USA > Vermont > Orange County > Newbury > History of Newbury, Vermont, from the discovery of the Coos country to present time > Part 25
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The more advanced students scattered through Newbury and the adjacent towns, as teachers in the district schools, and those who had the ministry in view, exercised their talents in the schoolhouses among the hills, and were prominent in the prayer and class meetings which were regularly held in the seminary building. Much less, in those days, was required than now, by way of training for the Methodist ministry, and many young men entered active service with no further preparation than a few terms at this institution. The great majority of the non-resident students attended the Methodist church and assisted in its services. The religious life of the school was always earnest and carefully fostered. Scarcely a term passed without a measure of religious interest, and revivals, which embraced most of the pupils, are remembered.
We may not close this retrospect of the institution, without making mention of a class of men and their wives, who in a humble sphere aided essentially in the general prosperity. These were the stewards, who, usually, but not always, kept the boarding-house, and received a meagre share of the praise when all went well, and were sure to have a full measure of blame when things went ill. Much depended upon the tact, good humor, and adaptablity of those who had the oversight of the boarding-house, and a morose, crabbed steward was certain to be the object of all the pranks which a band of mischievous students could invent. The stay of such an one was short. Mr. Lewis A. Tebbetts, Royal B. Waldo, E. B. Stevens, were among the earlier of the stewards. Mr. and Mrs. O. B. Rogers, still living at West Newbury, kept the boarding-house back in the early 50's .* Wealth was not accumulated by any of the stewards while engaged in the office.
*Mr. Rogers has died since this was written.
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HISTORY OF NEWBURY, VERMONT.
"Old Newbury Seminary" came to an end many years ago The methods of instruction have so changed since its day, and the advances in natural science have been such, that its course of study, and its apparatus of illustration would now be condemned in any backwoods graded school. But in its time it was not behind the age in which it flourished. Its teachers had the enthusiasm of youth, and, with few exceptions, the art of imparting their own ardor to their pupils. It was a working school, and drew its students, almost entirely, from families of farmers and mechanics, young men and women trained to labor, who knew the narrow limits of their opportunities, and made the best of them. Newbury was an ideal place for such a school. There was little to distract the attention of the student. Baseball, football, lawn-tennis and the like amusements were unknown. There was no need of any gymnasium, or class in physical culture. The young people of that day were brought up to work, and knew very well how to obtain exercise and the means of support at the same time.
A conservative estimate, derived from a careful study of the catalogues, gives the number of students who attended the institution from 1834, to 1868, at about 7000. Of these, some remained but one term, or even less; others spent years within its walls, and obtained from the institution all it had to give. Comparatively few entered college. The vast majority of the pupils, here received all the education which they ever had, beyond the district school. To give even the names of all, in the various ranks of life, who received, in that plain brick building, some of the training which enabled them to attain honorable mention above their fellows, would occupy many closely printed pages of this volume. No human arithmetic can compute the value rendered to the world by "Old Newbury Seminary."
While its poverty forbade its attaining a rank as one of the great schools of the country, it was highly successful as a factor of education in this part of New England. Much of its energies were engrossed in the struggle for existence. During its earlier years a heavy debt rested upon the institution, and it was only by great self-denial on the part of some of its friends that it was kept from actual bankruptcy. 3 The salaries which it could pay were so meagre that it could not retain its teachers after they had won, within its walls, reputations which commanded elsewhere a fair compensation. It trained its own teachers for other institutions. Great schools are built up by great instructors, and no one of the principals of Newbury Seminary remained long enough to impress the stamp of his own individuality upon it during many years. For its teachers, it was but a stepping stone to better positions. Of the twelve principals, and as many others who were their chief assistants, four became college presidents, and all but three were, after leaving Newbury, at the head of some college or academy.
REV. F. S. HOYT. PRINCIPAL 1847.
REV. CHARLES W. CUSHING. PRINCIPAL 1855-58.
GEORGE CROSBY SMITH. PRINCIPAL 1862-66.
REV. SILAS E. QUIMBY. 1866-67.
