USA > Vermont > Caledonia County > Peacham > Caledonia County grammar school, Peacham, Vt. Report of the commemorative exercises, August 11-12, 1897 100th Anniversary > Part 4
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Dr. Albert Warden, of New York, spoke upon "Helpful Training:"
I come here as a Barnet boy and as a former student of this famous school. I am glad of such a royal welcome as the people of Peacham have given to-day. As I came up the valley I saw on the hilltop a new structure rising higher than the forest trees. What is it? I am led to consider it not a tower of defence, not a wall of exclusion, but rather as a herald of welcome to the returning.
I have been assigned to speak of "Helpful Training."
To enlighten the mind, to cultivate the perception, to strengthen the memory and the reason, to train the hands to do, to place man where he may subdue the earth and enjoy the fruit of his labors in the field and in the mine and on the waters; to have dominion over every living thing, to place man in right relation with his Maker, to teach him how to live and to deal rightly with his fellowmen, to teach right principles and to practice them until right doing becomes the habit and easy, is helpful training. It is knowing the right way and walking in it. It is knowing and doing. I say store the mind with useful knowledge, and, above all, teach the boys to be manly men and the girls to be womanly women. Let wisdom, strength and beauty be brought to their full evolution each in their own place and proportion.
The upbuilding of character is education. The youth should be taught the use of letters to enable him to learn the lesson from the past and to help him to communicate with his fellows by the written page. All require general education. Each occupation requires something of special training. The farmer, the carpenter and the merchant and all must have the essentials of education, but the merchant need not have the special manual training of the mechanic. All require the intellectual training, all require the moral upbuilding and all require the reciprocal support of each other. Manual and business training may both be added to the curriculum.
I have observed in New England the tendency toward the elevation of the individual rather than the upbuilding of the family as the unit of the social structure. Herein is a source of weakness to the State and to the community. Who will solve the question and produce the remedy? Helpful training will bring the individual into proper relations with life. The successful coming man will seek strength in union. The spirit of the age is toward organization in the form of co-operation. It is, therefore, important that the youth be taught to stand
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with his fellows, not selfishly isolated, and be able and will- ing to work and live with them. Cultivate co-operation. Culti- vate the best friendships. In every good work strengthen one another.
We live in a progressive age. Caledonia county has pro- duced during the past century many noble men, made more able and useful by this school. You should see to it that this Caledonia County school has the equipment for future good work. This school at one hundred years of age is still young and has a greater work to do. Itwas founded according to the needs of the community. Now let this school be strengthened to fulfill the educational requirements of the day and of the coming century.
We honor the men of the past and glory in their work as organizers and builders. We should live as did they in the morning of life-looking to the future. Let the trustees be faithful to the charge received from the fathers, and let all combine to make this school a greater power for good. Then will the youth of the county and country go forth from this center with solid learning and with sound principles.
It is the birthday of this school, the alma mater of many here present. We come with friendly greeting to meet you at this centennial celebration, with pride for the past career of this school, and to join with you in the wish for its future wel- fare.
MR. FISK'S TRIBUTE TO REV. LYMAN S. WATTS.
Rev. P. B. Fisk, of Lyndon, paid the following tribute to Rev. Lyman S. Watts, a former principal of the school.
I am glad to render public tribute to the character and work of my "twin-brother in the ministry," in the presence of so many who knew him well and esteemed him highly.
Rev. Lyman S. Watts was born in Peacham in September, 1832. His mother died when he was a very small child, but even then he had come to be known as a precocious pupil in school. He showed such a talent for mathematics that school- mates of many more years used to say, "If Lyman cannot solve that problem, it is of no use for the rest of us to spend the time."
This ability was a chief reason why he was admitted to to this Institution as the youngest of all its students in that early day, but it was under the preceptorship of the venerable C. C. Chase, to whom he was as the youngest son.
There is, among the files in the pastor's office of this Congregational Church, a characteristic paper written by Bro. Watts, after the methods of those days, giving an account of his religious exercises and reasons for desiring membership. He was then about nineteen years of age, and it was soon after the death of his beloved pastor and Sunday School teacher- Rev. David Merrill. I think an evangelist-Rev. Mr. Galagher -had been here for quite an extended season, and that Lyman was only one of a large number who came at the same time.
