Thus, it is fair to assume that at this time it was rare, if it happened at all, for a woman to attend school at Hanover. Sixteen students out of Alling's class were either from Hanover or neighboring towns in Indiana. Only three students were from out of state. Out of the students from Indiana, four were from Madison, one was from Charleston, one was from Franklin, one was from Vernon, three were locals from Hanover, one was from Greensburg, two from Vevay, one from Seymour, and finally one from Deputy, Indiana. The three from out of state were from Nicholasville, Ohio; New Liberty, Kentucky; and Chilocothe, Ohio. Hence, due to the class ratio from local Indiana students and students from out of state, and due to the difficulty and expense of travel, one can make the inference that it was difficult for students from a considerable distance to get to Hanover or even hear about it.

Alling's residence hall

Alling mentions the Point House in this diary excerpt. The Point House existed where the Administration building sits now (in 2009), adjacent to the Fiji fraternity house and College House. The Point House was built obviously prior to 1884, and lasted until it was torn down in 1958 during the year that also marked the end of Albert Charles Parker, Jr.'s term as president at Hanover College and marked the beginning of John Edward Horner's term as president. The Point House began as an all-male dormitory, but as a few students fondly remember, it became a controversial co-ed dorm before it was destroyed in 1958.

Sources: Clinton D. Christenson, Annual Catalog of Hanover College, Hanover College Archives, 1833-present, April of 1884, Frank S. 1978. Glimpses of Hanover's Past, 1827-1977. [s.l.]: Graessle-Mercer Co.

 

 

Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, 4 May 1884, page 86
Transcribed, with editorial comments by Jared Gluff, HC 2011

About Charles Alling
Charles Alling, Jr., was born in Madison, Indiana, on December 13, 1865, to Charles and Harriet Alling. He had six brothers and one sister. Alling attended Hanover College from 1879 to 1885 and received his bachelor's degree; four years later, he received his master's degree from Hanover as well. He was the first in his family to complete a college education. Alling was an active member of the Sigma Chi fraternity during his time at Hanover and after.

As stated in Campus Life by Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz, Alling is considered a college man because of his active membership in his fraternity, which is one of the key markers of the college man category. Charles Alling, Jr., acquired a quite impressive resume throughout his lifetime. Charles Alling served as the editor of the Sigma Chi Catalogue and as the Grand Consul from 1907 to 1909. Charles had the longest stint as superintendant of First Presbyterian Church School -- thirteen years between 1892 and 1912. He was part of the National Guard from 1902 to 1907. He was the attorney for the Illinois State Board of Health and Dean of the Chicago Business Law School. Alling married Jane Murdoch on March 28, 1914, but the two had no children.

About Dr. Daniel Fisher
Dr. Daniel Fisher was born on January 17, 1838, in Arch Spring, Pennsylvania. He coincidentally graduated from Jefferson College (Hanover is in Jefferson County) in Pennsylvania and studied theology. He pastored numerous churches throughout his career including Second Presbyterian Church in Madison, Indiana, which is just outside of Hanover. In 1879, Fisher became president of Hanover College and served until his resignation 27 years later. According to The National Cyclopedia of American Biography, his presidency included many challenges, including erasing the institution's debt, increasing the endowment, and restoring confidence among churches and friends of the college itself. At the time of his retirement, the college's endowment was $200,000, and the property and buildings were worth $150,000.

About John Ferguson

Alling also mentions his friend and roommate, John Ferguson, who was a fellow member of Sigma Chi at Hanover College and a graduate in the class of 1887 and was deputy clerk.

Sources: Lyman Abbott and others, The National Cyclopedia of American Biography (James T. White and Company, 1891), II, 125; Charles Alling, "Letters from Active Chapters," The Sigma Chi Quarterly, November, 1892, 337; "Charles Alling, Retired Lawyer, Taken By Death," Chicago Daily Tribune, 26 Nov. 1931; Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz, Campus Life (University of Chicago Press, 1987), 12-16; U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana, p. 24.


Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, Sunday, May 25, 1884, page 87
Transcribed, with editorial comments, by Hannah Clore, HC 2011

About Charles Alling
Born in Madison, Indiana, in 1866, Charles Alling was the son of Charles and Harriet Alling. His father was a hardware store owner, and his mother was a homemaker. The third oldest of eight children, Charles was the second child in his family to attend Hanover College. His older brother, Albert, is listed in Hanover’s archives as a non-graduate of Hanover. Charles was a very active member of Hanover’s student life and culture. Before his graduation in 1885, he often participated in orations and other such social events. Orations were seen as a form of socialization as well as scholarship; and for Commencement ceremonies, each graduate was expected to give an oration on a subject of their interest.  After graduation in 1885, Charles received his M.A. from Hanover in 1889 and attended the Law Department at the University of Michigan from 1886 to 1888 to receive his law degree. He married his wife Jane in 1914, with whom he bore no children.

About this excerpt
In this excerpt, Charles outlines his feelings on an oration he has just presented. These orations were a common occasion for Charles and his friends. He references a friend “Turner” who does not usually give compliments. This character is most likely William N. Turner, listed as a non-graduate of Hanover College in 1883. William Baird, another friend of Alling’s, did graduate from Hanover with Charles in 1885. William was also well-known on campus for his orations, as his name appears as commonly as Charles’s in Hanover’s collection of archived programs. However, Charles does mention that Will did not give as good an oration on this particular day as he usually did.

In the second half of the excerpt, Charles mentions a “Freshman Ex.” which can be none other than the annual Freshman Excursion. According to former President Millis’s book on Hanover’s history, “both the classes of 1885 and 1886 claim to have sponsored the first [Freshman Excursion] boat ride when they were freshman.” However, Alling references “similar scenes of a year ago… when the last class went” in his journal entry on this day. As the tradition was just beginning at Hanover, Alling makes sure to note that he very much enjoys the Freshman Excursion and that it should be continued throughout the years. In fact, the Freshman Excursion did continue as a boat ride down the Ohio until it lost popularity with Hanover students and gained popularity with locals in 1961. In that year, the last all Hanover Student Freshman Excursion took place.

