a prosperous place of seven thousand people, the most of
whom live in comfortable-looking, newly-built homes, and has been
hitherto chiefly known for its University and its Springs. The Ohio
Wesleyan University is the most flourishing literary institution of the
great Methodist denomination in the West. The White Sulphur Spring is a
fountain of healing and happiness to the whole region around, and is
regarded with added interest since Kossuth came to drink of its waters,
and, in reply to a welcoming address, eloquently said, that "out of the
Delaware Springs of American sympathy he would fill a cup of health for
his bleeding Hungary."

Three squares from these Springs, near the center of the town, and in a
two-story brick house on William street, Rutherford Birchard Hayes was
born. This has long been Delaware's pride, and will be its fame. The
income of his widowed mother, who was bereft of her husband four mouths
before her son's birth, was derived from the rent of a good farm lying
two miles north of Delaware, on the east side of the Whetstone. This
income, used with frugality, enabled her to commence the education of
her children. They were sent first to the ordinary schools of the town.
The first teacher who enlisted the affections of her since distinguished
pupil was Mrs. Joan Murray, a most worthy woman, whose funeral Governor
Hayes quite recently attended. He began the study of the Latin and Greek
languages with Judge Sherman Finch, a good classical scholar and a good
lawyer, of Delaware, who had been at one time a tutor in Yale College.
Judge Finch heard the recitations of his pupil in his office at
intervals of leisure from the duties of his profession. The pupil taught
his sister each day what his instructor taught him.

Through the agency of his uncle, Sardis Birchard, his guardian, who at
this time took charge of his education, Rutherford was sent to an
academy at Norwalk, Ohio. Here he remained one year under the
instruction of the Rev. Mr. Chapman, a Methodist clergyman of scholarly
attainments. In the fall of 1837, to complete his preparation for
college, he was sent to quite a noted school at Middletown, Connecticut,
kept by Isaac Webb. Mr. Webb, being a graduate of Yale, made a specialty
of preparing students for admission to Yale College. His scholars came
from every part of the United States. In one year, his Ohio pupil's
preparatory course was completed. The character established by him at
this scho