DR. S. C. BARTLETT Principal, 1836-1838
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This paper ends with a sentence which is very similar to the C. E. Pledge of to-day-the promise of a life-long service to his Saviour, so far as he should be enabled to render it.
His determination to obtain a liberal education, with the Gospel ministry in view, was made at the same time. He now encountered opposition, which should have no mention here, only to say that he nobly overcame, and showed himself here also a "conqueror and more than a conqueror." He put what money was given him into the bank, and paid his own way. This kept him teaching winters, and made him fall back in his college course one whole year, graduating in the class of '59, Middlebury College, he being the Salutatorian of the class.
He was "about as much of a pastor as teacher" (as was said by the third pastor here, Rev. Asaph Boutelle, when he strongly favored his election to the preceptorship though so young), and his influence with his pupils was always quietly uplifting and inspiring.
In '61 he entered Andover Seminary, and soon began to minister, as the acting pastor in the First Congregational Church in Dracut (now Lowell), Mass. I was ordained about the same time (October, '63), in the West, or "Pautucket" Church, and here our acquaintance and friendship began. In '64 both of us were in the Christian Commission in the army, though not, together; and in the same year it was my privilege, as a member of the Andover Association of ministers, to take part in the session when Bro. Watts, and another of the same class, were examined and approbated as candidates for the pastorate. One part of that session comes to me now, which was perfectly characteristic. According to custom, each pre- sented a sermon, or a sketch of one, for examination. The classmate had a sermon on "The Devil," remarking that he supposed he should have a good deal to do with that individ- ual, and he thought he might as well begin to study him. Bro. Watts had one on the text, "Which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first and counteth the cost, whether he be able to finish." It was evident at all times that he had done so.
I very soon began to lean on him and seek his advice and aid. He sent me up here, and I was not content until he also came to Barnet. Now we were comrades in almost everything. The intimacy grew precious to me, and lasted for ten blessed years.
It was my privilege to unite him in the bonds of matri- mony with his schoolmate, and chosen assistant while pre- ceptor here Miss Sarah Chamberlain, daughter of one of the deacons of this church, and Valedictorian of her class in La Salle Seminary-and my joy to watch how the new bonds enlarged my friend's life in every way.
Of her sudden death, and his steady decline from that day till he also died (in '72), I may not stay to speak, nor of the marble in yonder cemetery which bears his name. He was a faithful friend, and, never having known the love of a
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real brother, he seems to me as near that as possible. In every relation of life he was faithful, and many there will be to rise up and call him blessed.
PROF. M'LACHLIN'S TRIBUTE TO MR. BUNKER.
Prof. Edward H. McLachlin, of South Hadley Falls, Mass., spoke of the time from 1867 to 1895:
It is given to but few men to remain twenty-eight years at the head of any one educational institution.
Mr. Bunker has had the longest principalship in the his- tory of this Academy. No other approaches him in length of service. When we remember that there have been forty-one prin- cipals during the century, and that forty of these covered a period of only seventy-two years, or less than an average of two years each, this comparison becomes very striking.
Moreover, during his entire administration there have been only three preceptresses, Miss Amy B. Fisk, Miss Hattie E. Guy and Mrs. C. A. Bunker.
In the fall of 1867 Miss Fisk was the preceptress. In the winter of 1868 it was thought there would be need of only one teacher, but at the opening of the term the number of pupils had increased from about twenty-five to fifty-seven, and Miss Hattie E. Guy was employed. In the following spring and fall Miss Fisk resumed the place she had so ably filled before. In the winter of 1869 Mrs. Bunker became preceptress, and re- mained in that position for twenty-six years. This is a record hardly paralleled in the two main positions of any institution.
Mr. Bunker has, therefore, become identified with this school, and with this community, as no other principal ever did or will. For thirty years he has gone in and out before this people. A generation of pupils has come and gone since he taught his first boys and girls. Manifestly, then, there could be no centennial celebration of this kind in which he was not a large part. In an institution like this the principal is the school, and the school is what he makes it.