Alling also mentions several girls who accompanied him and his friends to the Freshman Excursion. These women were not to be found in any Hanover archives or records; it is most likely that these women were locals. Hanover had just begun to admit women in the 1880s, and it is more likely that Charles and his friends met these women in town than at Hanover. In census data, a Carrie Calloway, whom Alling mentions accompanied his friend Heller to the Excursion, was quite a bit younger than Charles and his friends. Carrie was sixteen at the time of Alling’s graduation, which means she was fifteen during the Freshman Excursion. Alling’s friend Heller, on the other hand, is listed as a non-graduate of Hanover College in 1884. He came to Hanover from New York and left without a degree in 1884. Census data shows that he worked on a farm with his father; it was common in this time for Hanoverians to drop out of school to help out their families on the farm with the intention of coming back and finishing their degrees.

Sources: "Graduates of 1885," Bulletin of Hanover College Alumni Record, 1829-1912, 1827-1927, p. 56, 57; Commencement Program Collection, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.); William A. Millis, “Freshman Excursion,” in The History of Hanover College from 1827 to 1927 (Hanover, IN: Hanover College, 1927), 117-120; U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana, series T9, Roll 807, pg. 129, s.v. “William H. Heller.”; U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana, series T9, Roll 187, pg. 176, s.v. “Carrie Calloway.”

 

----

Additional editorial comments
Carrie Calloway was living at home with her parents and siblings in 1880, but Ella Peace and Alice Emmet were in less traditional households. Peace, who had been born in Texas, was boarding in Madison with her siblings but away from her parents, perhaps with maternal relatives. Emmet was living with her mother and her grandparents in 1880. "Lively as a cricket," she had plenty of opportunities to socialize with other young people because her grandfather owned a soda fountain in Madison. Ella Peace and Carrie Calloway were both juniors at the nearby Madison High School in 1884.

Sources: Ruth Hoggatt, "Graduates of the Madison High School: 1862 to 1895" (2009) MyIndianaHome.net (accessed 23 May 2009); U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Hanover, Jefferson County, Indiana, s.v. "Ella Pease," "Carrie Calloway," and "Allace B. Emmet." -smv

Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, Monday, May 26, 1884, page 88
Transcribed, with editorial comments, by Azra Besic, HC 2010

About Charles Alling and his Times
Charles Alling, Jr., was the third child of seven, born to Charles and Harriet Alling in Madison, Indiana, December 13, 1865, a little over eight months after the end of the American Civil War. Charles Alling (senior) described his profession in the 1870 census as "Hardware Merchant," while Harriet was a fulltime homemaker; this makes it safe to assume the family qualified as middle class. The family, as described in the 1870 census, consisted of Charles senior (37), Harriet (31), Albert (9), Kati (7), Charles Jr. (5), Howard (3) and William (1); his youngest brothers, Van and Frederick, were not yet born.

Charles's early education likely consisted of the staples of American education in the mid-to-late 1800s--reading, writing, mathematics, and the Bible. This early education clearly had strong moral and religious content, as indicated by his multiple references to Sunday as the Christian Sabbath and fond memories of Bible stories; that education influenced Charles all of his life, leading him to become active in community politics and civic organizations. Charles attended Hanover College, graduating in 1885, the year during which the first successful appendectomy was performed, Leopold II established Belgian possession of the Congo, the Washington monument was dedicated, Grover Cleveland succeeded Chester Alan Arthur as president of the United States, AT&T was incorporated, Louis Pasteur tested his Rabies vaccine, Serbia declared war on Bulgaria, and America's first skyscraper was built in Chicago .

Charles went on to the University of Michigan, was admitted to the bar in Chicago in 1888, and received a master's degree in 1889. He went on to practice law until Christmas Eve, 1914, when he lost his right eye to a gun shot wound inflicted by a defendant he was prosecuting for the Illinois State Board of Health . Earlier in 1914, on March 28, Charles had married Jane Murdoch, who, along with his brothers Van and Fred outlived him. Charles and Jane had no children.

Additional Topics in this Excerpt
In his diary, Charles mentions Miss Mary Hanley and a grandma Crane. A census search returned seventeen Mary Hanleys in Indiana in 1880; of these, he may be referring to a 27 year old black seamstress and washer woman who lived in Madison , though I am unable to assert this with confidence.

Regarding "An eminent priest has said, 'give me the children to educate till six years of age and you (protestants) can make what you please of them,'" it seems Charles may have been referring to someone else's citation of the Jesuit motto, "Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man." This quote is often attributed by some to Francis Xavier (1506-52), and by others to Baltasar Gracian (1601-58).

Sources: "Census of Madison City, Jefferson Co. Indiana, 1870," Heritage Quest Online, Indiana Public Libraries; Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1885, s.v. 1885; "Charles Alling, Retired Lawyer, Taken by Death," Chicago Daily Tribune, Thursday, November 26, 1931; "Census of Madison City, Jefferson Co. Indiana, 1880," Heritage Quest Online, Indiana Public Libraries; "Census of Madison City, Jefferson Co. Indiana, 1860," Heritage Quest Online, Indiana Public Libraries.

 

Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, Monday, May 26, 1884, page 88
Additional editorial comments, by Aly Ernstberger, HC 2010

Professor Young was a science professor at Hanover College -- a wonderful professor as stated in Hanover College Monthly: “Professor incites his pupils” to learn and be engaged in the lectures.  A few days prior to this diary page being written on May 23, Professor Young and his wife hosted a celebration at their house for the senior class, with whom he was most liked.  In addition, Professor Young seemed to be involved with activities outside his classroom lectures.  In April, 1884, Professor Young attended the Congressional Convention of the Republican Party as a delegate for the Hanover Township.

