WIUBUR FISK- HISTORY OF THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY, AT WILBRAHAM, MASS. 1817*1890. BY THE REV. DAVID SHERMAN, D.D. " For the property of truth is, where she is publicly taught, to unyoke and set free the minds and spirits of a nation." Milton. BOSTON : THE MCDONALD & GILL COMPANY, 36 BROMFIELD STREET. 1893. Copyright 1893 by THE MCDONALD & GILL COMPANY. PREFACE. To persons of intelligence and breadth of view, the record of a literary institution is not less interesting than that of a city or State. Such an institution is something more than a corporation for the accumula- tion of wealth. It deals with mind, in its formative period. It is a gymnasium for the harmonious unfold- ing of the intellectual faculties, and the more perfect discipline of thought. The training thus secured becomes an admirable furnishing for the duties of prac- tical life. Education is wealth invested " where moth and rust do not corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal." Among institutions of this kind, the Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham holds a conspicuous and hon- ored place. The amount of work performed is very large, and the quality is of a high order. The design has been to furnish the whole man. With careful regard to intellectual drill, constant attention has beei^ given to the moral and spiritual needs of the young. Many students have there received the inspiration and spiritual uplift, so important in working out the practi- cal problems of life. It has been deemed important to turn out good men and women as well as good stu- dents ; and, so fully has this purpose been realized, that few institutions have furnished pupils better fitted 'to grapple with the affairs of the world. At the Se mi-Centennial Celebration, the trustees thought it desirable to publish a history of the institu- iv PREFACE. tion. The work was then committed to the present writer. For some three or four years little was done save to look up, at leisure, the sources of information. After Dr. Steele became principal, the material was digested and the work fully written out. Though the publication had been ordered, Dr. Crowell desired a delay in order to secure some additional facts, especial- ly a larger number of the names of students. To forward this design, he employed Rev. Charles M. Hall to arrange all the names found in the catalogues with date of entrance and place of residence. Meantime, Dr. Crowell, the committee on publication, died, and the matter remained in abeyance until a year ago, when the manuscript was submitted to the trustees for examin- ation. Their committee thought the book too large for general sale, and suggested certain chapters which might be omitted. On examination, it was found these omissions would leave the work disproportioned and its parts disconnected. To remedy the evil, the entire history was recast, during the month of December, 1891, and the size was reduced one half. Besides the exclusion of several entire chapters, the main thread of the narrative was lessened by the abbreviation of all the biographical sketches as well as by the reduction of the general historical matter of the volume. Under these limitations, the publication of the 16,000 names of students became entirely impracticable. In place of that grand roll, we have to be satisfied with the large number of names incidentally or directly mentioned in the course of the narrative. As to the illustrations, the design was at first to give only views of the buildings and grounds. The plan PREFACE. V was enlarged to embrace trustees, principals, teachers, benefactors and students. Of the likenesses of the men and women of earlier time not many could be obtained. We are fortunate in having some of the more important. The principals are all here save Bangs and Foster. The difficulty was to know where to stop. The illustrations given are worthy to find place ; other names are equally worthy. Want of space must be pleaded as our excuse for their omission. To those interested in the work of education, this volume will prove valuable, as containing the record of early struggles in building a literary institution. The founding was a work of faith. The preachers of the New England Conference^ made a great venture. Like the patriarch, they marched into a strange land they were to possess only after many days of toil and trial. The history shows the ultimate realization of their highest expectations. As the first successful experiment of the Methodists in American education, the enterprise has an interest for all the disciples of Wesley. At Wilbraham, after many defeats and hindrances, the leaders made a stand and turned the tide of battle in favor of higher education by the church. From the day Fisk planted his foot on the soil, the work prospered and progressed. A new spirit entered the denomination, and Christian schools began to spring up, under Methodist auspices, in every part of the land. Let none of the later schools forget how much they owe to this earliest and honored institution. D. SHERMAN, Brookline, Dec. 15, 1892. TABLE OF CONTENTS. I. PERIOD OF FOUNDING. CHAPTER I. Introductory. PAGE. Wesley's Estimate of Education 1 Education in New England 3 The Methodists in New England 4 The Methodists Engage in the Work of Education . 5 CHAPTER II. The Beginnings at South Neivmarket. The Wesleyan Academy Founded by the Preachers in the New England Conference 8 1816. The Newmarket Preachers' Meeting 9 1817. The Conference Adopts the Academy 12 Sept. 1 The Building Completed 13 The Opening of the Term 14 The First Contributors 16 CHAPTER III. Incorporation of the Wesleyan Academy. 1818. June 4. The Act by the New Hampshire Legislature .... 18 The Code of By-Laws Adopted 20 Plan of Education for the Academy 23 CHAPTER IV. The Administration of Martin Huter, 1818 1820. July 10. Ruter's Election as Principal 26 Biographical Incidents of his Life 27 viii CONTENTS. Kuter's Plans for the Academy 28 The Kingston Branch Academy 29 Moral and Religious Training 31 1820. Ruter's Election to the Book Agency 33 Resigns the Principalship CHAPTER V. The Administration of Moses Whit#. Election of Moses White as Principal 35 The Financial Embarrassments of the School . . . .36 1823. The Vote of the Trustees to Close 37 Dec. 30. The Causes which led to the Failure 39 Was a Success even in the Failure 41 CHAPTER, VI. Personnel of the Newmarket Academy, Rev. John Brodhead, a Trustee 42 Col. Amos Binney, a Trustee 45 Rev. D. Fillmore, a Trustee 47 Mr. John Clark, of Boston 48 Moses White, the last Principal 48 CHAPTER VII. Students at Newmarket. Those Who Became Preachers 52 Those Devoted to Secular Affairs 54 IT. THE PERIOD REMOVAL. 1825-1848. 1. .THE ADMINISTRATION OF WILBUR FISK, A.M. 1825-1830. CHAPTER VIII. The Location of the Wesleyan Acad- emy at Wilbraham. The Removal was Informal 61 Attention Drawn to Wilbraham 62 1823. The Meeting of the Trustees in Boston 64 Dec. Considerations in Favor of Locating at Wilbraham . 68 CONTENTS. ix CHAPTER IX. The Incorporation of the New Board of Trustees. 1824. The Act of Incorporation 71 Feb. 7. The Control Placed Entirely in the Board 73 Feb. 19. The Meeting of the New Board 74 The Plan of Education for the Academy 75 The Approval of the New England Conference ... 78 The Names of the Original Contributors 79 CHAPTER X. The Erection of the Old Academy Edifice. 1825. The Trustees Determine to Build 81 Jan. 5. Rev. Joseph A. Merrill Elected a Trustee 82 The Site of the Academy Selected . 83 The Erection of the First Building 85 CHAPTER XI. Opening of the Academy. Nov. 8. The Dedicatory Service with Address of Wilbur Fisk 88 The Plan of Academic Work Outlined 92 CHAPTER XII. The First Term Under Nathaniel Dunn- Biographical Notice of Mr. Dunn 96 Dec. 5. The First Regular Term Opened with a Class of Seven 97 CHAPTER XIII. Organization Under Wilbur Fisk. 1826. Annual Meeting of the Trustees . 101 June 5. New Trustees and Preceptress Chosen 102 Qualifications of Fisk as a Manager and a Disciplin- arian The Whipping Case 106 CHAPTER XIV. The Erection of the Boarding House. Boarding Among the Citizens Ill Preparations for a Boarding House 114 The Purchase of the Hotel Property 114 The Cost of Improvements on it 117 Selection of the First Steward 118 The Religious Interest in the School 120 X CONTENTS. CHAPTER XV. Fisk's Second Year at the Academy. 1827. Favorable Condition of the Treasury 122 May 15. Zion's Herald Transferred to the Trustees 122 Additional Teachers Secured 125 Solomon Weeks Succeeds Eb. Thompson as Steward 128 Dr. Fisk's Theological Class 129 CHAPTER XVI. Prosperity of the Academy During the Year 1828. 1828. The Great Revival of the Year 131 The Erection of the Principal's House 135 Col. Binney Donates Cambridge Property 136 Experiments in Agriculture 136 CHAPTER XVII. The Flood-Tide at the Wesleyan Acad- emy in 1829. 1829. The Condition of the Finances . . . 140 The Laboratory Building Erected 143 A Mercantile Venture 144 The Resignation of Nathaniel Dunn 146 CHAPTER XVIII. The Original Trustees at Wilbraham. The Hon. Abel Bliss 150 Abraham Avery 154 CHAPTER XIX. The Original Trustees, Continued. Calvin Brewer 158 Joshua Crowell 161 William Rice, Sen , . 163 CHAPTER XX. Students Under Wilbur Fisk. Those Who Became Preachers 170 Those Who Entered Secular Callings 175 CONTENTS. XI CHAPTER XXI. The Close of Fisk's Term. 1830. Fisk Elected President of Wesleyan University Aug.24. Nominally Principal tillJuly, 1831 180 His Closing Words to the School 182 The Results of his Labors in it 183 Dr. Fisk's Later Services 184 2. THE ADMINISTRATION OF WILLIAM McK. BANGS. CHAPTER XXII. The Beginning of the End. 1831. William McK. Bangs 191 Aug. 17. Edward Othe man, as Teacher 194 Samuel P. Dole, as a Teacher 195 Death of Edward Hyde 197 3. THE ADMINISTRATION OF JOHN FOSTER, A.M. 18321834. CHAPTER XXIII. Services and Associates of John Foster. 1832. Foster Elected Principal at the Academy 201 May 30. His Associates in the Board of Instruction 203 1834. The Resignation of Mr. Foster and the Causes ... 206 Aug. The Debating Club and its Members 207 The Ladies of the Period 209 4. THE ADMINISTRATION OF DAVID PATTEN, APRIL, 1834-1841. CHAPTER XXIV. The Return of Peace and Prosperity to the School. 1834. Aug. 11. The Election of David Patten as Principal of the Wesleyan Academy 213 His Earlier Record . . 213 Xll CONTENTS. His Associates in the Academy 214 Increase in the Number of Students 215 1835. Music Department Opened 218 1836. New Teachers Stocking, Lane 219 CHAPTER XXV. Turn in Tide of Prosperity. John M. Merrick Elected Trustee 221 1837. Goodnow, as a New Teacher 222 The Decline in Attendance and Causes 223 CHAPTER XXVI. The Later Services of David Patten at the Academy. 1838. The Academy Prosperous 232 A New Teacher W. H. Bussell 233 Hannah Thompson 235 1839. New Trustees 236 Opening of the Boston & Albany Railway ..... 237 1840. The Celebration, July 4th 238 The Exhibition at the Close 239 1841. Death of Harrison 240 The Resignation of David Patten 240 5. THE ADMINISTRATION OF CHARLES ADAMS, A.M., 1841-1845. CHAPTER XXVII. The Services and Associates of Charles Adams, A.M. Biographical Data 245 His Assistants in Teaching 246 1845. Charles Adams Resigns 250 6. THE ADMINISTRATION OF ROBERT ALLYN, A.M., 1845-1848. CHAPTER XXVIII. Services and Associates of Robert Allyn, A.M. His Biographical Record 257 The Case of John W. Hardy 259 CONTENTS. xiii New Trustees and Teachers 261 Trustees Under the New Charter 265 1848. The Alumni Gathering at the Close of the Spring Term The Kesignation of Kobert Allyn 267 III. PERIOD OF REBUILDING. 1. THE ADMINISTRATION OF MINER RAYMOND, D.D. CHAPTER XXIX. Dr. Raymond and His Collaborateurs. 1848. Dr. Raymond Elected Principal 271 Aug. Incidents of his life 272 Associates in the Board of Instruction 276 New Trustees 279 CHAPTER XXX. The Erection of Fisk Hall 1850. Election of New Trustees Sleeper '. . 282 1851. Completion of Fisk Hall 288 1852. Nov. Additions to the Boards 288 1853. Other Members of the Boards 289 CHAPTER XXXI. Leading Benefactors. Isaac Rich 294 CHAPTER XXXII. Leading Benefactors. Lee Claflin 303 CHAPTER XXXIII. Erection of Binney Hall. 1854. The Site and Funds for Building 311 New Trustees. T. P. Richardson and Harrison New- hall 313 The Political Excitement 318 1855. New Teachers Warner, Otheman 320 Clerical Subscribers to Binney Hall 323 XIV CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXXIV. Ravages of the Fire Fiend. 1856. Burning of the Old Boarding House 325 Jan. 4. The Destruction Total 328 The Courage of the Principal 328 Feb. 11. The Trustees Determine to Kebuild 330 The School Flourishes 331 CHAPTER XXXV. Additional Ravages. 1857. Other Teachers and Trustees 334 Sept.29. The Burning of the New Boarding House 338 Eich and Claflin Come to the Aid of the Institution in this Trying Hour 341 CHAPTER XXXVI. Struggle with the Thirty-Five Thou- sand Dollar Debt. 1858. Other Teachers and Trustees 343 The Conference Approves the Effort to Rebuild . . 346 Appeal to the State for Aid 347 1859. Apr. 9. The Act of the Legislature in Aid 249 CHAPTER XXXVII. Erection of Rich Hall. 1860. New Trustees and Teachers Rand, Tapley, Avery, Cummings 255 Mar. 29. Amendment to the Legislature Act 361 Sept. 1. The Completion of Rich Hall 364 CHAPTER XXXVIII. Final Services of Miner Raymond at Wilbraham. 1863. Prosperity in the School 368 1864. Gov. Andrew at Commencement 371 June 28. Resignation of Dr. Raymond 373 Students Under Him Ira S. Johnson 376 CONTENTS. XV 2. ADMINISTRATION OF EDWAKD COOKE, D.D., 1864-1874. CHAPTER XXXIX. First Year of Edward Cooke. Aug. Election as Principal of the Academy 381 Biographical Notice 381 Teachers Associated with Him 383 1865. Large Attendance of Students 385 The Debt Still Kemaining on Kich Hall 387 CHAPTER XL. High Water Mark. 1866. The Highest Kecord of Attendance 389 Additional Trustees 390 Better Organization of Instruction 391 Advance in Expenditures 392 Students E.B.Andrews 395 1867. The Decline Begins Very Slowly 396 New Teachers and Trustees 396 Enthusiastic Alumni Gathering 398 CHAPTER XLT. Semi- Centennial of the Founding at Wil- braham. 1868. Additions to the two Boards 401 The Celebration 402 1869. Few Changes During this Year 403 1870. New Teachers C.M. Parker 404 The Memorial Church Chapel 405 Revival Services of Mrs. Van Cott 406 1871. New Trustees and Teachers. Orrin Daggett as Steward 408 CHAPTER XLII. Final Services of Edward Cooke at Wilbraham. 1872. New Elections 410 Decline in Numbers 412 1873. Large Number of Graduates . . 413 1874. Resignation of Dr. Cooke 416 June 23. Dr. Cooke' s Services at Claflin 417 XVI CONTENTS. 3. ADMINISTRATION OF N. FELLOWS,. 1874-1879. CHAPTEK XLIII. Mr. Fellows' Earlier Services at the Academy. Personal Record of Mr. Fellows 421 His Helpers in the School 423 1875. Changes in the Board of Trust 424 1876. Attendance, Graduates Instructors 425 1877. Change in the Boards 427 1878. Continued Decline in Numbers 429 CHAPTER XLIV. Final Services of N. Fellows. 1879. Resignation of the Principal 432 The Causes of the Decline '. 432 4. ADMINISTRATION OF GEORGE M. STEELE. CHAPTER XLV. Earlier Services of Dr. Steele. Aug. His Election as Principal 439 Biographical Notes 439 Makes Many Changes in the Boards 441 Deficiency at Close of the Year 443 1880. The Repair not yet Complete 444 Bible Study in School 446 1881. C. L. Eastman, Financial Agent 447 CHAPTER XLVI. Later Services of Dr. Steele. 1882. Dr. Crowell as Financial Agent 450 Z. M. Crane, a Benefactor 452 1887. New Steward George A. Russell 460 Extinction of the Debt 461 CHAPTER XL VII. Conclusion. Review of Dr. Steele' s Work .466 CONTENTS. xvil 5. ADMINISTRATION OF WILLIAM RICE NEWHALL, A.M. CHAPTER XL VI 1 1. The Opening Year. 1892. Election as Principal 476 Apr. 4. Sketch of His Life 476 Bequest to the Academy 481 Sketch of the Life of David Prouty 482 INDEX. Abbott, Clara, preceptress 247 Adams, Kev. Charles, D.D., at Newmarket 56 Principal at Wilbraham 245 Allen, R. W., student 207 Allyn, Rev. Robert, teacher 246 Principal 257 Alumni Gatherings 265, 293, 298, 426 Andrew, Gov. John A., Address 371 Andrews, E. B., student and later, President Brown University 39 Isabella H., music teacher 292 Annis, B. S., teacher 460 Anthony, Sarah A. and Jane 177 Anti-Slavery Agitation 224 Armstrong, Charles P., trustee 428 Avery, Abraham, original trustee 154 Refused to pay tax 155 The Presbyterian Saddle 156 Abraham, Jr 357 Julia 230 Bangs, William McKendree, principal 191 Bates, Geo. W., student 207 Benton, Sanford 175 Bible Studies in the Academy 446 Beach, J. W 410, 449 S. F 262 Binney, Col. Amos, an original trustee 45 Donates Cambridge property 136 Resignation 145 Rev. Amos, student at Newmarket 52 Trustee at Wilbraham 261 Hall, erection 311 Contributors to building fund 323 INDEX. xix Bliss, Hon. Abel, original trustee 71 Biographical notice 150 Resignation of^ Secretaryship 219 as trustee also 259 John Wesley, trustee 334 Antoinette, C. M 231 Boarding House, the original, erected Ill Enlargement 116 Burned in 1856 326 The new one, erected 330 Burned 338 Rich Hall, erected 355 Boothbay, Asa, teacher . . 396 Bowman, Bp. Thomas, student 171 Brewers, students 176 Brewer, H. B., trustee 288 Brodhead, John, founder 8, 42 Family 55 Brooks, D. G., teacher 407 James J., Proctor 127 Brummagim, D. M., teacher 401 Bryant, Laura M., teacher 385 Buck, John R., trustee 458 Buckley, J. M., trustee 458 Buckingham, Herbert G 458 Burbank, H. H 407 Burke, Joseph C., teacher 423 Buttrick, George M., trustee 410 Bush, Henry J., trustee 390 Carhart, Joseph, teacher - 411 Carsons 209 Chamberlayne, Catherine J., preceptress 442 Chamberlains, students 177 Chase, D. H., teacher 204 Chester, Simeon F., teacher ' ' . . . 289 Claflin, Lee, trustee and benefactor 303 Wilbur F., trustee 407 Clark, John 4$ Daniel J 423 William R., student 267 Cokesbury College 1 2 XX INDEX. Cooke, Edward, principal 381, 387 Kesignation 410 Corbin, C. C., trustee 448 Conwell, Russell H. . . . 267, 426 Cowell, Geo. H., trustee 463 Crane, Z. M., student 177 Benefactor, sketch 452 Lucinda 209 Frank Lindley 418 Crocker, Henry E., teacher . . . 404 Crowell, Joshua, trustee 71 Biographical sketch 161 Loranus, trustee and agent 450 Cummings, Joseph, trustee 359, 425 Daggett, Orrin, steward 408 Emma A., teacher 424 Debt, the thirty-five thousand dollars 343 Legislative aid 348 Extinction 461 Dickinson, Geo. R., trustee 460 Dole, Samuel P., teacher 196 Duncan, Alexander J., teacher 413 Dunn, Nathaniel, first teacher at Wilbraham 96 Resignation 146 Biographical notice 146 Durrell, O. H., trustee 459 Eastman, Rev. C. L., financial agent 447 Eggleston, Rev. A. C., trustee 426 Ela, D. H., trustee 444 Fellows, Rev. N., teacher 343 Principal 421 Trustee 413 Resignation 432 Fillmore, Dan 47 Fisk, Hall, erection of 282, 286 Rev. Wilbur, D.D., disapproved of the location at Newmarket 35 First principal at Wilbraham 38 Opening Address 91 Method of discipline 105 Whipping case 107 INDEX. XXI Fisk, Close of his term at Wilbraham 180 Sketch of his life 180 Isaiah 89 Franklin 208 Herbert F., a teacher 396 Flagg, A. S., trustee 463 Foster, John W 176 Fisher Ames 208 Rev. John, principal 201 Furber, Rev. Franklin 406 David B., teacher 396 Gill, Benjamin, teacher 411 Goodenough, S. J., trustee 429 Goodnow, Isaac T., teacher 222 Gymnasium 445 Hall, Adelia M., bookkeeper 444 Mary, teacher , 413 Hampshire County, devoted to education 70 Hamilton, Jefferson 173 Handy, Helen A., teacher 385 Harrington, Karl B., teacher 459 Hardy, John W., trustee and steward 102, 205,259 Hascall, Jefferson, Proctor 127 Hawkins, J. W. H., Hannah and Elizabeth D., students .... 253 Harvey, Ed. B., teacher 366 Hayden, J 236 Hazen, Cynthia, teacher 391 Henderson, Elizabeth 209 Healy, W 248 Hill, Isabella (see Raymond) Morris 174 Hitchcock, L. E 463 Hoagland, W. L., teacher 390 Hovey, H. N., trustee 265 Howard, O. R 175 Howe, O. S., teacher 278,335 Houghton, A. C., trustee 448 Hoyt, Oliver, trustee 449 Hubbard, L. M., trustee 448 Hyde, Rev. Edward, steward 197 George M., trustee 204 XX11 INDEX. Hyde, Catherine, preceptress 215 Jennison, Kev. Isaac, erects the Boarding Hall 115 Isaac, Jr 172 Jenkins, Emeline B., preceptress . .249 Jewett, Uriah 54 Johnson, Ira S 377 Edwin H 424 Judd, Orange, teacher 263 Kelley, Samuel 53 Kelsey, Ed. E., music teacher 423 Keener, Bp. J. C., student 121 Keyes, Rachel, teacher 403 Kingston, Branch 29, 30 Kimpton, Truman, trustee 235 Truman H., teacher 366 Knight, Joel, student 125 Mrs. A. C., teacher 396 Lane, Harvey B., teacher 219 Alex. P., steward 264 Larrabee, W. C., student 53 Lee, Jason, and Daniel 175, 178 Lincoln, Timothy D., student 208 Loomis, Reuben H., student 247 Lovell, John, student 57 Lloyd, W. J., teacher 458 Luke, James, trustee 263 Mann, Horace, educator 227 Marcy, Thomas, and Ichabod, students, Oliver, teacher .... 262 Dr. H. O., trustee 464 Manual Labor Department 136, 142 Maffit, John . . 208 Magee, J. P., trustee -442 Magoun, William, teacher 125 Mallalieu, W. F., trustee 442 Merrill, Joseph A., trustee at Newmarket and a donor . .... 38 Trustee at Wilbraham 81 Biographical notice -82 Annis, student 56 Alumni Address 266 Amos B., student and trustee 429 John W 56, 173, 289 INDEX. xxiii Merrill, David K., trustee . . . . 413 Nathaniel J 107 Memorial Church 406 Merrick, John M., trustee 219, 221 Notice 321 Frederick 167 Koderick S 247 Merwin, John B., and Andrew 175 Methodists in New England 5 Middleton, James, teacher 407 Moore, Henry 176 Morrill, Hannah D., teacher 1868 401 Moulton, Horace 172 Mudge, Enoch, trustee 102 New England devoted to education 3 Methodists in 4 Opposed to the New Faith 6 Conference adopts the Academy 10 Newhall, Fales H., teacher, trustee . . 276, 390 Harrison, trustee 316 William Kice, principal 475 Newmarket, location of the Academy there, and attractions of the place .... 11 Erection of the Academy 13 First students 13 Incorporation 18 By-Laws 20 Nickerson, Pliny, trustee 288 Plan of Education 23 Norcross, I. M., teacher 459 North, William, trustee 279 Crandall J., teacher 411 Northrup, D. W., teacher 388 Otheman, Edward, student at Newmarket 53 At Wilbraham 173 Teacher and trustee 194 Edward B., teacher 320 Parker, Charles M., teacher 404 Patten, David, student and teacher 125 Principal 213 Phelps, J. W., trustee 410 XXIV INDEX. Pickard, Humphrey, student 176, 178 Pierce, W. C., student 219 Pickering, Rev. George, financial agent 135, 140 Pillsbury, John H., teacher 423 Phillips, W. H. H., teacher 407 Pond, L. W., trustee 401 Porter, Rev. James, preacher 219 Edward F., trustee 387 Potter, Hannah, music department 218 Preceptresses first, Miss Tillinghast 104 Second, Susan Brewer 126 Prentice, Laura E., teacher 391 Proctors, Selah Stocking 127 John J. Brooks 127 Jefferson Hascall 127 Rand, Geo. C., trustee 356 Mary A., teacher 460 Raymond, Miner, student 144 Principal 271 Resignation 368 Charles H., teacher 427 Railroad B. and A., opened 237 Reed, George E., student 376 Revival, the Great 132 Rich, Isaac, trustee 294 WinfieldS., teacher 459 Hall 355 Rice, William, Sen., trustee 163 William, Jr., trustee 226 Gardiner, student 208 Lee, trustee 265 Richardson, Thos. P., trustee 311 Rising, D. B., trustee 444 Rogers, Caleb D 52 Robinson, D. P., trustee 278 Rockwell, Jarvis, trustee 447 Roper, John, teacher , 215 Ruter, Martin, Principal at Newmarket 26 Biographical notice 27, 34 Semi-Centennial celebration 401 Sessions, Horace M., trustee, John H., trustee 458 INDEX. xxv Sessions, Jane C 230 Schools, public 227 Sears, Eloise, teacher 424 Shafter, John L 208 Sleeper, Jacob, trustee 282 Shumway, E. B., teacher 367 Slater, John F., and Will. A 179 Smith, Gad. N., student 207 Aug. W., trustee 233 Horace, trustee 369 L. C., trustee 428 William, trustee 236, 237 Stewart, Theophilus, student 208 Stebbens, R. P., Dr., student 175 Steele, Geo. M., teacher 284 Principal 439 Resignation 466 Daniel, student 247 Trustee 425 Stewards, the first, Thompson 119 Weeks 128 Hyde 197 Stevens, Abel, student 230 Stocking, Selah 127, 174 Sabura, teacher 203 Stockwell, Charles F., teacher 246 Stone, Lucy, student 230 Stowei-s, C. N., teacher 355 Studley, W. S., student 399, 467 Sutherland, George, student 52 Sturtevant, W. F., trustee 436 Tapley, P. P., trustee 359 Taylor, Edw. T., student 53 Henry L., teacher 443 Lewis H., trustee 369 Tillinghast, Charlotte, first preceptress, became wife of N". Dunn . . . 104 Thompson, Eben., steward 119 Tourje, Eben., teacher music 397 True, Rev. C. K., student 171 Trustee ... .285 xxvi INDEX. Twombly, John H., teacher 249 Upham, S. F., trustee 426 Van Cott, Maggie, revivalist 436 Vail, Albert S., teacher 335 Warner, Emerson, teacher 320 Trustee 424 Francis J., trustee 369 Samuel, trustee 266 Warren, Henry W., teacher 290 William F., Pastor of the Village Church . .351, 378, 405 Warn eld, Ruby, preceptress , 336 Webb, Dan., Agent of Ziorfs Herald 123 Weeks, Solomon, steward 128 Wesley, Views on education 2 Wesleyan Academy, founded by the New England Conference 8 Removed to Wilbraham 61 Liberal policy 73 By-Laws 74 Plan of education 75 Conference approves 75 First subscribers 79 Erection of the old Academy 81 Site 83 Studies 98 Government 105 Boarding House Ill Manual labor department 136 Mercantile department 142 Wilbraham, as the location for the Academy 61 Trustees 68 People 69 Conference of 1826 121 White, Moses, first teacher 13, 33 Principal 35 Character 48 J. B., trustee 13, 19 Lorenxo 383 Whipping Case 107 Wilson, Hiram A 208 Winchester, Charles, trustee 459 Wright, Robert, trustee 261 INDEX. xxvii Wright, Geo. L., trustee 426 Wood, Thomas B., teacher 384 Woods, Charles D., teacher 459 Ziori's Herald donated to the Academy . 122 Sold to Book Room 123 ILLUSTRATIONS. KICH HALL Frontispiece WILBUR FISK Frontispiece THE ACADEMY AT NEWMARKET 12 KEV. JOHN BRODHEAD 42 COL. AMOS BINNEY 45 KEV. ED WARD T. TAYLOR 54 THE OLD ACADEMY (1825) 81 NATHANIEL DUNN 96 REV. H. PICKARD 96 REV. J. HASCALL 96 HANNAH M. THOMPSON 126 SUSAN BREWER 126 ISABELLA HILL (MRS. RAYMOND) 126 HON. ABEL BLISS 150 ABRAHAM AVERY, SEN 154 REV. CALVIN BREWER 158 WILLIAM RICE, SEN. (IN YOUTH) 158 REV. JOSHUA CROWELL 161 WILLIAM RICE, SEN 163 REV. FRED. MERRICK 165 BP. OSMAN C. BAKER 170 BP. THOMAS BOWMAN 170 REV. ABEL STEVENS 178 C. C. CORBIN 178 REV. DAVID PATTEN 213 JOHN M. MERRICK 221 ISAAC T. GOODNOW 222 REV. JOHN H. TWOMBLY 222 REV. WILLIAM RICE 226 L. M. HODGKINS 235 E. R. MOODY (MRS. STERLING) 235 SUSAN J. SWIFT (MRS. G. M. STEELE) 235 LYDIA BREWER (MRS. COLT) 233 ILL US TRA TIONS. REV. CHARLES ADAMS 245 REV. ROBERT ALLYN 257 PROF. OLIVER MARCY 262 REV. W. S. STUDLEY 265 REV. N. J. BURTON 265 REV. MINER RAYMOND 271 THE ACADEMY (1892) 273 REV. FALES H. NEWHALL 276 BP. GILBERT HAVEN 276 REV. DANIEL STEELE 276 BP. W. F. MALLALIEU 276 FISK HALL 282 HON. JACOB SLEEPER 283 THE OLD CLUB HALL 284 THE PHILO HALL. 286 FRONT WALK 288 BP. HENRY W. WARREN 290 ISAAC RICH 294 TENNIS GROUNDS 296 LEE CLAFLIN 303 THOS. P. RICHARDSON 313 HARUISON NEWHALL 316 DR. E. WARNER 316 HON. AMOS B. MERRILL 352 R. L. CUMNOCK 352 GEORGE C. RAND 356 ABRAHAM AVERY, JR 357 PRES. GEORGE E. REED 376 IRA S. JOHNSON 377 REV. EDWARD COOKE 381 PRES. E. B. ANDREWS 395 REV. I. J. LANSING 402 REV. Jos. PULLMAN 402 STEPHEN O. SHERMAN 402 FRANK M. CRANE 402 CHARLES M. PARKER 404 CHARLES H. RAYMOND 404 BENJAMIN GILL 404 HERBERT F. FISK 404 REV. NATHANIEL FELLOWS 421 ED. H. JOHNSON 424 XXX ILLUSTRATIONS. REV. GEO. M. STEELE 439 L. M. HUBBAKD 448 HON. Z. M. CRANE 452 HON. JOHN R. BUCK 458 REV. LOBANUS CROWELL 461 REV. WILLIAM RICE NEWHALL 475 DAVID PKOUTY 475 GENERAL OUTLINE. IN the annals of American education, the history of the Wesleyan Academy forms a chapter of peculiar interest, as well to the intelligent general reader as to members of the Methodist public and to the large num- bers who have enjoyed the advantages of instruction within its halls. Besides achieving an enviable success, in educating so many of the children of the people, it enjoys the honor of being the oldest existing literary institution established by the Methodists in America. Opened at Newmarket, N.H., in 1817, under the charge of the Rev. Martin Ruter, A.M., it was removed to Wil- braham, Mass., in 1824, when the Rev. Wilbur Fisk, A.M., became principal ; and under the administration of the Rev. Miner Raymond, D.D., elected in 1848, the original buildings were, with a single exception, re- placed by a more substantial and imposing suite. In view of these facts, the history of this honored institu- tion naturally falls into three periods, viz., I. THE PERIOD OF FOUNDING, 1817-1824. II. THE PERIOD OF REMOVAL, 1824-1848. III. THE PERIOD OF REBUILDING, 1848-1890. periob of ffounbing. 1817 1824. "&t)eresh,all be an tyanbful of corn in th,e earth, upon ttje top of th,e mountains; th,e fruit thereof sljail sljake like Lebanon. flsalm 72: 16. kingbom of b,eaoen is like to a grain of mustarb seeb, toljicl) inbeeb is tl)e least of all seebs; v but roh,en it is groton, it is tl)e greatest among l)erbs, anb becometl) a tree, so lh,at tl)e birbs of tlie air come anb lobge in tl)e branches tljcreof. Saint iUlatlljeiD, Otljap. 18: 31. HISTORY OF Of all the leaders of religious thought and activity, no one was ever more deeply impressed with the im- portance of uniting these two moral forces than John Wesley. His views of education were broad and prac- tical. He had studied Locke and Milton. He had examined the various methods of education of his time, and had become convinced that popularization was an imperative demand. Knowledge, which had so long remained a monopoly of the university, needed to be brought within the reach of the people. Kingswood School marks his first attempt to put his ideal in prac- tice. It was the beginning of a system which has been developed on broader lines among the Wesleyans. The ideas of Wesley were to find their broader and better realization in the new world. Cokesbury Col- lege, founded in 1784, was a mere projection of English thought. It is possibly well that the enterprise early failed, and the few preachers then on the continent turned their attention to evangelization, following the sheep scattered through the wilderness. The foundation on the banks of the Susquehanna was not American. A better type of education was to be finally adopted by the American Methodists, a type in harmony with the ideas and practices of the people of the new world. The time for the better plan had not then come. The gospel was to be preached. The cause was to expand to other parts of the continent, as a preparation for the work of education by the new denomination. The institutions of those who had preceded them were to be observed and studied; and then, in the light of wider experience and better knowledge, the new educational system was to be constructed. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 3 New England has been the source of much theoreti- cal and practical wisdom, utilized in other parts of America. Here was the cradle of liberty. Here was invented the town. Here originated the system of popular education. Here, too, were established the academy and college, as complementary of the popular system. In New England, as nowhere else on the con- tinent, there was an early educational atmosphere felt in all the homes and churches. For a long time New England stood alone in her enthusiasm for education. The Royal Governor of Virginia congratulated himself and his people that the colony was without a common school or a printing press. This utterance is foreign to the temper of New England, where, from the first, edu- cation was held in high esteem. To Massachusetts belongs the undying honor of having brought into practical operation the common school system. As early as 1647, the General Court enacted that " When any town shall increase to the number of one hundred families, or households, they shall set up a grammar school, the master thereof being able to instruct youth so far as they may be fitted for the university"; and in 1820, an educational article, enjoining the main features of the system, was incorporated in her constitution. The system has been highly appreciated by the people. The poorest family covets the privilege of education for its children; and not a few have passed from the humble cottage or mountain farm to the seat of the judge, the halls of legislation, the pulpit and the mart of trade. The educational temper and methods of New England have done very much to elevate her people, and to make her influential in the affairs and councils 4 HISTORY OF of the nation. Her ideas have been advanced; her men and women have been at once energetic and prac- tical, able readily to adjust themselves to the conditions of other parts of the country. The Methodists came late to New England. Their message had made considerable progress in New York, Baltimore, the South and the then opening West, before the new evangelists turned their faces to the East, where the spiritual destitution was supposed to be less. But in 1789 Jesse Lee entered New England, passing through Norwalk on to Newport, Boston and Lynn, where he erected the banner with a strange device, and began the planting of Methodist churches. The strug- gle at Boston to obtain a foothold was a severe one ; but Lynn yielded to the first attack, arid other places fol- lowed. For a long while, however, the progress of the movement was very slow. Two or three missionaries struggled to obtain a foothold and to secure converts amid established institutions, and a people educated in another phase of the Christian faith. As a conse- quence, neither the new men nor their message were readily understood. But the coming of the Methodists was fortunate both for themselves and New England. They came with a message of love and salvation, which has not been to the disadvantage of the East, and in return they re- ceived here their best ideas of education. Here, as nowhere else, the service was mutual. The zeal of the Methodists has provoked the Puritan churches ; the educational methods and animus existing here have proved a lasting benefit to the Methodists. For a quarter of a century the effort of the preachers THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 5 Was to secure a foothold. They came not as a colony into the country. They were solitary missionaries who could hope to plant churches only by making converts among the people to whom they came; and so great was the prejudice against the new order, and the want of means and men to prosecute the work, that the progress was very slow. The preachers ran over much territory, but were able to drive a stake only here and there. Patience and perseverance were brought into requisition to an unusual degree. Of course, during all this tentative period, the question of education was not seriously considered. The evangelistic work took the precedence. The time came, however, when the question of ad- vanced education was raised. Children in our families began to seek advantages beyond those afforded in the public school ; and, in order to enjoy them, they were obliged to enter institutions under the control of "the standing order." This was objectionable in various ways. The antagonism between the bodies was such as we now find it hard to realize ; in some cases,' they had no more dealings with each other than the Jews and Samaritans. Of course, with such views, the two could not educate in the same institutions. And then the educational institutions of the East were employed, far more than in our day, as a proselyting agency. The creation of the faithful, these institutions were expected to do yeoman service for the cause of ortho- doxy. The ideas and institutions of other sects were often treated with little respect, and pupils belonging to them either conceived a dislike for the school or became ashamed of their own church and abandoned it. 6 HIS TO ay OF This feature was not, indeed, peculiar to New England. It was characteristic of an age of theological contro- versy, when it was not thought un-Christian to treat either side in an ungentlemanly way. An advantage was coveted ; and no advantage could be so great as to subject a rival body to ridicule and contempt. "In America," says Bishop Simpson, "literary institutions were under the control of some of the older churches ; while no religious test was legal, the whole influence was thrown against Methodist theology and usages. Some of us well remember the proscription and ridicule through which we passed on account of our faith. At last, in self-defense, Methodism was obliged to build her own seminaries and colleges." If a better senti- ment now prevails, it is due, in no small measure, to the founding of rival institutions. But, aside from this consideration, the Methodists of that day had a laudable desire to take a hand in the great educational system through which their children were to pass. As other sects were engaged in higher education, the Methodists could not retain respect for themselves if they refrained from the work. They wished to do whatever was demanded by their position, as one of the religious organizations of the country ; and it certainly seemed to be a plain demand that they should take steps to found institutions for the training of those committed to their care. The institution whose history we are about to relate, was, as already stated, the first successful attempt of the kind. As such it deserves at our hands a fair record. The tentative ef- fort, the small beginning, the planting of the mustard seed, which was to expand to the larger proportions of *THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 7 a tree, furnish us lessons of hope and courage. The one has already been multiplied into many ; and the larger enterprises of to-day are made possible by the struggles and successes on this narrower field. Other men labored; we enter into their labors. 