HORACE M. HALE, President of the University of Colorado, was born at Hollis, Hillsboro County, N. H., March 6, 1833, the fourth son in a family of five boys and one girl, all of whom are still living. His father, John Hale and his mother, whose maiden name was Jane Morrison, were also born in New Hampshire. His paternal and maternal grandparents were early settlers in New England—his mother being a lineal descendent of John Morrison, one of the pioneers of Londondery, N. H. The line of ancestry on his father's side extends back to the English, and on his mother's side to the Scotch.

The life of President Hale, though a busy and useful one, has been neither remarkable nor strikingly eventful; yet, if it could be presented in panorama before the ambitious youth of to-day, who are preparing for the battle of life, but struggling with poverty as well, it would certainly tend to encourage, and to incite to persistent and unyielding endeavor.

The writer of this brief biography has know him intimately-boy, youth and man for fifty years, and for thirty-one years has been his daily companion. His parents were poor and the family large-typical representatives were they of the average

Yankee household. His father was one of thirteen children and his mother one of nine.

In 1837 his father moved from Hollis to Rome, N. Y., where the family remained until the father's death, in 1852. In those days the maintenance of a family of eight persons, the ages of six of whom formed an arithmetical progression, having five for the first term, and two for a common difference, admitted of no strikes for short hours—fourteen hours a day for the father and a minimum of sixteen hours for the mother, seldom overstocked the larder or created a redundance in the wardrobe.

The father was a mechanic of more than ordinary genius, skilled in invention, but generally permitting others to reap the benefit of his ingenuity. The modern threshing machines, planing machines, and machines for making barrels, have all been evolved from inventions patented and unpatented, of John Hale's, prior to 1840.

While the subject of this sketch was attaining his nineteenth year, his father was successively the proprietor of machine shops, founderys, sawmills, and the wood-working establishment for the manufacture of agricultural implements. Twice was he burned out, losing all he owned. In

all these manufactories, the boys were required to lend a hand-seldom was other help employed, and Horace received instruction and business experience in these practical manual training schools during nine months of the year, becoming skilled in handicraft-both in wood and ironwhile his mental training was covered by an irregular attendance at the village school for three months in the winter. Seldom could he enter before Christmas, and usually left in April, when the busy time in the shop began. Nevertheless he always maintained his rank with the class and never lost a grade.

ces.

In 1852 his father died; the shops were heavily mortgaged and had to be sold; the older brothers had reached their majority and had branched out for themselves; the younger were thrown upon their own resourHorace could command fair wages as a mechanic, but he resolved upon a college course, being encouraged by those who knew him. The trustees of a neighboring district offered him their school for the winter term, at fourteen dollars a month and "board round." He accepted the position. Thus, at the age of nineteen —a mere boy-standing less than five feet in his stockings, and weighing less than one hundred pounds, he began the career of a schoolmaster, by wielding the birch over forty-seven farmers' sons and daughters, just such in variety and capacity as are to be seen to-day in the thrifty rural dis

trict school. His success in this first and brave attempt was no doubt due to a reputation he had earned, not only for scholarship and push, but for being the champion light weight athlete for miles around.

In the spring, (1853), with his three month's earnings intact, as capital, he entered Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, at Lima, N. Y. The following winter he taught another school at eighteen dollars a month-the writer taught in the adjoining district at the same time. Upon returning to Lima, in the spring of 1854, he was, upon examination, admitted to the sophomore class of Genesee College. He remained here through the sophomore and junior years, teaching in the winters and working in the fields and shops during the summer vacations.

At the close of the junior year, he took a letter of honorable dismissal and entered the senior class of Union College, Schenectady, N.Y-not unti' this year did he feel able to hire his board; up to this time he had "bached." He graduated with the class of 1856.

Literally penniless in 1852, President Hale worked his way through college, maintaining a high standing throughout the course, without receiving the slightest pecuninary assistance. (At both colleges his tuition was made nominal.)

Furthermore, he had accumulated, besides contributing his full proportion to the support of his widowed

mother, so that he was able to and did loan to a fellow student, one hundred and fifty dollars to enable him to finish his course. Friends offered to loan him money, but he prefered to fight it out on the line begun. Good health, business tact and pluck carried him through.

After graduating, he taught the Union School at West Bloomfield, N. Y. In the fall of 1857 he went to Nashville, Tenn., and there obtained a position in the public schools; after teaching in a subordinate department one term, he was assigned to a principalship, and ultimately the Howard School of 750 pupils was placed in his charge. This position he held until the end of June, 1861. He had the supreme satisfaction of voting twice against the secession of Tennessee, but when the State at the second election decided to go with the Confederacy, he concluded that his usefulness there was at an end.

In 1859, at Nashville, he married. Martha Eliza Huntington, his schoolmate of boyhood days in New York, and then an associate teacher.