Charles Alling relaxed on a Sunday afternoon in May after attending S.S., which stands for Sunday school or Sabbath School.  Alling lay on his bed as he read “My Chateux,” which translates as “My Castle” and “A Bachelor’s Reverie,” which translates into “A Bachelor’s Dream.”  Each of these stories, as well as the context of this diary, expresses Charles Alling’s deep thoughts about his future career.  Since his father owned the local hardware store, Alling could have been thinking about the possibility of obtaining a career outside the family business. Charles Alling and his friends, one of them being Howard Fisher, son of Professor Fisher at Hanover College, believed they started a new trend of clothing called cut-aways and frock coats.  A four-button cut-away is an old fashioned men’s daytime formal wear that has the bottom portion of the coat split away from the man’s waist so that it curves toward the back of the coat. Howard Fisher owned a frock coat, which is a snug fitting, knee length coat that contains a vent in the back.

Sources: Hanover College, Hanover Monthly, vol. 1-11 1883-1885, Feb. 1884 (Madison:   Courier Company), 93; Hanover College, Hanover Monthly, vol. 1-11, May 1884 (Madison: Courier Company), 142; s.v. "Cut-away,” Dictionary.com, 2009, 25 January 2009.


Charles
Transcribed, with editorial comments, by Hanna-Maria Dubourg

About Charles Alling, Jr.

Charles Alling, Jr., was a Hanover College student (from 1879 to 1885) who wrote a diary during his junior year in 1884. He was born in Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana, on December 13, 1865. His father, Charles Alling, Sr., was a "descendent of Roger Alling, who was a life treasurer of the New Haven colony of Pilgrims founded in 1638. His mother, Harriet Scovel, was the daughter of the Rev. Sylvester Scovel, who was the fourth president of Hanover College from 1846 to 1849." In 1879 he attended Hanover College, where he studied for six years. He graduated in 1885 with his Bachelor's Degree. From 1886 to 1888, he studied at the University of Michigan, where he received his Master's Degree in law and a doctorate in law. "From 1897 to 1905 he was an Alderman in Chicago. He served as judge advocate and Lieutenant Colonel of the Illinois National Guard from 1902 to 1907. Alling was the Dean of Chicago Business School of Law and was the Grand Consul and editor for the national publication of Sigma Chi [a fraternity]. Beginning in 1907, he worked as an attorney for the Illinois State Board of Health." Charles Alling practiced law until 1914. (Alling was in his office in Chicago, when a man called Frank Klimer came in and shot him in the eye; he lost consciousness but then recovered.) On March 28, 1914, he married Jane Murdoch, the daughter of the late Thomas Murdoch, a wholesale grocer. On November 25, 1932, he died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

A year before his graduation, in his junior year in 1883, he decided to write a diary, in which he describes his experience as a Hanover College student.

Charles' acquaintances
Charles Alling made lots of acquaintances when he was around Hanover College and Madison in 1883-1884. He talked about the Harper family but more about George and Will ("my early years on Main St. are intimately associated with the Harper boys - George and Will") and more precisely about Will ("Will Harper who was an interesting party at that time"). Charles's other acquaintances were "Charley, alias Sonny" 12, "Belser" 13, and "Harvey." I did some research about these people, and, except the diary, I found nothing. The last person that Alling mentioned in this excerpt is "'Professor' A. H. Young." According to another source, Professor A. H. Young was a Ph.D. professor of natural science at Hanover College from 1879 to1926. He "was a great teacher, and breathed deeply the spirit of scientific inquiry." "His laboratory was the first in which the students had an opportunity to do individual experimentation." "He was a man who was deeply interested in the slowly developing uses of electricity." Thus we can say that, according to this excerpt, Charles Alling made lots of acquaintances with whom he did some very attractive activities.

Charles' activities
When Charles Alling, Jr., first attended Hanover College in 1879, he was only fourteen years old. In 1883-1884, he was around eighteen or nineteen years old. According to his diary, Charles was playful and curious: "and many an hour have I spent in rolling clay marbles and balls to bake in the sun." What was also funny at the time was stealing stores: "That was the time when our passion for keeping a store was at its height. Those fellows were in the habit of stealing all the stock from the drug store." However when we talk about stealing, we also talk about escape, which was the case for Charles and his friends: they "found convenient avenue of escape and were soon past all danger." There was another game that boys liked to play with each other, which was teasing other friends like Harvey in this particular case: "Will often tells that Harvey, as he calls him, grew very angry one day where he stopped him in a buggy just to ride from Broadway hotel to his grandfather Greens - or Fords present residence." I think that this behavior was and is still typical of boys/men.

The last activity that Charles mentioned in this excerpt is the episode of the velocipede (see picture). As we can notice, this activity was important to him: "Let me not fail to mention the velocipede they [Mr. and Mrs. Harper] had given them [George and Will] on one Christmas It was among the first in Madison and the rest of us boys considered it quite a treat to have a ride." The velocipedes were created around 1850s-1860s in America. Thus it was a luxury at the time to possess this kind of vehicle.

As a conclusion, I would like to say that this excerpt was very interesting because it gives us, twenty-first century students, an idea of how students from the late nineteenth century lived. For instance, we noticed that Charles Alling made lots of acquaintances when he lived in Madison and in Hanover College (friends, parents, and professors), and that he did different activities with them (the velocipede, stealing stores, playing games). He seemed to be a very interested, playful, and nice man.


