These men cannot live in regular society. They are too idle, too talkative, too passionate, too prodigal, and too shiftless to acquire either property or character. They are impatient with the restraints of law, religion, and morality; grumble about the taxes by which rulers, ministers, and schoolmasters are supported; and complain incessantly, as well as bitterly, of the extortions of mechanics, farmers, merchants, and physicians to who they are always indebted.
— Timothy Dwight, president of Yale College from 1795 to 1817, on the lumberers of Maine.
Man, this sure describes 99.99 of the people I know. Am I hanging out with the wrong crowd?
This attitude continues in the halls of higher education today. There must be a similar writing that describes the scholars as too litigious,too theoretical, too political to shake the hand of the person who has strived day in and day out to provide the electricity, fuel, minerals, food, homes and furnishings that makes their lives comfortable.
Hmmm… Maybe I shouldn’t apply to Yale. But I do talk some, so maybe…
I’m not a Yalie, but out here in the woods, we say “to *whom* they are always indebted.
They had woodnet back then???