I remember my student days here with great pleasure and there comes to me two especial characteristics of the Peacham Academy of twenty years ago, viz., the painstaking accuracy of its instruction and its discipline. These are characteristics of any school which impress themselves upon the lives and memories of the pupils who go out from it. Far be it from me to say meaningless or insincere words of praise. You know the story of this school, and of the work which Charles A. Bunker did in and for it. The great army of young men and women, scattered the wide world over in fields of honest and honorable labor, are living monuments of his success. We all remember how careful he was of the little things, which marks the true teacher, and grounds his pupils in the found- ations of accurate scholarship, how clear his explanations were, and how patient and unselfish he was with those who really had a desire for knowledge.
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A school is a kind of family. It ought to be bound to- gether like a family by oneness of interest. The law which governs the inner life of each should be the law of love. There must be authority in both. Unless institutions of learning can teach a respect for constituted authority, and can train its pupils toward right living and law-abiding citizens, it is an injury rather than a benefit, and it is unfitting them for the performance of life's duties, for which it is the school's supreme object to prepare.
The ideal teacher, then, must combine in himself the ability to teach and to govern. It is no undue flattery to say that Charles A. Bunker possessed these two attributes in an unusual degree. The long line of boys and girls whom he has fitted and placed in the various colleges, many of them to be an honor to both institutions, is ample proof of this. More convincing still, is the concurrent testimony of the greater number of young men and women who have here re- ceived their preparation for the practical duties of a success- ful life.
He taught that a school should have few rules, but that those few should be firm and impartial, that the pupil must feel that there was a rule and a sure penalty for its violation, that the teacher's word was law, that his judgment was wise and his confidence secure; yet, behind all this, he inculcated an ever-present sense of justice, and a chivalric loyalty to truth. He was a good disciplinarian. He was severe. He
was just. But why talk about discipline? To the good man there is no law. Against the evil doer he moved with a vigor that showed that "the way of the transgressor is hard." A common interest and a common regard for the good of all are the only forces by which a happy and prosperous school can be secured. The rights of some in every school, as in every community, must be restrained for the greatest good of the greatest number.
Again, the ideal teacher is a polite and courteous gentle man-courteous, yet sincere, and free from sarcasm, that foul- est weapon of impotence and cowardice. His school is a moral policeman in the community. The conduct of its pupils in the school room, on the street, in their own homes, and in all their lives, is a living expression of the culture and refine- ment which is there sought to inculcate. I need not say that for twenty-eight years Peacham Academy was especially for- tunate in a principal of this kind.
What is all this but to state by way of summary and pre- eminence that Charles A. Bunker was a gifted, thorough, manly instructor, a wise counsellor and a genial companion? Every pupil owes much to his teachers. Next to his parents they are the greatest moulding influence of his life. As one looks back upon his school-days, here and there distant recol- lections stand out, like glimmering lights on a far-off shore. You remember some word, some counsel, some circumstance which made an abiding impression upon you, and which,
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through the influence of an inspiring teacher, broadened out life's plans. Education is like religion. It seeks the individual that it may bestow upon him the fulness of its blessing, and open the windows of the soul that light divine may enter.
After the lapse of eighteen years I am glad to pay this tribute of respect to him who fitted me for college, and who early guided me in the higher lines of intellectual work.
Nor could I fail to accord a full share of credit to her who from '69 to '95 labored so faithfully and so well in the interests of this school, who for twenty-six years was pre- ceptress of Peacham Academy and of whom, like the one of old, it might be said:
"None knew her but to honor her." We all liked Mrs. Bunker. We remember her genial ways and kindly counsel. She was always ready to forgive our shortcomings and to speak words of commendation for earnest effort.
No review of this nature would be complete without men- tioning the lyceums and interviews. Both, I believe, were of paramount importance, and exerted a healthful influence on the life of the school. It is not easy to overestimate the value of the old weekly debates. The lyceum is a thing un- known in the modern high school, except in connection with some literary society, which gives it an entirely different na- ture. In all the secondary schools there is far too little practice in speaking. While students deplore the lack of power which such training gives, still they regard rhetorical work generally as a "grind," and a burden to be shirked if possible. Some of the ablest speakers of the century have been the pro- duct of the country schools, and of the old New England acad- emy. We may believe that the lyceum contributed in no small degree that training and self-poise which afterwards ripened into the full measure of power.