Sources: Charles Alling Jr., "Supplement to July Bulletin" (Hanover College's Library's Archives); Chicago Daily Tribune, 26 November 1931 (Hanover College's library's Archives); Clinton D. Christensen, "Charles Alling, 1865-1931"; Charles Alling, Jr., diary, 1883-1884; MSS 21; Hanover College Archives Agnes Brown Duggan Library; Hanover, Ind.; Waterloo Reporter (Iowa), vec 24, 1913, page 2; William Alfred Millis, History of Hanover College, 1827-1927, WM Mitchell Printing Co. Greenfield, Ind., 1927, page 204; Wikipedia, s.v. Velociped, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velocipede. Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_American_Velocipede.jpg


Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, 26 May 1884, page 92
Transcribed, with editorial comments, by Kari Stieler

About Charles Alling Jr.
Charles Alling, Jr., was the son of Charles and Harriet Scovel Alling. He was one of six brothers and sisters: Albert, Howard, Robert, Kitty, Will, and Fred.
He was born on December 13, 1865, in Madison, Indiana, where he stayed to attend college at Hanover College from 1879 to 1885. During this time, he was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz states that college men of this time were less interested in "faculty standards" or success and were greatly intrigued by social rules of competing, girls, and drinking . Charles Alling was different. Although it is a possibility that he enjoyed the fraternity lifestyle, he must have cared for his grades because in six years (1885) he graduated with a bachelor's degree. Later, he attended the Law Department of University of Michigan, from 1886 to 1888. He then received his L.L.B. in 1888 and became a lawyer. On March 28, 1914, he married Jane Murdoch and had no children. He was involved in many different clubs throughout late adulthood including: member of multiple Sigma Chi organizations for alumni, superitendent of Sunday school for thirteen years, founder of the Indiana Society of Chicago, and member of the Union League club, the University Club of Chicago, the Knollwood Country club, the National Guard, and the Friends of Opera. His life finally came to a conclusion on November 25, 1931.

About this excerpt
He mentions a Capt. Spillman whom he and his friends would visit. It is difficult to discover who Capt. Spillman was, but I did discover a forty-four year old merchant who could be referred to as "captain" and who lived in Trimble County, Kentucky. Later in the journal, he speaks of Trimble and Carroll counties. These are located on the other side of the Ohio River in Kentucky. Trimble in the county immediately to the south, and Carroll is neighboring it to the east. Alling mentions Capt. Spillman residing opposite of Eagle Hollow, which is in southern Indiana just north of the Ohio River. There is a bridge that links into Kentucky and placed a traveler on Spillman Ln. aligned with the border between Trimble and Carroll counties. Charles expresses his enjoyment for Kentucky dinners, and it would be conceivable to believe these locations are in Kentucky .

Sources: Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz, Campus Life (New York : Knopf, 1987); "Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885," Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.); United States Atlas, 1990.


Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, 26 May 1884, page 93
Transcribed, with editorial comments, by Justin Maltsberger, HC 2009

About Charles Alling, Jr.

Charles Alling, Jr., was born on December 13, 1865, to Charles and Harriet Scovel Alling. Alling had five brothers - Albert S. Alling, Howard S. Alling, Robert Alling, Will R. Alling, and Frederick Alling - as well as one sister, Miss Kitty Alling. He attended Hanover College in 1879, receiving his Bachelor's Degree six years later in 1885. While at Hanover College, Alling was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. Greek life in the nineteenth century was a new outlet for undergraduate men. It had great appeal for those seeking escape from the traditional rules and norms of the college and the larger society as a whole. Horowitz states that in the mid-nineteenth centuries "fraternities provided the economic and social basis for feasts, strong drink, loose talk about women, card playing, and gambling." This trend of fraternity life must have been carried over to the time of Charles Alling's inclusion in a Greek society. However, Alling seems to have kept his mind more focused on his studies than some of his contemporaries. After graduating from Hanover College, Alling continued his education at the Law School of the University of Michigan from 1886 to 1888; he was admitted to the Bar in Chicago in 1888 as well. Alling also served as the Principal at Ryker's Ridge School from 1885-1886. According to the Chicago Daily Tribune, "he practiced law until 1914, retiring because his right eye was shot out on Dec. 24, 1913 by an insane defendant whom he was prosecuting as attorney for the State Board of Health." Charles Alling, Jr., married Jane Murdoch on March 28, 1914. They had no children.

About Mary E. Reid

This diary page of Charles Alling, Jr., talks about his memories of Sunday School at the First Presbyterian Church on Broadway Street in Madison Indiana. In doing so, he mentions a Miss Mary E. Reid as the lone teacher during his time at the Sunday School. According to the census records, Miss Mary E. Reid, was a 35 year-old female in 1880. Living in Madison, Indiana, her main occupation was to work at home, where she lived with her mother, H.A. Everson, and her brother, C.R. Everson. Miss Mary E. Reid was either a widow or a divorcee at the time of these census records, which could account for her difference in last name. Her father was originally from Maryland.

About Nineteenth-Century Sunday Schools

The diary page also discusses a certain Sunday School practice, in which Alling would cite scriptures in order to earn a card; and upon the collection of twenty cards or so he would receive a book or pamphlet. This practice refers to new reforms in Sunday school that were taking place in the nineteenth century. According to R. DeWitt Mallary, in talking about how Sunday school should be explained, "there should be a normal class in every Sunday school for the training of teachers, possible in pedagogy, certainly in the historical understanding of the Bible, and in such books such as Bushnell's Christian Nurture. Methods should be devised to secure lesson study on the part of the pupils, whether by honor-rolls, merit cards, or by the presentation of Bibles or other books." It appears that the practice Alling refers to Miss Mary E. Reid utilizing was a combination of new methods of Sunday school teaching that were taking place in the nineteenth century.

Sources: "Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885," Archive of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, IN); Horowitz, Helen Lefkowitz (1987). Campus Life: Undergraduate Cultures from the End of the Eighteenth Century to the Present. New York: Knopf, 36; U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Hanover, Jefferson County, Indiana, s.v. "Mary Reid"; Mallary, R. DeWitt. "Reforms in the Sunday School." The Biblical World. 14, no. 6 (1899): 422.

Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, 14 Sept. 1884, page 95
Transcribed, with editorial comments, by Chelsey Cabatu, HC 2009

About Charles Alling, Jr.