8 HISTORY OF CHAPTER II. THE BEGINNINGS AT SOUTH NEWMARKET. AS already indicated, the work of evangelization in New England necessarily preceded that of found- ing literary institutions. Congregations must be gath- ered and churches organized before there could be any to build or patronize an academy ; but we are assured that the thoughts of our people were early drawn to the subject, as something to be realized only at a distant day. The realization was, however, much nearer than the most sanguine dared to anticipate. Eighteen hun- dred and fifteen is memorable as the year when the dream of a few of the preachers took form, and the first step was made in the desired enterprise. The academy at Newmarket was really founded by the preachers of the New England Conference. At a preachers' meeting, held at Newmarket in the autumn of 1815, the subject awakened more than usual attention among the members. In a moment of happy insoira- tion, it was proposed by a sanguine member to proceed at once with the undertaking, and the proposal carried the meeting. If the cause was a good one, they deemed THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 9 the time ripe. The question of location was considered, and the members turned with a good deal of unanimity to the place where they were then assembled. It was the residence of Rev. John Brodhead, a leading man among them, whose influence in Church and State, it was thought, would go far to make it a success. It was, moreover, central in the string of churches along the eastern shore. Though the movement opened the way to ultimate success, it was, no doubt, premature, and was certainly attended with many difficulties of which the prime movers had, at the time, no suspicion. They were without funds for such an undertaking. They were equally destitute of experience in founding and managing literary institutions. They were not at all aware how difficult it is to acquire the trade. It was, perhaps, fortunate that they began to build in happy ignorance of the difficulties in the way of completion. If they had known all at the start, it is quite sure the first step would not have been taken ; but, having put their hands to the plough, the courage of the men bore them on to the end, with the assurance that if unable themselves to complete the task, others would be raised up for the purpose. Before the adjournment of the meeting, a committee on location was appointed, with instructions to select Newmarket, provided the citizens would afford the en- terprise sympathy and material aid. At an early day, the matter was brought before the people by the chair- man, the Rev. John Brodhead, and assurances of sup- port were given on condition of a guarantee that a school should be maintained for a series of years. As the committee did not feel competent to give the 10 HISTORY OF required guarantee, the whole matter was taken to the annual Conference, which met at Bristol, R. I., June 22, 1816. With the purpose of the committee, the Confer- ence was in full sympathy, and was prepared to afford aid. To this end, a committee was appointed, consisting of John Brodhead, Martin Ruter and Caleb Dustin, "to take into consideration the business of an academy pro- posed to be built under our direction at Newmarket." The committee reported the next day in favor of the design, but presented no plan. A new committee, con- sisting of Joshua Soule, Joseph A. Merrill and John Brodhead, was raised " to direct a course proper for this Conference to pursue in relation to the academy." Their report recommended the appointment of five brethren "to make such arrangements with the subscribers at Newmarket, as they think best as agents of the Confer- ence." The report was accepted, and Charles Virgin, Caleb Dustin, Philip Munger and George Pickering were named as the committee. Their power was limited by the folio wing proviso, viz. : (1) "The said academy, if built, to be placed under the control and direction of the New England Conference of the Methodist Episco- pal Church. (2.) Provided the academy shall be built by the 10th of May next, and permanently placed under the direction and control of the Conference, as above, the New England Conference on their part, engage that they will furnish a preceptor for five years. Yet it is to be understood that all monies arising from tuition, shall be at the disposal of said Conference." The acceptance of these conditions by the people of Newmarket closed the transaction. The bond bound them to the performance of the conditions. The place thus selected as the seat of the proposed institution was a small rural town in Rockingham County, N.H. The natural scenery has few striking features. The lands, which further to the west rise into the grandeur of the White Hills, here sink nearly to level of the ocean, the surface being varied only by slight swells and ridges. The town, located on the banks of the Squamscott, a tributary of the Piscataqua, or rather of Great Bay, a tidal basin with an area of about nine square miles, is shut off from the ocean on the east by the Stratham hills. The valley of the Squamscott was then rich in gardens, meadows and grain fields, and the passage of sloops and schooners gave picturesqueness to the scene. The quietude, the subdued aspect of nature and the healthful moral atmos- phere were conditions favorable to study. The pledge, so cheerfully given by the gentlemen of the town, was only partially redeemed. They furnished the site; but a large part of the seven hundred and fifty-five dollars for the erection of the building was contributed by the preachers, many of them living at a distance. Of the contributions made in town, a large part was in labor and material. In completing the subscription, John Brodhead was extremely helpful. Though the sum was small, much exertion was required to secure it. The Methodists were then few, and their means small. The whole people were poor, and money was scarce. To-day a hundred dollars are more easily obtained than one dollar at that date. The faith and steady devotion of Brodhead should not be forgotten by later generations. With the avails of this subscription, the first Metho- 12 fflSTORT OF dist academy in New England was erected on the road to Epping, near the common. It was a two-story wood building, facing the east, with a porch midway, termi- nating in a bell tower, affording space for a small entrance and a stairway. The lower story contained a single room with a desk on the north side, and space in front for classes. The seats were of wood with desks attached, facing a part to the north and a part to the south. The upper story was divided into two rooms, one of which was unfurnished and reserved for storage of books and apparatus.* In front was a lawn of a half acre. The building, now used as a dwelling, is still in existence. After the removal to Wilbraham, a select school, was, for several years, kept in it, under the control of leading citizens. Though without imposing proportions, or architectural beauty, this building re- mains an interesting memorial of the humble, yet hope- ful beginnings of an institution of learning which has become known through the land, and has proved a blessing to multitudes of youth educated in its halls, as well as to the church under whose auspices it was erected. The committee reported their doings to the Confer- ence held at Concord, N.H., May 16, 1817. Some thought they had done unwisely in the pledge to furnish instruction for five years; but Soule, Hedding, Merritt and Pickering carried the Conference in favor of the report. The question of title to the property w;is " referred to a committee to take legal advice thereon, and to have a draft of an act of incorporation to submit to the next annual Conference ; and that, at present, a *Rev. J. W. Merrill, D.D. IRE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 13 committee be appointed to provide a competent teacher for the current year, at a salary of not over five hundred dollars, and to superintend the "arrangements of the school till next Conference, and this Conference make up so much of the salary and other necessary expenses of the school as shall not be made up by tuition money or otherwise." Brodhead, Pickering and Merritt were chosen a committee on management, and the above, with J. B. White and D. Fillmore added, a committee on teachers. Moses White, a graduate of the University of Vermont, then almost our only liberally educated man, "a gentleman highly esteemed and much beloved by all who knew him," was selected as instructor. He was an accurate scholar as well as a faithful teacher. The first to begin and the last to leave, he could adopt the lan- guage of Virgil : ' Quaeque ipse miserima vidi, et quorum pars magnet fui" "Never be his name forgotten," writes one who enjoyed the advantages of his thorough drill and exact instruction. Devoted to all departments literature, science, elocution, composition he was an enthusiast in his work. " He was a born and accom- plished educator, knowing how to touch and mould his various material into forms of strength, proportion and beauty." The building was completed in midsummer, and the school opened September 1, 1817, with ten students. Of this number, Charles Lane, of Stratham, who preserved a list of those in attendance during the first term, of which, in the absence of catalogues, we make use, was one. From his paper, yellow with age, we give the other names. They were, John M. Brodhead, Alfred Walker, David and James Chapman, Betsy Piper, Edna 14 HISTORY OF Ela, Eliza Fowler, Mariat Pickering and Debora Ben- nett five of each sex, none of whom survive. Others came in as the term advanced. The above list gives seventeen; viz., Augustus Chapman, Rhody Young, Mary A. Hilton, Susan Burleigh, John Clark, Edward T. Taylor, Spofford Jewett, Fillmore, Sally Robin- son, John Pickering, F. Chapman, Daniel D. Brod- head, Dolly Ladd, Joseph Adams and John and Lydia Scammon, none of whom, so far as we know, survive. As preacher at the Bethel, the name of Edward T. Taylor afterwards became a household word in New England. The plan of education adopted by the Methodists departed, in some particulars, from the ideal system of New England. Co-education was in the first draft. The opposite system, followed at Exeter, Andover, Mount Holyoke and other places, contains a trace of the oriental and medieval doctrine of the inferiority of woman. The Methodists broke with the past, and ele- vated woman to the platform of advantage accorded man in the church and school. The work for woman by John Wesley has been continued in the schools of Methodism. In this respect, the first foundation at Newmarket was an object lesson. In the privileges and honors of the institution, woman stood beside man, and the custom so happily inaugurated there has con- tinued in most of our academic institutions, and is fast making way in our colleges. Of the moral and religious, as well as the intellectual instruction of the pupils, Mr. White was extremely care- ful. Regarding himself as in some sense in the place if the parent, he was anxious that no damage should THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 15 come to student or institution. Then, as now, intemper- ance was prevalent ; and, in the absence of all restric- tive laws, he set his face against the approaches of the evil. The students were warned of the danger, and so far as possible kept from places of temptation. In the absence of a boarding-house, students were taken into families at one dollar and twenty-five cents per week, which gave to the school a homelike aspect. The arrangement was quite agreeable to both citizens and students. The exhibitions at the close of the academic year were occasions of great interest in the school and village. The Conference Committee were present to witness the examinations and award the prizes. The exhibitions were held in the old Parish Church with its lofty spire, side galleries and venerable pulpit. The square pews were filled with interested spectators; from the large platform erected for the occasion, the young Ciceros spoke their pieces, taken mostly from English orators and statesmen. The best music was usually secured brass band, drum, fife, flute, clarionet, and French horn, with other instruments. The house was usually crowded and great enthusiasm prevailed. The small expenses of the school at the opening were met by tuition. The teaching was done exclusively by Moses White at a salary of four hundred dollars. As already stated, he was a man of all-work and always at work. The care of the institution was taken upon his heart. The love of his pupils, rather than the salary, was the motive under which he worked. With such a teacher, the outlook of the school at the close of the first year could not fail to be encouraging. " At its 16 HISTORY OF commencement," writes Joseph A. Merrill, " the school was prosperous and its patrons were encouraged. There was a respectable number of students, and it appears that things went satisfactorily under the direction of the managers." To the inexperienced observer, the real difficulties of the situation had not yet become apparent. APPENDIX. ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTORS. To the Methodists of this generation it may be inter- esting to know who were the original contributors to the building of Newmarket Academy. The names of the contributors and the sums contributed are given below from the subscription book, in my possession : George Pickering $30.00 Daniel Fillmore 40.00 John Brodhead . . . . . . . . 55.00 Martin Ruter 80.00 Philip Munger 6.00 Caleb Dustin 12.00 Reuben Peaslee 20.00 Charles Virgin . 18.00 J. B. White 2.00 G. W. Plummer 20.00 Seth Shakford 50.00 Nathaniel Paul 30.00 Henry Wiggin 30.00 John Kennard . . 15.00 Francis Jennis 12. 00 Hall Jennis 5.00 Benjamin Mathews 10.00 Amount carried forward. $435.00 THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 17 Amount brought forward. Nathaniel Treadwell Total $435.00 15.00 Oliver Neal 5.00 Winthrop Hilton 20.00 Jeremiah Meade 18.00 Arthur Barnwell 5.00 Giles Smart 3.00 Nathaniel Lord 30.00 George Kittridge 10.00 Jonathan Gage 20.00 John Smart 3.00 Andrew Hall . . 5.00 Andrew Gilman 5.00 Joseph Fernald 20.00 JohnShute 20.00 George Bracket 3.00 John Fowler 15.00 Daniel Watson 30.00 Eben. Hilton 5.00 John H. Shute 5.00 James Burleigh . . 5.00 James Burleigh, 3d 7.00 Samuel Tarlton 3.00 Eunice Lane 5.00 James Wiggin 5.00 J. B. Barnwell . 5.00 $755.00 By this it appears the ministers were the largest con- tributors to the fund for building our first seminary. 18 HISTORY OF CHAPTER III. THE INCORPORATION OF THE ACADEMY. AT first, the academy property at Newmarket was deeded to the Conference Committee. After con- sulting the best legal authority, it was deemed advisa- ble to secure an act of incorporation under a local board of trustees. The Conference, which met at Hal- lowell, Me., June 4, 1818, approved the plan, and furnished a draft of an act of incorporation and a body of by-laws. John Brodhead brought the matter before the New Hampshire Legislature, and secured the en- actment in the form following, viz. : STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN. [L.S]. An Act to Incorporate the Trustees of the Newmarket Wesleyan Academy in Newmarket. Whereas, public institutions for the education of youth, in the principles of virtue, religious knowledge and useful literature are of the first importance, and the surest means of raising up citi- zens eminent in service, and to be ornaments and supports of their country, therefore, SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre- sentatives in General Court assembled, that John Brodhead, THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 19 Daniel Fillmore, Amos Binney, Benjamin Matthews, Alfred Met- calf, John Clarke, Reuben Peaselee, John Mudge, Joseph B. White, and their successors in office, who shall be elected as here- inafter provided, be and they hereby are incorporated and con- stituted a body politic and corporate forever by the name of Trustees of the Newmarket Wesleyan Academy ; and by that name may sue and prosecute and be sued and prosecuted unto final judgment and execution, and exercise all other rights and privi- leges belonging to similar corporations. 2. And be it further enacted that, in case of death, resignation, removal or refusal to serve, of any of the Trustees, then, in such case, the remaining Trustees, at their next regular meeting, or at a special meeting appointed for the purpose, shall proceed to fill up the vacancy, in such way and manner as may be provided by them in their By -Laws, in order to keep up the number of nine Trustees forever ; and the said Trustees shall have power to expel any member for improper conduct. 3. And be it further enacted, that the Trustees shall meet, af least once in each year, for the purpose of transacting busi- ness, and as much oftener as may be found necessary, which meetings shall be held at such times and places as they may appoint, and when legally assembled a majority, that is to say five, shall constitute a quorum, and any smaller number shall have power to adjourn any meeting from time to time until a quorum can be constituted. 4. And be it further enacted, that the Trustees shall annually elect by ballot from their own number a President, Secretary and Treasurer; the Treasurer to give security to the acceptance of said Corporation fop the faithful performance of his duty, and for any property belonging to the institution that may be Ipdged in his hands. 5. And be it further enacted, that the Corporation at their first meeting, and at any subsequent meeting, shall have authority to make such by-laws, rules and regulations as they may think proper for the government of their own body, and filling up vacancies and regulating their own meetings; and also for th;- government of the Academy and the funds belonging to it, an may at all times cause the same to be enforced, annexing penal- ties to the breach thereof: Provided the same be not repugnar to the Constitution and Laws of the State, or of the United State.-- 6. And be it further enacted, that said Corporation be and 20 HISTORY OF hereby are authorized to receive and hold in fee simple, or other- wise, any estate, whether real or personal, or mixed, to any amount and free from taxation, proTided that the annual income shall not exceed three thousand dollars; Provided also that nothing in this act contained shall be so construed as to exempt such property from taxation, when the same shall cease to belong to said Corporation, or when such property shall be leased out, or demised for a series of years, reserving to said Corporation nomi- nal rents only. 7. And be it further enacted, that John Brodhead and Alfred Metcalf be, and they hereby are, authorized, both or either of them, to notify the first meeting of the said Corporation to be held in the Academy building in Newmarket aforesaid, on Wednesday, the eighth day of July next, or such other day as they, or other of them shall appoint within three months of the passage of this Bill. STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. In the House of Representatives, June 22, 1818, the foregoing Bill, having had three several readings, passed to be enacted. Sent up for concurrence. MATTHEW HARVEY, Speaker. In the Senate, June 23, 1818, the foregoing Bill was read a third time and enacted. JONATHAN HARVEY, President. Same day by the Governor approved. WILLIAM PLUMER. A true copy. Attest: SAMUEL SPARHAWK, Secretary. The new board met according to the provisions of the charter, July 10, 1818, and organized by the choice of Amos Binney, President; Daniel Fillmore, Secretary ; and Alfred Metcalf, Treasurer. The act of incorpora- tion having been read, was accepted and ordered to be entered upon the records of the board. The By-Laws, prepared by the Conference, were then read and adopted as follows: ARTICLE 1. These By-Laws, rules and regulations, and such others as may hereafter be made and receive the sanction of the THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 21 New England Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, for the time being shall be binding and obligatory on the Trustees and officers of the Academy, and shall not be annulled, suspended or altered at any time without the consent of said Conference, certi- fied in writing by their President, and countersigned by their Secretary. 2. The Trustees shall from time to time provide a principal teacher to take charge of the Academy as President thereof, and a preceptor, or such other officer or officers, to teach therein as they may think necessary, and prescribe their duties and emolu- ments; and shall, with the advice of the principal teacher, ap- point a course of studies proper to be pursued at the Academy, and make such laws and give such directions for the regulation and management of the students, in their moral and literary pur- suits, as they may judge expedient. 3. The Trustees shall make a report annually to the New England Conference, which report shall be sent to said Confer- ence, from time to time, at their annual sessions, exhibiting a correct view of all their pecuniary transactions, the state of the Academy, the teachers, number of students, studies, progress of the funds, receipts and expenditures. 4. The President of the Board of Trustees shall preserve order in their meetings, name all the committees, state all questions, declare all votes, and, in case of a tie, shall have the casting vote. And when the President shall be absent from any legal meeting, the Secretary, for the time being, shall preside, until a President pro tern shall be appointed. 5. The Secretary shall keep a fair record and faithful journal of the proceedings of the Board, notify all meetings thereof when directed by the President, or any three members, and do all other duties connected with his office. 6. The Treasurer shall hold the funds of the Corporation, that is to say, the papers and obligations by which they are secured, keep a faithful account of all receipts and expenditures, invest all money in productive stock, or at interest, and settle an account with the Trustees once at least in every year, and oftener if re- quired. He shall hold the seal of the Corporation and affix the same, together with his own signature, to all acts and deeds, when thereto directed by the Board. 7. Whenever any vacancy, or vacancies, shall occur in the Board of Trustees, either by death or otherwise, it shall be the 22 HISTORY OF duty of the remaining Trustees, at a legal meeting, to nominate double the number wanted to till up the said Board, and to make a representation of such nomination in writing to the next New England Conference assembled, whose duty it shall be then and there to choose, and by a majority of votes appoint out of the number so nominated, one or more such persons to fill such vacancy or vacancies, in order to keep up the number of nine Trustees forever. And upon any such choice and appointment, a certificate thereof from said Conference, signed by their Presi- dent and countersigned by their Secretary, shall be sent to the Trustees of the Corporation, containing the name or names of the person or persons so chosen and appointed, provided that all Dominations to such vacancies in the Board shall be made from members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of twenty-one years of age, or upwards, and of at least one year's standing : Provided nevertheless, that if the M.E. Annual Conference shall, at any time, neglect to act in the choice of a Trustee or Trustees, as above contemplated, then and in every such case, the Trustees shall, at their next meeting, after being informed of such neglect on the part of said Conference, proceed to fill the vacancy, or vacancies, in the usual mode of balloting for such candidates as they may think proper, and of the number already nominated; whereupon the Secretary of the Board shall notify said Trustee or Trustees, so nominated and appointed, and request his or their attendance at the meetings of the Board. 8. Whenever and as soon as the funds of said Academy, to- gether with the monies arising from tuition, shall become sufficient to defray its necessary current expenses and have an annual surplus, such surplus shall be applied to the purpose of educating the sons of travelling preachers belonging to the Methodist Epis- copal Church , and, in all such cases, the New England Confer- ence, or a committee appointed by them, shall have the preroga- tive of selecting the candidates. And after said selection, should there still be provision for more, the Conference, or their com- mittee, shall have the right of selecting such others to the same privilege, as they may judge most likely to make good improve- ment and be useful to the churches, giving the preference in all cases to such as are best able to help themselves. 9. The President of the Board of Trustees, or any three mem- bers, shall have power to call a special meeting of said Trustees, whenever he or they shall judge it necessary; Provided, that, in THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 23 all such cases, the place of meeting shall be either the Academy building, or some other eligible place within the town of New- market; and Provided also, that in such appointments, and like- wise in case of regular meetings, each Trustee belonging to the Board shall have written notice sent him from the Secretary. The following Plan of Instruction was adopted at the same meeting : 1. The first class shall embrace reading, writing, arithmetic and English grammar. 2. The second class shall embrace geography and astronomy. 3. The third class the Latin, Greek and French languages. 4. Mathematics and the rudiments of natural philosophy. 5. The Hebrew and the Chaldee of the Old Testament and the Greek of the New. 6. Divinity, together with logic, rhetoric and moral philosophy. For the government of the students, the trustees adopted sixteen brief and excellent rules. They be- longed to an age which had faith in rules. We have come more fully to find the influential rule incarnate in the teacher ; the life rather than the ritual is impor- tant in shaping the character of the student. As a part of the curious record of our first things in edu- cation, the rules are here inserted : 1. No student shall be admitted for a shorter term than one quarter. 2. No one shall be admitted as a student who cannot read and spell correctly. 3. Every student, while in the Academy, shall be as silent as the nature of his studies will admit. 4. No student shall speak to another, or leave his seat without liberty from one of the instructors. 5. Every one shall take his seat as soon as the tolling of the bell ceases. 6. No scholar shall go home before the hour of dismission, or tarry when out longer than is absolutely necessary. 24 HISTORY Of 7. Scuffling, wrestling, and every other kind of sport within the Academy, during intermission, is strictly forbidden. 8. Diligent application to study, not only during school hours but also in the morning and evening, is strictly enjoined upon each student. 9. It is strictly enjoined upon each one belonging to the Acad- emy to avoid profane language and every species of immoral con- duct; and also to avoid doing damage to any in the neighborhood, such as breaking glass, walking through fields, or anything that would be a just cause of offense. 10. It is required of students that they constantly attend public worship on the Sabbath, and that they spend the day in a serious and becoming manner. It is strictly required of students to avoid going into the water on any day but Saturday. 11. The purchasing of spirituous liquors at any store, tavern, or other place is strictly forbidden. , 12. The expense of repairing damages done the Academy by students shall be iefrayed by those who are immediately con- cerned in doing the damage. 13. No student is permitted to be absent from his lodgings after nine o'clock in the evening. 14. The price of tuition for the ensuing year, and until other- wise ordered by the Board of Trustees, shall be three dollars per quarter, exclusive of wood, which shall not be charged at more than forty cents for the two winter quarters. 15. Any student violating any of the preceding rules shall be liable to a fine of not less than twenty-five cents, nor more than one dollar, for any one offense, to be assessed at the discretion of the teacher or teachers. 16. Any three of the Trustees shall have power, on the applica- tion of the teachers, to expel any student for improper conduct. In the above record, the Conference is the conspicu- ous body. The Conference founded the school, and, for a time, retained the direct management. In passing the institution over to trustees, the Conference re- served important rights, such as those of electing trus- tees and making rules for the government of the board and the Academy. The fear was of those undevout WESLITAN ACADEMY. 25 instructors and objectionable methods which had ob- tained in some other schools. They believed in piety and devotion, and attempted to guard these precious interests by statute. As the work of education ad- vanced in the denomination, the leaders learned better the lesson of trust in our educational forces. 26 HISTORY OP CHAPTER IV. THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE REV. MARTIN RUTER, A.M. THE incorporation of the Board of Trustees forms a turning point in the history of the Wesleyan Academy. The board took the place of the Confer- ence in practical management. Lay talent was brought into requisition. The men of larger views and wider experience, who now became interested in the institu- tion, inspired in its friends fresh hope and courage. It was at once determined to strengthen the board of instruction. Retaining the services of Moses White, as " preceptor," at a salary of four hundred dollars the Rev. Martin Ruter, A.M., was elected principal at a salary of four hundred and fifty dollars. Ruter at once became the controlling spirit in the institution. The trustees believed in him, as one of the foremost and best-educated men in the denomina- tion. The Conference trusted his intelligence, practi- cal wisdom and devotion to the interests of experimental religion. In the Methodist public at large high hopes were inspired by his coming to the headship of the institution. Above all, Ruter believed in himself, and THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 27 moved out on various lines with the complete assurance of success. Martin Ruter was born in Charlton, Mass., on the borders of Sutton, April 3, 1785, and died in Texas, whither he had gone as a missionary, May 16, 1838. In 1793, his father, Job Ruter, removed to Corinth, Vt., and became connected with the Methodists. In 1799, Martin was converted, and joined the church and became very active as a leader, exhorter and local preacher. Impressed with his fervor and natural abil- ity, John Brodhead, the presiding elder, invited the fifteen-year-old boy to accompany him on the district. The father hesitated ; but the mind of the young man was settled by opening to the passage : " The Master is come, and calleth for thee." His mother, at the same time, found relief in this other passage : " Loose him, and let him go." Dr. Ruter's pastoral record was extended and bril- liant. Beginning at Wethersfield, Vt., it extended on to Chesterfield, Landaff, North Adams, Bridgewater, Northfield, Portsmouth and Boston. In 1809 and 1810 he was Presiding Elder of the New Hampshire District. In 1811 he was stationed in Portland. Located in 1812, he was readmitted in 1815 and stationed in Yarmouth, Me. He passed thence to Salisbury and to St. George's in Philadelphia. In 1820 he was chosen Book Agent at Cincinnati and reflected in 1824. From 1828 to 1832 he was president of Augusta College. The next two years he was pastor in Pittsburgh. In 1834 he was chosen president of Alleghany College,' where he con- tinued until he took charge of the mission in Texas. Ruter was distinguished for intensity and adaptation, 28 HISTORY OF rather than for extraordinary grasp or strength of natu- ral powers. His soul burned with an intense glow, and fused the mass about him. Above most men, he threw his soul into his work. Nothing was done at halves. The students were impressed and moved by his earnestness. Besides, he was the man of the hour, ever riding upon the crest of the wave. In nothing was he second man. Though advancing at the head, he never became separated from the column. As a preacher, he was clear, forcible and eloquent, excelling in subdued pathos, and rich in evangelical sentiment. He never failed to draw crowds; and those who heard were enraptured. Says one who often heard him : " He was serene and calm as the murmurings of some sweet rivulet in the gardens of beauty, or as when soft summer breezes play over sunny seas."* "In the pulpit, he was solid, grave, warm and dignified, generally listened to with pleasure, always with profit."-)- In evangelistic work, he excelled most of his breth- ren. The love of God and men constrained him. Had he been a few years younger he would have captured the great Southwest. Though a self-made man, Ruter became an earnest and extensive scholar in Hebrew, Greek, Latin and Syriac, as well as in history, literature and science. In advance of most of his associates in education, he did much to inspire in his younger brethren a love of learn- ing. He gave Durbin a Hebrew and Greek grammar, and urged him to undertake a college course. In the church at large also, he did not a little to awaken an interest in education. Students came to him from the Rev. Charles Adams, D.D. tMinutes. THE WESLETAN ACADEMY. 29 Middle States and Canada as well as from the remoter parts of New England. At Newmarket, he sought to realize some of the large views teeming in his brain. He enlarged the course of study. He already saw the educational system which was to include university, college and academy. Several of his attempts afford interesting illustrations of the character and aspirations of the man, so desirous of reaching out on all sides, in the fields of knowledge. The publication of a magazine, The New England Literary Intelligencer and General Review, was actually undertaken ; but the first number was so poorly printed that the parties refused to pro- ceed further. Had finances been more abundant the magazine might have become a success. The success at Newmarket awakened an interest in education in the surrounding towns, some of which aspired to found similar institutions. Under the inspira- tion of Ruter, a branch academy was actually estab- lished at old Kingston, about ten miles away. The local mover in the matter was Dr. Bartlett, who induced the citizens to furnish a building, more ample and conven- ient than the one at Newmarket, and secured a pledge from the Newmarket trustees to provide an instructor. The Kingston Academy was incorporated June 22, 1819. The Rev. John E. Cohgdon, the first principal, was an Irishman and a graduate of Dublin University. Although a fine scholar, he lacked the rugged sense and knowledge of men indispensable to success as a teacher. Disappointed and depressed at his want of success, the poor man afterwards resorted to the use of strong drink. Lewis Foster, a superior scholar and 30 HISTORY OF Christian gentleman, followed him with great success. He had a fine person, head arid eye, was of light com- plexion, finely cut features, dark hair and modest aspect.* At the close of his service at Kingston, he returned to his home in Springfield, and was later connected with the scientific department at Wesleyan University. He died early. But the bright anticipations of Dr. Ruter and the trustees, at the opening in Kingston, were never realized. The branch Academy proved to be an ele- phant on their hands. The income was never equal to the expenditures. Of course, they longed to be rid of the burden, and arrangements were soon made for a settlement by the re-transfer of the property to the citizens of Kingston. The quit-claim deed was dated October 29, 1822. Thus closed a costly and troublesome experiment, leaving to the friends of the old institution only the advantages to be derived from the lesson of caution and prudence. The castle, whose spires and turrets had glittered in the distance, dissolved in thin air. The desire for enlargement abroad did not, however, prevent careful attention to duties at home. Ruter cared for every interest of the school. Attentive to supervision and teaching, his enthusiasm and activity lent animation to the pupils. The Academy was a hive of industry. The example of the principal proved an inspiration to all those associated with him, either in the classes or the board of instruction Upon the young men preparing for the ministry, especially, was his influence salutary and lasting. *Kev. J. W. Merrill, D.D. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 31 The library, afterwards transferred to Wilbraham, was founded by Ruter. Many of the first books were secured among his friends in New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore. For the period, the collection was valuable and was widely read by the students. To the moral and religious training of the pupils, the new management gave constant attention. The schools of the time were not noted for religious devotion, and if there was any one thing the Methodists then dreaded, it was a Godless school. The problem at Newmarket was how to make learning devout. The Trustees directed " the instructors of the Academy to pay par- ticular attention to the moral character of the students, give them strict and careful instructions on the subject, and make inquiry at their boarding houses, from time to time, in order to be informed of any irregularity or deficiency that may exist in any of them." The teachers did all possible to carry out this demand. At New- market, as elsewhere, the drink custom prevailed. The age of temperance reform, in its organized aspect, had not come ; but the managers of the Academy were themselves a temperance association. They not only warned the students of the evils of the drink habit : they forbade them the privilege of boarding in families where the practice was in any measure indulged. The care of the instructors was seen, also, in other directions. They were jealous of theatrical exhibitions, and desirous of excluding tragedies and comedies from the closing exhibitions. In spite of their benevolent concern, however, this dreaded feature was sure to reappear on each anniversary. The regulation of the social intercourse of the sexes, too, was a perplexing 32 HISTORY OF question in a mixed school. The managers often for- got that the pupils were children rather than sober men and matrons, and that some tact and good sense were necessary in treating so delicate a matter, where the law of sympathy and affinity is in full operation. After some valuable experience in this matter, the teachers, to their great relief, handed this part of the school discipline over to the trustees, whose deliverance on the subject ought to have been patented. So ven- erable a document will bear quotation : " Whereas the object of sending young people to academies is to give them a refined education and accomplishments in the rules of propriety; and whereas many of them while thus prosecuting their studies are far from their parents and out of the reach of their advice ; therefore the Trustees of this Academy have judged it necessary and proper strictly to forbid courtships among young gentlemen and ladies while here, or their keeping company together in the evening. And they hereby require the instructors to give information that the students violating this rule will not be permitted to remain as students in the Academy." The religious condition of the seminary, during Ruter's stay, was very encouraging. Many of the students were members of the church, and those who were not were constantly solicited to begin a religious life. Many were converted, and the faith of believers was strengthened. The students were constant in their attendance, not only on the regular means of grace, but also on special services among themselves. "It was a thing to be noted in connection with the Wesleyan Academy at Newmarket and at Wilbraham," writes THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. S3 one who studied at both places, " that ever and anon God was pleased to pour out His Holy Spirit upon the school, thereby showing His favor upon the faithful efforts of the preachers and licentiates who labored and prayed for a revival among the students. Sometimes the work would extend into the village, and the young especially would become interested in their own salva- tion. Of the many converted during these awakenings, several became preachers of the Gospel."* During his first year, Ruter wrote exultingly of the religious work : " The Academy prospers and the Holy Spirit is poured upon us. Many of the students are awakened and converted to God. Saints rejoice and are panting for full redemption ; some are sanctified. Oh that you were here to rejoice with us ! I understand that God is with you, that He is doing great things in the region where you are laboring. Glory ! Glory ! Glory ! God grant that genuine piety may keep pace with learning among the Methodists." f In the religious as well as the literary work, the principal was aided by Moses White, a devout, though diffident man, who seldom took part in public services; but "his daily prayers with the students at the Academy were so full of the deepest feeling before God as to impress even the most thoughtless that he feared God and daily walked with Him." J The election of Dr. Ruter to the Book Agency in 1820 removed an important man from Newmarket. He had drawn the attention of the church to the Academy and to the problem of higher education. He had sought to * J. W. Merrill, D.D. " My Schools and Schoolmates." t Rev. J. A. Merrill. Ms. History, etc. t Rev. J. W. Merrill, D.D., Ms. Letter. 34 HISTORY OF enlarge the sphere of operations. Though at consider- able additional expense, he had enlarged the attendance of pupils. More than any other man of the time, he had communicated something of his own enthusiasm to the institution over which he had been called to preside. Many of the best things can be said of Ruter ; and yet it must be considered that he was not the ideal educa- tor. As a self-educated man with wide reading and study, he lacked the rigid accuracy and attention to minute matters, which can come only from the drill of the schools with its friction of mind with mind. The ideal teacher for the Methodists was yet to come from the admirable schools of New England. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 35 CHAPTER V. THE ADMINISTRATION OF MOSES WHITE, A.M. THE departure of Dr. Ruter marks an unfavorable turn in the tide of prosperity at the Newmarket Academy. The turn, indeed, though delayed by the activity and courage of that remarkable man, was inev- itable. Defeat was bound up in the project itself. It was an attempt to build without the means to finish. The resignation of Ruter simply rendered visible what ought to have been clear to experienced school mana- gers from the beginning. The change brought to the front again that admir- able man and tireless worker in the cause of education? Moses White, who struggled with the ugly problem to the last, without being able satisfactorily to solve it. To attain this high end, the trustees asked the coopera- tion of Wilbur Fisk, a promising young man then fresh from Brown University, in raising money. They also offered him the headship. Mr. Fisk declined to pledge his services on the ground that the bad location ren- dered ultimate success very improbable. He was one of many who had come to entertain the opinion "thai the removal of the institution was indispensable to its 36 HISTORY OF life and salvation." * The sentiment of the Conference in the matter had so far changed that they refused to designate an effective man for the work. The core of the difficulty was ths financial situation. The people of Rochester offered relief in a subscription of $1,250, on condition of the removal of the Academy to that place. After due consideration, the trustees declined to accept the offer. At the same time, Rev. Joseph A. Merrill was invited to establish societies wherever possible, " to raise funds to support a female department in the Academy, and also to increase the funds of the institution." This too failed. At the final meeting of the Board of Trustees, May 14, 1823, the financial affairs of the institution had reached a crisis. The treasury had steadily run behind until a deficit of $821.80 stared them in the face. The ensuing year would add two or three hundred dollars more to the amount. To go forward without further provision to pay would be ruinous; to stop short would be humiliat- ing. As always, the trustees assumed the attitude of courage and determined to keep the school in operation. The salary of Moses White was continued at $500, and an appeal was again made to the Conference for aid. The Conference held that removal must precede any aid. The words of Fisk from the floor carried conviction to the whole body ; and at the close of his speech, Fisk and Hedding were appointed a committee to remonstrate with the trustees. The arguments which had carried the Conference proved efficacious with the Board of Trustees. In a special meeting, December 30, 1823, they changed base by passing the following resolutions: * Rev. J. A. Merrill, Ms. History. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 37 " WHEREAS, The academy under our supervision has not met that encouragement which we were induced to expect, and from causes which we cannot explain the number of students having been less than twenty during the last two terms, and there beinuc no prospect of an increased patronage from our friends within the bounds of the New England Conference; therefore, (1.) Voted, That we suspend our operations for the present. (2.) That Benjamin Mathews, John Brodhead and Alfred Metcalf, or A any two of them, be a committee to setttle the accounts of Mr. White for his salary as preceptor since May, and all other accounts n favor or against the corporation, and from the existing funds or real estate to be sold by them, make payment of all demands as soon as possible. (3.) That John Brodhead be a committee to take charge of all the papers, library and other movable property belonging to the Academy. (4.) That whenever as soon as the New England Conference shall have located and established an academy or seminary of literature within the bounds of the con- ference, that as soon thereafter as may be possible, this Board will relinquish to said Conference aL the remaining funds, library and other movable property to be appropriated to the support of said institution under the direction of the Trustees." At a special meeting, September 9, 1824, the Board find they are indebted to Moses White $-900 ; to Miss Smith $23 ; and to others $136. They accept an offer of 84,000 for the real estate at Newmarket and authorize 8400 of the proceeds to be applied on the debt to Moses White. On the second of June, 1826, a special meeting was held in Boston to close up the affairs of the institution and to transfer the property to the Trustees at Wilbraham. They vote: "That Benjamin Mathews, Esq., the Treasurer of this Board, be and hereby is authorized and requested to transfer, assign and pay over and deliver to the President of the Board of Trus- tees of the Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham, Mass., all the personal property and evidences of property of every kind, name and description, now in his possession 38 HISTORY OF and take receipts therefor, on condition that said trus- tees, or their duly authorized officer or agent, shall first pay or assume to pay and guarantee the payment of the following debts, claims and demands now existing against the Trustees of the Newmarket Wesleyan Acad- emy." The assets of the Academy, consisting of notes, globes, charts and a donation of two hundred and sixty acres of land in New Hampshire, by Joseph A. Merrill, amounted to $1,784.41. The liabili- ties of the old Board to be met by the new were $749, leaving a net balance for Wilbraham of $1,035.41. The tender of the property was made the same day in these words : " We, the Trustees of the Wesleyan Academy at Newmarket, hereby tender to the Trustees of the Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham, the foregoing notes on the sole condition that they assume and pay the debts now due from us to Mr. White and B. Mathews as aforestated." The paper was signed by John Clark, Amos Binney, Benjamin Mathews, Sr., John Brodhead and Benjamin Mathews, Jr., Joseph A. Merrill and Daniel Fillmore, being absent, acquiesce in writing. Thus ends the record of the Trustees of the Newmar- ket Wesleyan Academy a record marked by struggles and reverses, but one, at the same time, honorable to all the parties involved in the enterprise. If the condi- tions of the problem made ultimate success impossible, a noble attempt had been made, which was not without important influence on the larger movement to organize educational institutions in the Methodist Episcopal Church. It set the ball in motion. The mistakes there THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 39 stood as beacons of warning to those coming after. In founding this little school, the friends of education were undertaking the impossible. Failure was at the root. The decline really began the day the foundation was laid. Hence the causes of the decline and fall are not far to seek. The church in New England was too small to sustain a literary institution. The total membership in the Methodist Church, in 1817, was only 224,853 ; and of these only 14,145 were in New England, scattered from the Green Hills to the Atlantic, and from Canada to Long Island Sound. On the seaboard the churches were few, and scattered from Providence to Maine. The Academy was built on this littoral shoe-string. And, of the new people gathered by the Methodists, few possessed means adequate to develop a literary institution. In the sense of to-day, there were no wealthy men in the community. Colonel Binney and John Mudge led the column with us, and their store was not large. The patronizing territory was too narrow. Connecticut and Vermont, the most populous Metho- dist sections at the time in New England, were too far away to furnish students, or to feel a deep interest in the Academy. In the strip along the seaboard, on which the institution must depend, there were hardly more than two thousand Methodists. In view of this fact, the wonder is not that the Academy failed, but rather how it was able to begin. It was a happy spasm of Methodist sentiment, which has exerted an enduring as well as happy influence on the denomination. There was another difficulty in the matter. New- market fell within the educational circle, where were 40 HISTORY Of found the great schools of New England Harvard College, Andover, and, within four miles of Newmarket, the great Academy at Exeter. For a tentative institu- tion, established by a small denomination, the compe- tition was quite too severe. It was the untrained com- batant measuring his strength and skill with the athlete. However earnest the contest, the palm was sure to be borne off by those having the advantages of age, experience and resources. Moreover, the Methodist Church, at the time, had no masters in education to lead the column. The gradu- ates among us could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Whatever training our men had, had been for the pulpit; they were preachers rather than educators. Ruter, though a man of ability, of wide influence and scholarly enthusiasm, was an orator rather than a teacher. On the other hand, Moses White and Henry Bulfinch, though accurate scholars and admirable in- structors, never rose to controlling influence in the church. The man was not yet available who combined in himself large influence, the gift of speech, and the cunning of the educator ; and without the aid of his talents, success in any such new enterprise, especially in a field already preoccupied, would be impossible. The man to succeed must know how to teach and organize ; he must, at the same time, have power with the public, on which the institution is dependent for patronage and support. Newmarket was without these advantages. On the departure of Ruter, all enthu- siasm died out. Even the better teachers than he, left behind, had no power to touch and rouse the public, or to enlist the sympathy and support of THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 41 the preachers. As a result, the school declined to a handful of students. But, though a failure, the Academy at Newmarket was a great success. It was a good school, helpful to many families who availed themselves of its advan- tages. The locality was benefited. It trained three or four hundred students, a large number of whom came to occupy influential positions in society. Per- haps no school of its size ever furnished so many, in the first half dozen years of its existence, who became useful and conspicuous citizens. But this was the smallest part of its service. The indirect was vastly greater and more salutary than the direct influence. It was a revealer, as well as a stimulus to the educa- tional sentiment existing in the denomination. The opening at Newmarket thrilled every fibre of the church, bringing to the surface thoughts and aspira- tions long concealed in the depths of unconsciousness, and revealing the possibilities of a new sect in the field of education. The appearance of this star in the far east was hailed by wise men in the distant places of the church ; and, as a result, there came into existence, as by magic, a group of literary institutions of various grades which do honor to the denomination, and which will prove a benediction to distant generations. 42 HISTORY Lif CHAPTER VI. PERSONNEL AT NEWMARKET ACADEMY. I. THE REV. JOHN BRODHEAD. WITHOUT some further notice of leading persons connected with the school, as trustees, teachers, or students, our sketch of Newmarket Academy would not be complete. The institution has vanished like the lost Paradise ; the example of those associated with it remains to us. As persons of courage and devotion to duty, the heralds of a new dawn, the leaders of an enterprise whose beneficent influence is destined to ex- tend on to a thousand generations, they are worthy of perpetual remembrance. They labored ; we enjoy the benefit of their labors in the larger possibilities of oui time. Of some of those connected with the management, we have spoken already at sufficient length; others, especially Brodhead and Binney, who occupied foremost positions, deserve additional notice. In an important sense they were the founders of the institution, moving in advance of public sentiment, and cooperating as Rev. JOHN BRODHEAD. THE WES LEY AN ACADEMY. 43 true yokefellows in bringing to completeness an under- taking requiring labor, care and money. The enterprise, courage and enlarged views of the minister were ad- mirably supplemented by the benevolent spirit, business sagacity and financial resources of the laymen. John Brodhead was born at Smithfield, Pa., October 22, 1770, and died at Newmarket, September 7, 1838. He came of solid English stock. In 1613, his ancestor, John Brodhead, received for services to the crown Monk Britton Manor. His grandson, Captain Daniel, came to New York, in 1664, with Colonel Roch Nichols. The grandson of Captain Daniel removed, in 1737, to lands now occupied by the city of Strandsburg, Pa. Among his sons was Captain Luke Brodhead, a leading citizen, and the first magistrate appointed by Governor Mifflin, in 1770, in Wyoming. lie served under Lafayette in the battle of Brandywine, where he received a wound, from the effects of which he died in 1805. In the Marquis's visit to New Hampshire in 1825, he met John Brodhead, then a member of the Senate. He remembered the father as a brave officer; and, when told this senator was his son, he exclaimed: " My dear sir, how glad I am to see you. It always cheers my heart to find that the sons of my comrades in arms still love me." As the conversation went on many of the members of the Legislature were in tears. Uniting with the Methodists in 1792, he began to preach a couple of years later. He came to Readfield, Me., in 1796, locating in 1812, and settling in New- market. Highly esteemed by his fellow citizens, he was often called to fill civil offices. He was State Sen- ator for several years and often chaplain. In 1829 he 44 HISTORY OF was elected to Congress, where he served with ability. Governor Bell offered him a seat on the bench, and his friends urged him to allow his name to be used as a candidate for governor. In politics, as elsewhere, he was open and sincere. Offices came to him; he never sought them. Once in place, he endeavored faithfully to discharge its duties. He always had the courage of his convictions, so that he never could be used by party bosses. In State, as in church, he was a religious man. In Congress he took strong ground against jobbery, and in favor of the observance of the Sabbath. The citizens of Boston sent Colonel R. M. Johnson 'a silver service for his report against Sunday mail service, through Brodhead. A leader in the educational movement, as we have seen, he was also an attractive and faithful preacher. With a commanding presence, a full, musical voice, a vivid imagination, clearness of thought and a ready flow of language, he at once attracted and held the attention of his audience. " John Brodhead," writes Bishop Hedding, " pos- sessed much more than ordinary talent. His percep- tions were clear and strong, and he had uncommon facility in communicating his thoughts to others. He was a good divine and able minister of Jesus Christ. His sermons, while highly instructive, were delivered with a commanding and distinct voice, and were some- times eloquent and powerful. Such was his popularity as a preacher that multitudes were attracted from a great distance to hear him. Personal appearance was greatly in his favor. He was six feet in height, firmly built, well proportioned, and altogether of a commanding Col. AMOS BINNEY. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 45 aspect. His complexion was light and eye dark, and beaming with intelligence and benevolence. In his case, the outer and the inner man were admirably suited to each other." * Mr. Brodhead married Mary, daughter of Captain Thomas Dodge of Ipswich, born August 27, 1782, and died August 28, 1875. Mrs. Dodge was a Story, aunt of the judge. John and Mary Brodhead had six sons and six daughters. He died after a brief illness in his home at Newmarket. To a friend who inquired about his condition, his reply was characteristic : " The old vessel is a wreck, but I trust in God the cargo is safe." II. COLONEL AMOS BINNEY. Amos Binney was born in Hull, April 15, 1778, and died in Boston, January 11, 1833. He early went to Boston. As a clerk, he at once displayed the qualities indispensable to success energy, industry, integrity, a facility in dealing with men and rare judgment in affairs. As a merchant, he was a man while yet in his teens; the city, in his case, stimulated the growth of the best traits of character. He was a constant attendant on the services in Meth- odist Alley, then the only Methodist Church in Boston. The services were plain but animated; the members belonged in the ranks of labor. The devotion and earnestness noticeable in their services attracted young Binney, and induced him to devote himself to the serv- ice of God. Uniting with the church at sixteen, he * Sprague, Annals Am. Pulpit. Vol. V. 46 HISTORY OF remained firm in his attachment and constant in his devotion to the end. To the young society his talent was a valuable acquisition. He at once took hold of the debt, under which the society was laboring, and extinguished it. At twenty-one he was chosen a trustee. When the old hive became full he went up town with the new swarm to found Bromfield Street, where he remained a liberal supporter and chief financial manager of the society. Devoted to the interests of his own church, lie aided in the spread of the cause. In the erection of Bennett Street and Revere Street Churches, the details were managed by him. From 1803 to 1812 he was engaged in the West India trade, with his place on Long Wharf; from 1812 to 1825, the critical period of the war with England, he was collector of the port of Boston, and, in the view of many merchants, large sums of money and much time and inconvenience were saved by his integrity and ability. Colonel Binney was the first of our Boston laymen to acquire wealth. Small in comparison with later fortunes, his acquisitions were considerable for the time, enabling him to own a fine house, still standing on the corner of Mount Vernon and Hancock Streets, and to maintain a highly respectable style of living. In manners and personal appearance, he was easy and elegant. The excellent portrait of him in Fisk Hall reveals admirable symmetry of build, graceful bearing, neatness and pro- priety in dress, with a brilliant eye and intelligent, be- nignant, cast of countenance, and beneath all these milder appearances, reliable and rugged traits of char- acter. THE WES LEY AN ACADEMY. 47 Colonel Binney was a benevolent man. On all worthy objects at home and abroad, he bestowed with a gener- ous hand. In the outspread of his own church, he felt a deep interest and often aided struggling societies by advice and money. In the educational movement of his church, he was a leader. In the day of small things, his courage was invaluable. At Newmarket and Wilbraham he was a trustee, and long president of the board. To Newmarket, he gave its largest con- tribution, $1,000, and to Wilbraham he donated a property worth $10,000 or $12,000. A man of affairs, a prince among merchants, he was never unmindful of religious obligations and proprieties. Too broad in his culture and sympathies to be a bigot, he was yet an ardent Methodist who, without obtrud- ing his views, was never ashamed of his creed or religious associations. At a public dinner, Commodore Bainbridge urged him to drink a health. " I cannot do it," he said; "it is contrary to the rules of my church." He married Hannah Doliber, of Marblehead, February 3, 1799. Of their six sons, four died in infancy; Amos, a physician, died in Italy in 1847, and John A. died in New York in 1881 ; of the five daughters, Hannah alone survives.* III. DANIEL FILLMORE. Daniel Fillmore was born in Franklin, Ct., October 29, 1787, and died in Providence, R.I., August 13, 1858. Entering the Conference in 1811, he held many responsible charges and was for twenty-two years secre- *For these facts I am indebted to a volume on "The Binney Family," and to a paper by Hon. Jacob Sleeper, read before the "Methodist Historical Society." 48 HISTORY OF tary of the body. He was a trustee and once secretary of the board at Newmarket. A good man, an able preacher and faithful worker in the cause of education, he was highly successful in his work. IV. JOHN CLARK was a tobacconist in Boston, an energetic and success- ful business man, and member of Bromfield Street. He was a trustee, and aided the Academy by services and money in its time of great need. V. MOSES WHITE, the St. John of the institution, a good and true man with the simplicity of a child and the wisdom of a sage, was born in Springfield, Vt., and brought to the Acad- emy by his brother Joseph. "In person, Mr. White was nearly six feet tall, compact but not corpulent. He had a fine head, large forehead, prominent nose, full, dark blue eye, sallow complexion, reserved manner, dignified mein, classical taste, thorough scholarship and skill in teaching and discipline. If by any he may have been deemed severe, it should be remembered that he lived in a time when it was not the custom to send home unruly boys, but to reform and make them good. It is easy to empty a schoolroom, and for the school to fail of its end. For the most part, Mr. White had no assistant. " His work was various. He had classes in arithme- tic in all stages of progress, in geography, in survey- ing, in book-keeping, astronomy, natural philosophy, THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 49 chemistry, English, Latin and French grammar, Latin and French languages, Liber Primus, Cicero, Virgil, French reader, Testament, rhetoric, logic, penmanship, composition, declamation, history, and the care for the whole school. And, as the uncomplaining camel, he bore the load for years. At the hour he was always at his post and wrought alone till the going down of the sun. His salary was small and met chiefly from tuition. His remuneration, meager and inadequate, presented little inducement to elicit his painstaking and exhausting toil. It was for the church, in the education of her children and young ministry, that he labored on, critically exact and always ready in every emergency in the pulpit. " He always opened the school with prayer, marked by the deepest humility, sense of dependence and feel- ing of gratitude. Though deeply pious, he rarely spoke upon religious subjects out of the schoolroom and in the sacred circle. Through severe application, he greatly suffered in his eyes. For four years he was blind, and partially so for several years afterwards. After leaving Newmarket, he married and settled in North Springfield, Vt. He had one son and three daughters, two of whom were invalids. " Though very indigent, he was highly respectable. By manual labor and the salaries from the offices he held, he was able to own his house, worth seven or eight hundred dollars. This was the extent of his wealth. But with the greatest economy and daily toil, he supported and brought up a virtuous family, though two of them were invalids. The appreciation of his townsmen was expressed in the various offices bestowed 50 HISTORY OF upon him. He was juror, justice of the peace, and often a member of the legislature. He wrote an elegant hand, in a good style of most excellent English. In a word, he was a good man, lived humbly and use- fully, and died in great peace."* * J. W. Merrill, D.D., " My Schools, etc." THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 51 CHAPTER VII. THE STUDENTS AT NEWMARKET. IN her students, not less than in her founders and teachers, was Newmarket honored Most of them became reputable and useful citizens, many obtained positions of honor and trust. They were found in all the professions law, medicine, divinity; they were teachers, missionaries, politicians ; they entered the halls of legislation and became managers of the household; were merchants, artisans, agriculturalists, and into what- ever department of society or business they entered, they proved a benediction, imparting, as they did, their own inspiration to those with whom they became asso- ciated. The students of Newmarket became the edu- cational missionaries of American Methodism, bearing into every part of the land the new evangel of letters, and kindling among the people a zeal for education only less ardent than that for religion. Of those who entered at Newmarket, many were quite mature, and were controlled by an elevated and noble purpose. Susceptible to the new intellectual afflatus which had fallen on the church, they were prepared t > 52 HISTORY OF profit by the advantages of the opening dispensation. Going forth in the strength of this inspiration, as well as with the equipment of scholastic drill, they naturally became prominent among their associates. After the lapse of nearly three-fourths of a century, we are aston- ished to find so many of their names familiar, some of them like household words. So far as we are aware, no catalogue or pedagogic roll preserves their names, but they live in the recollection of a few survivors and in the history of the period in which they were actors. Under these disadvantages, we can only glance at a few names which retain an interest for the current genera- tion. The preachers, educated at Newmarket, can be more easily traced than the laymen who melted into the great currents of society. A few names are familiar. Amos Biuney, a member of the New England Conference for more than a half century, died so late as 1878. He was a nephew of Colonel Binney and brother of Barnabas, who accompanied him to Newmarket. Mrs. Dr. Daniel Steele is a daughter of Amos Binney. Though not a great man, he was a useful minister and the author of an admirable "Theological Compend," which lives after him. Caleb D. Rogers joined the Conference in 1823, and was well known to the fathers as a faithful and efficient preacher. George Sutherland entered the Academy young. He was well built, with ruddy fea- tures and bright blue eyes; was a fine scholar and eloquent speaker, with a voice well trained. He was converted at Newmarket and became a zealous worker in the meetings, both in the Academy and at Pine Grove. He joined the New England Conference in THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 53 1825, and was for many years the oldest member of the body. He died in 1891, at his home in Chelsea. Edward Otheman began his studies at Newmarket and completed his preparation for Brown at Wilbraham, where he was long remembered as a tall, bright, lively and handsome lad. John Foster, both pious and zeal- ous, was tall and stout; and Charles Baker, a man of gentle spirit, whose life emitted a pure and sweet light and whose death was a final triumph, came about the same time. He was long known, both in Maine and Massachusetts. The Rev. Dr. Baker, of New Jersey, is his son. Samuel Kelley went to Newmarket with large educa- tional plans, which were gradually narrowed down to the advantages afforded at the Academy. Always a student, he never became a scholar. In spite of this, he was a systematic and enthusiastic laborer in the New Hampshire and New England Conferences to old age. He was a model pastor. William C. Larrabee was a bright, vigorous, sprightly young man, below the medium size, with fine features, refined feelings and a devout heart. He was an admir- able scholar. At Bowdoin, he led his class and was vale- dictorian. As teacher, preacher, author, he is well and tenderly remembered. As professor at Indiana Asbury, his life and example proved an inspiration to many. Edward T. Taylor, then, as later in the Boston Bethel, was a thunder-gust. His speech was like chain-light- ning a surprise, a bit of percussive power, sending a thrill through the audience. He was but a bird of pas- sage at Newmarket ; he did not remain long enough to do him any harm. He was nature's child, one of the 54 HISTORY OF seven wonders of Boston, a preacher of passion, with infinite storms bound up in his soul, and ever ready to burst in thunder and flame on the congregation. One who was with him at school writes: "Though some- times gentle and winning as a lover's lute, oftener tumultuous and stormy, the furious sweep of rapids, or the roar and lashing of the ocean when storms are on the deep. He did not content himself with pon- dering over his lessons ; he found his way into the schoolhouses and dwellings, here and there, and rallied crowds within the reach of his unique and stormy elo- quence. Whole neighborhoods would resound with his strong, bugle notes, as if a whirlwind were driven across the landscape." * Born in Richmond, Va., in 1793, he went to Boston in 1810. Converted under the ministry of Hedding, the church hesitated to license such a bundle of eccen- tricities. J. A. Merrill saw something in him, and before bringing the matter to vote in the Quarterly Conference, set the young sailor to preaching. " By the life of Pharaoh ye are spies," was the daring text with which he won a favorable verdict. This was before he went to Newmarket. Charles Adams, whose home was just across the river in Stratham, began study there and followed the school in its removal. Uriah Jewett, a brother of Mrs. J. A. Merrill, a Ca- nadian giant, standing head and shoulders above his fellows, was there. It was a delight to look on his stalwart form and gaze into his bland and open counte- nance. Though so large, his movement was elastic and his voice full and resonant. No one of his associates *Haveu's Life of Taylor, p. G3. Rev. EDWARD T. TAYLOR. WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 55 ever forgot him. Several of the Brodheads were in attendance Joseph, John M., Eliza, Anna, and possi- bly others. Eliza became the wife of the Rev. Samuel Norris, and Anna of Mr. Ewing, of old Kingston. John M. was a physician, who died at the old homestead in 1880. He was an excellent man. In person he was almost faultless, with prominent, well-cut features, high and massive forehead and face slightly full ; a little above the medium size and firmly built. With a mind of high order, he was a fine scholar and quite ready in whatever he undertook. " As an orator, in voice, pro- nunciation, emphasis, gesture and dignity, he was so natural and pleasing as to charm all who listened to him. After leaving the Academy, he studied medicine, married an estimable and accomplished lady, the daughter of the Rev. Mr. Waterman, of Bow, N.H., and removed to Washington, D.C., where for many years he was Chief Controller of the Treasury. So much was he esteemed for integrity and efficiency that he was retained in his high office under various administra- tions and very widely respected. At school, he was amiable, refined in manners, energetic, high-souled, ardent in pursuit of knowledge, excellence and virtue. He was one of the most promising members of the school. In a useful and honorable life, he fulfilled the promise of his youth." * Several of the Bartletts studied at Newmarket. They belonged to the elite of the period. They had talent, wealth and social position. Oliver and Charlotte were children of Dr. Bartlett of Nantucket; Buella and Juna, of Dr. Bartlett of old Kingston. Attractive in *Kev. John W. Merrill, D.D. 56 HISTORY OF physical characteristics and manners, they were all fine English and classical scholars. The favorites of the school, they naturally left a deep impression on the minds of their fellow students. Two of the sons of Joseph A. Merrill were students at Newmarket. John "W. studied theology and joined the Conference. He is well known as one of the leaders of the educational movement in the Methodist Church. He was President of McKendree College and for many years thereafter professor of theology at the Biblical Institute at Concord, which became the School of Theology of Boston University. As a teacher, he did excellent service. He believed in drill, and always con- trived to beat knowledge into the heads of his pupils. Many a student has reason to remember his faithful and unwearied services. "My Schools and Schoolmates" abounds in vivid and life-like pictures of scenes, men and women at Newmarket and Wilbraham. In the preparation of this history, I owe much to these sketches, as well as to suggestions and material by letter from the author. His brother Annis studied law and settled in San Francisco, where he soon attained eminence at the bar as an eloquent pleader as well as sound lawyer. They both graduated at Wesleyan University. Harriet Maclellan, of Bath, Me., was long remem- bered as a lady of elegant manners and close, persistent devotion to study. Though attractive, she mingled little in society. Devoted to the one business of the hour, her walks were secluded, with a rapid, direct, sprightly and resolute step, indicative of her general character. Charles Adams, who made her acquaint- ance at Newmarket, met her again, in his college days, THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 57 at Bath, and deemed her one of the elect ladies, like Paul's helpers, whose names were in the book of life. She was known later as the wife of the Rev. J. B. Husted. John Lovell was the old man of the institution, who long lived in the memories of the students. He was between thirty and forty, plain and simple, with a touch of dry humor. Tall, portly, with heavy whiskers, little given to study, he was yet wonderfully genial, sunny, droll and talkative. A favorite with all, he delighted to associate with the younger students whom he often invited to his room and used gravely to tell them he was just fifteen. He knew how to tell a good story, and, while very grave himself, to set the whole company in a roar of laughter. Lovell's record should go down with the best; if not for advanced scholar- ship, then for genial humor which went some way in oiling the machinery.