The "interviews," too! How can we forget them? Your chairman could better speak of them, for in those days I was timid, and always went home early and alone. Still, they had their place, and it was a good one. The social element of any school is one to be cultivated with proper limitations against the encroachment upon other duties. As a means of discipline, as well as of brightening the sober work of student life, the interviews were valuable.
For twenty-eight years, then-aye, for a hundred years- Peacham Academy has stood for education in its truest and noblest sense. Other schools have surpassed it in the mag- nificence of their equipment and in the grandeur of their ath- letic conquests. In these times when boat racing and ball playing occupy so important a place, there must be some small- er and less expensive schools, whose names are unrecorded in the catalogue of Olympic games, which devote themselves to intellectual training. Such Peacham Academy has always been, and such may it continue to be, as the years roll by. As others come and go may they, like us, look back to this place as to what was once their home; may they, like us,
3
HON. C. C. CHASE Principal, 1839-1845
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remember, sir, that here were experienced words of counsel and encouragement, of kindness and of sympathy; may they learn that genius, as commonly understood, is a myth; that success is character coupled with unremitting effort, and that the truest success is developed only in a character planted on the Rock of Ages.
In the century to come, as in the century past, first of all, then, let this school inculcate the eternal principles of truth, and before and above all book instruction let it culti- vate the sterling virtues of a Christian character, which, alone, is the foundation of all that is pure and noble and worthy in life, and of all that men respect, and love, and honor.
When a hundred years shall have ripened into a second century, and others shall come up this hill and across this green to pay their tribute of devotion at this shrine of youth, I trust they will find Peacham Academy wearing the honors of its former years, fulfilling the promise of youth and laying the foundation of broad culture, and of loyal citizenship.
And, sir, in closing let me leave with you one sentiment, which looks toward the dawn and the culmination of that day of peace on earth, good will toward men: Christian educa- tion and Christian civilization, hand in hand, for the individ- ual, for the State and for the glory of His kingdom.
CENTENNIAL ODE.
After the "Hallelujah Chorus" by the chorus, Prof. Fred. L. Gibson, of Ryegate, recited the following poem:
CENTENNIAL ODE.
Why to-day is Peacham crowded? Why to-day has this old town Garbed itself in flags and flowers, Donned a gay and festive gown? Why with speeches, rites and music Are the hours continuous spent, What's the spring of all this action, What's its meaning, cause, intent?
When a nation's arms have triumphed Cannon boom and trumpets blare, And the exultant shouts of millions Rend the startled, vibrant air; When a sovereign's reign has lengthened To a term of three-score years- When a new world in four centuries Finds no rivals and no peers- Then a nation's pride o'erflowing Builds a city like a dream Or creates a world drawn pageant So vast, all others pigmies seem.
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Here the ardor and devotion That with a magnetic power Gathers from the Atlantic seaboard To where Rocky Mountains tower- Here the fervor and the feeling That as one makes all these hearts, Springs from love of Alma Mater, Primal school in all these parts.
Founded when scarce broken forests Covered all the country's face, When the catamount and wild deer And the wilder, fiercer red race, Were so rife that youthful learners Anxious scanned each bush and tree, Viewed the rocks with terror, thinking There a lurking foe might be; On an eminence commanding, A now classic, sacred hill, Long ago her fires were lighted, Beacons brightly burning still.
Founded by the Peacham spirit A full century ago, That same spirit's care and nurture Made her great and prosperous grow. In a genial atmosphere Of union and good will, Braced and propped by public favor, Barred from every blast of ill, She has been the township's darling And her children from afar From her merits and contagion Equally her lovers are.
'Round her domicile the breezes Softly blow in summer time, And in winter's reign Old Boreas Brings the snow and sleet and rime. Every trait of character- Every thoughtful, gentle mood, Every hardening, toughening process Finds in Peacham weather, food.
