USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Atkinson > An address before the alumni of Atkinson (N.H.) Academy, August 24, 1887 > Part 4
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Response by Col. Thomas Cogswell, of Gilmanton, N. H.
Benjamin Greenleaf: Scholar, teacher, author. Under the wise direction of Preceptor Vose, his genius received early inspiration at Atkinson Academy.
Response by Dr. John Crowell, of Haverhill, Mass., a nephew of Mr. Greenleaf. The delivery of the following response to this toast was prevented by the rain.
Benjamin Greenleaf was emphatically a product of Atkinson Academy. A farmer's boy, with scanty resources for study, but in whose soul glowed the desire for a higher education, comes over from his home in West Haverhill in 1805, and seeks the fostering care of Hon. John Vose in this time-honored school.
Happy for him and others like him that such schools were founded by pious men, where for a small compensation the ambi- tious youth could in some degree realize the dreams of his boyhood. Here young Greenleaf remained two years, when by hard study and by eking out his limited means by teaching school he was able to
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enter the sophomore class in Dartmouth College. He always cherished a deep affection for this Academy, and to the last of his long and eventful life he delighted to honor his preceptor by attributing to him whatever of success he had attained.
In 1814, a year after his graduation, Mr. Greenleaf became pre- ceptor of Bradford Academy, and it was here that he began to develop those marked characteristics that gave prominence to his future career. His intense earnestness and his sharply defined individuality gave to his teaching an impulse that could not fail to impress any thoughtful student, while to the lazy and shirking he was a terror indeed. He had no particular methods in his teaching, but adapted himself to the conditions of the hour, and the swift changes and surprises in his mental and physical discipline were as unique as they were novel and ludicrous. No boy could long remain under his care without being effectually stirred up in his methods of thinking and acting, and if he had an empty head it did not take him long to become conscious of it.
He was quick to detect ability in a timid, shrinking boy, and ready to help and encourage every honest endeavor to obtain an education. We are apt to judge men by their eccentricities, and certainly Mr. Greenleaf possessed many striking peculiarities of character. But there was a richer and a deeper side to his nature which those who knew him best understood and loved. His kind- ness and gentleness were manifest in many delicate ways, and his generous nature found expression in timely and substantial assist- ance to poor students struggling to obtain an education.
His scholarship was much more varied than was generally sup- posed, for, although a great mathematician, he was no mean classical scholar, while his knowledge of standard literature was extensive and discriminating. As author of a popular series of mathematical works he stands preeminent as a pioneer in the important work of making text-books for the common schools. The introduction of Greenleaf's Arithmetic into the schools formed a new era in teach- ing, and, whatever may have been the faults of this bold venture, it is certain that the hard, knotty sums it contained gave an impulse to many a boy and girl, and stirred up many a teacher to quickness of thought and newness of life.
Mr. Greenleaf stood upon the border-land that divided the old
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from the new in matters of education. He was one of the first to lecture on popular science, in Essex county, and his illustrations of astronomy, chemistry, and mineralogy, although crude and simple, were based upon the fundamental principles of scientific investi- gation. He was in no small sense an investigator, and his ingenu- ity in improvising apparatus for his humble laboratory was worthy of all praise. In estimating such a man, no one can fail to discern the rich and varied elements that made the sum total of his character. Terse, simple, transparent, rare in humor, sharp in repartee, constant and true in his friendships, childlike and trust- ing in his piety, " He was a man, take him for all in all, we shall not look upon his like again."
The following poem, written for the occasion, was read by Dr. Crowell.
ANNIVERSARY POEM.
BY MISS SARAH N. CLARKE, OF ATKINSON.
Our Alma Mater calls to us And we respond to-day; From varied scenes and busy life We come, our love to pay
To her who cherished each and all In far-off days or near, To greet each one with old-time love, With glad good-will and cheer.
Her children of the early days, Her younger no less dear, With loved and honored teachers, She gladly welcomes here.
The gray hairs with the brown we see, All in this hour have part, For she is old in years to-day, Though young and fresh in heart.
One hundred years of time and change ! What wonders have they wrought; What joy and grief, what hopes and fears, Have these ten decades brought !
During these changes she has stood Firmly upon this hill, And gathered here the boys and girls Who live and love her still.
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To older minds kind memory Now opens wide her door; Classmates and teachers long since gone To-day they see once more.
To every class of scholars here, From the oldest to the last, The recollections of this place Crowd round us thick and fast.
For each of us who heard this bell Ring out its call to school, Who loitered on the old worn walk Or in the shade so cool,
The old familiar sights and sounds Recall the happy hours; And it seems only yesterday When these fair scenes were ours.
Tho' other ties have come to us Since our academy days, There's still a charm about this place, A love that always stays.
Under the spell of place and hour Let us be young again, And live to-day in school-day world, When a look gave joy or pain.
Then will the echoes of this day Leave heart and memory never; We will do well to honor her Who guards her children ever.
The severe storm, added to the lateness of the hour, brought the exercises to an earlier close than was intended, much to the regret of the audience, who had anticipated the pleasure of listening to other distinguished speakers who were present.
LETTERS.