* But why tell of more? The story of the four hun- dred is a long one and can, after this long lapse of time, be only imperfectly rehearsed. There were those less conspicuous, whose light, nevertheless, in the narrower circles in which they moved, shone with a pure and steady radiance. They made glad the homes in which they lived. They were often a benediction in the neighborhood or the local church. The Methodist Church, the great world indeed, owes a debt of grati- tude to the students who went out from Newmarket. An army of faithful workers, of benefactors in a high sense, they contributed to the causes of humanity, edu- cation and religion wherever they went to prosecute ths great business of life. *Rev. Charles Adams, D.D. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 59 n. be iperiofc of IRemovaL 1824 1848. "ct ttycc out of tl)t] ronntrn anb from ll)B kin= breb, anb come into tlje lanb tol)icl) S sl)all sl)otD Saint Stephen. 60 HISTORY Otf 1. l)e &bministrati0n of iDilbur iTiek, 21. 1826 1830 THE WESLEKAN ACADEMY. 61 CHAPTER VIII. THE LOCATION OF THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY AT WILBRAHAM. HPHE process of removal from Newmarket to Wilbra- 1 ham was somewhat informal. By general under- standing, the friends of the school acted as a committee of the whole to survey the field and indicate any place suitable for replanting. The trustees at New- market naturally took the initiative. The close at the old seat was with the purpose of reopening, at the earliest moment possible, in some more favorable locality. Those who had led in the first movement were to be eyes and judgment for the church in the new one. Hence they were prepared to receive sug- gestions and to consider proposals from places which might desire to have the Academy located within their borders. The trustees deemed it desirable to secure a more central location, accessible, so far as possible, to all the Methodists of New England. The old location was too fur east, and in the seaboard belt already favored with most of the literary institutions to be found in Massa- chusetts. The interior, or western part of the State 62 HISTORY OF would give them a more open and unoccupied field. At an informal meeting of the trustees in Boston in December, 1823, soon after the closing at Newmarket, to consider the question of a new location, it was found that applications had come from Rochester, N.H., Lynn, Mass., and Ellington, Ct. These several proposals were canvassed by the trustees. Ellington was a beautiful place, situated in the interior belt, where it could be reached from the north and west, but the local advantages were not sufficient to warrant its selection. To Rochester there were many of the ob- jections urged against Newmarket. It was aside from the mass of our people. It was in the old educational belt. The people of Rochester could do but little for the school and the locality would be unfavorable. Lynn only remained to be considered, though in the eastern belt, this last place presented some great advan- tages. It was the early stronghold of Methodism in New England. Our people there would be proud of the school and would rally to its support. Lynn, too, was accessible to large outlying populations. Evidently with the then existing considerations, tho shoe town must bear off the palm. The trustees were at the moment of decision in favor of Lynn. At this critical moment, when the question was so nearly settled in favor of another place, a messenger came to the door from Wil- braham. Light broke from the very region to which they had looked for it in vain. As they were settling down upon Lynn, the finger of Providence seemed, for the first time, clearly to point to the interior, and made a recanvass of the subject necessary. The attention of the people in Wilbraham was called THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 63 to the question of relocating the Academy by the Rev. Joseph A. Merrill. As Presiding Elder of the New London District, he was paying his quarterly visit to that charge ; and while stopping at the house of Calvin Brewer, a leading member and local preacher, in company with the Rev. Phineas Peck, a supernum- erary preacher, temporarily suppling the pulpit, the conversation incidentally turned upon the subject of education among the Methodists. The fact that New- market was about to close, and that the Conference had ordered the removal of the institution to a locality adapted to secure a larger number of students, was mentioned by Mr. Merrill. -Mr. Brewer raised the question as to what he thought of Wilbraham as a location. The reply of Mr. Merrill was that, though a trustee, he could say nothing officially in the absence of his associates; but if the citizens wished it, and would give the proper encouragement, he thought the object might be secured. He thought well of the place, as pleasant and central. The trustees would wish to know that the citizens cherished an interest in the enterprise and that they would secure a fair amount of material aid. In the mind of Calvin Brewer, the idea burned and -kindled into a glow of enthusiasm under which he pledged for himself, to aid in the enter- prise, one hundred and fifty dollars. He felt an irre- pressible desire " to accomplish a noble work for the church and the rising generation." * This conversation was held in the early autumn, "sometime a little previous to the discontinuance of * J. A. Merrill, (Brief Sketch) attributes the first suggestion to Mr. Brewer ; while Brewer, on the other hand, refers the honor to Mr. Merrill. "He (Merrill) suggested the idea that the people in this place might have the Academy if they desired." 64 HISTORY OF instruction at the Newmarket Academy," says Mr. Merrill. Nothing came of it at the moment. In fact it seemed to have passed out of the public mind. Meantime, Calvin Brewer had mused on it, and the fire continued to burn in his heart. In conversation with other parties, he found the interest in the subject extended beyond the members of the Methodist Church. Leading members of the Congregational Society welcomed the project. The state of local sentiment was communicated to J. A. Merrill by the Rev. Mr. Peck, so that he might hold the matter in mind and be prepared to exert his influence with his fellow trustees. John W. Merrill, then a student of medicine, under Dr. Jesse Rice, walked twenty miles one day to bear the letter to his father in time. At length intelligence came to town of the December meeting of the trustees in Boston. The news was late, coming on Friday and the meeting was to be held on the ensuing Wednesday; whatever was to be done, must be done quickly. To influence the action of the trustees, it was certain, something more than informal talk would be required. Definite propositions must be made as to what the citizens were willing to do, in case their town should be selected as the seat of the Academy. Mr. Brewer and Mr. Peck, who had thus far led in the matter, consulted the Hon. Abel Bliss, an esteemed and influential citizen, as to the course to be pursued. As he had not given the matter serious thought, he hesitated to advise where so much was at stake. More than any of the friends about him, Mr. Bliss measured the difficulties of the enterprise and preferred to count the cost before beginning to build. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 65 The failures at Cokesbury and Newmarket put him on his guard against rash undertakings. It were better not to begin than to fail. The enthusiasm, which flamed through the soul of his neighbor, little affected his cooler brain, and was to be taken with some grains of discount. The demands of the church and the resources to meet them must needs be taken into account in settling the question. Wilbraham was a small rural town, with few citizens who would be likely to make any considerable contributions to the cause ; and, in view of the whole situation, he thought it wiser to delay action until after the meeting of the trustees in Boston the next week. So cool a reception of his proposition, by a leading citizen, served to check, though not to quench the ardor of Mr. Brewer. He determined at once to try an effectual method of testing the reality and depth of the public interest in favor of the cause. Of course this could be done only by securing definite pledges from individuals ; and for this the time was brief. The result must reach Boston before or on the ensuing Wednesday. Asking his friend Bliss to draw up a subscription paper, he proceeded on Saturday with the document to secure pledges from the citizens. Heading the paper with one hundred and fifty dollars, he pre- sented it to his neighbors, who responded beyond his expectations. The Brewers led the column. This favorable response revived his courage by the way, and induced him in the afternoon to return to his friend Bliss, who expressed some surprise at the result, and promptly put himself at the head of the column by writing down one hundred and seventy-five dollars. He 66 HIS TORT OF was followed by another leading citizen, Abraham A very, with sixty dollars. And so the work went on. They all began to realize that success was possibly at the door. In the evening the friends met for consulta- tion. Some one must be chosen to bear the proposition to the trustees. In the absence of railroads and tele- graphs, it would be necessary for the messenger to start early on Monday morning. Mr. Avery and others pro- posed the selection of Mr. Brewer as the one most thor- oughly interested in the project. To this he objected, as he was a stranger to most of the trustees. This would work to his disadvantage in presenting the cause to the board. The better way would be to select the Rev. Mr. Peck, who was equally interested with himself in the cause, and would have the advantage, in urging its claims, of being a member of the Conference and acquainted with all the members of the Board. He would be able to plead the cause in a clear and forcible manner. Accordingly the choice of the meeting fell on Mr. Peck as the one most likely to secure the end in view. Like many another itinerant of the time, Mr. Peck owned an admirable horse, not unused to rapid driving ; and Mr. Brewer furnished a light sulky. With this simple outfit, he started early on Monday morning, and by a steady pull reached Boston, a distance of ninety miles, at noon the next day. The splendid animal which performed this feat deserves a place in the record of the Academy and would bear to be named beside Bucephalus, Roland, the steed which bore Paul Revere to alarm the country before the Lexington fight, or the more famous one that THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 67 "Saved the day By carrying Sheridan into the fight From Winchester twenty miles away." On reaching Boston, Mr. Peck was surprised to find the trustees had been in session all the morning and had nearly reached the conclusion of the whole matter. The adjournment for dinner made it possible for him to meet them in the brief afternoon session and present the proposal from Wilbraham. In brief and simple form he urged the considerations in favor of that place as a location for the Academy. The town was healthy, the scenery attractive and the people moral and reli- gious. The Methodists there had considerable numerical and financial strength ; and, above all, the citizens felt a deep interest in the enterprise ; as evidence of which, the subscription so well begun, would be considerably enlarged, in case the Academy should go to Wilbraham. The board recanvassed the whole subject, and con- cluded, in view of the interest of the people and the fitness of the place, to favor the rebuilding of the Academy at Wilbruham. The decision was communi- cated to Mr. Peck by Colonel Binney, the chairman of the board, who took occasion to say that the meeting was informal and could bind the parties only as individ- uals, the final decision being with the Conference. A,t the same time, he felt no doubt that the board in full and regular session would approve and that the preach- ers would ratify the action. In the minds of all, the question seemed to be settled in favor of Wilbraham, in case the citizens should do their part. Just what their part was to be, was left somewhat indefinite. The President named the erection of a building, but that 68 HISTORY OF was not in the bond, and was regarded as a suggestion rather than a requirement. The result was communicated to the people at Wil- braham by Mr. Peck. Their joy was great. Arrange- ments were at once made to complete the subscription. Twelve papers were prepared, and the whole town and vicinity were canvassed. In this work Calvin Brewer was a leading participator. On the first day of Janu- ary, 1824, the twelve solicitors reported pledges amounting, in the aggregate, to $2,693. For the time and the circumstances of the people, this was a very liberal subscription; much more than was, at first, anticipated. Though not able to pledge large sums, many of them rejoiced to have a hand in the good work. Members of the Congregational Church vied with their Methodist brethren in the endeavor to swell the amount of the subscription. The subscriptions were not confined to Methodists nor to the people of the town. The committee scoured the section about Wilbraham to enlarge the contributions for the Academy. As we have already intimated, there were strong con- siderations in favor of the location of the Academy at Wilbraham. The place itself possesses attractions to those who love nature and are prepared to appreciate rural beauties in field and forest, in meadow and grain field, in plain and mountain. The village is nestled under the range of hills which forms the eastern wall of the Connecticut valley, with a broad outlook across the plain twenty miles wide to the majestic Hoosacks on the west. To the north, Holyoke and Tom form a dam across the valley, with peaks visible from every direc- THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 69 tion. The grandeur looming in the distance forms an agreeable contrast to the simple and subdued beauties of the immediate landscape, where the work of man has not obscured the work of God. The place is home- like, restful, and sure to grow on those who abide there for a length of time. To few places have students ever become so attached, as to Wilbraham. Above all,, the place is healthful. Very little sickness has ever visited the Academy or the town. The dry soil and soft breezes of the valley are sanative and life-giving. Their presence is a substitute for medicine. The people were moral and religious. The Wilbra- ham of 1825 was a typical New England town, with an intelligent, industrious, economical and enterprising population. In nearly every house, on the two mile street, morning and evening prayer was offered, and on Sunday, the whole population attended church. There are places where we would not like to plant schools. The immorality would prove a constant source of temptation to the students ; while here the example of virtue and piety in the town could not fail to exert a salutary influence on the institution. Its freedom from temptation has always commended Wilbraham to the public as a safe place in which to educate young per- sons. The touch of the plain, rural population has always been healthful and conservative. The new location, too, opened to the institution a broader patronizing territory. The place was accessible from Connecticut, Vermont, the whole Connecticut Valley, and even from New York, thus contrasting strangely with the narrow territory at first occupied in the Granite State. t6 HISTORY OP The field to be cultivated by the Academy was un- occupied. At the founding of Wesleyan Academy there was hardly a seminary of any importance in Western Massachusetts, while at the same time a large number of the people appreciated advanced education and made great sacrifices to send their sons to college. Not seldom did the interest of families in education rise to enthusiasm. B. B. Edwards said that old Hampshire County, comprising the present Hampshire, Hampden and Franklin Counties, "has furnished more students for college, with possibly a single exception, than any other county in the Northern States." The elder D wight writes: "No county in the State has uni- formly discovered so firm an adherence to good order and good government, or a higher regard for learning, morals and religion. As a body, the inhabitants are of that middle state of property which so long and so often has been termed golden; few are poor and few are rich. They are almost independent in this high sense, that they live in homes and on lands which they own, and which they hold in fee simple. The number of persons in a family, in the county of Hampshire, exceeds that in the eastern counties, and marriages are more uni- versal." * In locating the new Academy in the midst of such a thrifty and inquiring people, our founders were not misled. The success of the institution for more than half a century has vindicated their foresight and wis- dom in the choice. * Dwight's Travels. Vol. 2. p. 269. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 71 CHAPTER IX. THE INCORPORATION OF THE NEW BOARD OF TRUSTEES. THE removal of the institution from New Hamp- shire to Massachusetts made it necessary to create a new board of trustees. At the request of the friends of the Academy, Rev. John Lindsay, then stationed in Boston, made application to the legislature in the winter of 1824 for an act of incorporation. In compliance with the petition, the following charter was granted : ACT OF INCORPORATION. COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS. IN THE YEAB OF OUR LORD ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOUR. AN ACT TO INCORPORATE AN ACADEMY IN THE TOWN OF WILBRAHAM BY THE NAME OF THE WESLEY AX ACADEMY. SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Repre sentatives, in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, that there be and hereby is established in the town of Wil- braham, in the county of Hampdeu, an Academy for the purpose of promoting religion and morality and for the education of youth in such of the liberal arts and sciences, as the trustees for the time being shall direct; and that Amos Binney, Abel Bliss, Abraham A very, Calvin Brewer, Enoch Mudge, Jr., Wilbur Fisk, Joshua Crowell, William Rice and John Lindsay be nominated 72 HISTORY OF and appointed trustees, and they are hereby incorporated into a body politic by the name of the Trustees of the Wesleyan Acad- emy, and they and their successors shall be and continue a body politic by that name forever. SEC. 2. Be it further enacted, that all lands, monies, or other property hereafter given, or subscribed for the purpose of erecting or establishing an Academy as aforesaid, or which shall hereafter be given, granted or assigned to the said trustees, shall be con_ firmed to the said trustees and their successors in (said office or) that trust forever, for the uses, which in such instrument shall be expressed; and the said trustees shall be capable of having, taking and holding, in fee simple, by gift, grant, devise or otherwise any lands, tenements or other estate, real or personal, provided the annual income of the same shall not exceed the sum of ten thou- sand dollars; and shall apply the profit thereof so as most effectu- ally to promote the design of the institution. SEC. 3. Be it further enacted that the said trustees, for the time being, shall be the governors of said institution, shall have full power, from time to time, to elect such officers thereof as they shall judge necessary and convenient and fix the tenure of their respective offices; to remove from office any trustee, when he shall become incapable from age or otherwise, of discharging the duties of his office, or, when in the judgment of a majority of the trustees, he is an improper person to hold such office; to fill all vacancies that may happen in the board of trustees; to deter- mine the times and places for holding their meetings, the manner of notifying the trustees and the method of electing members of the board; to elect instructors and to prescribe their duties; to make such by-laws as they may think proper, with reasonable penalties, for the government of the institution, provided the same be not repugnant to the laws of the Commonwealth. SEC. 4. Be it further enacted that the trustees of said Academy may have a common seal which they may change at pleasure, and all deeds, sealed with said seal and delivered and acknowledged by the secretary of said trustees by their order, shall be good and valid in law; and said trustees may sue and be sued in all actions and prosecute and defend the same to final judgment and execu- tion by the name of the trustees of the Wesleyan Academy. SEC. 5. Be it further enacted that the number of said trustees shall never exceed fifteen nor be less than nine, five of whom shall be necessary to constitute a quorum for doing business, but a less THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 73 number may, from time to time, adjourn, until a quorum can be constituted. SEC. 6. Be it further enacted that Amos Binney and John Lindsay be and hereby are authorized and empowered to fix the time and place for holding the first meeting of the trustees and to notify them thereof. Approved by the Governor, February 7, 1824. A true copy. Attest: A. BRADFORD, Secretary of the Commonwealth. It is noticeable that by this charter, the sole control of the institution is placed in the board of trustees, subject only to the requirements of the trust. The Conference is not named. It is not chartered as a Methodist insti- tution. The founders and corporators were members of that denomination, as most of the later managers have been ; but it was established to promote general education and its advantages have been offered to the general public. The liberal policy, at first adopted, has been continued to this hour, so that, in its whole history, one third at least of the students have come from beyond the pale of the Methodist Church. The trustees early sought the endorsement and patronage of the Conference, which was invited to send visitors to the institution to "examine the system of education and instruction adopted, the proficiency of the students in the several branches of their studies, the rules and regulations for the government of the institution and from time to time advise the board of trustees of any amendment or alteration that they may deem neces- sary for the best interest thereof and for the promotion of piety, religion and good morals in the students, or the diffusion of useful knowledge." The committee is merely advisory; all power inheres in the board of trustees. 74 HISTORY OF According to the provision of the charter, the first meeting of the board was called by Colonel Binney and John Lindsay, to meet in Boston, February 19, 1824. At the above date, six of them, viz., Amos Binney, Abel Bliss, Abraham Avery, Calvin Brewer, William Rice and John Lindsay, met at the preacher's house and proceeded to organize by the choice of Colonel Binney as chairman and Abel Bliss as secretary. Mr. Lindsay presented a copy of the act of incorporation, obtained from the Legislature ; the board voted to accept the trust, with assurances of making "the best exertions to carry the same into effect," and to enter the document on their records. A committee, consisting of John Lindsay, Enoch Mudge and Amos Binney, was chosen to prepare a code of by-laws, " to draw up a system of education and instruction " for the consideration of the board, and "to procure drawings of the ground plans and elevations of the necessary building's for an academy and boarding house." John Lindsay was "authorized to solicit the sanction and patronage of the General Conference to be held in Baltimore, May next, and also to solicit the sanction and patronage of the New England Con- ference to be held in Barnard, Vt., June next, and to solicit subscriptions generally from our friends in aid of the design of the said Wesleyan Academy." Abel Bliss, Abraham Avery and Calvin Brewer were requested to continue their exertions to increase the subscription in Wilbraham and vicinity. ' Abel Bliss, Abraham Avery, William Rice and Calvin Brewer were chosen " to select one or more lots of ground in the town of Wilbraham, of not less than five acres nor THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 75 more than fifty, suitable for a site for the location of the Academy and other buildings, and to obtain from the owners of said lots the price demanded and to report to another meeting." After these initial steps, the board adjourned to meet at the house of Abel Bliss, June 30, 1824. At an adjourned meeting July 2, the report on plan of education was considered and that on by-laws adopted. John Lindsay was chosen to solicit subscriptions abroad, with a salary equal to that of the presiding elder on New London District. At the same meeting Abraham Avery was chosen the first treasurer of the board. The by-laws contain the usual provisions for the regulation of the actions of the board. The Plan of Education, issued by the board, explains the methods to be employed at the Academy, not unlike those in use in other New England academies, save in breadth, and that great stress was to be laid on manual labor. There was to be a farm, where students could have exercise and be inducted into the mysteries of agriculture. In workshops, the students were to be taught the use of tools in various kinds of mechanical labor. The manual labor 'craze of our day was thus felt at Wilbraham in the beginning. Of the feasibility and usefulness of the general plan, the trustees entertained no doubt. In bringing it into operation, they looked with anxious solicitude to their friends and brethren for aid. The shadow of other failures darkened their prospects and made them urgent to enlarge the funds of the institution so as to enable them to make a creditable beginning. To this end they urged earnest cooperation with the agent they had selected to go through the Conference to secure 76 HISTORY OF contributions. Failure at Wilbraham would prove a sad blow to the cause of education in the Methodist Church. This experiment was the forlorn hope. What was lost at Newmarket must be regained here. To insure such success, all the available resources of the denomination would be needed, especially when we remember that the whole at that date was not large. In the inexperience of most of the parties in educa- tional matters, we find valid ground for this solicitude. Of those who had tried their hand at Newmarket, only Colonel Binney entered the new board. The others were green men. The board of instruction had little more experience than that of trust. Wilbur Fisk was, as yet, untried as an educator. The great hopes he had inspired as a preacher, he was liable to disappoint in the department of education. In a word, all was as yet experiment. The experiment was indeed being tried with fresh courage and hope ; men were hold of it who did not intend to fail ; and yet it was still an experi- ment which could be carried on to success only by the zeal, liberality and tireless exertions of preachers and la}' men. As at Newmarket, the early curriculum at Wilbra- ham was quite broad and generous. " The Plan " con- tained an embryo college, agricultural college and theological seminary; Greek, Latin, Hebrew, the prin- ciples of agriculture and mechanics, were to be taught as well as the studies appropriate to the seminary. All this, however, was but a dream, which was to vanish as the hand of a practical New England educator came to the control. It was soon to be learned that the academy could do best by attending to its legitimate THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 77 business. In this respect, Wilbraham was to be in advance of Newmarket. But co-education was here to receive fresh illustration and emphasis. If in other respects, the school drew closer to New England usage, in this it was to depart from it. Here woman was to be in favor, and to enjoy the same educational advan- tages as man. Co-education was not then in the vogue. Wilbraham was to do something to effect the change in public sentiment realized in our day. In the school as in the church, the sexes were to have a common platform of opportunity. The success of the experiment for more than a half century has established the practice. To secure additional funds, John Lindsay, in the fall of 1824, scoured New England from the Green Mountains to the ocean, and from Canada to Long Island Sound. Besides stirring the preachers to renewed activity in securing subscriptions, he made a large number of popular addresses himself with the same end in view. The result was very encouraging. The amount of subscriptions was $2,874. Adding this amount to the $2,693 secured in Wilbraham and vicinity, we have the handsome sum of $5,567, as a fund for beginning at the new foundation. Seventeen persons contributed fifty dollars each, two forty dollars apiece, the rest was in smaller sums, from twenty-five dollars down to one dollar. As in other instances, the preachers, with their meager salaries, were leading con- ributors, several touching the highest figure. On Mr. Lindsay's paper there was no name with more than one hundred dollars while on the Wilbraham paper were several with one hundred and fifty dollars each, In 78 HISTORY OF both instances, the contributions were liberal, for a time when money was less plenty than now. The Conference of 1824 met at Barnard, Vt. The committee on the Academy reported that the school at Newmarket had closed and that a charter and consider- able subscriptions had been obtained for the new foundation at Wilbraham. The committee favored the enterprise. But there were those in the body unfavor- able. They expressed doubts as to the feasibility of the undertaking. One failure had been made, and another was likely to come. The indications of providence were that the Methodists should devote themselves to evangelization, depending on the public schools and the institutions of other denominations for educational advantages, until our people should increase in numbers and resources. Such was the expression of the more timid men. The leading minds and the large majority took a more hopeful view. Aware of the difficulties of the enterprise and the sacrifices necessary to bring it to completion, they were prepared to cooperate to the fullest extent with the new management. Under the inspiration of these courageous words, the Conference voted, by an overwhelming majority, to " patronize the institution," ' k to solicit donations in all the circuits and stations," and "to use their influence to assist any agent of the trustees in securing subscriptions for the Academy at Wilbraham." The pledge here given was amply redeemed. John Lindsay found the preachers ready to aid in word and deed. The faint show of opposition at the Conference totally disappeared and the cause moved on to triumph. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 79 APPENDIX TO CHAPTER IX. To those curious about the beginnings of an institu- tion, which has proved serviceable to the cause of edu- cation, the first subscription among the citizens of Wilbraham may have an interest. The names and amounts subscribed are here given. Calvin Brewer Timothy Brewer . Stephen Utley Levi Bliss Elisha Burr . Andrew Brewer Asa Olmstead William Knight . Giles Smith . Benjamin Edrow . Jonathan Stickland Horace King . James Buckland . Sam. B. Goddard . Calvin Eaton . Pliny Cadwell, Jr.. Isaac Morris . Simeon Sanborn . Charles Stearns Oliver B. Morris . Asa Wood Hubbard Gardner S. F. Dunham Luther K. Kilburn David Shepard John Bliss John Glover . Ethan Warner Abel Bliss William Brewer, Jr. Luther Brewer Jesse Rice $150.00 150,00 75.00 20.00 25.00 20.00 50.00 20.00 10.00 2.00 15.00 5.00 20.00 5.00 5.00 5.00 2.00 10.00 10.00 5.00 5.00 15.00 8.00 5.00 10.00 5.00 10.00 30.00 175.00 150.00 150.00 100.00 80 HISTORY OF Abraham Avery Henry Brewer William Clark Samuel F. Merrick Moses Burt . John Brewer . James Brewer William Bridge John Bliss, 2d. Fred Stebbins Noah Merrick Lewis Foster . Elizur Bates . Philip F. Aspinwall John Billings Zera Wait Joseph Bullard Jonathan Ely Pyncheon Bliss Aaron Woodard . Jonathan Burr William Tupper Gideon Kibble Pliny Cadwell John Carpenter $100.00 100.00 100.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 50.00 40.00 40.00 25.00 25.00 25.00 25.00 25.00 20.00 20.00 20.00 15.00 15.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 5.00 5.00 The reader will recognize in the above the leading names in Wilbraham, many of which remain to this day. The Brewers were the most numerous, and con- tributed liberally to the funds of the new Academy ; while the Bliss and Merrick families were influential and in sympathy with the efforts of the period for edu- cation. Some of the names have utterly disappeared from the town. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 81 CHAPTER X. THE ERECTION OF THE ACADEMY EDIFICE. IN their meeting on January 5, 1825, the trustees expressed their conviction that the time had fully come to begin preparations for building and opening the Academy. Their available funds now amounted to $5,567. Though not enough to complete the re- quired buildings, this sum would enable them to begin, and the beginning would stimulate the liberality of those interested in the cause. To improve the finances, John Lindsay was retained as agent to collect funds, and Wilbur Fisk was requested to prepare an address to the public in aid of the Academy. At the trustee meeting May 17, 1825, Fisk acknowl- edged the receipt for the Academy of $303, and Lindsay of $637.67. At the same meeting, the Rev. ^imothy Merritt and the Rev. Joseph A. Merrill were chosen trustees, raising the number to eleven. Timothy Merritt, a man of sound judgment and marked ability, was born in Barkhamstead, Ct, Octo- ber, 1775, and died in Lynn, May 2, 1845. Converted in 1792, he joined the itinerancy in 1796. Locating iu 1803, he reentered the Conference in 1817. He held several important charges. In 1832 he was chosen 82 HISTORY OP assistant editor of the Christian Advocate and served four years. As a preacher, theologian and writer, he displayed superior ability and was honored among his brethren. He was a highly devout man and delighted to unfold, with the pen and in the pulpit, the Wesleyan doctrine of perfect love. A man of meek and quiet spirit, of pure thoughts, elevated purpose and evangeli- cal labors, he was an example of whatever is excellent and of good report. In the cause of education he felt a deep interest, and joined his brethren in efforts to found and sustain the Wesleyan Academy. He re- mained a trustee until 1837. Joseph A. Merrill, a distinguished member of the New England Conference, was born at Newbuiy, Mass., November 22, 1785, arid died in Wilbraham, July 22, 1849. Joining Conference in 1807, he held many im- portant charges, including Boston, Cambridge, Salem, and the Vermont, New London, Providence and Spring- field Districts. In 1819 he served as a missionary in New Hampshire under the auspices of the Lynn Mis- sionary Society, the earliest organization of the kind in the Methodist Church, and acted as financial agent for the Newmarket Seminary. He was trustee for the Academy at Newmarket and Wilbraham, and also for the Wesleyan University. As a preacher and adminis- trator, he stood high among his brethren and was very useful to the denomination. Though a self-made man he felt a deep interest in the cause of education, and did much to promote it in his own church. In the long struggle on slavery, he stood with the most advanced abolitionists in the Conference, without yielding to the temptation to leave the church. As THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 83 a presiding elder, he was judicious and energetic, with a good knowledge of men and affairs. In preceding to build, the first thing was the selection of a site. The committee found no trouble in securing proposals; everybody was ready to sell. Avery, Bliss, Calvin Brewer we know not how many others offered their places for sale; but the committee were in no haste. In the minds of the committee, Calvin Brewer's place, next the store had the preference. It was central in the village, attractive in its surroundings and had a fine outlook towards both the plain and hill, with ample grounds for buildings. Sixty-five acres in this beautiful locality for $3,500 was not high. Could they do better? They doubted. They made further search in the vicinity, coming back each time to this spot. The committee is ordered to close the bargain. The papers are drawn up sixty-five acres for $3,500! But there is many a slip. The bargain was nearly closed the owner thought it was closed when the committee began to hesitate and inquire. They looked at the Brown farm and the Merrick farm with some longing, only to return to the Brewer place. The board ordered the deeds " to be executed and placed in the hands of a third party until April when the trustees may have the option of taking them and paying there- for, should they be unable, meantime, to effect a pur- chase of the Merrick farm." The purchase of the Merrick farm was not effected. The Brewer trade also failed, which proved so great a grief to the owner that he applied to the trustees for damages. But the arbitrators to whom the matter was referred exoner- ated the committee of the board. 