Leaving Nashville, he, with his wife, returned to their early home, North Bloomfield, N. Y., where was born to them, August 28, 1861, their only child-Irving-who graduated at West Point, in June, 1884, with the highest honors ever before attained by any graduate of the institution.

In the fall of 1861, the family moved to Detroit, Mich., and Mr. Hale entered the law office of Hon.

C. I. Walker, as a student, where he remained until admitted to the bar in 1863. While pursuing his legal studies he taught an evening school, coached the son of Senator Jacob M. Howard, who was fitting for college, and taught three hours in the German-English School--being compelled to do so to keep up expenses, the savings of himself and wife, of previous years, being locked up in Tennessee real estate and loans, and which, for the time, were unavailable, having been nominally confiscated as the property of a Union man.

Although admitted to the bar and. prepared to practice in all the courts. of Michigan, he found that the extra labor undergone had told upon his health. Bronchitis had such a hold upon him that his physician ordered. a change of climate and occupation.

In the fall of 1863, leaving his wife and boy at North Bloomfield, he with his brother set out for Colorado, crossing the plains from Atchison to Denver with a horse and buggy, reaching Central City, his brother's home, in October. During the following four years he dropped intellectual pursuits and sedentary habits, and engaged in out-door work of various kinds mechanical, mining, teaming, etc. In 1865 he returned to New York for his family, crossing the plains both ways with a mule team. This was during the Indian troubles of 1865, and the journey westward covered a period of forty days. Emigrants were required to

travel with large trains, and picket guards were stationed every night.

The course taken, restored his health completely, and in 1868 he returned to his early love, accepting the principalship of the Central City public schools. This he retained until 1873, having in the mean time been elected to the office of County Superintendent of Schools of Gilpin County. In 1873 Governor Elbert appointed him Superintendent of Public Instruction for Colorado, to fill a vacancy, and re-appointed him for two years in 1874. He was continued in this office by Governor Routt, until the admission of Colorado as a State in 1876. While Superintendent for the Territory, he framed and got through the Legislature, a revised School Law, which has proved to be well adapted to the peculiarities of the wants of the State.

In 1877 he was re-called to the management of the Central City Schools, which position he held until July, 1887. After an aggregate service of fifteen years, he resigned to accept the presidency of the Univer

sity of Colorado, tendered him by its Board of Regents. This honorable position was not only wholly unsought, but was at first declined, and finally accepted after earnest solicitations by his friends and the friends of the University.

At the State election of 1878, he was elected by the Republican party a Regent of the State University for six years. In 1882, while Superintendent of the Central City Schools, he was chosen Mayor of the city, and was re-elected in 1883.

Not one of the public offices ever held by Mr. Hale was sought by him, yet, at one and the same time, he was State Regent, County Superintendent of Schools, City Mayor and Principal of the city schools.

Few schoolmasters can show a record superior to his nearly forty years of almost continuous school work, a quarter of a century of which has been in but three different schools. He was never asked to resign, nor was it ever intimated to him that his resignation would be acceptable.

UPON the almost cloudless morning of August 9, 1890, Hon. Henry Plummer, President of the First National Bank of Idaho Springs; Col. F. F. Osbiston, Manager of the Freeland and Plutus Mining Companies; Captain George G. Vivian, Manager of the Koohinor and Donaldson Consolidated Mines, and myself, started, as a fishing party, for Echo Lake.

This popular resort is nine miles from Idaho Springs, and about forty from Denver, on an almost due west line. From the Capital City its location may be almost definitely determined by first singling out majestic Mount Evans.

The lake is in the region of Evans, Gold Mountain intervening, its altitude being 10,500. It is in the center of four hundred and eighty acres, owned equally by Mr. Plummer and Colonel Osbiston.

Two carriages conveyed us up the Chicago road about six miles, to the beginning of the same trail that leads on to the scene of Bierstadt's well known painting. Here we unhitched. our horses, and after equipping them, mounted to pursue our further course in single file. We followed this trail about one mile, when its course is de

flected to the left of Chicago trail, taking us up a very pleasant horseback route along the range east of, and for a distance in sight and hearing of Chicago Creek. The latter part of this trail-following is up a mountain side of gentle declivity, covered by a dense forest of tall, ancestral pines, so luxuriant of growth, that some have developed from one rock-fastened root into two, three, and four stalwart bodies.

Arriving at this secluded lake, I was surprised to find the ample accommodations that have been provided for tourists. There was the longed-for "lodge in a vast wilderness,” with every essential for convenience and comfort for housekeeping and lake sports.

We had been about two hours on the way, breathing the while as delicious air as ever penetrated lung-cells. The distance from Idaho had passed without weariness and without taking note of the lapse of time. The journey had only prepared us for the restful recreation that awaited ustrout-fishing at this mountain retreat.

Echo Lake is a beautiful body of water, covering about fifty acres. It is fed by springs and up-gurgling