On December 13, 1865, in Madison, Indiana, Charles Alling Jr. was born to Charles Alling and Harriet Scovel. Alling was one of eight children. All together there were seven sons and one daughter. Coincidentally, Alling was the grandson of Sylvester Scovel, the 4th president of Hanover College from which Alling graduated in the year 1885. Although Alling has passed, his experiences at Hanover College live on in the pages of his diary which he kept for his junior year.

From reading Alling's entries and stories from those who knew Alling, in many ways, Hanover was not that much different from the present day. For example, Alling watched the river from the point, walked to the grocery store, since he was a part of Sigma Chi fraternity and the Grand Consul (National President), he did his part in recruiting more members, walked girls to their classes, and like many present day students, every once in a while thought he could fool the professor into thinking that he did the lessons for the day. The other side of Alling attended church on Sunday, debated the affirmative on 'Resolved: that the U.S. government should prohibit the running of Sunday trains,' and never missed meetings such as the literary society meetings. So, more or less, Alling was a normal college student and 'one of the boys.'

After Alling received his B.S. degree from Hanover College in 1885, he went on to study law at the University of Michigan from 1886 to 1888 and received his A.M. degree. Alling then furthered his studies at University of Michigan and received his doctorate in law in 1888. Alling used his education for the good and held many positions in his lifetime. From 1897 to 1905, Alling was a member of a council, otherwise known as an alderman, in Chicago. From 1902 to 1907, Alling served as the Lieutenant Colonel of the Illinois National Guard. But Alling did not stop there; he also became the Dean of Chicago Business School of Law. In the beginning of 1907, Alling worked as an attorney for the Illinois State Board of Health.1 Alling lived quite a successful and busy life. Alling married on March 28, 1914. Although he did not have any children, his name can still be heard on the Hanover campus.

When Alling wrote the diary entry excerpted above, he was in his senior year of Hanover College, early awaiting commencement.

About the excerpt

Charles Alling, Jr. graduated from Hanover College in 1885 and kept a diary documenting his experiences as a student of Hanover College. Alling was one out of seven sons to graduate from Hanover College. Alling's older brother, Albert S. Alling, attended Hanover College in 1878, but was not fortunate enough to graduate. Alling's two younger brothers, Howard S. Alling and William A. Alling, also attended Hanover College in 1882 and 1885, respectively, but also did not graduate from Hanover. There are many reasons why Alling's brothers did not graduate. At this time many men were pulled out of school in order to help their family. But Alling was privileged and had a chance to finish his schooling. This was one of the reasons why Alling viewed commencement as one of the most important days to experience. Although Alling was filled with overwhelming emotion giving his oration on "The Spirit of Nationalism," this feeling only came from the fact that Alling knew that his father would be sitting among the crowd, watching his only son to graduate. Graduation was a great accomplishment for Alling. He realized that his days of hearing the Hanover bell play its familiar notes were soon coming to an end.

Sources: U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Hanover, Jefferson County, Indiana, series T9, roll 287, pp.147; Clinton D. Christensen, Charles Alling, 1865-1931, Diary, 1883-1884 (Indiana, Hanover College Archives), 2; Frank S. Baker, More Glimpses of Hanover's Past (Indiana: Graessle-Mercer Company), 89. Supplement to July Bulletin (Indiana; Hanover College Archives), 1; Clinton D. Christensen, Student Records Ledger Book Collection, 1832-1930 (Hanover College Archives); Charles Alling, "The Spirit of Nationalism"; 1885 Commencement Program, Hanover College.

Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, 14 Sept. 1884, continued
Transcribed, with editorial comments, by Kristine Schuster, HC 2009

About Charles Alling, Jr.

Charles Alling, Jr., named after his father, Charles Alling, was born on December 13, 1865 and raised in Madison, Indiana. He was the third of eight children born to Charles and Harriet Alling. Interestingly, although he was one of the oldest of the children, his father was 34 years old when he was born and his mother was 26. The family also had a servant counted in the census records as a resident of their home.

Alling's first pursuits of adult life began with attending Hanover College. There, he was an active member of extracurricular activities. He attended church twice a day every Sunday, was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, and "never missed a literary society meeting." The literary societies were a large part of the college entertainment at that time and were well-accepted. There were a variety of topics discussed, such as Alling's topic of the "The Treatment of the Insane" in one such event. The fraternities were not so welcomed. The faculty fought a great deal about the presence of these organizations and any organization that did not include the membership of faculty members. However, prior to Alling's entrance to Hanover College, the fraternities were permitted. This dispute took twelve years to settle.

Beginning in 1872, Hanover College announced they would offer two parallel courses of study, the classical course and the scientific course, leading to a Bachelors in Arts or a Bachelors in Science, respectively. Prior, the school offered science courses but did not give special certificates or notation of these special courses taken by the student. This was a significant change in the school's curriculum. The announcement explained that this change was meant to increase the efficiency of educating and to prepare more fully the students intending to continue to post-graduate studies. The courses were identical aside from an offer of Greek and Latin in the Classical courses and modern languages in the scientific courses. It is likely that Alling chose the Classical course, as it was intended to prepare students intending to continue in theology, medicine, and law and was meant to "furnish that useful and liberal culture which becomes the Christian scholar and the enlightened citizen."

Further differences between the Classical courses and scientific courses are a general breakdown of the student's educational path into two categories; the early being general education of all departments followed by a focus on subjects meant to allow further knowledge in areas related to future career pursuits. These two categories were created into two-year segments. This mirrors today's structure of major declaration, as students are not required to make a declaration until the second semester of sophomore year.

Following Hanover College, Alling attended the University of Michigan School of Law. He became an attorney and practiced in Chicago, Illinois. Mirroring his involvement from college, Alling was still heavily involved in many activities, including the State Board of Health as well as the national president of the Sigma Chi fraternity. He passed away at the age of 66 on November 25, 1931, in Chicago.