[From Mr. William C. Todd, a former principal of the Academy.]
CONCORD, August 20, 1887.
DEAR DR. COGSWELL, -Our session of the Legislature, long protracted, is drawing to a close. It seems to be my duty to remain here at my post, however strong my desire to meet old pupils and other friends. I have a great deal in my mind that I could write, but I will speak of but few things.
One of the earliest teachers of the Academy, and by far its best-known teacher,
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was John Vose, whom I remember well, for as a boy I used to help him pick apples. He was a remarkably successful teacher, learned, clear-headed, original, excelling in everything he undertook. He published a fine work on astronomy. He knew more law than half the lawyers. I remember what an excellent moder- ator he made at the town-meetings. When he rose to speak he had something to say, which is not the case with all speakers; and when he had spoken, in his clear, shrill tones, it usually settled a matter.
The next teacher I remember was Stephen Farley, at the same time minister of the church. He was a fine scholar, with much literary merit, but a poor disciplin- arian, of much more consequence then than now, and the school did not thrive under him. After he left the Academy he taught the district school, one term at least, and I, a little boy, was his pupil; and I remember the boys all had a " good time " traveling from one part of the school-room to another.
Mr. Hale came next, a man of a family somewhat distinguished, and I think he had a good number of pupils, but he died after a lingering sickness in the house now owned by Mr. Calif.
John Kelley succeeded him, and he was my first teacher in the Academy. He was a good scholar, with a fine literary taste, an unusual facility of expression and explanation, and I have ever felt much indebted to him for his instruction. His aim was that we should understand what we learned, and not simply commit to memory unmeaning words.
Then came Joseph Peckham, a good teacher and a good man, who gained the good-will and respect of all his pupils. He died a few years ago at Kingston, Mass., where he had been settled as a clergyman.
Joseph A. Taylor, a member of Andover Theological Seminary, succeeded him, and was an earnest, conscientious man, and a good teacher. Under him I finished my studies preparatory for college. Soon after returning to the seminary he became ill, and came up to Atkinson, and died much lamented.
From 1840 to 1849 I knew but little of the school or its teachers, as I was absent most of the time from the town. From March, 1849, to September, 1854, circum- stances compelled me to have a knowledge of what transpired inside the Acad- emy, but I have no inclination to go into this part of its history. Since September, 1854, my acquaintance with the school and teachers has been only a general one. Some of the teachers I have never met, and others are better able than myself to speak of them.
I have written thus much about the early history of the town and Academy, and have taken up too much of your time. You have my best wishes that all the exercises of the day may pass off successfully. I regret I cannot be with you to see any of my old pupils that may be there. No teacher ever had a finer set of young men and women under him than I had, and I have always been rejoiced to hear of the success of each one.
Very sincerely yours, WILLIAM C. TODD.
[From Mr. C. F. P. Bancroft, principal of Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass.]
MT. VERNON, N. H., August 12, 1887.
Miss Mary A. Page, Secretary Trustees Atkinson Academy :
DEAR MADAM, - I have your kind invitation to be present at the Centennial
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Anniversary of Atkinson Academy. I regret that a previous engagement at the Triennial Reunion of Appleton Academy and McCollom Institute on the same date will prevent my accepting. The great good the Atkinson school has done, the renown of many of its pupils, the fidelity of its trustees and teachers, the sacrifice and self-denial of its friends in maintaining its effectiveness, the pecun- iary assistance it has rendered deserving beneficiaries, its loyalty to the academy idea, all deserve, and I am sure will receive, worthy commemoration. It would give me great pleasure to attend, and in that way at least show that the oldest institution of this type, the Phillips Academy at Andover, rejoices in the past history and reviving prospects of other institutions founded on the same prin- ciples, and doing, each in its measure, the same great work. Will you please present my thanks to the trustees for their courtesy and accept for yourself my kindest regards. Wishing you a very successful celebration, I remain
Very respectfully yours,
C. F. P. BANCROFT.
[From the Hon. Greenleaf Clark, of St. Paul, formerly justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court.]
ST. PAUL, MINN., August 19, 1887.
Miss Mary A. Page, Secretary of the Board of Trustees of Atkinson Academy :
I beg to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of your letter of invitation to the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the foundation of the Academy, and to say that, although I have recently written to Dr. Cogswell that I expected to be present, it now appears that engagements here which I am not at liberty to ignore will detain me a week longer than was expected, and compel me to forego the expected pleasure.
Many reminiscences of my early life are associated with the Academy ; and the days of my attendance, when I walked to and from my home with William C. Noyes as companion and friend, and when I enjoyed a hospitable home in the families of Capt. Samuel Noyes, Aaron Bartlett, and Capt. John Bassett, are still fresh in my memory. I remember the presence of the late Rey. Jesse Page, then president of the board of trustees, upon examinations and public occasions, and how constant and untiring his efforts were in behalf of the institution and the welfare of those connected with it; also the presence, on like occasions, of another faithful friend of the institution, now departed, Dr. Hovey, an able man, who said little and thought much; and, on some occasions, of Benjamin Greenleaf, some parts of whose arithmetic we used to think were made to confound our minds, but which only strengthened them.
