professor w. i. dodge, b.s.a.
by way of introduction, i will say that when i was in school i never had any inclination whatever to attend a higher institution of learning. but upon graduation from the ninth grade i was influenced to attend the academy. i was at that time living in st. johnsbury, vermont. i attended the academy there two years, and then finished my preparatory course at vermont academy, saxton’s river, vermont. as time drew near for graduation there, i finally became quite interested in agriculture and i decided to enter the agricultural department of the university of vermont at burlington. the next question was, “how am i to bear the expense?” my father was perfectly willing to help me and desirous of helping me through, but he was financially unable to send me through on his own resources. since i was desirous of learning, i agreed to find some method of helping him out. it was finally decided that i should enter that fall (1908) and my application was sent and accepted.
my father, who aided me to the extent of $50 the first year, went to burlington a short while before college was to open and held an interview with 16 professor j. s. hills, the dean of the agricultural department. it ended in my securing the work of “sampler” at the experimental farm. the work included getting up at five o’clock every morning and going out to the barn and “sampling” and “weighing” the milk from fifty odd cows. there were two of us that did this work. when there was nothing ahead we would help in the milking. this required about two hours in the morning. at five o’clock in the afternoon the same work had to be done. if any of the readers have ever done this kind of work they can well appreciate my circumstances. for remuneration, i received fifteen cents an hour and was able to earn an average of twelve dollars a month, from which i paid my board. this consisted of one meal in a boarding house and two in my room. although the work was rather undesirable in many respects, i have, nevertheless, many times thanked fortune for it. on saturdays, i had a job emptying ashes and carrying coal for a woman down town, and in the winter i kept her roof and walks clean. in this way i picked up a neat sum. i did this work all the first year of college. during the summer i was very fortunate in securing a position at the experiment station under professor washburn (the head of the dairy division) for $40 a month, working nine hours a day. along with this i kept my work at the farm so i managed to get $55 or more a month. most of this i saved to help me in my sophomore year. 17
when the three months’ summer vacation was over, i still retained my work at the farm and kept it during the whole year. my father occasionally sent me a little money, and i got along as well as i could. during my sophomore year my uncle died and left me a small sum of money, but i used only $50 of it during my sophomore year. during my summer recess in that year i again worked for professor washburn on his books and experiment work. i received the immense wage of $45 a month, and still worked at the farm, so i managed to obtain about $60 per month. i worked the whole three months, and then i decided to change my work.
i went to see the student owner of the “college store,” mr. i. h. rosenberg, and obtained the work of clerk in the store at the salary of four dollars a week. i worked the whole year for that and it more than paid my board. the $125 saved during the summer paid my necessary bills. then i received $100 more from my uncle’s estate.
in june i decided to buy the “college store,” as it was for sale, but how was i to pay $729 when i didn’t have it? i wrote to a relative of mine in regard to the money, but he would not lend me the money without a note signed by myself, father and grandfather for security. i thought there must be another way to obtain it, so i went down town and conferred with mr. g. d. jarvis, a merchant in the city. he had known me for two years, and had taken a strong interest in me, and after knowing my 18 circumstances he told me he would lend me the money. of course, i had no property to give as security; but mr. jarvis knew me and took my note as security for the money wanted. i paid $600 down for the store and gave a note for the balance, the first of june. so i became owner of the “college store” for my senior year. during the summer i went to nova scotia and worked in a creamery in brookfield, doing the helper’s work. i wanted to learn creamery work and i thought that was my opportunity; so i took it. i received $12 a month and board. i came back to college no richer financially, but richer in knowledge. i opened my store at the opening of school, and i earned enough to pay my expenses through my last year. i sold it in the spring to another student and paid mr. jarvis.
i graduated in the class of 1912, the first class graduated by president guy potter benton, now of the university. i received the degree of bachelor of science in agriculture.
in june of my senior year i secured the position of teacher of agriculture and the sciences in one of the vermont schools. i am still there, and enjoy my work very much.
morrisville, vermont.