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NEWBURY SEMINARY.
Miss Elsey French, and her successors, with their associates, were no less honored in their own after life, although not in posi- tions so conspicuous.
The great work which Newbury Seminary accomplished was, to vary slightly the language of one of the greatest of English critics when speaking of our smaller American colleges : "It got hold of a multitude of young men and women who might never have resorted to a distant place of education. It set learning before them in a visible form, plain indeed and humble, but which accomplished for those who came to it, a work which a richer and more stately institution might have failed to do."
The name of Miss Calista H. Johnson, who was preceptress in 1837, was accidentally omitted in this chapter. Few of the under teachers remained long, and it was not thought worth while to give their names.
NOTE. The editor wishes to acknowledge not only the aid received from residents of the town in the preparation of this chapter, but especially the kind assistance of Rev. J. A. Sherburne, Rev. A. L. Cooper, Rev. Dr. J. E. King, Rev. C. W. Cushing, and Mrs. B. Dow Twombly and that of Rev. J. W. Merrill, D. D., who has deceased since it was written in 1898.
CHAPTER XXX.
NEWBURY SEMINARY-CONTINUED.
A REMINISCENCE BY PROF. G. N. ABBOTT .- WHY THE SCHOOL WAS REMOVED .- REV. A. G. BUTTON .- SALE OF PROPERTY .- SUPREME COURT DECISION .- LATER SCHOOLS .- REV. S. L. EASTMAN .- TOWN CENTRAL SCHOOL .- OBSERVATIONS.
T HE memory of the writer of this reminiscence reverts to a time when the brick walls of the seminary building were about breast high (to a man) and when a multitude of carts and men were engaged in filling up "the gully" which an immense shower had washed out on a memorable occasion in the past, just where the seminary common was destined to be. But the doors of the seminary did not open to him till more than seven years later, when the institution was fully under way, with a full board of instructors and a large patronage.
The spring term of 1841, brought to him the unspeakable privilege, as then regarded, of reciting English grammar and algebra to Rev. Mr. Hinman, and natural philosophy and chemistry to Principal Baker. The classes in these subjects were large, made so by volunteers; for at that time there was no set course of study, each student being allowed to choose his own studies so long as there was any chance to presume his fitness to enter upon them. Chemistry was taught by recitations and experiments, and its study was evidently pursued by students of both sexes, for pleasure as well as for profit. Years later it seemed strange to the writer to see a majority of his college classmates showing by their conduct a willingness that the chemistry hour might be relegated to the
NOTE. It was the expressed preference of Professor Abbott, that this reminiscence should be given only as, "By a former pupil," or some such title. But, since his decease, it has seemed to the editor, that we have so very little of the work of this learned and excellent man, that the public would desire that his authorship of this paper should be declared.
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period of diurnal slumber. This apathy of the college class was not properly attributable to any fault in the instruction, which was indeed excellent, but on the other hand, Mr. Baker, of the seminary, had an uncommon genius for making a recitation-room agreeable; and he could make it doubly interesting when any branch of natural science was the topic, for to his mind nature was never commonplace.
It is to be remembered that the time now referred to was before the invention of the telegraph had thrilled the world with a sense of the practical possibilities of nature's forces-before the Darwinian hypothesis had roused an absorbing interest in the question of man's kinship to nature; and that hence this unpretentious teacher's enthusiasm in natural science might have been in a sense anticipatory of its future achievements. Already, however, geology, with its eons of pre-Adamic life, had made its revelations, which were taught in this seminary before being put into the curriculum, of at least some of the New England colleges. The seminary could not then well be said to be behind the times, whatever else might be said of it.
As regards the manner of conducting recitations, it was similar to that of a college. In general an hour was allowed for each recitation, so the whole lesson could be discussed. The work of the class was not interfered with by the presence of other scholars-the studying being done for the most part in the private rooms of students, as if they had been students in a university. The changes of occupants of recitation rooms at the end of each hour were accomplished with as much quietude and decorum as prevails at the entrance and exit of a church congregation.