The Academy was, at this time, in charge of a preceptor who was a graduate of Dartmouth, and a scholar in fact as well as in name, and who seemed to feel that his position was a trust for the advancement of all of us, and who was equal to all emergencies, whether arising from an obscure passage in the classics, an abstruse problem in mathematics, or an occasion for advice or sympathy in matters of per- sonal concern. I might have thought that, when my father sent me with a small sum of money to Mr. Todd for the tuition of myself and sisters, the obligation was discharged; but I know better now, and that there remains a debt of grati- tude which can now only be acknowledged.
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I cannot now speak of the students of those days, some of whom, like Elbridge G. Greenough, my college room-mate, an honest, courageous, sincere man, have passed over to the other side. The living, I hope, will speak for themselves.
· The sentiment which was assigned to me will doubtless be responded to by some one else more acceptably than I could do; but I wish to express, in a word, the conviction that the atmosphere which ever surrounds the institution, natural, academic, and social, is especially conducive to physical, mental, and moral health and growth; and this is equivalent to saying that the influence of the Academy has ever been to unfold and strengthen that integrity of mind and character in its students which tends to make them, wherever they go, conservators of law and order, and to give them the understanding and inclination to interpret, apply, and obey the one and maintain the other.
The past of the Academy is secure. A century of proof is behind it. But what of the future? The pure, healthful air of Atkinson will continue. It is the gift of God. Good order will continue to characterize the community. Learned and faithful teachers will continue to be employed. High schools in crowded cities cannot present the advantages of this academic retreat. While it will continue to bless the community in which it is placed, it seems reasonable to expect that it will also receive in the future, as in the past, patronage from those who have the means to choose and the discretion to select wisely. No one will be more pleased than myself to see it commence its course down another century with the promise of meeting its full capacity of usefulness.
With much respect, your obedient servant,
GREENLEAF CLARK.
[From Harriet Prescott Spofford, the author.]
MY DEAR MISS PAGE, - I am very sorry that the Atkinson celebration takes place at a time when Mr. Spofford and I will be at such a distance that we shall be unable to attend it. Few things would give us more pleasure, for we have the pleasantest recollections of the day we spent within its borders, and have always wanted to take again the lovely drive to your hilltop. I thank you, and so does Mr. Spofford, most warmly for your kind remembrance of us, and I shall be glad to transmit the circular to Mrs. Betton, through whom I have always felt a sort of family tie with the town.
Always most cordially yours,
HARRIET P. SPOFFORD.
[From Gen. William Cogswell, of Salem, member of Congress from Massa- chusetts.]
SALEM, MASS., August 22, 1887.
Miss Mary A. Page, Secretary of Board of Trustees Atkinson Academy :
DEAR MISS PAGE, - As the time draws near for the celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of Atkinson Academy, I feel the more keenly my regret that I cannot be present on the occasion.
My earliest school and even other recollections are of Atkinson Academy and
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the good old town of Atkinson. My first teacher at the Academy was Mr., after- wards Dr. and Mayor, Joseph Garland, of Gloucester, Mass. After him, Preceptor William C. Todd. To the latter I owe a great deal, as, indeed, do all his old scholars, and I am glad to know that he is still in active life, doing an able man's full part in the people's cause in New Hampshire's Legislature.
My pastor was your honored father, the Rev. Jesse Page, whose kind and benig- nant face and courteous manner, together with his constant and earnest interest in the welfare of the Academy, were such that one cannot look back to that time of Atkinson and its Academy without seeing his manly form stand forth as the central figure.
My uncle, Joseph B. Cogswell, was then a trustee, - a philosopher and as hon- est a man as ever lived. With him and his good wife I boarded when I went to school. I owe them both very much for tender and loving care, and for counsel, precept, and example set before me. They were loyal friends of the Academy. I also boarded with the Misses Vose, whom I remember well as most estimable ladies; later, with Mr. Todd and his venerable mother. All my recollections of my academy and town life in Atkinson (and it covered quite a period of my youthful years) are pleasant and beneficial to recall. The moral tone of the Academy and town was as pure and invigorating as the fresh air of heaven which sweeps over its hills to-day.
The Academy then, in my judgment, fitted its pupils better than do the high schools of to-day. Not so much was taught, but it was taught better; and I am glad to believe that the day and the glory of the Academy, including my Alma Mater, are being revived, and its pupils being preferred to the crammed machines our high schools have been turning out of late. I remember Atkinson Academy as teaching its pupils how to learn and how to think, and that I take to be the true art of teaching. I would teach a child not the name of the smallest capital in Europe, but how to find it out if he ever wanted to know. I remember my old Academy as trying to help me to know how to know. I am glad to believe that she is still pursuing the same course with her pupils of to-day, and that she may do as much good in the future as she has already done in the past is the best wish of one who owes her much.
Your friend, WILLIAM COGSWELL.
Letters were also received from Mrs. Mary H. Gilbert, of Glou- cester, Mass. (who celebrated her hundred and first birthday Sep- tember 8, 1887) ; Mrs. Ann M. Pingree, of Salem, Mass. ; and Evarts Cutter, of New Haven, Conn.
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