84 HISTORY OF Meantime, light dawned in another quarter. Wil- liam Rice saw that the old Warriner place furnished an eligible site for the Academy ; and he pursuaded David and Charles Warriner to sell to the trustees, a lot of about three acres on the east side of the road, in which he, through his wife, held an equal interest with the brothers, which he donated to the trustees. The War- riners acceded to the proposal of Mr. Rice the more readily as they hoped by this location of the Academy to appreciate the value of their other lands. The offer was accepted by the trustees, and the question of definite location was thus finally settled. The lot was a meadow, forming part of the plain as it touches a spur from the hills. On the head of the spur, at an elevation of about forty feet above the plain, it was determined to locate the new edifice. Few spots are more delightful. On all sides the views are charming. To the west lies outspread the beautiful valley ; to the east, the mountain chain rises and extends in full view with mingled beauty and grandeur; while to the north, in the foreground is a cheerful grove of oak and chest- nut, and in the distance an agreeable variety of broken lands. As the chosen dwellingplace of science, art and letters, the locality is most fitting and attractive. The page here lying open in the huge volume of nature so picturesque and delightful, is adapted to inspire all students with a love of whatever is healthful, attractive and fascinating in the works of the Creator. The place itself is a study, which has not failed to impress all students who have made pilgrimages to that shrine of learning. Meantime, the committee on plans had decided to THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 85 recommend " a building of brick sixty-five by thirty- five, with two stories, ten and twelve feet, divided into one large and two small rooms below ; one large hall, forty-one by thirty-five feet, and four drawing-rooms above with two flights of stairs, the basement story to be eight* feet deep with stairway at each end and necessary windows and doors." The report was ac- cepted by the trustees. William Rice, Calvin Brewer and Abel Bliss were chosen as a committee to issue proposals and award the contracts for the building " to be completed previous to the first day of September next, and to advise with and aid the superintendent in completing the same," accord- ing to the plan and drawings furnished by Enoch Mudge, and in harmony with the vote of the trustees. Janes & Potter secured the job for the stonework, and Waite & Brainard that for the woodwork. The work was at once begun and pushed with energy ; but what was to be completed on the first of September was hardly in readiness for occupancy November 8th, the day of opening. If we may credit tradition, the building was com- pleted without a cupola. Though ordered in the plan, the matter was forgotten by the builders, who may have thought such an institution required sense rather than sound. The deficiency was not supplied until the ensuing spring. As a support for the bell, a couple of crotched posts were erected on the east side of the building and upon the cross beam was suspended the piece of sounding brass, brought from the old Academy at Newmarket. The first bell-ringer was D. J. Robin- son, who used a string to move the tongue. In this 86 HISTORY OF way, the first year was so grandly rung out that the bell was elevated to a higher position. At its completion, the Academy stood awkwardly perched on the edge of the bluff, high up in the air without means of easy access. To give it a comely appearance, much grading was required. This work was assigned to Abraham Avery, who arranged the terraces and placed the flights of stone steps very much as they now appear. As the space was then bare of trees, the building stood out in bold relief. The trees then planted along the terraces have converted the spot into a beautiful grove, fresh with the breath of nature and joyous with the music of birds. Though without marked architectural attractions, this venerable building is characterized by plain taste and adaptation to use, making a respectable appearance after the lapse of more than sixty years and amid the more elegant structures, which have, in the meantime, been reared around it. In its day, it was a marvel of propriety and even beaut} r . The town had nothing so good. The Methodists of New England had nothing better. At first, the solitary building of the institution, it was used for all purposes - chapel, dormitory, class- rooms and laboratory. The basement was at first partitioned off into class-rooms and dormitories, and afterwards thrown into a single room, often used for a chapel. The first story is entered by high steps on the south, under which stairs descend to the basement, with an opposite pair on the north side. The gentle- men entered on the south and the ladies on the north. The first story was divided into two rooms. The east one was used for chapel and recitation room. Here all THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 87 met for morning prayers and the younger members remained to study. After the school got under way, this arrangement was a good deal modified. The second story had three rooms, with a lobby where the library was stowed away rather than kept. The west rooms were, at first, used as dormitories and later as class-rooms. The east room, used at first as a dormitory for the lads, was afterwards taken as an art-room for the ladies. HISTORY OF CHAPTER XL THE OPENING OF THE ACADEMY BY WILBUR FISK. IN the history of the Wesleyan Academy, the eighth of November, 1825, stands as a red-letter day. The building had reached completion. The friends from all sides gathered to participate in the dedicatory services. The day marks the turn of the tide in the educational movement in the Methodist Church. The failures in the past, so grievously afflictive to the friends of edu- cation, were not to be repeated at Wilbraham. " The swing of victory " was in the new enterprise. The exultant gladness of all associated in the work was a sure prophecy of ultimate success in the great under- taking in which they were engaged. Difficulties and struggles there might be, the reenforcement of courage, felt on all sides, would bear them bravely through them all to the goal of assured prosperity. The opening services were conducted by the Rev. Wilbur Fisk, A.M., the newly chosen principal, a young man of commanding talents and growing popularity. Dr. Holdrich (Life p. 165) says he was elected soon after the opening ; the records show that he was chosen "President of the Academy with power to appoint such THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 89 instructors as he may deem expedient," September 28, 1825. more than a month before the opening. As he was the one man toward whom the eyes of the trustees had been turned from the first, as a wise and competent leader in education, the choice was unanimous and without debate. No other name was mentioned. He was the born teacher and leader, under whose manage- ment, it was felt, the Academy must prove a success. Wilbur Fisk came of good New England stock. If unrecognized in the herald's office, his ancestors were rendered illustrious by quiet and robust virtues. The blood of the great middle class of England, which had stood for liberty, had settled New England and had done most to found the American Republic, flowed in their veins. The first of the name in America are found among the industrious and enterprising settlers of Rhode Island. The grandfather of our subject owned and commanded a coasting vessel ; but, on the breaking out of the Revolution, he settled in Guilford, Vt. Isaiah Fisk, his son, married Hannah Bacon, and re- moved to Brattleboro, where Wilbur, named for his maternal grandmother, and the second of three children, was born August 31, 1792. The brother younger died early, and the sister older married and resided near her parents. Through misfortunes in business, Isaiah Fisk was induced to remove to Lyndon, Vt., where he became a prosperous and honored citizen. A man of ability and integrity, lie was twice chosen *a member of the Council and seventeen times of the House of Representatives. He was also justice of the county. In all these posi- tions, his public record was without a stain. Unlike 90 &ISTORY OF some public men, he did not make himself rich on the spoils of office. The home life of Judge Fisk was equally exemplary. He cherished the simple virtues of the Puritans. In the delightful home of Isaiah and Hannah Fisk, who, like Zachariah and Elizabeth, " were both right- eous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless," the youth of the son was spent. There was inspiration in such a family circle ; the father and mother were his best teachers, and the lad, though favored with few educational advan- tages outside, exhibited an early taste and aptitude for learning. Converted at the age of eleven years, he united with the church of his parents. At this early age, his piety was ardent and constant, and his rare and at- tractive gifts became at once conspicuous in the class and prayer service, leading his acquaintances to anticipate for him a brilliant future. To secure better advantages, he attended in 1808-9 the Peacham Grammar School, where he began, in'earnest, preparation for college. In 1812 he entered the sophomore class in the University of Vermont; but the suspension of the University the next year, on account of the disturbances of the war, occa- sioned his removal to Brown University, from which he graduated with honor in 1815. At the .close of his college course, Fisk began the study of law. The failure of his health, while tempo- rarily engaged in teaching, occasioned his return home for rest. Revived by the deep religious interest pre- vailing in the local church, he determined to devote his life wholly to the work of the ministry. Licensed at Lyndon, March 14, 1818, he joined the Conference the THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 91 ensuing June. He was stationed at Shaftsbury; then at Charlestown where he was greatly successful. At the Wellfleet Camp Meeting he came into the experi- ence of perfect love, which lent new attractiveness to his life. In 1823, he was appointed Presiding Elder of the Vermont District, and, as we have seen, he was chosen two years later to preside over the new Academy at Wilbrahiim. Though young at the time, his superior talents, ardent devotion and harmony of character gave him a firm hold upon the intelligence and affection of the church at large. In order to bring the Academy more fully to the at- tention of the people, the trustees had determined to make the opening an occasion of popular interest. At their request, Mr. Fisk had issued a circular inviting the whole people to come. The day was favorable, and at the hour appointed carriages came in from all the country round. The preachers of the vicinity were out in force. The hall and the area about the building were crowded with a deeply interested audience. The religious services were a marked and interesting feature of the occasion, especially the prayer offered by Alex- ander McLean, a local preacher of Ludlow, who omit- ted nothing in his petitions pertinent to the time or occasion. But the grand card of the opening was the address of Wilbur Fisk, the principal, then a stranger to nearly everybody in the audience. But the reputation of the silver-tongued orator and rising leader of the denomina- tion had gone before him and induced many to travel considerable distances that morning to hear him speak. It is much to say that, in their sanguine expectations, 92 HISTORY OF they were not disappointed. The address, abounding in just thought, clearly arranged and clothed in simple but elegant language and uttered in gentle and winning tones, was admirably adapted to the occasion. Though written hastily in pencil, and parts of it in his carriage, the address was admirably thought out and expressed. In its delivery the speaker stood in the south entrance way, so as to be heard by the people outside as well as those within. The address struck the key-note for the rising insti- tution. In an informal and unpretentious way, he noticed the design of the foundation and disposed of the objections, especially of our less intelligent people, to such schools. He held that a course of education was designed to produce habits of intellectual labor, mental discipline, the love and practice of method in the use of time and physical exercise. Above all, educa- tion should elevate the moral tone and lead to virtue and practical religion. "To be a scholar without mental application," he claims, "is as much impossible as to be a mechanic without handling tools, or a man of bodily activity without exercise. Those lecture masters, therefore, that are traveling through the country, with their symbols and machines, vainly pretending to teach some of the most important of the sciences in a few evenings, are doing serious injury to the literary character of our country. The youth who wishes to be a gentleman, a scholar and an idler, who, in short, as it is a disgrace to be ignorant, wishes to have the reputation of knowledge without the labor of acquiring it, gains from his lecture master, some smattering of learning, with but little THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 93 more application of mind than it would cost him to follow the different parts of a theatrical exhibition. In this way, he runs over the most popular branches of science, with, to say the most, nothing more than the tin- sel of literature. It possesses, possibly, some brilliancy, but little or no utility. His literary currency is like the showy bills of a bank with empty vaults. He talks much, knows little and thinks less. Thus the mind is dissipated instead of disciplined ; and the degree of learning acquired serves only to swell an empty head with the pride and vanity of supposed knowledge. This is only the wind of science, which inflates the mind and keeps up the appearance of parts and dimensions, while it adds little of weight or solidity or utility to the char- acter. It is, in truth, worse than nothing, because, without it, the mind in appearance shrivels into its own real insignificancy and thus shows the necessity of some- thing more solid." But the method and system of the scholar, in the dis- tribution of time, it was objected, are artificial and ill adapted to the practical pursuits of life. The reply was happy. " The merchant has his regular mode of doing business, notwithstanding the variations of the markets and his different successes and losses. The mariner has his regular course and his fixed system of making his calculations and established rules by which he turns to the best possible advantage all the contrary winds and shifting currents in his voyage. Indeed the changes and adversities to which he is subject, make it more necessary he should proceed by rule. Without this he could be the sport of every wind, and be driven from his course by every current. So without system in the 94 HISTORY OF voyage of life, the mind of man will be driven from its course and away from its object by all the various changes of time. Instead, therefore, of excusing our- selves from the systematic employment of time, on the ground of the varieties of life, this should be the very motive to incite us to a close adherence to rule and method, that we may make the most of a short and changing life." But the gravest objection to literary institutions was their immoral and irreligious tendency. Too often had they been hot-beds of unbelief. To avoid this, he held that "morality and religion should make a part of the pupil's instruction." Something of the care and over- sight of the home should be found in the school. But while strenuous in urging the importance of religious instruction in the institution lie carefully guarded gainst an evil then prevalent in many Protestant as well as Catholic schools, by clearly distinguishing be- tween religion and denominationalism. "By religious instruction," he continues, "is not meant teaching the peculiar tenets of a party. Literary institutions should not be prostituted to the low purposes of proselytism. This would not be to make Christians, but bigots. But those leading principles of religion, which are calculated to make the heart better, should be inculcated ; as also those practical precepts which will regulate the life. Nor should these be impressed on the young mind in an arbitrary and austere manner. But the ground and pro- priety of what is enjoined should be explained. Our religion is a reasonable service, and this its true charac- ter should be exhibited to the young as soon as their reason begins to dawn ; -and in the same way through THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 95 all the succeeding stages of religious instruction, should the requirements and sanctions of the divine govern- ment illustrated, until they commend themselves to the understanding and conscience. Such a course of reli- gious instruction, pursued with judgment and care, can hardly fail to produce its designed effect." The value of the careful training here recommended was illustrated in the speaker himself. How completely he held control of his faculties is apparent in his whole course. He knew well how to think, because he had acquired mental discipline; and faculties thus held under rein were at his service on all occasions. Better than most men, he could think on his feet, and, with the utmost facility, adjust himself to any new conditions. Though an admirable extemporizer, he used the pen with the utmost ease and elegance. In a high sense, he was a rounded and complete man, well adapted to lead in the education of youth. This interesting and festive occasion was rounded out by the brilliant illumination of the new building in the evening, by the liberality of the citizens, who felt hardly less interest in the enterprise than the trustees them- selves. It was to be the academy of the people, and in its inception and progress the whole people rejoiced. The day of opening will remain forever memorable, as marking the first stage in the progress of reconstruc- tion and as affording fresh inspiration and courage for the carrying on to completion the great enterprise. 96 HISTORY OF CHAPTER XII. THE FIRST TERM UNDER NATHANIEL DUNN. THOUGH Fisk had been selected as principal and had come to open the institution, he did not re- move to Wilbraham until the ensuing spring. In his absence, Mr. Dunn, who had been chosen as a teacher, conducted the affairs of the Academy. Nathaniel Dunn, Jr., the first teacher at Wilbraham, was born in Poland, Me., January 29, 1800. The family, of Scotch descent, came in with the first settlers of the town. His mother's maiden name was Sarah Pulsifer, of Cape Ann stock. Their Maine home was in the wilderness, a sort of logging camp. Until the age of sixteen, constant devotion to manual labor pre- vented his attendance at school, more than a few weeks in winter. At the age of sixteen he spent twelve weeks at the Hebron Academy, where he got a taste of Latin and Greek. On his return home to the farm, he continued his studies, as he could, privately. At nine- teen his preparation for college was completed at Gor- ham Academy, and he entered Bowdoin in 1822, graduating with good standing in 1826. Prior to graduation, he engaged as a teacher at Wilbraham, at THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 97 a salary of $400 and board, a very fair compensation for the period when prices ranged low. To be in time, Mr. Dunn reached Wilbraham on the twenty-seventh of September and waited for the opening of the school, which was somewhat delayed by the tardiness of the builders. The November term, following the opening on the eighth, was brief and informal. It was designed to advertise the regular winter term to open on December 5, 1825. Of course the attendance during the initial term was not expected to be large. The school opened with seven students, all residents of the town. It may be worth while to give their names. They were : Lydia, daughter of Henry Brewer, the elder, later the wife of Dr. Edward N. Colt, of Brooklyn, N.Y. ; Orlo M. and Louisa Dormon, who removed to Ohio ; Isaac Jennison, Jr., a devout and earnest Christian student, whose early death was widely lamented; Emily Moseley, who married Simeon Barden ; John Wesley Bliss, son of Hon. Abel Bliss, and his sister Nancy, who became the wife of Rev. William Smith, and, after his death, the wife of Dr. Jesse W. Rice, long the village physi- cian. In their later history, the members of this class made a worthy record and did honor to the institution. On the fifth of December, the regular winter term opened with hopeful accessions to the numbers. During the winter, the numbers rose fr6m the original seven to forty-four, and during the year one hundred and four different students were in attendance, drawn mostly from the town and vicinity. The academic year was divided into four terms, be- ginning with the first Monday of September, December, 98 HISTORY OF March and June. The fall term was preceded by three weeks of vacation, the others by one week each. On entering, the pupil was required to possess a knowledge of reading, spelling and the four simple rules of arith- metic. None were admitted under ten years of age. Most of the early students were, in fact, double that age. The tuition was, for the English branches, three dollars ; Astronomy and the higher mathematics, three dollars and fifty cents; Latin and Greek four dollars; orna- mental branches, five dollars, with a deduction to those devoting only a part of the time to these studies. Among the text books were Adam's Latin and Good- rich's Greek Grammar ; Liber Primus and Jacobs's Greek Reader ; Stoughton's Virgil ; Clark's Introduc- tion to making Latin ; Blake's Natural Philosophy ; Comstock's Chemistry, Day's Algebra, Blair's Rhetoric, Hedge's Logic, Ingersoll's English Grammar, Walker's Dictionary, and Scott's Lessons for Reading. These were the regulation text books for years. The course was not considered perfect. Some of the managers inclined to broaden the school into a seminary, college and theological school, all in one. Fisk long had a theological class, as a sort of extra, to aid those studying for the ministry ; but he wisely retained the Academy in its proper lines of study. The life of the Academy, during the winter term of 1825-26, was extremely simple and enjoyable. Every thing was new building, teacher, students and methods of work. As the students were drawn from a narrow circle, they were, in most instances acquainted with each other. They came almost exclusively from Methodist families, having thus an additional bond of THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 99 connection. The Academy in this particular was not unlike one of our old select schools. It was a neigh- borhood institution, rather than one for the whole country. The students were mostly young ladies and gentlemen who knew how to behave without the rigid enforcement of discipline. They came for the purpose of study and devoted themselves earnestly to this one work. Those who resided in town boarded at home, and those from other towns either stopped with friends or were domiciled in hospitable families in the village. The recitations were heard in the east room of the first story, where also the pupils remained to study between recitations, as their boarding places were too far away for them to return until the close of the session. Mr. Dunn, for the time being the man of all-service, was a competent and enthusiastic teacher, able to instruct in all the branches then studied at the Academy. The students of the time long remembered with interest and enthusiasm the incidents of that first winter. It was a time of good fellowship and rapid progress in study. No similar advantages had hitherto been within the reach of the students and they were eager to improve them to the utmost. To an unusual extent, the people of the village participated in the joyous life of the institution. Many students were connected with their families, and even strangers were made to feel at home in the little community. Several of the leading trustees, who had been foremost in founding the institution, were citizens of Wilbraham, and exerted themselves to add to it every element of prosperity. As a result, the school was for many years peculiarly homelike. The student was made to feel, that, for the time, he was in- 100 HISTORY OF corporated into and had become an integral part of the community. To many students of moderate means, citizens were good friends and helpers, both by advice and by openings to save or earn money to complete their education. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. iOl CHAPTER XIII. ORGANIZATION UNDER WILBUR FISK, A.M. IN the spring of 1826, Principal Fisk removed his family to Wilbraham, and thenceforth, to the close of his term, devoted himself wholly to the duties of his position. He studied the situation and kept a con- stant outlook over the whole field. Besides the school routine, to which he gave careful and daily attention, teaching much as well as governing, he kept a hand upon all the machinery. more or less remotely connected with the institution. In the best sense, he was a care- taker for the Academy. If the institution had been his own, he could not have been more devoted to its interests, or have labored more constantly for its up- building. With him it was a work of love as well as duty; he did it for Christ and the church. He felt that it behooved him to see that no damage, through his agency, came to the institution ; but rather that his administration be' so excellent as to demonstrate the feasibility of maintaining educational institutions in connection with his own church. The annual meeting of the trustees on May 16, 1826, (adjourned to June 5,) afforded opportunity for full 102 HISTORY OF consultation with the members of the board, with whom in the months to come he was to cooperate. Enoch Mudge, who had done some faithful service in the cause, resigned, and George Pickering was chosen in his place, but he declined in favor of John W. Hardy, who was chosen. Enoch Mudge, the first native Methodist preacher in New England, and a leader in early evangelistic efforts, was born in Lynn, June 21, 1776, and died there April 2, 1850. He was converted under Lee, and united with the Conference in 1793. On account of ill health, he located in 1799 in Orrington, Me., where he remained until 1816. During this time he was twice a member of the legislature and was influential in securing the passage of the "Religious Freedom Bill." In 1816 he returned to the itinerant ranks and served various important churches until 1832, when he took charge of the Seamen's Bethel at New Bedford, serving until his health failed, twelve years later. A man of simple habits, devout spirit and popular talents, he commanded universal favor and love. Distance from the Academy was the reason rendered for his resignation. John W. Hardy, the new member, was a man of some ability, but austere in temper and arbitrary in his methods. The Rev. John Lindsay was, at the same meeting, appointed a committee, with powers, " to call upon Benjamin Mathe,ws, Jr., treasurer of the late board of trustees of the Newmarket Academy, and receive from him all the property, or balances of debt and notes and give receipt and discharge therefor and to transfer the same to the treasurer of this board, except that part of notes receivable, now unpaid, which was subscribed THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 103 and given to the Newmarket Academy, bj persons residing within the bounds of the Maine Conference, which notes he is authorized to deliver over to the treasurer, or legal agent of the Wesleyan Seminary at Readfield, first receiving from such treasurer, or agent, the interest which had accrued on these notes and unpaid up to the date when the Newmarket Academy ceased its operations, December 30, 1823." At the November meeting, Mr. Lindsay reported that "he had received and handed over to the treasurer notes to the amount of $889.41 and gave to B. Mathews an obliga- tion to- pay him all claims due to him from said Academy." He also reported a list of no f es running to the Academy to the amount of nine hundred dollars. At the same time, the Conference, the fast friend of the Academy, was urged to afford further aid. The session of that year (1826) was held in Wilbraham. The preachers were requested to use their best exertions to circulate subscriptions and obtain funds for the Academy. As an encouragement, one third of the amounts collected was to be used for educating and boarding the children of preachers. Through Mr. Fisk, the cooperation and aid of other Conferences also were solicited. He was favorably received by the New York Conference, which deputed Tobias Spicer to meet the trustees ; and the trustees, on their part, proposed to allow New York to appoint a minority of the trustees. Though Spicer went back well pleased, we hear no more of the proposition. The application to the Phil- adelphia Conference also fell to the ground. In this matter the New England Conference plans were the only ones which bore fruit. George Pickering was 104 HISTORY OF appointed Conference agent, and reported later, collec- tions on the subscriptions taken by John Lindsay, $231 ; others handed him for collection $550 ; new subscriptions, $1,919, making a total of $2,700. For his services and traveling expenses, Pickering received $440.47, leaving a net balance for the treasury of $2,259.53. At the above annual meeting of the board (June 5,) Fisk was continued as Principal with " an allowance for his table expenses, house rent, use of furniture, fuel and quarterage as a Methodist preacher." Nathaniel Dunn was also continued as teacher at his old salary. As the first preceptress of the Academy, they chose Miss Charlotte Tillinghast, a young lady of rare quali- ties of mind and heart and admirably adapted for the training of youth. Her salary was to be two hundred dollars per annum. Though she served but part of a year, the memory of her virtues and good deeds is still fresh. Miss Tillinghast was born in Providence in 1804, and died in 1839. In 1822 she was happily converted under the labors of Maffit and united with the church. In the schools of her native city, she was finely educated, exhibiting, at an early day, literary taste and aptitude. In the early numbers of Zioris Herald may be found several of her articles on literary and artistic subjects. In drawing and painting, also, she took great delight. Her largest triumph at Wilbraham was the capture of Dunn, the two being united in marriage in the autumn of her first year. The bright opening of her life was followed by years of decline and sickness, but the close was tranquil and beautiful. " Before the spring returns," she said, " I shall pass away." On awaking THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 105 from sleep, she said, " I am going.*' With a song and a shout, the purified soul ascended to the skies. Always calm, patient, intelligent and sincerely pious, she held easy sway over her puplis. With some adverse experiences, Fisk's first year at Wilbraham was fairly prosperous. On the 7th of July he wrote : " Our school has filled up beyond our expectations, having increased since the term com- menced to about seventy-five, fifty of whom are inmates of the boarding house. These are all enjoying a good course of instruction, under the tuition of Mr. Dunn in the male department, with such monitors as he has enlisted for his assistance, -ind Miss Tillinghast in the female department. The students are generally well behaved, diligent and easily governed." In regulating the social life of the school, ^Ir. Fisk was peculiarly happy. Without indulging license, he allowed large liberty to the pupils, encouraging the maintenance of a cheerful and buoyant temper. As they were to live in society, in later years, he thought it not less important to shape and cultivate their man- ners than to train the intellect. To this end, each Wednesday evening was devoted to a social interview. In giving shape to these gatherings, he was aided by the stewardess. Teachers and trustees with their fam- ilies, as well as students, were admitted. " After the tea had been handed round, some time was spent in social conversation, and the interview was closed with devotion about nine o'clock. The design of this was to accustom the students to move in society, and to improve their manners and social feelings, to teach to unite the amenities of life with the gravity, dignity 106 HISTORY OF and ^useful aims of a graceful piety. These little attentions to the manners and feelings of his scholars tended to secure public favor and promote the interests of the school. The scholars were a happy circle, usually very much attached to each other as well as to their instructors." * Fisk was a kindly, though rigid disciplinarian. The household was his model authority softened by love. The mastery of the heart was the secret of his govern- ment; his students loved him. Many teachers have been revered and honored by their pupils ; few have been so long and tenderly remembered as Wilbur Fisk. As time has passed, they have realized more and more how wise were his counsels and how admirably suited his guidance to the conditions into which they were to enter. JTo call out these better feelings and purposes, to arouse and shape the higher nature for the great work of life and the exalted destiny beyond, rather than to impart a little formal knowledge, was, in his view, the design of education. The minor duty, indeed was not neglected ; the major was kept in view and emphasized. Ruling by alliance with the better elements in human nature, he seldom found occasion to resort to the severer methods of discipline. At the same time his government was utterly re- moved from weakness and vacillation. The reins were held with a firm, though gentle hand. Order and a due subordination to authority were among the primary laws of the institution, obedience to which was usually secured by an appeal to the sentiments of propriety, manliness, justice and generosity. To cultivate a Holdich. Life of Wilbur Fisk. p. 181. PHE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 10? .spirit of kindness and subordination, the soft glove was extended, but there was an iron hand within, which was sure to be used on occasion. Faith in the use of the rod yet held sway among educators in New England. The regimen of Solomon had not given place to the sentimentality of modern discipline. For the punishment of obstinate persons, a peniten- tiary and a dungeon peculiar educational institutions, located in the basement, were provided. The former was a small enclosure with a gleam of light and a seat for culprits who might be cast into this dismal place. This was designed for more salvable cases ; for the more incorrigible was the dungeon, about eight feet square, without seat or light. In total darkness and without accommodations for sitting or lying down, the culprit received his food through a slide six or eight inches square. One trial was usually enough. Dr. Charles Adams used to tell of one, who, on receiving his sen- tence to the dungeon, sprang from his seat, leaped through the door and ran like a deer to the boarding house. He was returned only by the main strength of the rescuers. The principal was usually equal to whatever he undertook. In one instance, a student was too much for him. The lad had often offended ; and after many private reproofs, he was ordered to prepare for a flog- ging the next morning in the presence of the school. At the usual hour, the students assembled in the east room for prayers. The Bible was read and the usual devotions gone through. Notices for the day were given. All was silent expectation. The culprit was called to the middle of the floor, the ladies being on 108 HISTORY OF one side, and the gentlemen on the other. After a short address to the students, on the virtues of good order and attention to the rules of the school, he expressed the opinion that it was necessary to inflict punishment upon the offender. Order, he insisted, must be maintained at whatever cost. The entire company began to feel the seriousness of the situation. The gentlemen looked sober ; the ladies, in some instances shed tears, or buried their faces in their handkerchiefs. The only one in the company really at ease was the prisoner in the dock. At the close of his address, Fisk took his well-prepared birch from the left hand where it had been quietly held, and raising it high in the air, he brought it down upon the shoulders of the offender, who strangely remained unmoved. Another and another blow followed with no better effect. The hollow sound, produced by the birch, raised the suspicion that something was amiss. The faces on either side of the room began to light up with fresh animation. The great pedagogue began to mistrust that he was "sold." But seldom was he unequal to an occasion, and he did not propose to be then. The boy was ordered to doff his coat; and the order was obeyed. Thwack, thwack, again, with the same pasteboardy sound, and without sensible impression on the lad, save a roguish twinkle of the eye. The school was now in good humor, but the principal was in a position of extreme embarrassment. The vest was ordered removed only to reveal another, and another. The nether one was ordered off, when down came Greenleaf's large Atlas- shaped Grammar upon the floor amid a roar of laughter THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 109 from the whole school. Observing the rapid growth of the youngster's limbs, he took hold of his pants and said, " What is under them ? " " A pair of pants, sir.' "What else?" "A pair of pants and a pair of drawers."