About this excerpt

This page of his diary is the second half of his entry dated Sunday, September 4, 1884. This marks the early days of his senior year of school, as he graduated the following May. His entry discusses the anxiety that he is experiencing over his coming graduation, particularly concerning the ceremony.

Within this entry, Alling refers to a speech he gave earlier in his college career. This speech was likely given at the Spring Exhibition dated March 20, 1883, which was the event at which he delivered his speech, "The Treatment of the Insane," previously mentioned. During the time that Alling was in school, exhibitions were a common part of college life in which students prepare speeches to deliver to a crowd. This was a form of entertainment to the students, and Alling participated through his membership with the Union Literary Society. Alling participated in at least three of these exhibitions, which, in addition to the Spring Exhibition, included the Sophomore Exhibition and an event with the Union Literary Society. These societies were intended to aid students in building their literary skills, which were well tested in the researching, writing, and public delivering of the subjects chosen.

Towards the end of his entry, he refers to anxiety over speaking in "chap", which seems likely to have meant "chapel." The graduation requirements at the time required twelve hours of "Bible."

The entirety of his entry is over the anxiety he is experiencing in representing his family on graduation day, which is the day that he must deliver a speech with them present. He is fearful of being a poor representative of them, as is more evident in the first half of his journal entry. It is interesting to read about shared emotional experiences as someone in my same position over 100 years ago.

Sources: U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana, series T9, roll 287, p. 147; A. M. Millis, History of Hanover College 1827-1927 (Greenfield, Ind.: Wm. Mitchell Printing Co, 1927); F. S. Baker, More Glimpses of Hanover's Past 1827-1988 (Seymour, Ind.: Graessle-Mercer Company, 1988).

 

 

Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, 28 Sept. 1884
Transcribed, with editorial comment, by Karin Schubert, HC 2009

About Charles Alling

Charles Alling was a student at Hanover College and graduated with his class of seventeen in 1885. One of the students referred to the eighteen of them as the Eminent Eighteen. Alling was born in Madison, Indiana, on December 13, 1865. He attended Hanover from 1879 to 1885 when he received his B.A. and a few years later, in 1889, he was given an A.M., an honorary degree from Hanover. Even after Alling graduated from Hanover, his name continued to show up in The Journal of Hanover College under the Alumni section, which gave updates on some of the alumni. The Journal reported in April, 1894, that Charles Alling, Esq., of Chicago, Ills., is meeting unusual success in his profession. He is the Superintendent of the Sabbath School of the First Presbyterian Church. The following year, in April 1895, The Journal gave another update on Alling, that they notice, with pleasure, that Charles Alling, Jr., of Chicago, has been appointed attorney for the Woman s Protective Association of Chicago. Three years later, The Journal had another report on Alling, that Charles Alling, Jr., Esq., Chicago, was nominated and elected Alderman for the Third Ward of that city. He will, we doubt not, represent his Ward honestly, ably, and courageously. The Journal also had a second update on Alling that year, announcing that he was elected a member of the Chicago City Council and takes a strong stand in favor of an honest administration of city affairs.

Alling wrote this diary entry in September 1884, soon after the beginning of his senior year at Hanover, he discusses his need to complete his studies and lessons. Around the same time, in the Hanover Monthly from September 1884, an editorial explains a common feeling among college students, that in the beginning of the college year, how many students return with firm determination to utilize each shining moment one thing or another or many things have deterred us from our labor, have diverted our minds from careful study and methodological thought. And we are ashamed of our weakness. As Alling says in his diary entry, he wants to be able to focus on his lessons, but the interruptions are frequent so that a whole evening is often wasted. He also talks about other activities such as participating in his fraternity, Sigma Chi, as well as social events.

About this excerpt

Frank D. Swope, born in 1862 in Seymour, Indiana, was a classmate of Alling, although Swope was three years his senior. Swope attended Harvard Law School and lived in Louisville, Kentucky, until his death in 1902 at the age of 40. As mentioned in his diary entry, Alling admired Swope for completing all of his lessons while having leisure time leftover. Swope also wrote The Class Letter of 85, which appeared in The Journal of Hanover College.

Sources: Hanover College, ed., Hanover Monthly (Madison: The Courier Company, Printers and Binders, 1885), I: 1; Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885," Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.); Supplement to July Bulletin, Hanover College Archives, 1885; Hanover College, The Journal of Hanover College (Madison: The Courier Company, Printers and Binders, 1894) I:32; Hanover College, The Journal of Hanover College (Madison: The Courier Company, Printers and Binders, 1895) II:26; Hanover College, The Journal of Hanover College (Madison, 1897) IV:75; Hanover College, The Journal of Hanover College (Madison: , 1897) IV:120; Hanover College, ed., Hanover Monthly (Madison: The Courier Company, Printers and Binders, 1885), II: 9; Alumni File of Frank D. Swope, Class of 1885, Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.).


Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, Sunday, Sept. 28, 1884, continued
Transcribed with editorial comment by Sarah Beckman HC 2009

About Charles Alling and this Excerpt

Born in Madison, Indiana, Charles Alling stayed near his hometown to attend Hanover College from 1879 to 1885. At the time of Alling s death in 1931, he had a long list of achievements and was known as an esteemed lawyer; it is obvious Alling was a hard worker. Charles Alling s diary entry from Sunday, September 28, shows his studious nature started while he was a student at Hanover, as he discusses being prepared for his classes. The diary he kept while he attended Hanover is a great primary source into the collegiate world of late-nineteenth-century America, but it also shows Alling might not have had the same study habits as his peers.

