lad in the country round about, and by common consent was accorded the honor of letter-writer for all his lovelorn mates. In October, 1877, he entered the Richmond Institute with the intention of staying one session. He stayed five, though unable to complete any session but the last. It was in this institution that the writer became acquainted with him, and then began that friendship which, unlike many school intimacies, has stood the test of time.
Young Scruggs was quite a favorite with both professors and fellow-pupils. He was live, earnest and genial, a hard-working and conscientious student, and a merry comrade on the play-ground. In May, 1882., he was graduated, taking the school prize in oratory and delivering the salutatory of his class.
His views of what he knew had changed somewhat since the days when he wrote love-letters for the youthful swains of Bedford county. In the fall of 1882 he entered Shaw University, at Raleigh, North Carolina. Here he pursued, at the same time, the literary and the medical courses, being graduated in 1886 and 1887 respectively from the literary and medical departments. In each case he was the valedictorian of his class, and he was, in addition, the recipient of the prize in surgery from the medical department, having previously taken a prize in anatomy. He was at once appointed resident physician and instructor in hygiene and physiology at Shaw University and resident physician at Leonard Hospital. After having served acceptably in these capacities for four years he resigned to give himself more completely to private practice, which, during this interim,