The writer's acquaintance thus begun, with the internal working of the institution, lost nothing of its delightful character during its continuance for more than three years, in which time preparation for college was acquired. It always seemed easy to study in Newbury, as if, there, some pre-"Roentgen rays" were helping to deeper and easier insight. This was possibly not entirely due to the existence of the seminary. It was possibly something more than a pleasant joke, when an old resident of the place, after speaking of the lack of bustle and business, said, however, it was a good place for meditation. But the seminary had the advantage of this-so to speak-meditative atmosphere. At any rate the apparent facility with which students' attention could be drawn to the instruction of book or teacher, whatever the reason for such facility, made an impression on the writer, which time and comparative observation have only served to deepen. Of course not all those students were geniuses; but their respective talents, whether five, two, or one, were almost without exception devoted to honest work.
During the period covered by this narration thus far, there were other teachers than the two before mentioned, no doubt also highly
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HISTORY OF NEWBURY, VERMONT.
worthy of mention; but this being designed to be simply a personal reminiscence, those with whom no intimacy was had, can not well be remembered better than they were ever known. There should be named, however, one other teacher, Rev. Henry W. Adams, who was instructor in Latin for a time. He is pleasantly remembered, but his continuance was not long enough to give his pupils the full benefit of his acquaintance.
It would be interesting in connection with one's personal reminiscence to refresh one's memory of all those honored instructors, who well nigh two generations ago, used to appear every week-day morning at prayers, in the old seminary, by the help of truthful portraits. No such portraits have come to the writer's knowledge. He has, to be sure, seen as a magazine frontispiece, what purports to be a picture of Rev. Dr. Clark T. Hinman, who died at the age of thirty-five, the president of Northwestern University; but to one who for years often witnessed the vivacity, the earnestness, the energy, displayed in the ruddy countenance of the living Dr. Hinman, or on fit occasions his sunny smiles of enjoyment and pleasantry, this picture affords little satisfaction, except as it may truthfully represent his fine head of hair, and the mere geometrical symmetry of his features, while the expression is utterly wanting. It was probably copied from a faded daguerreotype. The live, unfaded physiognomy of the man himself, was faultless in expression and exceptionally agreeable to contemplate, besides being truthful to the inner man. A beholder naturally did not feel that his eyes were on a man who looked one thing and thought another. Of course such a physiognomy indicated less of reserve than some wise men affect. A readiness to speak out his thoughts was characteristic of the man. Of this he was conscious, as appeared from a remark of his on a Greek passage in a reading lesson, which represented Simonides as saying that he had often regretted having spoken but never having kept silent. The teacher's comment was to the effect that he had more often regretted not having spoken. In the remembrance of Dr. Hinman there is only brightness without an unpleasant shadow.
Of Principal Osmon C. Baker, afterward Bishop Baker, it may certainly be said that he presided with rare dignity over the assembled students. His presence meant a voluntary prevalence of order and propriety. If an uncommonly daring student ventured tor once to disturb the quiet ongoing, he suddenly found that discipline was not wanting. On one well remembered occasion, a young man thought to attract attention by a verbose answer to his name at public roll-call. Quick came the words, "That is not a proper answer, Mr. - : call at my room at 12 o'clock." Had a flash of lightning darted through the assembly room, the effect could hardly have been more startling. Bishop Baker can be remembered only to be honored and revercd.
NEWBURY SEMINARY-CONTINUED. 225
Another instructor also, though not strictly belonging to the seminary board of teachers, yet comes up distinctly in these recollections. Prof. William Marinus Willett came to Newbury to assist in starting the projected theological school called the Biblical Institute. Being of a generous disposition and having abundant private resources, he offered to give instruction in Hebrew, gratis, at his own private house, to seminary students desiring it, irrespective of their connection with a theological class. The writer was one of a small number who availed themselves of this privilege, and he still most gratefully remembers its enjoyment.