Written during his senior year, the diary entry discusses the classes he had with Professors Young and Morse. According to The Crowe yearbook from 1900, Professor A.H. Young was the chair of Natural Science at Hanover, and Professor Morse was the chair of mathematics at the time Charles Alling was a senior. Alling describes his study habits, saying, I study hard and closely and aim to gain a general knowledge at least of every species that arises. I then sit up and look at [Prof. Young] like a man which I never used to do and even discuss the questions with him. Alling goes on to describe the study habits of his peers: It amuses me to see how John Wiggam manages his recitations. He often fails to look at his book before the vacant hour and then skims the lesson over here in my room or in Marshall s. When he goes to Prof. Morse s room he always seems to get through without any serious blunders. John Wiggam was a senior from Austin, Indiana, and the Marshall to whom Alling refers to could be William Douglass Marshall, also a senior, from Lexington, Indiana.

According to Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz in Campus Life, the study habits of John Wiggam were the norm among late-nineteenth-century students; Horowitz writes, To protect themselves from the demands of faculty, college men of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries have attempted to define a reasonable amount of college work. They have perceived the especially diligent student as the grind and the student seeking the faculty friendship as the fisherman or brownnose. Horowitz also discusses how in the late nineteenth century, grades were not very important to most students, saying, Classes and books existed as the price one had to pay for college life, but no right-thinking college man worried about marks beyond the minimum needed to stay in the game. Faculty and students faced each other across the trenches . . . No real college man ever expected to learn in the classroom. Students only did the amount of work absolutely necessary, and excelling in the classroom was not, socially, a way to become popular among classmates.

By the standards Horowitz discusses in Campus Life, Alling might have been considered the grind, fisherman, or brownnose of his friend group since he prepared for his classes and seemed to care what his professors thought of him. John Wiggam, on the other hand, was a normal student by only preparing the amount absolutely necessary to muddle his way through class. It is humorous at the end of the diary entry when Alling discusses how Professor Morse always finds it out when he was not prepared for class apparently, Murphy s Law in the classroom was around in the nineteenth century.

Sources: "Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885," Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.); Charles Alling, Retired Lawyer, Taken by Death, Chicago Daily Tribune, 26 Nov. 1931; Published by the junior class, The Crowe (1900), III; Garrett, Joshua Bolles, Andrew Harvey Young, and Paul Prentice Boyd, Bulletin of Hanover College Alumni Record (Hanover: Hanover College, 1913), V: No. 11; Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz, Campus Life (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1987), 13, 12.

Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, Sunday, Dec. 21, 1884
Transcribed, with editorial comment, by Danielle Clark, HC 2012

About Charles Alling

Born in Madison, Indiana, on December 13, 1865, Charles Alling was a descendent of Roger Alling, a treasurer of the New Haven colony of Pilgrims. He attended Hanover College from the years 1879 to 1885, graduating with an A.B. degree. In 1886, he went on to the University of Michigan and graduated with a Law degree in 1888. From the years 1897 to 1905 Alling was alderman of the Third Ward and attorney for the state board of health. While serving as attorney for the state board of health, he was attacked and shot in his right eye by an insane defendant that he had prosecuted. Although Alling survived, the defendant turned the gun on himself and committed suicide.

On March 28, 1914, he married Jane Murdoch, the daughter of a wholesale grocer. Together they collected art and had an extensive collection of fine etchings. They were married from 1914 until the time of Alling s death in 1932. After his death, his diary was found that contained information from his time at Hanover College. In this diary, he recorded his thoughts, feelings, and emotions concerning both social activities and school functions. From the diary, historians are able to read into the year of 1884 and discover what life was like during that time.

About this excerpt

In this diary excerpt, Alling is discussing one of his professors (Professor Morse) who, from the passage, appears to be a math teacher. This leads Alling into a discussion about mathematics and his struggle with them. He refers to his marks in analytics and geometry that he found were sometimes unfairly graded. Although this particular page gives a little insight as to the type of person Alling was, it is not until the whole diary is read that one can gain full access to the man Charles Alling.

Sources: Charles Alling, Retired Lawyer, Taken By Death. Chicago Daily Tribune in Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885, Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.); Quack tries To Murder Prosecutor in Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885," Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.); Charles Alling, Jr. in Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885, Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.); Supplement to July Bulletin in Alumni File of Charles Alling, Class of 1885, Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Ind.).


Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, Sunday, Dec. 21, 1884, continued
Transcribed, with editorial comment, by Shawna Finney, HC 2011

About Charles Alling

Charles Alling, Jr., an 1885 graduate of Hanover College and member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity, was born on December 13, 1865, in Madison, Indiana. He was the second oldest son of Charles Alling and Harriet Scovel. His father was a hardware merchant, while his mother kept house. His mother was also the daughter of Reverend, and former Hanover president, Sylvester Scovel. Alling was a descendent of Roger Alling, an English pilgrim who emigrated to America in 1638. After graduating from Hanover, Alling was principal of Ryker's Ridge Elementary School from 1885 to 1886. In 1888, he obtained his law degree from the University of Michigan and, not long after, relocated to Chicago at the insistence of Walter Fisher, older brother of Howard Fisher. During his career in Chicago, he became known for his character and moral upstanding. Early in his career he was the lawyer for the Protective Agency for Women and Children and the Bureau of Justice, and later, served as the lawyer for Illinois' State Board of Health. Other positions held include: city council member of Chicago's second ward (1897 to1905), lieutenant colonel of Illinois' First Division National Guard, grand tribune of Sigma Chi (1888-1900), editor of the Sigma Chi Quarterly (1888-1895), and member of Sigma Chi's grand consul. In 1914, he married Jane Murdoch and also retired from law after having his right eye shot out during a trial. Toward the end of his life, he remained active in his community and was a member of several clubs and elder of the First Presbyterian Church. He died in 1935 at the age of sixty-six from a cerebral hemorrhage.

About this entry

In this entry, Alling seems to be describing the routine he followed during the winter months when he did not reside on campus, but rather, in downtown Madison, Indiana, which is located at the bottom of a hill, about seven or eight miles from Hanover College. Furthermore, because Alling is describing his daily routine, he is not necessarily referring to Sunday chapel, but rather, the daily chapel services held at Hanover College. Indeed, according to the 1921 Herald and Presbyter, "Hanover holds a daily chapel service at which attendance of all teachers and students is required".