Wide is her extended outlook Over lake and vale and hill, Breeding breadth and strength of vision For the strife with human ill. Grand are the two mountain ranges- The near Green ones-the far White- Teaching us in all our living, To be noble, stable, right.
DR. JOSIAH SHEDD
Secretary of Board, 1839-1842. President, 1845-1851.
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Providence and nature surely On this school have seemed to smile. One hundred years of usefulness! Who of us will serve that while? To her corps of faithful teachers Acting, living, gone, Now we pay the grateful tribute For their work so nobly done.
Doctors, lawyers, teachers, preachers, Editors, men of affairs, All successful, foremost, famous In their several walks and chairs, Testify their Alma Mater Was efficient in the past,
And deserves a glorious future That shall without limit last.
In the hands of her Alumni To the current of that tide
Here to-day so strongly flowing- To the potent local pride- To the tireless Peacham spirit, Ever brave to plan and do-
And to Providence I leave her, These will surely see her through.
The afternoon exercises closed with "America," sung by the audience.
THE CONCERT.
The centennial concert in the Congregational Church was a fitting ending to the day's festivities and was largely at- tended. The Neapolitan orchestra appeared in their native dress, and all the parts were well received. Following is the programme:
Overture Sherman Orchestra
Song
Signor Giovanni
Selection Neapolitan Orchestra
Cornet Solo.
G. D. Sherman
Hungarian Fantasie Sherman Orchestra
Recitation Miss Kinerson
Selection
Neapolitan Orchestra
Song
Miss Browne "Amorita" . Sherman Orchestra
Chorus
. Led by Prof H. H. May
Selection . Neapolitan Orchestra
Clarinet Solo .. W. H. Sherman Medley Sherman Orchestra
Recitation Miss Nellie M. Harvey
Selection . Neapolitan Orchestra
Prof. H. H. May Song
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Selection Sherman Orchestra
Violin Solo-"Ave Maria" Signor Lignati
Chorus Led by Prof. H. H. May
Song .. Signor Giuseppe Intermezzo "Cavalleria Rusticana" and the "Pilgrims' Chorus," by the combined orchestras.
In addition to the above a duet was sung by Profs. May and Conant that greatly pleased the audience. Over 700 people were present, and fully 200 could not gain admittance.
THURSDAY.
Thursday morning was bright and sunny and the crowd began to arrive early. A meeting of all students during Mr. Bunker's administration was called at nine o'clock in the Academy Hall and a large number responded to the call. At ten o'clock a thousand people were in the tent waiting for the exercises to begin.
Rev. E. E. Strong, D. D., of Boston, Mass., who has known many of the former principals of the school and had great interest in the town and school, performed the duties of chair- man in a most pleasing manner. (It is deeply regretted that no copy of this speech can be obtained.) After a selection by the Sherman orchestra prayer was offered by Rev. S. S. Mar- tyn. An address of welcome was made by Rev. J. K. Williams, who, in a few appropriate words, extended cordial greetings to the many who had come to Peacham to assist and help make successful the one hundredth anniversay of the old school so dear to all. Then came the historical address, by Hon. C. A. Bunker, of Peacham.
HISTORICAL ADDRESS BY MR. BUNKER.
"Little of all we value here
Wakes on the morn of its hundredth year Without both feeling and looking queer."
So said Dr. Holmes, but then, he was probably joking; he almost always was. But to write the history of a great and beneficent institution like the Caledonia County Grammar School, planned and founded by a generation of men and women, heroic, self-sacrificing, and great in all those elements which make heroes and heroines of those who, amid savage beasts and stil more savage men, in a remote wilderness, es- tablish a new civilization in a new State, is no joke.
Sallust, the Roman historian, having determined to write the history of the Roman people in separate parts, at the outset said: "It seems in the highest degree difficult to write history; first, because deeds must be adequately represented by words; and, next, because most readers consider that what- ever errors you mention with censure, are mentioned through malevolence and envy; while, when you speak of the great virtue and glory of men, every one hears with acquiescence
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only that which he himself thinks easy to be performed; all beyond his own conception he regards as fictitious and in- credible."
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