At the beginning of the fall term of 1847, a teacher was wanting, owing to some failure of an engagement. The trustees requested the writer to fill the vacancy for a single term-he then being an undergraduate in the University of Vermont. The acceptance of this offer gave him an opportunity to make the familiar acquaintance-as roommate-of Rev. Joseph E. King, who was then just entering upon his connection with the seminary. From that brief association the writer learned, among other things, that the born gentleman has some marked advantages over the artificially educated one. Success was assured to Mr. King from the very beginning of his career in Newbury. During this very busy term little intimacy was had with other teachers, of whom Rev. Francis Hoyt was the principal.
During an interval of four years, following the last mentioned date, some changes were wrought. The number of students was materially increased. The Female Collegiate Institute was created and associated with the seminary. This brought the young women to the front, giving them a chance to prove, if they could, the fallacy of the old theory of their mental inferiority. It was a pleasant change, enjoyed apparently by the young men as well as by the young women. The increased number of recitations seemed to make it necessary to abbreviate them somewhat-the plan apparently being to make up by increased animation the loss in time. At any rate the shortening was a stimulus to both pupil and teacher to come to the recitation with lesson prepared. In the same interval Rev. J. E. King had become principal of the seminary and president of the Collegiate Institute; Mr. Henry S. Noyes and Rev. Charles Wesley Cushing, instructors-or, according to the newer student dialect, professors; Miss Caroline J. Lane preceptress, who was later succeeded by Miss Jane P. Chase, and the latter by Miss Sarah Etta King.
A further connection of the writer with the institution, as a teacher, introduced him into these new associations. Though the usual intercourse between fellow teachers may appear freer and less constrained than that between teacher and pupil, yet in their efforts for an exact mutual understanding, the teacher and the fairly
15
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HISTORY OF NEWBURY, VERMONT.
intelligent pupil may get a deeper insight into each other's mental substratum, than is likely to come from an exchange of many learned conventionalities between persons acting the agreeable. Accordingly, it is easy to imagine the writer better acquainted with his own teachers, previously mentioned, than with those just now named. Still most persons, and especially persons of such demonstrative habits as teachers are by the requirements of their profession, will be likely to manifest to ordinary observation, some, if not all, of their own peculiar traits. Among possible traits, may appear in a given case, a marked ability to read character. Any one can see how valuable an ability this would be for an educator, or for the head of an institution, who has much to do with differing characters of both students and teachers.
Of the persons just above named, President King could hardly fail to be seen as possessed in an eminent degree, of the faculty for discerning the inner man of any one coming under his observation. Such a faculty, used mostly often in discovering the best side and best possibilities of another's character, is likely to effect friendly relations. One who finds himself seen in a better light than that in which he sees himself, should at least be thankful for a revelation of his own better capabilities. As used by Mr. King, the faculty in question cannot fail to have been of great service both to himself and to many others.
Prof. Noyes was characterized by great aptitude for acquiring knowledge and readiness in communicating the same. With all his facility of communication, however, he did not fail to impress his pupils with the importance of utilizing their own faculties in the process of making knowledge their own. He did not propose to do all the students' studying and reciting. The recitations of his classes meant business, and it was easy for him to hold the respect of those whom he taught.
Of Prof. Cushing, among other things, may be mentioned his unusual versatility, adapting him almost equally to the chair of the scientific instructor, to the pulpit, or to almost any rostrum for popular enlightenment. Much valuable talent, no doubt, practically runs to waste for want of adaptation to any existing forum. If a man really has something to say to his fellowmen, it is of no small consequence that he be able to say it on any fit occasion.
In institutions of the grade of the one now considered, teachers are not the only recognized educational agencies. Self-education must supplement the instructor's work, or the result will be too little substantial. To give themselves a field for mental self-exertion students generally form literary and debating socicties, and thesc societies come to be regarded as a part of the institution's machinery. In the present instance there were such societies in a state of healthy activity during the whole time covered by this sketch. In the last of the periods referred to, they were more in
H. N. CHAMBERLIN.
PROF. GEORGE N. ABBOTT.
HON. ABEL UNDERWOOD.