During the latter half of his entry, Alling alludes to the regiment of his schedule when explaining how he splits his studying and chores into blocks of time. First he begins to study and, then shortly after, attends to the horse and readies everything for his trip to school the next day. Once completed, continues with his studies, and sometime in the evening also has supper.

About Howard Fisher, Charlie Allison, and Linck Cravens Howard Fisher is more than likely the person Alling is referring to at the beginning of his diary entry. There were other students with the same first name, but Howard Fisher is the closest in age to Charles. An 1886 graduate of Hanover College and fellow member of Sigma Chi, Fisher was also the son of D.W. Fisher, Hanover College's president at the time of his graduation. After Hanover, Fisher attended McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago and, following graduation, traveled to the East Indies as a medical missionary. He married Katherine Conner in 1896, and a few years later, attended Berlin University (Medical Society). He eventually settled in Washington D.C. as an "Associate in Children's Clinic."

In regards to Charlie Allison and Linck Cravens, both were students of Hanover College; however, there is no record of Charlie Allison having graduated. On the other hand, Linck, or rather, Lincoln Cravens, was an 1885 graduate of Hanover College. His parents, Vincent and Minerva Cravens resided in Madison, Indiana, but after graduating from Hanover, Cravens settled in Kansas and became the prosecuting attorney for Scott City from 1891 to 1893. Later, he returned to Madison and served as City Attorney. In 1909, he moved to Hammond, Indiana. In 1919 Cravens died in Rockville, IN.

Sources: U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana, series T9, roll 287, p. 147; "Charles Alling, Retired Lawyer, Taken By Death." Chicago Daily Tribune. Nov. 1931; Sigma Chi Fraternity. The Sigma Chi Quarterly, (1907), XXVII:1-4; John F. Baird and J.B. Garritt, ed., General Catalogue of Alumni and Former Students of Hanover College, (Madison, Indiana: The Courier Company, 1890), 37; U.S. Department of the Interior, Census Office, Tenth Census, 1880, Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana, series T9, roll 287, p. 20; Medical Society of the District of Columbia, History of the Medical Society of the District of Columbia, (Harvard University, 1909), 378; Reverend W.H. Clagett, ed., Herald and Presbyter, (Cincinnati, Ohio, 1921), XCII:81; John F. Baird and J.B. Garritt, ed., General Catalogue of Alumni and Former Students of Hanover College, (Madison, Indiana: The Courier Company, 1890), 37; "Alumni File of Lincoln Cravens, Class of 1885," Archives of Hanover College, Duggan Library, Hanover College (Hanover, Indiana).


Charles Alling, Jr., Diary, Sunday, Dec. 21, 1884, continued
Transcribed, with editorial comment, by Taylor Elliot, HC 2012

About Charles Alling, Jr., and this entry

To begin, we should first consider who Charles Alling was. Charles Alling was born in Madison, Indiana, on December 13, 1865. He was the grandson of Sylvester Scovel (his mother's father), who was the fourth President of Hanover College. His father, for whom he was named, owned a hardware store in Madison. It can be presumed that the Allings were pro-education, as on the 1880 census, five of the Allings eight children were listed as "at school."

Charles was an interesting individual, historically, in that in his time at Hanover, he did not seem to fit into the category of the 'participants' or the 'outsiders', the participants being the children of the wealthy, the outsiders the students concerned with their studies. The above transcription clearly points to Alling being concerned about his studies. He complains of not being at the head of his class, and tries to justify his lacking abilities in mathematics and Greek. However, further study into Charles Alling s life reveals that Charles was something of a society man. He belonged to the Sigma Chi fraternity and belonged to a handful of other societies on campus.

Charles Alling went on to study law at the University of Michigan and was appointed to the bar in Chicago, where he practiced until 1914. In that year, he was shot in the eye by an insane defendant, who then committed suicide. He died at the age of 66 of a cerebral hemorrhage on November 25, 1931.

Also mentioned in the above of historical significance are Dr. Daniel Fisher, President of Hanover College when Alling attended, and Dr. Fisher's son, Walter. Fisher, after working for three years as a pastor in Madison, accepted the President position at Hanover. He was the college's tenth president and served from 1879 to 1907. Given the geographic location of Alling and Fisher, it is likely that the two knew each other before Alling began to study at Hanover.

Walter, Dr. Fisher's son, was approximately three years older than Charles and likely acted as something of a mentor to the younger man, as can be inferred by the casual way that Alling refers to him in the above diary entry. It is also likely that the two were lifelong friends, as Walter also studied law and was appointed to the bar in Chicago the same year that Alling was.

All in all, the above section of diary is not entirely unlike the diary of a student from today. Though the language is somewhat different, the general ideas are the same. Alling regrets not boarding with the President of the college and laments not being at the head of his class. This is not unlike a modern student wishing that they had taken different classes their first year, or wishing that they had lived in a different dorm or had a different roommate. He tries to justify his lack of knowledge when it comes to math and Greek by pointing out his prowess at Latin. He also writes a laughing comment about his Astronomy professor, and paints him as easily duped by him and his classmates. All of these things chime familiar in modern day college halls, proving that, no matter how many years pass, students will always be concerned with three things: their grades and standings in their class, their classes themselves, and the other students surrounding them.

Sources: Clinton D. Christensen "Daniel Webster Fisher, 1838-1913," Nov. 2000 (accessed 25 Nov. 2009); Clinton D. Christensen , "Charles Alling, 1865-1931, Diary, 1883-1884," April 2000 (accessed 25 Nov. 2009); "Charles Alling, Retired Lawyer, Taken by Death." Chicago Daily Tribune, 26 Nov. 1931; L.R. Hamersly Co., Men and Women in America, 1909 (accessed 25 Nov. 2009).


 

 

 


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