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NEWBURY SEMINARY-CONTINUED.
number and certainly not less prosperous, than in the earlier period. Their literary character was more pronounced-that is, they presented more written work-in the later time, though the oral discussion of questions was vigorously continued. These societies occasionally gave public performances-open, that is, to all students and to any others desiring to be present. Into their preparation for such entertainments they were wont to put a considerable amount of creditable brain-work.
Should any reader of this sketch note an omission of higher titles, in connection with some of the names which have appeared, he may understand that such omission-where it occurs-was intentional, the object being to "modernize" as little as possible. This briet reminiscence has been written at the request of persons desiring to perpetuate the memory of Newbury Seminary (this name popularly including the whole institution) as it imaged its own character in the mind of an observer familiarized with its ongoings. It is as such observer that the writer has spoken, only desiring that, in so far as these few words can serve to transfer to other minds, the picture which is in his own, their effect may be to help keep in lively view a bright spot in the history of Newbury.
It may well be asked how it came to pass that this school, for which thirty-four years of successful operation had given a prestige among the educational institutions of New England, and which had been conducted at a minimum of expense, with such a maximum of result, was removed from Newbury. This is not a part of the history of this town which is pleasant to tell, as it is a portion of it not creditable to the honesty or sagacity of those who conspired to bring about the removal.
Among the various ambitions which inspired Rev. Amasa G. Button, long a resident of Newbury, and president of the board of trustees of Newbury Seminary, was the desire to represent the town in the state legislature. To this end he was presented as a candidate for town representative, during several years. But it being well understood by the leaders of the republican party that a large section of the party would not support Mr. Button, they contrived to set him aside at the caucuses. But in 1865, he made a personal canvass for the office, and caused it to be made known that unless he was elected, he would have the school removed from Newbury. No one paid much attention to his threat, but he would probably have been elected had he conducted his canvass with fairness and courtesy. But the course which he unfortunately took, and the intemperate language used by a noisy individual, who claimed to speak for him at the caucus, whose utterances Mr. Button made no attempt to check, gave great offense to many, and while Mr. Button's friends presented his name, his opponents nominated Mr. L. D. Hazen. There ensued the most sharply
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HISTORY OF NEWBURY, VERMONT.
contested Freeman's meeting ever held in this town, and the contest was prolonged till nearly nine o'clock in the evening, without any sign of yielding on either side.
At that late hour, a few republicans who had hitherto supported Mr. Hazen, by an agreement with some of those who had voted for Mr. Button, presented the name of W. W. Brock, who received about twenty votes. At the last ballot, both Mr. Button, and Mr. Hazen were dropped, and Mr. Brock was elected. Mr. Button, deeply mortified at the result, lost no time in carrying his threat into effect, and at the next session of conference he was ready with his schemes. He was a man of much financial ability, a ready and fluent speaker, with a plausible manner, and a great force of will, and having some wealth, and a thorough knowledge of the members of the conference, had no trouble in securing the appointment of a committee to his liking, whose duty should be, to investigate the conditions of Newbury Seminarv. This committee made precisely such a report as Mr. Button would have written, which was to the effect that the interests of the conference required the removal of the school to a more central place, and one "where the local influences would be more favorable." There were many plausible reasons for such a removal, which were adroitly urged by Mr. Button and his friends.
Newbury Seminary was founded under the auspices of the New Hampshire conference when it included nearly all the territory now controlled by the Vermont conference, and at that time Newbury was the most central place. The division of the territory left Newbury on one side of the newly-formed Vermont conference. At the same time there were academies at Springfield and Fairfax, which, as well as Newbury Seminary, were under the auspices of conference. It was not very difficult to make the brethren believe that the educational interests of the conference required the consolidation of these three institutions into one, which should be near the center of the state, and which they expected would become to the Vermont conference all that the seminary at Tilton is to the New Hampshire conference. They failed to consider the difference which unalterable geographical conditions imposed upon an institution located at Tilton, and one at Montpelier. Neither did they observe that the students of Newbury Seminary camc chicfly from the Connecticut valley above Orford, and from the towns which were drained by the upper branches of the river, and that few students from thesc localities would cross the hills to Montpelier.
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