- -"Whose boots are those?" "Billy Bar- num's, sir." The school was all this time in paroxysms of laughter. It was too much for the master. He felt the ridiculousness of the situation and, in spite of his best resolves, joined in the universal merriment. As soon as quiet was restored, he said to the offender, "What possessed you to rig yourself up in this fashion? " The jolly little rogue, with a smile, replied, " You told me yesterday to prepare for a flogging, and I have done so." This carried the last wicket. The house went wild again. The master was swept by the flood. Turning to his little man, he said, "Now go free; you have won your liberty." Thus ended the famous flogging, with a lesson for the teacher as well as the pupil. The culprit was afterwards a minister, and he still lives.* Dr. Fisk often referred to this incident, which has been retailed in several forms, in newspapers and at anniversary dinners. One of the favorable indications of the period was the impression the Academy was making abroad, thus opening the way for a wider patronage. The words of Fisk, uttered in that little hamlet, were heard in distant cities mid states ; and those words brought students to the Academy. Those from the hills and valleys came; stage coaches and private conveyances were crowded with the new pilgrims. " One gentleman, * The Rev. Nathaniel J. Merrill, of N.E. Conference. 110 HISTORY OF residing in the Berkshire section, a man of prominence and wealth, whose grandson has been lieutenant governor, volunteered to take .a load of students from his own town to Wilbraham. Procuring an express wagon, with ample seating capacity, with eight pas- sengers and trunks and innumerable boxes and bundles he mounted the box, and, with whip in hand, drew the rein as he and his jubilant companions set their faces toward the shrine of learning in the Connecticut Valley. Winding along the serpentine roads over hill and along valley, the day wore on and the night approached while they were yet twenty miles from their destination. Consequently a halt became neces- sary, and, turning aside, they sought a night's enter- tainment in Westfield. On the morrow the journey was resumed, and the party arrived in Wilbraham be- fore noon-day, to find the village filling with strangers from different states of the Union." * * Zion's Herald, Recollections of 1826. THE WESLE7AN ACADEMY. Ill CHAPTER XIV. THE ERECTION OF THE BOARDING HOUSE. ON removing to Wilbraham in the spring of 1826, Mr. Fisk found that a boarding hall was hardly less important to the institution than a building for class rooms. The pupils must have somewhere to stay as well as to recite. The first students lived in town and boarded at home ; but as numbers increased, drawn often from a distance, the facilities for boarding would prove insufficient in a small rural village. This inade- quate provision for boarding would, at the same time, enhance the cost to those in attendance and check the flow of patronage to the Academy, thus defeating the main end in view of the founders in establishing the seminary. To prevent these evils, it was necessary to hasten preparations for building. To secure the attendance of persons of moderate means, prices for tuition and board must range low. Economy was the law of the time and the locality. Though few were abjectly poor, the mass of the Amer- ican people were confined to narrow incomes. The inflow of wealth, so abundant in our day, had hardly 112 HISTORY OF begun. The people had learned to live modestly, mak- ing a little go a great way in furnishing the comforts of life. With enough to live comfortably in the ordinary method, some self-denial was often necessary to afford good educational advantages to their children. To aid this class of people in educating their families entered into the design of the founders of the Wesleyan Acad- emy. The school was to be as inexpensive as possible ; and as the main item of expense was the board bill, that Avas to be kept within reasonable limits by the erection of a boarding house. Meantime some provision must be made for those in attendance while the building was in process of con- struction. Wilbur Fisk and Abraham Avery were made a committee to attend to the matter. In compliance with the wishes of the Board, they applied to the citi- zens and secured places for all who might attend at one dollar and a quarter per week, including board, room, fuel, and, in some instances, washing, which was fabu- lously cheap, even for those days of economy. The plan worked admirably. No one was deterred from coming by the rates ; even the poor could avail them- selves of the rare advantages of the seminary when offered so cheaply. And it is a matter of gratitude that so many in very straightened circumstances were educated in those early years at the Wesleyan Acad- emy. These favorable terms were secured largely by the personal influence of the new Principal, who maintained to the last close and harmonious relations with all the people of the place. He was strenuous in his endeav ors, not only to stand well personally with his neighbors, JHE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 113 but also to maintain pleasant relations between the school and the citizens. In his view their interests were identical. The students owed something to the citizens, and they in turn were under obligation to keep peace with the school. The Academy was not to be regarded as a foreign body, an invasive force, encamped on their soil; the citizens were allied by interest as well as duty to the j'outh temporarily sojourning among them. Diverse as the two parties may seem to be in character and interest, he thought it desirable to keep in view the higher bonds of union which demanded the exercise of mutual forbearance and kindly offices. In this pacificatory work he was very successful. The school for a series of years became marvelously identi- fied in sympathy and interest with the community. Many of the old students long retained precious recol- lections of families in which they were domiciled while studying at the Academy. Many of the families, on the other hand, delighted to trace the after course of those who had begun there the toilsome ascent of the hill of science. Not a few among the citizens felt the touch of enthusiasm which pervaded the school and were incited to the acquisition of knowledge. To them, hitherto in -darkness, great light sprang up and often conducted them on, not only to better knowledge, but to wider fields of influence. As he inaugurated this era of good feeling, Fisk was cherished by the whole community as a gentleman, a model Christian and an oracle of true wisdom. In the pulpit he often spoke to the edification of the citizens, and, for a part of the time, he was the stationed preacher. To this day, there are persons who recall with enthu- 114 HIS TORT OF siasm his wise counsels and seraphic exhortations. The texts he used, the line of thought he pursued, the strik- ing expressions he employed and the pathos he dis- played are vividly recalled after more than half a century. The whole town, especially the Methodist part of it, felt the intense heart-beat of this great edu- cator and were drawn, by his magnetic influence, toward the institution he so tenderly and devotedly cherished. Through all the intervening years has his influence been felt for good. As a gracious daysman he laid his hands on both parties and drew them into close and helpful relations to each other. The building of the boarding hall was a part of the original plan in founding the Academy ; the exigencies of 1826 urged them to hasten the preparations and to secure, the soonest possible, the completion of the enter- prise. At the meeting of the board of trustees, May 17, 1825, Abraham Avery, Enoch Mudge and William Rice were appointed a committee with instructions to com- plete a boarding house by May, 1826. The committee, hesitating as to a location, did nothing. Meantime, in the meeting of September 28, 1825, a new committee was raised, consisting of Avery, Bliss and Jeimison, with instructions "to proceed and make contracts for a building forty feet square, two stories high, with gable ends and lantern windows in the roof, with a wing at each end, forty feet long by twenty-five feet wide, two stories high, with a cellar under the whole, divided into the requisite apartments." Still the location was in dispute, when William Rice suggested the purchase of the village hotel. The proposal was made to the War- riners and accepted. The purchase included forty-eight THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 115 acres, with the hotel and out-buildings. This settled the question of location. Jennison and Avery were made a committee at the same meeting (September 28, 1825), to enlarge the building by "adding an ell, forty-five by twenty-six feet, extending back from the northwest corner, with a cellar, if necessary, and fitted up with kitchen, closets and dining hall on the lower story, and the upper story to be finished for students, and that the whole house be fitted for boarders." The committee pushed the work and completed it in due time at a cost of $1,500. Isaac Jennison, the chairman, a carpenter by trade in youth, was the preacher in charge of the village church. His knowledge of carpentry was turned to good account in supervising the work on both the academy and the boarding house. On the latter he wrought with his own hands. This first boarding house was built by William Rice for a hotel, and for several years was used for that purpose by the Warriners. As the main tide of travel had moved aside from them, they found the business unremunerative, and hence were ready to sell. For some time, the chief profit had been derived from special gatherings, for convivial and military purposes, which often proved to be "high times." On one occasion, after freely imbibing of the liquors kept within, the revellers rode their horses in at the large front door, through the hall and out the back way. The purchase of this property was a fortunate investment. It re- moved from the vicinity of the institution a drink-house, which would have been a source of constant temptation to the students, and, at the same time, gave them 116 HISTORY OF precisely the property most conveniently located for the purposes of the school. The other places mentioned for the purpose, lying farther away, would have proved less convenient. "The old hotel" stood directly opposite the new Academy building, and the farm was conveniently located in the rear of the boarding house. Before the above enlargements were completed, the number of students had so increased that the trustees felt the necessity of additional extension of their plans. After mature consideration, -they determined, in the meeting of June 5, 1826, " to take means immediately for the enlargement of the house and completing the furniture equal to the accommodation of fifty scholars as boarders, and not to exceed two in a bedroom." Isaac Jennison was "a committee with powers to en- gage men and purchase material and put a third story on the main part of the house, divide the same into six or more rooms and finish the whole, inside and outside, with all other necessary work in and about the house, as soon as possible, and draw upon the treasurer for the amount of the cost." Old students yet remain who vividly recall this upward growth of the boarding house. Some difficulty was realized in taking the staging up to the third story, when the students suggested that Mr. Jennison, who was very tall, and familiarly known among them as the high priest, be assigned that part, as he could stand upon the ground and work without the trouble of raising a staging. Irreverent as the expres- sions may seem, the students highly respected the preacher. Connected with the enlargement of the boarding house was another curious incident, not soon forgotten by some of the students. After the roof had THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY, 117 been removed, there came a drenching three days' rain, which flooded the upper story and sent such unwelcome streams into the apartments below as to drench every- thing and cause a general stampede to the ell or the houses of the citizens. But beyond this discomfort and sundry stains on the walls, little harm was done. The reappearance of the sun, dissipating the vapors and dry- ing the building, restored the wonted cheerfulness and activity to the place. At the close of the work the trustees gave Mr. Jennison a vote of thanks and forty dollars extra, in consideration of the losses he may have sustained, in his salary, by reason of absence from his pastoral work. The completion of the boarding house proved advantageous to the interests of the school. The knowledge of its construction, having been widely circulated, served as good advertisement; and, before the work was finished, every room in the building was engaged. The exact cost of these improvements, we find nowhere stated. With the purchase of the farm, it made a con- siderable sum, insomuch that the bottom of the treasury was reached. In the trustee meeting, November 22, 1826, the treasurer reported a balance against the treasury of $6,310, 83,809 of which was overdue. An effort to raise funds was made on the spot, and $1,300 were subscribed by the trustees and a few friends who happened to be present. In this critical period the real cost of educational institutions began to dawn upon the minds of the trustees and friends of ed- ucation ; but, instead of being dismayed at the situation, they addressed themselves to the task with fresh vigor. They felt assured that a gracious Providence which had 118 HISTORY OF led them to undertake the enterprise would aid them to the end. If the axe was dull, -more strength would be required to make it effective. They did not, for a moment, doubt their ability to execute the educational work committed to their hands. From the day they broke ground in Wilbraharn, these noble men took no back- ward step, but everywhere the work was urged on to completion. Along the whole line, and even amid the fiercest struggles, their battle cry. was, " Forward ! " Each struggle proved a means to larger and grander success. The trustees found the management of the boarding house and farm no easy matter. At first they tried it through a committee, only to learn that the farm, to be of any value to them, required the services of a practi- cal farmer, and the boarding house a good house man- ager. All the qualifications could not easily be found combined in one man. They searched in vain for the ideal steward, and settled down finally upon Ebenczer Thompson, long the keeper of the village hotel in Concord, at a salary of three hundred dollars and board for himself and wife with three children, some of whom were serviceable in the house. He proved to be a good, but somewhat expensive house manager. He had the advantage of his hotel experience and was able to set up the house in a creditable way, more creditably than was possible with the price of board at one dollar and twenty-five cents per week. The struggle of Mi-. Thompson, from first to last, was how to combine low prices with high ideals, an attempt in which, he never fully succeeded. The influence and example of the family in the school were elevating and refining. As the female head, Mrs. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 119 Thompson was capable and efficient, especially in the regulation of the social intercourse of the students. Among the citizens, too, the Thompsons were highly esteemed for their worth and services. Ebenezer Thompson was born in Chester, Vt., Decem- ber 14, 1781, and died in Chelsea, Mass., March 25, 1859. In 1815 he removed to Concord, Mass., where he re- mained for many years the popular hotel keeper. By his success in this place, the attention of Wilbur Fisk was drawn to him, and the religious and literary advan- tages at Wilbraham induced him to accept. Successful as he may have been as a hotel keeper, Mr. Thompson was not adapted to the economic conditions at Wilbra- ham. In their meeting of November 21, 1827, the trustees make this record : The steward has up to the twenty-third of last May Paid out for Boarding House $2,898.31 Received for board 2,335.63 Balance due Steward 562.68 Paid on furniture 649.25 " interest on same 18.80 Total on furniture 668.05 Making a total expenditure of 3,566.36 Receipts for same period 2,335.63 Leaving a deficit of 1,230.73 On this, the treasurer paid Mr. Thompson two hundred and forty-six dollars and thirty-four cents, and for the remaining nine hundred and eighty-four dollars and thirty-four cents, gave him a corporation note, thus end- ing the account with the first 'steward, who, of course had leave to resign. In spite of his ill success at Wil- braham, Mr. Thompson retained the confidence and regard of the public, filling out thereafter an honored 120 HISTORY OF and useful life in other lines of business. For some years he kept a hotel in Boston, with good success. During Mr. Fisk's first year at Wilbraham, the reli- gious interest in the school was deep and constant. The prayer meetings held in the old dining hall were led by him, and usually proved occasions of interest and profit to all in attendance. As assistants in the work, he always had some devoted and talented students who possessed the gifts of prayer and exhortation and were able to impart a good measure of their own enthusiasm to the meeting. The less talented and more modest, however, were not forgotten or obscured by the more brilliant ones. Each was made to feel at home in his place and free to participate in the exercises. The material of which this meeting was composed was often quite varied and even diverse ; but in the hands of the young Principal it was controlled with the utmost ease and dexterity. He handled his audience as an accom- plished musician does his instrument, turning the natural discords into higher harmony. Greatly delight- ing in earnest and hearty devotion, he avoided mere excitement and rant liable to appear in untutored assemblies. As a man of natural and cultivated taste, he desired to have all done decently and in order. Though managed with so much ease and apparent abandon, these meetings were not without plan. Opened promptly at the hour with song and prayer, he would give a few key-words and allow others to follow. Though conversion wa's a first aim, he was never sat- isfied to stop at this stage in religious experience. The renewed soul required spiritual nurture that it might grow up in Christ and bear fruit to the glory of God. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 121 Upon mere emotional piety he placed little value. The emotion was an incident, rather than the germ of true religion. The convert needed to be taken on to higher stages by training the conscience, cultivating the intel- lect, and bringing into relief the train of Christian graces and virtues. Without abating the intensity of devotion, he endeavored to make that devotion intelli- gent and reliable. In securing this end, he often dis- coursed to them on matters of experience and lines of Bible thought. They were ten-minute sermons which gave tone and direction to the meeting. The session of the Conference at Wilbraham, June 7, 1826, gave fresh intensity to the life of the school. Bishop George presided. Jotham Harton, Orange Scott, Abraham D. Merrill, Sundeiiand and Maffit were there. Maffit remained at the close for a fort- night of religious service, kindling a great fire which blazed on for months. The houses were crowded. To the Congregational pastor, who was troubled by the noise, Maffit said: "My brother, this is the stillest world you will ever be in." Of this work the Principal wrote: "A number of persons have found forgiveness through Christ, and numbers more are inquiring after salvation, insomuch that present appearances indicate a general shower of divine mercy, not only in this parish, but in the South parish and other neighboring places. The labors of our brethren during the Conference have doubtless contrib- uted to this, and the work has been especially forwarded under God by the instrumentality of Bro. Maffit, who tarried more than a fortnight after the Conference." 1L'2 HISTORY OF CHAPTER XV. WILBUR FISK'S SECOND YEAR AT THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. THOUGH the edge of the financial storm extended into the year of 1827, there began to be light in the cloud. At the meeting of the board, May 15, the treasurer reported that the property of the institution, exclusive of real estate, furniture and apparatus, is 86000. The indebtedness was $7,167.66. John Lind- say, who had been appointed as a financial agent by the Conference, had raised the whole amount. In addi- tion, George Pickering had raised $1,252.00. Deduct- ing $447.00 for salary of agent, the net result was $805. The officers of the board were continued, and the by- laws so changed as to allow the election of trustees not members of the Methodist Church. The secretary was also ordered to keep a list of the names of donors to the funds .of the institution. To aid the Academy, the Conference proposed to transfer to the trustees Zion's Herald, on condition that they assume the debts of the paper and appropriate one third of the proceeds to the Maine Conference. The proposition was accepted in the meeting of September THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 123 12, 1827. Rev. Daniel Webb was elected agent at a salary of 8700, and G. V. S. Forbes was chosen " to per- form the duties of editor, superintend the wrapping department, assist and instruct such of the apprentices as may be called to the business, until they are able to accomplish it alone, spending all his time in the office, at the rate of $900 per annum." The agent had power to make and execute all contracts and to draw on the treasury for any sum not exceeding one thousand dol- lars in any one transaction. Colonel Binney and Rev. Joseph A. Merrill were made a committee of counsel. In this way was the paper managed for^ the year. At its ensuing session the Conference, the counsellor of both the Academy and the paper, advised the sale of the Herald, in order to increase the available funds of the institution. The trustees offered the subscription list, types and presses to the Book Concern for $6,452.27. At a lat- er date, the offer of $5,000 by Dr. Emory, the Agent, was accepted, and a pledge given not to start another paper in Boston. On this the Book Agents paid, at the time, $1,333.33, or one third the purchase price. At the end of the year, they not only lost the New Eng- land subscribers, but found a new Zion's Herald in Boston. To this they made no objection, provided the amount paid should be refunded, which the Conference agreed to do, with tie understanding that one third should be paid by the Ne\v Hampshire and Vermont Conferences, one third by Maine and one third by the New England Conference. To this $1,333.33, there was a long tail. New Hamp- shire and Vermont paid nothing ; Maine proposed to pay 124 HISTORY Of by turning an old claim they made against the New- market Academy. Practically, it left the whole on the New England Conference. In 1833 the Wesleyan Association paid the Book Concern $239, and the next year $100. In 1845 the Conference paid 1519.80, and in 1846, $168.19, asking Providence Conference, which had been set off from New England Conference, to pay the remainder. Providence paid from their Herald dividends, $99.54. In 1848, $150 remained unpaid. As a peace offering, Providence Conference proposed to pay one-half, and the New England was then in favor of turning the*paper over to the General Conference ; but as the offer was not accepted, the $150 was probably paid by the Wesleyan Association ; at least nothing more was heard of the claim.* Encouraged by the increase in the number of students and the liberal contributions of the people, the trustees determined to increase the facilities for boarding, by another enlargement of the boarding house. From this undertaking they were dissuaded by the board of visitors, who favored a separate building for ladies when the time should arrive for making additions. To meet present exigencies, rooms were finished off in the base- ment of the Academy at an expense of $250. The number of students steadily increased, running up the present year to 286, taken by terms. In addi- tion to the care for and instruction of these students, the Principal supplied the village pulpit for the year, receiving for both positions one salary, which was so much help to the school. At the suggestion of the board, he addressed a circular to the preachers and peo- *These facts were given by the Rev. Stephen Gushing. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 125 pie, in favor of additional contributions. At the same time, he secured a petition to the legislature, which resulted in the grant of a tract of land in Maine, from which the institution ultimately realized $2,300. The teaching corps was this year reenforced. Na- thaniel Dunn, Jr., was aided by Joel Knight and David Patten, Jr. William Magoun, a graduate of Brown and a thorough scholar, born in Plymouth County, Mass., September 15, 1802, and died in Turin, Italy, September 26, 1871, was also added to the board of in- struction. After graduation he studied law, and then from 1827 to 1832 taught at Wilbraham. For part of a year he was tutor at Wesleyan University. He then taught in New York and Brooklyn; and for a season practiced law in the latter city. In 1848, he accompa- nied the Hon. Nathaniel Niles, U. S. Charg d' Affaires to Turin, as private secretary and family tutor. From 1857 to 1871, he was secretary to the British Consul at Turin. He was afterwards consular agent for the United States at the same place, and English tutor in the royal family at Turin. In personal appearance, William Magoun was ele- gant and attractive, small in stature and solidly built, with a fair complexion, light blue eyes, massive brow and flowing locks; he wore an open countenance, indi- cative of frankness, taste, exquisite sensibility and lofti- ness of thought and purpose. He moved with a courtly, if not a haughty, air; he handled himself easily, and was at home in the most cultivated circles. In scholarship he was thorough and ready, and, as a teacher, invariably popular. In all positions he was affable and gentlemanly in bearing, and easily drew 126 HISTORY OF persons to himself. In languages and literature he was accomplished, and in this respect wonderfully fitted for positions lie afterwards rilled in Italy. While at Wil- braham he was not a professor of religion; but, in his tasb's and convictions, he was inclined to the Episcopal church. In the great awakening at the Academy he was often brought near a decision in favor of the per- sonal acceptance of the Lord Jesus, but he never reached the point of absolute decision. Diffidence possibly pre- vented an open confession of the Saviour. The remem- brances of his teaching days are all pleasant, and the record he made afterwards was honorable.* Miss Susan Brewer, a native of Wilbraham, a fine scholar and an accomplished lady, took the place of Miss Tillinghast as Preceptress. Like her brother, the Rev. Calvin Brewer, she took a deep interest in the founding of the Academy. In appearance and bearing she was elegant, even courtly. Her lustrous eyes lighted a countenance enriched by the hues of health and vigor. A superior teacher, she was also an elegant writer, charming snatches of her poetry often finding their way into the newspapers and magazines. Her taste for lan- guage, letters and music was of a high order. Though deeply religious, she was unobtrusive, meek, genial ; but she could not be hidden. In conversation, she was free and easy, with a rich flow of thought and elegance of expression. After leaving the Academy, Miss ^Brewer went South, where she married Capt. David Thomas, whose children she had educated, and with whom she afterwards travelled in Europe. Her Travels were published. By J. B. Lippincott & Co. in 1860. At the John W. Merrill, D. D. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 127 celebration of the quarter centennial in 1848, she was present, and enlivened the occasion with reminiscences of the founding. Some years thereafter she was killed by a railroad accident in Biloxi, Mississippi, July 26, 1876. At this date, the east room in the second story of the Academy was used as a dormitory for the small boys, under the charge of a Proctor. The Proctor found it no easy matter to keep them in order, and to take them in to prayers before daylight. The first to occupy this position was Selah Stocking, who had many a bout with these little people. Often, on rising, his stockings, slippers, and even his pants would be missing. On one occasion, lie fared still worse. As he sprang from his couch to strike a light, he was hurled full length upon the floor, with one foot fast in the bed, thus preventing him from striking a light, or extricating himself from the difficulty. The debut of the Proctor roused all in the room, and brought one sober lad, with a light, to his assistance. On examination, it \vas found that a strong cord ran about the room, and was made fast to the great toe of each sleeper. The second Proctor was Joseph J. Brooks, of Mont- pelier, Vt., a good scholar and a favorite with the fac- ulty. He was a man of authority, whose way the boys made as difficult as possible. One night, a Spanish fly was attached to his limb, leaving a blister in the morn- ing. After him, came Jefferson Hascall, a man with large and vigorous frame, a Websterian head and bril- liant black eye. He was great in prayer, exhortation and song. Under his beneficent sway, there was peace in the dormitory. We hear of but a single instance of insubordination, and in that case, the culprit was taken 128 HISTORY OF to the principal for treatment. At his first exhibition of insolence, Fisk laid the little sinner prostrate with a blow from his open palm. "There," said he, "learn to speak respectfully of those in authority." This is the only instance of hasty action we find recorded against this admirable school manager. As a compensation, the Proctors were credited with the amount of their board bills. But, with Jefferson Hascall, the office itself dis- appeared. In place, of Eben. Thompson, the trustees chose as steward Solomon Weeks, of Marlboro, Mass., a man of rare mental balance, a practical farmer and a devout Methodist of the old type. He was born in Marlboro, September 14, 1785," and died there March 4, 1866. Converted under E. T. Taylor, in 1810, he joined the church at Feltonville (now Hudson) and remained to the end a devout Christian. He was a principal agent in founding the Marlboro church. The parsonage was given by him. By all who knew him, he was regarded as a man of sound judgment, incorruptible integrity and steady devotion to religious and moral duty. At Wilbraham, he was a model steward, knowing how to manage the farm, and at the same time to lead the students with a silken cord. He served from November, 1827, to March, 1831. By both citizens and students he was greatly beloved. Plain, simple, good sensed, he knew business and men. Mrs. Weeks, a matronly woman of sound sense, in whose nature the law of kindness was written, was equally beloved. "Mother Weeks," they delighted to call her, and felt perfectly free to go to her for sympathy and counsel. No one ever failed to find in her a true friend and wise counsellor. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 129 Among the citizens as well as in the school, the memory of the Weekses is as ointment poured forth. Their simplicity of manners, sincerity and spirit of kindness to all, gave them admission to the hearts of the whole people. The announcement of his purpose to resign was matter of sincere regret. The trustees resolved unanimously " that this board feels fully satis, fied with the services of Mr. and Mrs. Weeks, in the steward's department of the Wesleyan Academy since they have been in it, and that they regret exceedingly that circumstances, in their opinion, require them to leave the institution, and should they finally determine to leave us, they will go with the best wishes of the board." In the early days, as later, there were students at the Academy preparing for the ministry, and, as no theo- logical school had then been organized by the Metho- dists, the Principal endeavored to aid them by the for- mation of a theological class. While he was musing on the subject, the students were led out in the same direc- tion. In a walk, one day, Charles Adams and John W. Merrill devised the plan and proposed it to Dr. Fisk, who approved and became their teacher. The original members were Charles Adams, John W. Merrill, and Edward Otheman. To these were soon added Horace Moulton, Jefferson Hascall, Jefferson Hamilton and others, who met once a week, and were conducted by the Principal through those studies which would be useful to them in the performance of the duties of the sacred office. Though not extensive or profound, the course was admirably adapted to the circumstances and needs of the pupils. To come into intimate relations with so fine a theologian, thinker and preacher, was itself an 130 HISTORY OF education. Though the instruction was given gratis, the first class presented the teacher with a fine copy of the Holy Scriptures, as a token of their appreciation. This theological class indicated the rising sentiment of the church on the education of the ministry. The members of the class carried the plan into other institu- tions with which they became connected, and the im- pulse thus given, no doubt opened the way for the establishment of theological schools in the Methodist Episcopal church. The prompt action of Fisk hastened the consummation of a movement sure to come in the end, and finds its best expression in theological schools now- extended over the Methodist Episcopal Church, from Boston to California. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 181 CHAPTER XVI. PROSPERITY OF THE ACADEMY DURING THE YEAR 1828. THE year 1828 at the Academy opened under favor- able auspices. The attendance of students was large, and entire harmony prevailed in the school. From the successes of the past, the friends and managers of the institution took fresh courage for future undertakings. As in former terms, a delightful religious interest pre- vailed among the students, though nothing like an ex- tensive revival had thus far been realized. The deep- ening interest, during the first weeks of the year, gave promise of a more plentiful shower, which came in what has been known as the great revival, in which a large number of students began a religious life. There were various causes in operation, leading to this result. The preaching of John Foster, then pastor of the village church, was strong and impressive, and the labors of several earnest and faithful students were honored by the Master. Above all, the Principal himself entered into the spirit of the new movement. To an unusual extent, he realized the importance of deepening the religious life in 132 HISTORY OF the school, and of leading the young persons committed to his care to consecrate themselves fully to the ser- vice of God. The forms and decencies of religion were not enough ; the life and power were needed to renovate the soul and shape the character. Some of his friends had doubted whether a high type of piety was compati- ble with the conditions of a literary institution. He wished to disabuse them, and to show that earnest piety might exist in a Christian school. For this consumma- tion, as the final seal of the divine approval of their educational undertakings, and as the sorest means of bringing the church into cordial and complete sympatlry and cooperation with the cause of higher education, he labored and prayed. Under this sense of need, his sermons and exhortations exhibited unusual fervor. The spirit of Christ, which flowed through his own soul, was communicated to others, as seen in the serious and thoughtful temper, the tenderness, the attention to sacred things in the school, causing the more devout and clairvoyant spirits to realize the approach of a new and brighter era in the religious life of the institution. The gracious visitation was nearer than they antici- pated. On Sunday, March 9th, the rain began quietly to fall, which was to water all the ground and gladden the heritage of God. It was the Penticost of the Acad- emy. After long waiting in prayer and fellowship, the Spirit filled all the place where they were sitting, and men began to speak with new fervor and effectiveness. Fisk preached on " Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth." One said to another: "Will you seek religion ?" An- other and another were attracted into the circle for con- versation, prayer and reading the Scriptures. At the fHE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 133 close of the service, they retired to their rooms to renew the search. At a prayer meeting in one of the rooms, three were converted. The next evening, those who had found peace testified to the fact, and six others expressed a desire to be saved. The day following, there were several small prayer meetings, and on Saturday the school exercises were suspended, and the time devoted to religious ser- vice. "During the week not less than thirty had been converted. At the close of the second week, but five remained in the Boarding House unconverted, and four of these expressed a desire to become Christians. Mean- time, between forty and fifty had given their hearts to God, and of these, six became ministers. Osmon C. Baker, David Patten and Morris Hill were of this num- ber. Three became members of the New York Confer- ence, and one a member of the New England. Many others, as lay members, have sustained a high reputation for religious character, and have been influential in pro- moting the cause of Christ. The glorious results of that revival will be fully known only in the last day." * Though the movement was without noise, the excite- ment was intense. William G. Mitchell, afterwards a beloved teacher in the Seminary, was carried quite out of himself. At a class meeting, J. B. Merwin, a large man, the original of living's Ichabod Crane, asked for prayers, when Mitchell took him in his arms, and car- ried him across the room to Mr. Fisk, asking him to pray for the seeker. The prominence given to Christian perfection, as the privilege of all believers, was also a characteristic of this revival. Believers were urged to *Rev. Stephen Gushing. Zion's Herald, 1878. From notes taken at the time. 134 HISTORY OF press on to the higher attainments in grace, made possi- ble in the gospel. Of those recently converted, a num- ber soon came into a most satisfactory state of Christian experience, exhibiting in their lives the fruits of the Holy Spirit, in large measure. In depth, power and results, the work was unequalled. Beginning without observation and obtrusive instrumentality, the flow of the stream was quiet, broad, deep and strong. It was the Lord's doing, and marvellous in the eyes of all who witnessed it. By this surprising uplift, nearly all the members of the school were brought into the kingdom of God. For one entire week the school duties were suspended, and both students and citizens devoted them- selves to religious services. As an advertisement of the Academy, the Great Re- vival was invaluable. Accounts of it went into the papers, communicating the intelligence to every part of the church, and, as a result, the numbers in the aggre- gate rose from 494 to 601, the highest point touched in those early years. An incident or two will illustrate. The first came under the author's own observation. In the town of New Lebanon, beyond the Green Hills, Jesse Hand read the account in the Christian Advocate, and became so enthusiastic over the intelligence as to talk the matter over with his neighbors. As a result, probably not less than twenty students found their way to Wilbraham the Hands, the Spiers, the Lucases, the Johnsons, the Shermans and others. It was, also, the recital in the Advocate which induced Miner Raymond to leave his shoe-bench, in a New York village, and enter as a student the Wesleyan Academy, where he was to remain so many years as student, teacher and THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 135 principal, and to become, as it were, so considerable a part of the institution itself. Meantime, George Pickering, the financial agent, was busy in collecting funds for the Academy. The result was reported to the board in July, as $1,671. The salary of the agent was $486, leaving net $1,185. The board passed a vote of thanks "for the diligent and successful manner in which the Rev. George Pickering has solic- ited aid for the Academy," and requested his re-appoint- ment for another year. At the March meeting of the board, Abraham A very, one of the founders, and the first treasurer of the cor- poration, resigned his office, to the great regret of all the friends of the institution. Dr. Fisk at first lived on the Work's place, a mile down street. In 1827, the trustees proposed to build " a Mansion House " for the Principal, but the purpose was not carried out on account of the straitness of the finances. In the March meeting, this year, the commit- tee submitted a contract they had made with Abel Bliss "to build a house of the following dimensions, viz.: 36 by 30 feet, and two stories high, with an ell back, 15 by 20. The whole to be finished and painted outside for $1,490, and to be completed by the middle of June next." The house, located on the site of the present house for the Principal, was completed on time, and used as the residence of the Principals for twenty-eight years. When the new one was built, the original was removed to the west on Faculty Street, and fitted up for students. For the head teacher, the Brown place was purchased, and afterward sold to Samuel Leach, leaving the teachers to provide for themselves. 136 HISTORY OF Col. Amos Binney, this year, donated to the Academy a property in East Cambridge, valued, at the time, at $11,500. A defective title occasioned extended litiga- tion with the Canal Bridge Company, in which Hon. Abbott Lawrence and Hon. Nathan Appleton were large stockholders. After the case had been in court two years, these gentlemen became convinced of the justice of the institution's claim, and discouraged fur- ther prosecution of the suit. While the costs reduced the amount realized from the property, Messrs. Law- rence and Appleton contributed from their private funds to re-imburse the Academy. The founders of the Wesleyan Academy were, for a season, affected with the manual labor craze. The in- dustries were to be represented at the Academy. Such manias have to be outgrown, and are usually cured only by some good experience. It is a curious fact that those least affected were the practical farmers ; the theoretical men suffered under a severe attack. The case of Col. Binney was nearly or quite incurable, while Dr. Fisk rallied after a slight run of the disease. In his opening address, Dr. Fisk set forth this part of the plan of the trustees ; " To secure habits of bodily ac- tivity," he remarks, " let every scholar, while obtaining an education, spend part of his time either in agricul- ture or in some mechanical business. Let him learn these theoretically and practically by devoting a certain portion of each day thereto, at the same time he is im- proving his mind in general science. No sound objec- tion, it is thought, can be brought against such a course. Should it be said it would interrupt the studies of the pupils, and prevent their attending profitably either to THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 137 work or study, we answer, no more time need be spent in any branch to answer the proposed end, than most scholars spend in vain and unprofitable amusements and conversation, nor more than would be sufficient to preserve health. Such a course would do away from the minds of men that contempt with which too many look down upon the laboring classes of society ; and it would remove from the minds of many the objections which they may justly make, in the present state of things, to an extensive literary education. Among farmers, it has become proverbial that it spoils their sons for labor to send them a few quarters to a grammar school or an academy. Wheneas, if they had been trained up to manual labor as well as to science, they would have been none the less fitted to shine in the highest circles of eminence in any profession ; or, if they failed here, they would still be prepared to gain a com- petency by their own hands." This theory is beautiful. The theory was accepted more or less fully by the board ; the test of it was the trial. Col. Binney insisted on an experiment in agri- culture ; and the wish of Col. Binney, who had done so much for the Academy, was accepted as law by the board. Accordingly, a large field back of the boarding house was selected and put in order. The students selected plats of ground to cultivate. The lots were staked off, and trenches drawn between them. The seed was sown. The blades soon appeared, affording promise of an early and abundant harvest. At the first hoeing the enthusiasm was great. At the second hoeing it had very much abated, and long before harvest time it was evident the chief part of the crop was to be weeds. In 138 HISTORY OF the height of the season the steward invited Dr. Fisk to inspect the paradise which had been created by the manual labor enterprise. The Doctor smiled, looked wisely, and returned to his office. This was practically the end of the experiment in agriculture at the Wesleyan Academy. The practical men about the institution learned to imitate the example of the apostle : " This one thing I do ; " and so forgetting the things behind, they pressed on in their purpose to make good scholars, rather than attempt to bring out indifferent farmers. We hear no more of Col. Binney's insistence ; in fact we hear no more of the experiment. One season was sufficient to dissipate in thin air all the golden dreams which had floated in the brains of some of the managers of the Academy. Dr. Fisk had the rare good sense to learn rapidly under the tuition of experience. The course of study adopted at the opening of the academy was never quite satisfactory to those in control. The several attempts, however, to revive, had all failed. The plans proposed were seen by the principal to be impracticable. The committee appointed to consider the subject, reported as follows in the meeting of March 6th : " The committee having had the subject under con- sideration, as far as circumstances would permit, are unwilling to give up the idea of a regular course of study as extensive as the one here submitted to the board. They would recommend the board to direct the officers of the school to do what they can in practicing upon the proposed plan without advertising it publicly, or running -much risk of expense which the tuition fees will not probably meet. In this way, they will be able to report to the adjourned annual meeting, how much THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 139 increased expense will be necessary to cany the plan into operation, and the board will be better prepared to make a decision on the subject." In this quiet way the plan of Preceptor Dunn to take the scholars through " an eight years' course of study " was laid to rest. In place of it the principal arranged the simple and sensible pro- gramme of studies which long held place in the Academy. The finances of the institution continued steadily to improve. Besides the collections by the financial agent, the tuition bills had grown. The treasurer reported the the expenditures from Nov. 9, 1827 to Feb. 19, 1828, to have been $587.59, and the receipts from tuition for the same period, $552.86, having a balance due the treasurer of 134.73. The tuition in the fall term was $539.12, and the expenses, $463.71, leaving a balance in favor of the treasury of $75.41. The number of students this year by aggregate of terms was 494. The increase in attendance led the trustees to increase the facilities for instruction, especially in the department of natural sci- ence. To this end, they decided "that a chemical and philosophical apparatus be procured for the use of the institution, and that any money in the treasury be taken for the purpose, not otherwise appropriated. Provided, however, that the expense of said apparatus shall not exceed $300." The board of instruction was also reen- forced by calling in, for a part of the year, the services of David Gould and Hiram Ward. But the extremely low price of board made it difficult for the treasurer to secure a balance at the end of the year. To remedy this evil, the salaries of the teachers were not to exceed $500 each. The washing also began to be added to the board bill. 140 HISTORY OF CHAPTER XVII. THE FLOOD-TIDE AT THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY IN 1829. THE flood-tide of interest and success under Wilbur Fisk touched high-water mark in 1829. The inflow of students was most encouraging. The religious influence abroad in the school was delightful and inspir- ing, while an enthusiasm in study pervaded the various departments. The principal was this year favored with the title of Doctor of Divinity from Augusta College. In 1835 the same honor came from Brown University, his alma mater. The Rev. George Pickering, the financial agent, though diligent in his field, was less successful than during some former years. The field had been gleaned. The total amount of his collections is given as $561.00; subtracting his salary and travelling expenses, $448.00, we have only $113.00 net for the treasury, plainly indicating that this source of revenue had failed. Meantime, another source had been opened and made available, in the large attendance of students. To the meeting of May 19th the treasurer reported the net income from tuition at $832.40, as against an expendi- ture of $783.71, leaving a balance in favor of the institu- THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 141 tion of $48.68. At the August meeting he reported the receipt of $2,769.60, as against an expenditure for the same time of $2,635.58, leaving in the treasury $134.02. At the same time the treasurer stated that "the dues in favor of the institution exceeds the outstanding debts $1,752.56." The institution was thus for the first time really out of debt. This favorable condition of the treasury extends into the next year. To the meeting of the board on May 18, 1830, the treasurer reports the receipts from January 6 to June 2, at $2,022.22; expenditure for the same period, $1,982.67, leaving in the treasury $39.54, a favorable balance, though too small for the comfort of the managers pf the institution. The prime difficulty was the low price of board. The boarding house, in spite of the most economical management by the steward, was almost constantly running behind. How could it well be otherwise with the board at one dollar and a quarter per week ? Though he had a genius for economy and judicious management, even Solomon Weeks failed to make the ends meet. To remedy the evil, various methods were devised in vain. The institution was really furnishing board for less than cost, and, of course, a deficit was inevitable. As the deficit was very small, they concluded each year it could be cured by making some slight extra charge. So they put twenty five cents per dozen for washing, and with this extra the old prices ruled for many years. The remarkable success which had hitherto attended the Academy, in the funds contributed and in the number of students in attendance, induced the leaders in the enterprise to anticipate larger things. In the 142 HISTORY OF meeting of the board, May 19, 1829, Dr. Fisk offered, and Abel Bliss seconded, the following resolution, viz. "Resolved, that a committee of three be appointed to inquire into the expediency of erecting a college edifice and of enlarging the course of instruction to a complete college course, and report to the meeting in August next." The resolution was adopted, and Wilbur Fisk, John Lindsa}" and Calvin Brewer were chosen as the committee. In the August meeting they are "instructed to ascertain, by such means as they shall judge best, what can be raised in Wilbraham and vicinity towards erecting a college in Wilbraham." Meantime, the movement had been started which resulted in the founding of the Weslevan University in Middletown, of which Dr. Fisk became the first president. Of course the new movement rendered it inexpedient to extend the plans in Wilbraham, and the committee was discharged. The effort to engraft upon the institution a manual labor feature has been already noticed. Besides the farm experiment, they contemplated the erection of one or more buildings for the prosecution of various mechanic arts by the students. Failing to make good farmers by the book, they still deemed it possible to perform the more difficult part of turning out good mechanics from a boarding school. As early as March 5, 1828, the trustees resolved "that, in the opinion of this board, the time has come for enlarging our agricul- tural operations and for erecting mechanical shops and employing mechanics." A committee, consisting of Fisk, Crowell and Merrill, was appointed to report a plan, The next morning they reported: "1. That one THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 143 work shop be erected, in some convenient place, between this and next November, of such size and dimensions as shall be deemed proper, by a committee that shall be appointed for the purpose. [Rice, A very and Brewer were selected as the committee.] 2. That a suitable man be obtained to devote his whole time and attention to improve and carry the farm and oversee the scholars while at labor." Solomon Weeks was wisely chosen as the committee. In this manual labor movement, mechanics now took the lead. Col. Binney favored the new departure, and was willing the income from the Cambridge property should be used for this purpose. In the meeting of March 4, 1829, the committee to build a shop reported a contract for a story-and-a-half building, 20 by 30, which was approved by the board. On the sixth of May they report that a two-and-a-half story building had been erected for the purpose of having a lecture room and laboratory in one of the stories. The board approved the committee's doing. The outcome was the old " Laboratoiy Building," which long stood with its gaunt proportions and yellow paint, on the spot now occupied by Binney Hall. Whether the trustees, at the time, had any definite idea of what they were to do with it, is not clear. That they intended to manu- facture something in the building is certain. To the east of the Academy, a dam was constructed across the stream, a mill flume put in, a trench dug most of the way from the dam to "the Laboratory," to furnish water power; but the trench was never filled with water, the building was never furnished with any mechanical appliances, Tradition claims, that chair 144 HISTORY OF making was in the minds of the trustees; but no chair was ever made there. Before their plans were consum- mated, they found they had an elephant by the ear. The splendid scheme shrank into the lecture room and laboratory. So vanished the second phase of the manual labor craze. For many years the building served a good purpose as affording experiment and recitation rooms. The Laboratory was finally removed to give place to Binney Hall. The last act of the manual labor drama appeared in the appointment of "a committee with discretionary powers to get into operation the shoe-making business in connection with the institution." They proceeded so far as to introduce a shoe bench or two "into the cock-loft," where Miner Raymond was the first to use the Laboratory for mechanical purposes by making and mending shoes for his class-mates, from leather fur- nished by Abraham A very. Whatever use he made of the lapstone and waxed ends, we feel quite sure that he hammered out much more good theology than sole- leather. His final strokes on the lapstone sounded the requiem of the grand experiment in manual labor as a part of education at Wilbraham. The epidemic had its run, and has never since proved troublesome by any second attack. With manual labor came in the mercantile craze. On the 29th of August, the board vote "that it is expedient for this board to procure a store near the institution and furnish it with such books and articles of merchandise as may be needed by the scholars and the boarding house, and engage a general agent whose duty it shall be to conduct the concerns of the THE WESLEYAtf ACADEMY. 145 trustees, in such other matters of buying and selling as the interest of the institution shall require." Fisk, Avery, Brewer and Joseph Tobey were chosen to carry this resolution into effect. The store of Augustus J. Peck was purchased for $800, and the goods for 2,876.68. Dr. Fisk and Abel Bliss were made committee of con- trol. To feed and guide the elephant raised a more difficult problem than the original capture. A year later, a couple more were added to the committee, which was authorized to sell, or, failing in that, to enlarge the stock of goods. They were decidedly inclined to sell. A single year had given them abundant expe- rience in storekeeping. It was a glad announcement of the committee, February 29, 1832, " that they had sold all the goods to John Williams and William S. Smith for the sum of $3,928.00, of which $938.00 is in cash and the remainder in notes." At a later date the building was disposed of at a good lay. Thus happily ends without pecuniary loss to the institution the mercantile experiment. Henceforth the trustees were to be content to do their own work. If unprofitable as business ventures, these various specu- lative schemes furnished important lessons to the managers of the Academy, on the importance of devotion to one work and caution in touching new enterprises. The resignation of Col. Binney made an important change in the board, where he had, for so many years, been a counselor and pillar of strength. In the financial department he had led the column as Dr. Fisk had done in the literary. Without his genius, courage and money, the educational attempts of the Methodists 146 HISTORY OF in New England would have been greatly delayed, if they had not failed. The by-laws were modified so as to allow the Ver- mont and New Hampshire 'Conferences, as well as the New England, to send visitors to the Academy. The visitors are also asked to report to the Board and the Conferences. From the first, the trustees guarded against the insidious approaches of intemperance. The purchase of the village hotel removed the sale from the vicinity of the Academy ; but a little way off, a hotel continued to sell liquor. As they furnished a good table, some of the fast students were disposed to board there. The trustees made short work by forbidding the students the privilege of boarding at houses where ardent spirits are retailed. The Academy suffered a great loss this year in the resignation of Nathaniel Dunn. The occasion was the reduction of the salary to five hundred dollars. After leaving Wilbraham, Mr. Dunn set up a private school in New York City. In 1840, he became a teacher in Beekman Institute, and in 1844, in the Hampstead Seminary. Later he again established a private school in New York, and lectured on science at Rutgers College. He was twice married. Of the five children by the first marriage, two died in infancy and one at the age of twenty-two years. Andrew C. Dunn resides in Minnesota, and Mary.E. in New York City. As the first teacher at Wilbraham, devoted, earnest, and laborious, performing much valuable service, a part of the time single-handed, during four experiment and eventful years, in the history of the Wesleyan Academy, Nathaniel Dunn is remembered with peculiar THE WESLEY AN ACADEMTf. 147 interest by old students, and deserves emphatic mention in thi's history. Under his instruction and guidance the institution received an early impetus, and from the first day felt something of his own enthusiasm. For a season he was the only teacher, and performed the work of two men with cheerfulness and resolution. Mr. Dunn was a religious man. Converted at six- teen, he united with the Methodist Church, of which he remained, to the end, a faithful member, interested in her progress and enlargement and devoted to move- ments for reform, especially in temperance and anti- slavery. In the latter cause, he was, at one time, quite prominent. He published John Wesley's " Thoughts on Slavery." In literary taste he was not deficient. "Satan's Chain " is a remarkable poem, in blank verse, as large as " Paradise Lost," and compares favorably in style and vigor of thought with Pollok's "Course of Time." " In personal appearance, Mr. Dunn was slight, below the middle size, with a very dark complexion, straight, black hair, and very black, large, bright eyes, under brows equally black and set almost on a right line. His teeth, with the front uppers slightly notched as by a file, were regular, and white as snow. His me- dium, well-shaped lips gave him a good mouth. His voice, not heavy, was calm, clear, distinct, silvery with a pleasant tone ; and the sharp snap of his eyes was often tempered with a pleasant smile. His motions were quick and angular, his walk rapid. Emotion was easily excited and quickly expressed in his countenance. Ardent, often enthusiastic, especially in natural science. he was an excellent teacher. With fair natural talents, 148 HISTORY OF he was, by great industry, much more than an ordinary scholar. Kind, devout, active, he was the student's friend, in deed as well as wish. In government, he was not equal to the principal, yet he often stood in his place with a good degree of success. In the regards and affection of the students, Mr. Dunn stood deservedly high." * * Rev. J. W. Merrill, D.D. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 149 CHAPTER XVIII. THE ORIGINAL TRUSTEES AT WILBRAHAM. THE original Board of Trustees at Wilbraham was composed of able, judicious and sterling men, to whose wise counsel, untiring efforts and deep interest in the cause of Christian education the institution is per- manently indebted for its early and continued success. They found the Wesleyan Academy at Newmarket a financial wreck; they left it, on the new foundation, an attractive and flourishing seat of learning. In the attempt to revive the old, they had, in fact, reared a new institution of superior grade, modeled on the New England type. However much indebted to the men who had preceded them in the educational work, they have the undimmed and imperishable honor of turning the tide, in the battle for educational institutions in the Methodist Church and of saving the cause by leading the forlorn hope to glorious triumph. Down to this time, the attempts at education in the church had proved failures ; again and again had the standard been raised only to go down in the presence of the enemy, dampening the courage of the leaders ; but from the moment these noble men assumed control, the cause 150 HISTORY OP advanced along the entire line. To the workers in the cause of education in every part of the Methodist Church, Wilbraham became a watchword and an inspi- ration. It was felt that what had been done there could be done in other localities. Touched by the enthusiasm and courage of the leaders at Wilbraham. men began to spring up capable of bearing onward through the Republic the standard in the new crusade. As leaders in this large sense, the founders at Wilbraham can never be forgotten by the friends of learning in the Methodist Church. Of the nine original corporators we have elsewhere spoken of Binney, Fisk, Mudge and Lindsay. We here make fuller mention of Bliss, Avery, Brewer, Crowell and Rice. In this heroic band, it may never be forgotten that Colonel Binney, a man of faith and cour- age, with a brain to plan and a hand to execute as well as a heart loyal to Jesus Christ and the church of his choice, easily held a foremost place. For fuller notice of him, the reader is referred to Chapter 21. I. HON. ABEL BLISS. Of the local trustees, Hon. Abel Bliss, a man of com- manding presence and talent, adapted not less to public position than to the management of private business, and an ardent friend of education, was most conspicuous. The son of Abel and Elizabeth (Bartlett) Bliss, he was born in Wilbrahara; May 24, 1775, and died there January 15, 1853. In youth he was thoughtful and stu- dious, and after ample preparation entered Cokesbury College. At the close of his college course he deter- Hon. ABEL BLISS. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 151 mined, instead of entering any one of the learned profes- sions, to devote his life to agriculture in his native town. As a helpmate, he took to his Wilbraham home, October 21, 1801, Miss Phebe Lothrop, of Norwich, Ct. His record is that of a quiet country farmer with ample acres and abundant means, with a home of comfort and intel- ligence. As a religious man, he was devoted and constant in duty. At the age of seventeen, while preparing for college at Tolland, Ct., he was converted under the preaching of Hope Hull. The text impressed him, [Proverbs 29 : 1] as well as the spirit of the preacher. After some days of mental struggle, he came to the light and rejoiced in the peace of the gospel. The opposition- to the Methodists, just then entering his native town, so far from alienating, attached more firmly to the new faith one whose independence, cour- age and determination qualified him for leadership in troublous times. Of the Methodist Church, which he at once joined, he remained for sixty years a faithful and honored member, holding for many of those years the offices of steward and trustee. Mr. Bliss possessed striking traits of character. Pos- itive in his convictions, resolute in purpose and indom- itable in courage, he was at once theoretical and practical. In the performance of duty, he was guided rather by reason and conscience than emotion. With a high sense of rectitude and social propriety, he took his principles into civil and business relations. Following the Apostolic precept, he ruled his own house well, having his children in subjection. At morning and even- ing he read the Bible and offered prayer, and in the 152 HISTORY OF observance of the Lord's Day he was constant and strict. He had the good fortune to see all his children grow up in virtue and become united with him in church fellowship. In the enterprises of benevolence and reform, he cherished a deep and abiding interest. In temperance he ante-dated the reform itself. Prior to the founding of the Academy, the manufacture or sale, as well as the use of intoxicants, was common in town. In most fam- ilies liquor was kept on the sideboard and furnished for the table, especially for guests. Like others about him, Abel Bliss, not only used but manufactured the article. At the instance of Abraham Avery, his brother-in-law, the use and manufacture were abandoned. As a result, he was led to a thorough canvass of the whole subject and came out decidedly in favor of total abstinence, a position he steadily and persistently maintained to the close of life. As a trustee of the Academy, he exerted his utmost influence to banish temptation from the vicin- ity of the school. In the anti-slavery cause, too, he was a foremost and fearless leader. Bold in his rebuke of the master and denunciation of the institution, his sympathies for the slave were deeply stirred. What was so fully believed and intensely felt was advocated with earnestness and ability. In the cause of missions, also, his interest was evidenced by his constant and liberal contributions. On his last Sabbath, though not well, he insisted on going to church, as it was missionary day, and he must be in his place to hear the discourse and make his contribution. As a man of intelligence and social position, he was often honored and trusted by his fellow-citizens. On TSE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 153 most public occasions he was called to preside, and he invariably performed the duty with dignity and ability. In political matters he was long prominent, representing the county in the State Senate and the town five times in the House. He was also a member of the Constitu- tional Convention of 1820. A liberally-educated man himself, he ever manifested a deep interest in education, especially in his own church. An original trustee, he was also a liberal con- tributor to the funds of the Academy. Though devoted to many public interests, he was not unmindful of his own private affairs. With habits of industry, enter- prise and economy, he became a successful cultivator of the soil, an intelligent and large-minded farmer. An early riser himself, he was sure to set the house in motion, while at the same time keeping a vigilant out- look upon his affairs. To the very last, he was a great reader. In later years, he took ten or a dozen papers, some of them dailies, and they were all read through, often including advertisements, while most people in the town were asleep. In advanced life, with his large, erect and stalwart form, his resolute air and whitened locks, he presented a commanding and patriarchal appearance, which no one who saw him could ever forget. The figure was that of a gentleman of the old school. The iron of his earlier manhood was then a good deal softened and moulded into forms of grace and spiritual beauty. He felt, as it were, the touch of the invisible realities, from which, for many months, he was separated by only a gauze partition, liable at any moment to be rent asun- der. Upon the margin of the two worlds he trod 154 HISTORY OF thoughtfully, reverently, yet without fear and full of immortal hope. In his sleigh, while passing from the street to his home, without a word or sigh, he was trans- lated from the unsubstantial shadows of earth to the realities of heaven.* II. ABRAHAM AVERY. At the meeting of the Board, March 5, 1842 Abraham Avery, an original trustee and the first treasurer of the Board, resigned his office as treasurer, and the place was filled by the election of Wilbur Fisk. The feelings of the corporation, on the occasion, were expressed in a resolution offered by Joseph A. Merrill, and seconded by Timothy Merritt, in the following words: " Resolved, That the thanks of this Board be presented to Abraham Avery for the able and satisfactory manner in which he has discharged the duty of treasurer of the corporation." Abraham Avery was born in Montville, Ct., June 22, 1782, and died in Wilbraham, Mass., October 8, 1853. He came of an honored and courageous stock, his emigrant ancestor who came to Boston in 1630, being Christopher Avery, who finally settled with the younger Winthrop's company in New London, Ct. The family was conspicuous for sterling qualities in church and state. In his infancy, Abraham Avery was taken by his parents to Glastonbury, the home of his mother, a grand-daughter of Rev. Timothy Stevens, the minister of the parish, and after her death he was apprenticed to Elias Hyde to learn the saddlers' and harness makers' trade. Here he became religious and joined the Meth- * History of Wilbraham. For some of these facts, I am indebted to Rev. Stephen Cushing's Memorial Address. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 155 odist Church. On coming of age, he removed to Wil- braham where he opened a flourishing business and became a valued and useful member of the local church, then few in numbers and feeble in resources. The opposition to the new sect, at the time, was strong. The standing order thought the new comers had no right to be; but if they continued to be, they claimed the right to tax them for the support of the established faith. This tax played a great part in the religious contro- versies of the period. There were men like Avery who refused to pay the tax. The insistence of the authori- ties only brought out the martyr stuff in the opposition. In this battle against wrong, -Avery was a foremost leader, who never feared to speak his mind or to stand as a wall against the tax. Dr. Stebbins, in his Centen- nial Address, gives an amusing incident illustrative at once of the character of the man and the temper of the times: "The collector came to get the tax. 'Get it if you can,' said Avery. Now Avery could make a good sad- dle one that the Queen's horse guards would be proud of in finish, and whose strength would have carried any of the six hundred through the immortal charge of Inkerman. So in his meditations, Avery determined to make a saddle to pay his tax withal. He selected the pieces of leather which best pleased the eye and fitted them together as he well knew how, being a skillful worker in leather, and mounted it with shining metal so that it was very tempting to look upon, like the forbid- den fruit of Eden. Avery knew that the strength was not equal to the beauty thereof; but it was not for 156 HISTORY OF sound doctrine he made it, so he delighted in correspon- dency. " The collector came ; the shop had been cleared of most of the other work, and when he cast his eye upon the saddle he did covet it much for his taxes, and was much delighted when Avery refused to pay them. ' I must take this nice saddle, then,' said the publican. ' Take it, then,' quoth Avery. As it was taken down, Avery's face was sparkling with delight. It was sold at auction at a good price, far above the amount of the taxes, for it was known that Avery's saddles were of the best. The constable offered the excess of the sale over the tax to Avery, but he would not take it. The constable tendered him the balance in gold, but Avery refused to have anything to do with it. The saddle was purchased by a man from Belchertoxvn, who was tempted to try it early. It looked magnificently on his horse. He sprang upon it. Out came the stirrups ! Down broke the seat ! Out came the bridge ! Off dropped the sides ! He spoke words of Avery and the saddle which were not lawful to be spoken and should not be written. He came to Avery in great wrath and asked him if he did not warrant his saddles. ' Certainly/ 'Well, then,' he replied, ' look at this saddle.' 'Ah! that is a Presbyterian saddle. I have nothing to do with that.' And with a relish of satisfaction, he again drew his strong waxed-end through the leather upon which he was at work, for he enjoyed hugely what had come to pass." * As a business man, Mr. Avery was industrious, eco- nomical, judicious and successful. Among the business History of Wilbraham, by Eev. R. P. Stebbins, D.D., p. 254. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 157 men of the section, lie was eminent for integrity and capacity, and his counsel was not seldom sought in emergencies and in regard to important enterprises. In town and county affairs he was active, and in 1832 and 1834 he was elected to the Legislature, where he was useful, especially in considering financial questions. In popular education he cherished a deep and permanent interest, and was foremost, as we have seen, in founding the Wesleyan Academy. As treasurer of the Board, he did much by his care, counsels and contributions to aid the institution in its early struggles. Upon Avery and Bliss the principal invariably leaned for support. One of the original trustees, Mr. Avery continued until he retired from business in 1842. He was also a member of the Board at Middletown, from 1831 to 1837. Stern and Puritanic in temper, Mr. Avery was yet benevolent in feeling and generous in his impulses ; he was fond of story and anecdote, and appreciated in a quiet way whatever was humorous. Quick and accu- rate in thought and incisive in statement, he was an un- comfortable opponent. With a sense of justice and love of liberty, he joined earnestly in the anti-slavery move- ment, and was an early advocate of temperance. He was twice married. His first wife was Lois, daughter of Abel Bliss, Sr. His second wife was Belinda Cordelia, daughter of William Brewer. Addi- son, Julia, and Abraham were children of the first mar- riage, the last for many years a member of the firm of Rand & Avery, printers, of Boston. 158 HISTORY OF CHAPTER XIX. THE ORIGINAL TRUSTEES AT WILBRAHAM. [CONTINUED.] III. THE REV. CALVIN BREWER. THE Rev. Calvin Brewer, one of the original trus- tees, whose name has been honorably mentioned in connection with the founding of the Academy at Wilbraham, was born February 16, 1787, and died November 29, 1875. On the father's side, he inherited some of the best blood of New England. The Rev. Daniel Brewer, the third minister of Springfield and a leading man in the Connecticut Valley, was his great- grandfather. Daniel Brewer married Catherine Chaun- cey, a descendant of Rev. Charles Chauncey, President of Harvard College. Charles and Anna Brewer, the parents of Calvin, were devout Methodists, residing on the Dr. Jesse Rice place, where the Methodists held their first meetings in town. The preachers were often at the house of Charles Brewer, and so the son grew up in the knowledge and love of Methodism. At the age of twenty-six, he was converted at a camp meeting held in the place and joined the young society. Zealous in Rev. CALVIN BREWER. WILLIAM RICE, Sen. (In Youth.) THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 159 prayer and exhortation, he was soon honored with a local preacher's license, and in 1826 was ordained by Bishop George at a Conference in Providence. In his younger years, Mr. Brewer often preached in the local church and vicinity. As above stated, he was active in the founding of the Academy. At the first meeting of the Board in Boston he was present, and also at the fiftieth anniversary in the same place; and, during the intervening years, he performed much valuable service for the Academy. In person, Mr. Brewer was tall, large framed and well proportioned, with a gentlemanly, even a courtly bear- ing. In conversation, he was ready, intelligent and agreeable ; and, especially in later years, he delighted in reminiscences of the past. The early struggles of Methodism in the valley and the first attempts to found the Wesleyan Academy, were vividly recalled. To the last day of his life, he esteemed it a high honor to have been connected with the genesis of the church and the school. At an early day, before the temperance reform began, he became a total abstainer from intoxicants, the mod- erate use of which was then common. To abstain totally was to be singular; but in what he thought right, Mr. Brewer always dared to stand alone. But, quick as was his appreciation of the virtue of temper- ance, he never realized the enormities of the slave sys- tem. Though living in the hot-bed of anti-slavery, his heart went with the rebellion. In his view, the slave masters were the injured class who had risen up in defense of their liberties. The same independence lie had exhibited in other matters was shown in his adher- 180 HISTORY OF ence to the cause of the South. During the war, he stood alone in the community, but he stood as a brazen wall, unyielding. If unable to sympathize with his political views, we cannot fail to appreciate the courage and res- oluteness implied in standing by a cause so unpopular. As an explanation of his obstructive course, we must remember that he was an old man, whose opinions had crystalized when the arbitrament of arms came. Besides, he had relatives in the South and had spent much time there himself. Like many other men from the North, he found excellent people in the South ; and, in judging the question before the country, he held the rights of these good people, rather than the rights of the colored millions, in view. The last years of Mr. Brewer, though darkened by affliction in his family, were tranquil and delightful. The death of four of his five children cast shadows upon his household. One wife had died long ago ; a second passed on three years before him. Time had shaken him by the hand and weakened his strength by the way. But, increasing infirmities and changes did not lessen his interest in passing events ; and, even when hearing became impaired, he found great pleasure in reading. Like most aged people, he delighted to re-live the past. The vigor and freshness of his correspondence in extreme age are notable. At the time of his decease, he had become the oldest inhabitant in the town, and yet he remained fresh in his feelings and sympathies; and the Christian experience and hopes which he had cher- ished from his youth, continued to afford him comfort and to brighten up all his future. The trustees in formal resolution ''express their grate- Rev. JOSHUA CROW ELL. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 161 ful remembrance of his long and faithful services in behalf of education and in the interest of the institution, and are thankful that he was spared so long to witness the prosperity of the Academy which will ever remain the monument of the wisdom and piety of its founders." IV. REV. JOSHUA CROWELL. The Rev. Joshua Crowell, a careful thinker, a good preacher and a devoted friend of education, was born in West Brookfield, September 15, 1777, and died in Stur- bridge, July 21, 1858. Trained in the Congregational Church, he was early taught to reverence the Sabbath, to recite the catechism, and to memorize the Ten Com- mandments and the Lord's Prayer. The serious impres- sions of very early life deepened at the age of fifteen into experimental piety. The death of his father left the cares of the home and farm with him, and he anti- cipated nothing higher than the management of the paternal estate. The coming of the itinerants changed all his plans. In passing through the country, Reuben Hubbard stopped at the Crowell home to bait his horse and refresh himself, and, as was the wont of the early itiner- ants, he took occasion to exhort the family. He was followed by Elijah Bachelor, a famous preacher, who preached to a small company gathered at the Crowell place, and organized a class, the nucleus of the once famous " Ragged Hill Society " on the edge of Brook- field. After some experience in leading meetings and exhorting, Crowell tried his gifts, in 1800, on a circuit, studying theology in the saddle. He often exhorted after Bromly to the edification and comfort of the peo- 162 HISTORY OF pie, without a word of encouragement from his superior. Under Brodhead, on the Vershire Circuit, he found more freedom and encouragement. At the close of the year, he joined the Conference in the class with Elijah Hedding, Thomas Branch, Seth Crowell, and Martin Ruter. He traveled the Hanover, Brandon, Ashburn- ham, Granville, New London, Pomfret and Warren cir- cuits, where his services were highly appreciated. In 1809, just as he was rising into notice, he located and settled in Ware, Mass. As a merchant, he was still serviceable to the church by his influence and preach- ing in the vicinity. With the cares of business, he remained steadfast in his devotion to the cause of Christ and interested in the extension of his own form of faith. With a stalwart frame, solid build, noble head, sandy complexion, hair and beard, he presented a plain but gentlemanly bearing and commanding presence. He furnished a fair sample of the early itinerant, plain, simple, affable and earnest. A constant and careful Bible reader, he was well versed in the doctrines of the gospel, and was able to defend the special views of the sect to which he belonged. In his convictions, he was clear and positive, with ideas to which he adhered with tenacity. Trained in the presence of rigid and even of bigoted orthodoxy, he became a staunch Methodist, cherishing a deep love for the teachings and usages of a people then everywhere spoken against. Like other early Methodists, he had trouble with the ecclesiastical tax, in refusing to pay which the officer levied on his cow. Joshua Crowell was in sympathy with every good WILLIAM RICE, Sen. THE WES LEY AN ACADEMY. 163 cause. He was a pronounced temperance man. At an early day, also, he entered into the movement for the overthrow of slavery. With the efforts to establish educational institutions in the Methodist Church, he was honorably connected. Early realizing the value of intellectual training, all the more from his own want of opportunities, he joined hands with those who were laboring to furnish, to the rising generation, better facilities for education. .With the efforts to found the Wesleyan Academy, he was in cordial and deep sympa- thy, and, as an original member of the board, he per- formed much faithful service in planning and develop- ing the institution. Though living seventeen miles away, he was invariably present at the meetings of the board during his eleven years of service. In the trial of the new measures and movements of that experi- mental period, his clear, practical thought and sound judgment were of signal service in steering clear of breakers. In 1835, as he was unable to give adequate attention to the duties of the position, he resigned. Among his eight children was the late Dr. Laranus Crowell, for some years also a trustee of the Wes- leyan Academy, Joshua Crowell, of Ware, and Judge Robert F. Crowell, of Washington, D.C., are still living. V. WILLIAM RICE. William Rice, the honest trader, the incorruptible public functionary, the genuine Christian and devoted Methodist, was born in Belchertown, in 1788, and died in Springfield, February 11, 1868. He was a descendant of Edmund Rice, the emigrant who settled in Sudburv in 1640. The father of William Rice, descended froi,. 164 HISTORY OF the above Edmund, married an Allen of Concord, cousin of the famous Ethan Allen, who was at home to witness the famous Concord fight. In the latter part of the war, this Elder Rice entered the army with his brother who had fought at Bunker Hill. After his marriage, the elder Rice removed to Belchertown, where his son, the William Rice of this record, was born, as above. As the family was poor, the children were expected early to care for themselves. At the age of thirteen, with the traditional bundle of clothing on his shoulder, William Rice walked to Wilbraham to learn the carpenter and joiner's trade (these including painting and the manufacture of furniture) with an older brother, who had preceded him. The next year he followed his brother to Western New York, then a wilderness, where a cabin was built in one of the new settlements, through whose roof the stars were visible at night and the snow sifted in the winter. In this for- bidding country they remained, however, but a few months, and then returned to Wilbraham. In 1809, he was united in marriage with Jerusha, daughter of David Warriner, who occupied the farm now owned by the institution. During the war of 1812, he was associated with his brother-in-law, in keeping a hotel in the build- ing, afterwards purchased and occupied as a boarding house for the Academy. At the close of the war, he was employed for a while by the United States Govern- ment as deputy collector of the war tax for Hampden County. In connection with the revival of 1813, which origi- nated in the Wilbraham Camp Meeting and extended into the village and town, resulting in a large increase Rev. FRED. MERRICK. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 165 to the local church, William Rice was converted, and, though earnestly solicited to unite with the Congrega- tionalists, immediately joined the Methodist Church. The change in his life from old tilings to new was very striking. From 1816 to 1830 he was engaged in trade in Springfield, a part of the time in company with the Rev. Daniel Dorchester, Sr., who had beeji a pastor in the place. At a later date, Frederick Merrick, (later Rev. Dr. Merrick, President of Ohio Wesleyan,) who had long acted as a clerk, entered the firm. The firm name, "Rice, Dorchester & Merrick," is still shown on the sign. Young Merrick, though belonging to a cler- ical family of Congregationalists in Wilbraham, was converted at the family altar of Mr. Rice, with whom he boarded, and joined the Methodist Church in Spring- field. Under the conviction that he was called of God to preach, he left business to prepare for college. On going to Springfield, Mr. Rice at once united with the little band of Methodists there. At the time, there was no Methodist Church in the village ; the few members met in private houses, and often in the summer in a grove. They frequently met at the house of Wil- liam Rice. The planks are still in existence which were used for seats on those occasions. In the church he was always active and efficient ; he held many official positions was steward, trustee, superintendent to the close of life. Of the class on the street, the nucleus of Pyncheon Street (now Trinity) Church, he was the first leader. The original class paper, with the seven names, then constituting the entire Methodist force in the lower part of the city, is still in existence. As the best known Methodist in the county, he was helpful to 166 BISTORT Of suburban churches, by his advice, influence, material aid and official service. In some of these outside churches he served as trustee. In 1830, Mr. Rice was elected Register of Deeds for the County of Hampden, a position he retained through all the fluctuations of parties down to 1860. In 1838, he was elected county treasurer and held the two offices for eighteen years. This long term of office is the more remarkable, as the political party to which he belonged was, for the larger part of the period, in the minority. In his many years of public service, the peo- ple of the county learned to trust and honor him for his works and worth. William Rice was a model business man, enterprising, active, diligent and at the same time cautious and saga- cious. He observed the golden mean between timidity and rash adventure. In all his relations he was a level man, holding himself in admirable equipoise. To an unusual extent, he secured and retained his hold on the confidence of his fellow men. With all who knew him, his word was equal to his bond. Prior to his election as Register, he held nearly every office in Springfield selectman, assessor, and representative in the legisla- ture. As arbitrator in cases taken from the courts, and as justice of the peace, he had frequent calls to preside in the trial of such cases as came before justices, prior to the organization of the police court. Though his educational advantages had been meager in his boy- hood, he became well informed on general subjects, and was able to use his knowledge in the official positions which he held and in the ordinary relations of life, with' sound judgment and taste. THE WEBLETAN ACADEMY. 167 As a Christian, Mr. Rice joined to intelligence, breadth and catholicity, a child-like simplicity and meekness. Guilelessness was stamped upon his counte- nance and gentleness was in the tones of his voice. Controlled by the law of kindness, loving all Christians, he intensely appreciated the faith of the Wesleys. His house was the meeting place of the preachers, where the old guard Hedding, Fisk, Scott, Merritt, Lindsay and others were often found. Attentive to the more conspicuous concerns of the denomination, he was at the same time active in the use of the ordinary means of grace. Liberal in his contributions to the church and charitable purposes, he was in full sympathy with the causes of reform, especially those of temperance and anti-slavery. His was a delightful Christian home. "I cannot recall an unkind word as having been spoken in the family during the years I was in it. It seemed always governed by a sweet Christian spirit. One crisis hour in my life, at evening prayer, I can never forget. The family had been at meeting at the Water Shops. I had been pondering the subject of my spiritual interests alone at the store, and had resolved to seek the great salvation. As your father poured out his soul in fer- vent supplication, my feelings were so overcome that I sobbed aloud. At the close of the prayer, he spoke very tenderly and encouragingly to me, and then your sister Jerusha, a mere child, but sweetly saved, rushed to me, crying, 'O Frederick! believe in Jesus, believe in Jesus.' The next morning, I could unite with them as one saved by believing in Jesus."* Rev. Frederick Merrick, D.D., Letter to Dr. Rice. 168 HISTORY Of A devoted and constant friend of education, he was untiring in his efforts to establish the Wesleyan Acad- emy. At the founding, he gave one-third of his prop- erty to this great cause, and on later occasions he con- tributed liberally for its enlargement and completion. Early and late he studied the interests of the institu- tion. For many years he was president of the board of trustees and was constant in attendance at its meet- ings, often at no little inconvenience. In view of the entire record, one cannot fail to realize that he was a rounded, balanced, complete man, shaped after a divine ideal, and devoted to the service of the Master as well as to the noblest alms deeds among men. The memory of such a life, so simple, sincere, true and useful, is the precious inheritance of those who came after him. The Board say of him : " Resolved, That, in the death of William Rice, one of the founders of this Seminary, and one who has served it with great fidelity, as a trustee, from its organization to his death, it has lost one of its strongest and most reliable friends and sup- porters. "That we will ever cherish an affectionate remem- brance of the sterling virtues of our departed associate, of his wise and prudent counsels, his far-seeing sagacity, his faithfulness and generosity, his transparent purity of purpose and his undoubted Christian integrity. " That from the eminently useful life of William Rice, and from the Christian faith and peace that supported him in life and death, and from the affectionate esteem in which his memory is now held, we are encouraged to follow him as he followed Christ ; and we rejoice in the THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 169 belief that, though from time to time God calls His workmen home, He will raise up others to fill their places and to carry on His work." We give two pictures of Mr. Rice. The one in the group exhibits his appearance in youth, and the full page one represents him in middle life. Neither is a good representation of him as he appeared in later years. 170 HISTORY OF CHAPTER XX. STUDENTS UNDER DR. FISK. THE glory of the Wesleyan Academy is reflected in the lives of the ladies and gentlemen, trained for the responsible positions of society, in its halls. Of these, not less than eleven hundred passed under the tui- tion of Dr. Fisk. Of this large number of worthy persons, we are able to make note of only a few. Others may have been equally noteworthy, but want of information must be our excuse for passing them over. Among the eleven hundred were some thirty minis- ters, many of whose names are now household words through the land. The most striking figure was that of Osmon C. Baker. Tall, strongly built, with expressive features, especially in his brilliant and restless eye, he could never be forgotten by one who had seen him. His countenance was expressive of extreme sensitiveness and modesty. In conversation he was grave and reserved, as though careful to measure and weigh his words ; and in dress he was always exceptionally neat and proper. In his associations he was select, moving Bishop O. C. BAKER. Bishop THOMAS BOWMAN. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 171 in a narrow circle. As a student, he was not brilliant, but careful, constant, accurate, doing everything with the utmost order and system. This was the man ever after, as principal at Newbur} r and as professor in the theological school. Though not exceptionally great, he came to great influence in the church, and was hon- ored by election to the board of bishops of the Metho- dist Episcopal Church. Among the students from the South was John C. Keener, of Baltimore young, active, studious and religious, but at the same time mischievous, in an inno- cent and delightful way. His associates never forgot how he, one day, ascended the lightning rod and affixed to its serpentine points a specimen biscuit, even then celebrated as the " dingbat." Old students, too, recall his projecting lower jaw, then held in reserve by a strap, and his animated manner. In the Church South, he has long held an honored place as preacher, presiding elder, editor, and in 1870 he was elected a bishop. Though he belongs to the old guard, he is still'active and energetic a typical Southerner and a pronounced Methodist of the older school. It is a curi- ous circumstance that John C. Keener, the senior bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and Thomas Bowman, the senior bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, prepared for college, in these early days, at Wilbraham. Charles K. True, a favorite at the Academy, a good scholar, and a gentleman with easy manners, he excelled in declamation and oratory. He delighted in the exercise of horse-back riding. In his modes of thinking he was entirely independent. Untouched by 172 HISTORY OF the religious influences in the great revival at Wilbra- ham, he became religious at Harvard, where he was a classmate with Wendell Phillips, who remembered him as the orator in college and treasured the following anecdote of him. In a mock court, a culprit student was tried and condemned to lose his eye tooth; objec- tions to the sentence were admissible, and the one offered by True was that this would destroy his iden- tity. True became a famous teacher and preacher. He was principal at Amenia and professor at Middletown. A clear and sharp thinker, he delighted in abstruse studies and would lose himself in the mazes of meta- physics. At the same time, he was capable of using the most transparent English and of making any subject he treated clear to the simplest mind. His style was always elegant. His little treatise on Logic has had a wide circulation. Isaac Jennison, Jr., was a young minister of much promise, who, as we have seen, died too early. He was loved by all who knew him and was apparently heir to a great future. He was the son of Rev. Isaac Jennison, Sr., who superintended the erection of the Academy and the enlargement of the boarding house and was long a member of the New England Conference. Horace Moulton, the broad axe of the Conference, a rough man with a warm heart, who was warmly cherished by his brethren as a revivalist and faithful worker, was a student under Fisk. Stephen Gushing, who survives, was one of the younger students and among the most proper. He has long been a trustee of the Conference. Charles Noble, a man of large native ability, was one of the most promising of the company THE WESLEY AN ACADEMT. 173 then at the Academy. He was one of the men in whom were possibilities never actualized. For several years he was in business, and accumulated considerable prop- erty, five thousand dollars of which he entrusted to the Conference for missionary purposes. Edward Otheman was student, teacher and trustee at different periods of his life. Ephraim Scott, a brother of Orange, the great anti-slavery leader, was a modest and worthy member of the Conference. Jefferson Hamilton came from the old Brookfield circuit, and was an active worker at the Academy, in the social meetings. At the same time he did much preach- ing in the vicinity, exhibiting many of the elements of the orator. He was the pride of his friends, who antici- pated for him the largest things. In the South, where he went in early life, he became a popular preacher, filling many of their more considerable pulpits. Though prominent in the section where he resided, he never rose to the eminence anticipated by his friends. David Patten, in the Academy, as everywhere else, was a favorite with both teachers and students, especially with Dr. Fisk. John W. Merrill, who began at New- market, completed his preparation for college at Wil- braham. He was always the man of books, the typical scholar, loving to plod and master the niceties of learning. In careful research he was never weary ; and as a teacher he was a drill master to whom many a scholar was under obligation. He was president of the McKendree College, and for many years professor in the Biblical Institute in Concord, N.H. His brother, Nathaniel J. Merrill, a member of the New England. Conference, made an indelible record in 174 HISTORY OF the whipping incident. Two of the Stockings studied under Dr. Fisk. Sabura S. was afterwards a teacher at the Academy, and later became an Episcopal clergy- man. Though easy to learn, he was not a diligent stu- dent, nor a great drill master in teaching. In manner he was dignified and courtly, and in the gown made an imposing appearance. Selah Stocking was an elder brother, who remained at Wilbraham but a short time. He was even then a full-fledged preacher, and was better known by his preaching in the vicinity than by any feats of study. Among his preaching places was Ware, where the Rev. Parsons Cooke presided over the Congregational Church and lorded it somewhat in town. His was the only church in the village. The handful of Metho- dists there held meetings in private houses, and now and then invited a student to speak in the school house. On one or two occasions, Parsons had entered early, and taking charge of the meeting, closed without allowing the stripling to say a word. He found a match in Stocking, who had no lack of cheek, and who, on rinding Cooke in the desk as he entered, gave out a hymn, sang, prayed and preached, while the old pastor remained in his dignity in the pulpit. Stocking became, at a later date, a member of one of the Central New York Conferences. Joel Knight, warm and earnest, a ready and efficient worker in evangelistic services, was long known as an honored member of the Providence Conference. He was ready and available. Morris Hill was a fair scholar, unselfish, circumspect at school, and obtained honorable Standing among his brethren in the New York East. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 175 John B. and Andrew Merwin were the sous of Rev. Samuel Merwiii of New York. John was "fair as a woman," with ruddy cheek and the glow of health in all his features. With a soft, smooth voice, and impressive manner, he excelled in oratory. Charles S. Macreading, brought up in the house of one of the Bonapartes, was earnest and true. George F. Pool was a youth of some promise at school, and remained for many years an inconspicuous member of the New England Conference. Gad S. Gilbert overflowed with fun. Sunlight filled his soul. He made all about him glad. He was afterward a joyous and successful preacher. Rufus P. Stebbins, a native of Wilbraham, an admirer of Dr. Fisk, possessed superior abilities and took first rank as a student. An open countenance, light eye and good head, gave him a fine personal appearance. He graduated at Amherst, and became a leading Unitarian clergyman and theological profes- sor at Meadville, Pa. Sanford Benton made a good record at the Academy and was long known as a faithful preacher in the Prov- idence Conference. O. R. Howard was a fine student and became an educator in Ohio. Moseley Dwight was the saint always solemn, earnest, true never known to smile in his whole course ; and yet he was a joyous man inside. He found the essence of the gos- pel to be sanctification, which he made a stock and con- tinuous theme. The Lees were there Jason and Daniel and they were famous just then on account of their mission to Oregon, then farther away than Van Dieman's Laud to-day. The famous laud-journey and 176 HlSTOttT OF the Flatheads then gave inspiration to the missionary meeting. Asa C. Hand, from the great Hand family in New Lebanon, N.Y., a slow scholar but a voluble talker, became a member of the Troy Conference. And there was Daniel Ernett, the good ; and Harvey B. Lane, later a teacher and professor ; and Humphrey Pickard, an earnest student and later the educational leader in the Provinces; and Bradford K. Pierce, the favorite boy, the ready student, the facile speaker and writer the man for the children and also the mature people he was preacher, chaplain, editor what not; trying all the trades and good at most, especially ready on occasions with neat little speeches. John W. Foster came from Brimfield, was a hard student, loved science ; went to Ohio to practice law, but was soon drawn back to science, being often em- ployed by mining companies and on surveys. In 1858 he went to Chicago to study the antiquities of the Mississippi valley, on which he published a valu- able work. Of the students residing in Wilbraham we have Brewers Daniel L., Lycortus, Sophia, Lydia, Catherine, Elizabeth, Charles and Mary ; Merricks John M., Roderick S., William W.; Bliss Nancy and Martha; Stebbins Rufus P., Roderick and Randolph; Moody Lucinda D., Catherine B., and Emeline R., and others. Oscar L. Shaf ter, a son of Judge Shaffer, of Ver- mont. No old student could forget Hale, genial and magnetic ; he was the good fellow of the school, as well as the earnest student and orator. He devoted much time to literature and elocution. With Henry Moore, the wit in the next room, he often crossed swords, each being able to receive as well as to perpetrate a joke. THE WESLETAN ACADMY. 177 In those early days, Dalton furnished an interesting group of students. Among them we find the late Zenas M. Crane, the great paper manufacturer, and his brother James B. Crane, a member of the firm; the two carrying on successfully a business inherited from their father, Hon. Zenas Crane. They were both remarkably successful business men, and succeeded by the most honorable methods in accumulating large properties. In them were inseparably united capacity and integrity. Of Wilbraham, from which their mother came, they cherished the pleasantest recollections. Zenas M. Crane, in his late years, remembered the Academy by a generous contribution of $1,000. With them came also their sister Lucinda (Mrs. Dr. Weston), and several of the Chamberlains, also paper manu- facturers, William C., Milo, Burt, Maria and Jane a worthy and conspicuous family of the town. From Ellington, Ct., came Maria and Eliza Steele, daughters of Dr. Steele, an eminent physician. Provi- dence furnished a couple of young ladies who made a sensation in the school and acted well their part in the drama of life. To the early students, the names of Sarah Ann and Jane Anthony will be familiar. Sarah Ann became, by marriage, Mrs. Cooke, and visitors to Cottage City will remember hers as one of the most elegant cottages in the circle. In her last years, she remembered Wilbraham with a thousand dollars. Jane Anthony became Mrs. Eames. At school, they were among the most elegant and showy ; wealth glittered on the surface, while their free-and-easy movements attracted the attention of the little academic public. Edward F. Merrick, who received his early training 178 HISTORY OF here, removed to Louisiana, where he became eminent in the legal profession, and served for many years as the Chief Justice of the State. William R. Barnum, associated with the great whipping case, in the school, entered the political arena in his native State, and was afterwards elected United States Senator from Con- necticut. Thomas and Ichabod Marcy came down from Leyden. They both became honored members of the New England Conference, performing much valuable service. Perhaps no students of the period created a deeper interest than Jason and Daniel Lee, who came from Canada, and afterwards opened the Oregon Mission among the Flathead Indians. Oregon was then remote, the attempt to reach it over land was heroic. The missionary spirit, which burned in the souls of those two young men, kindled a Christian enthusiasm through the whole school. Allen Steele, a quiet and honored student, became distinguished as a member of the Black River Conference. Thomas Sewall, from Baltimore, was also at the Academy. He became one of the most attractive pulpit orators in the Methodist Church. Austin G. Phelps was also here during the last year of Dr. Fisk. It has been noticed that Han- nah and Emerancy Thompson were at the Academy ; the former became the wife of Rev. Humphrey Pickard, D.D., of Nova Scotia, and the latter the wife of the Rev. Edward Otheman, and the mother of the Rev. Edward B. Otheman, at one time a teacher in the Institution. Dr. Pickard was born at Frederickton, N.B., June 10, 1813, and died July 28, 1890. In 1842 he was chosen principal of the Mount Allison Academy in Sackville, and in 1869 he was appointed editor of the Provincial Hon. CHESTER C. CORBIN. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 179 Wesleyan. He was a good scholar and a highly influ- ential man in his denomination. William A. Slater and his brother, John F. Slater, who gave the million- dollar fund for Southern education, the sons of Samuel Slater, who introduced cotton spinning into New Eng- land, were students |n the Academy in, 1828, 180 HISTORY OF CHAPTER XXI. THE CLOSE OF DR. FISK's TERM OF SERVICE AT THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. THE very success of Dr. Fisk in the experiment at Wilbraham, so far from insuring his services per- manently, hastened his removal from the institution. The favorable outcome there had helped to intensify the enthusiasm for higher education throughout the Methodist Church, and to raise the question of an advance from the academy to the college and the uni- versity, as parts of a broad educational system. The new impulse was being felt in every part of the land, and at Middletown, Ct., a higher institution had been founded, and the trustees were in search for a person suitable for the presidency. In such a search, the man who had been so successful in an inferior position, and had done so much to awaken an interest in the cause of education, could not be passed unnoticed. Indeed, he was the one man in the church to whom all e} r es were turned as the ordained leader in this educational advance. At the meeting of the Middletown board, August 24, 1830, Dr. Fisk was elected President of the Wesleyan THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 181 University. Though the position was honorable and opened the way to great usefulness, he hesitated to accept. He had devoted himself to the work at Wil- braham, and, in order to carry this on to completion, had declined the episcopal honors tendered him by the General Conference. How could he, then, accept this new position? The one work was pressed upon his heart and conscience. * But, on reconsidering the matter, he concluded to accept, as the university was only an extension of the one grand scheme of education in the mind of the leaders. In going to the university his influence would not be entirely withdrawn from Wilbraham ; and in some respects the higher institution would exert a salu- tary influence on the lower. Meantime, he was to remain nominally at the head until a new principal could be found. At the close of the academic year (July, 1831,) even his slight connection ceased. To both students and citizens the separation was painful. As no other man, at the time, he held a place in the affections of the people of Wilbraham and the friends of the institution, who had seen a great school, under the touch of his magic wand, spring into existence and take form under his moulding genius. To the trustees, who had borne the burden and heat of the day, the hour was one of extreme anxiety. The care and labor which had been so generally assumed by Dr. Fisk, must now, to a greater or less extent, devolve on them. The new principal would not know the field as they knew it ; he could not be the man of all-service as the first principal had been. They certainly could not lean upon him with the assurance of support which had 182 HISTORY OF been felt under Dr. Fisk. Though he retained a place in the board of trustees to the end, they knew well his cunning hand, masterful eye and magnetic presence would be wanting; and, whether, in the absence of these, the machinery could continue to run smoothly and the past measure of prosperity be enjoyed, was altogether problematical. So intimately had the suc- cess of the Academy been associated with Dr. Fisk, that it was difficult to conceive of its continuance after his removal. To Dr. Fisk himself, also, the occasion was one of deep solicitude. The charge committed to him by the church lay upon his heart ; and, in turning it over to another, he was anxious lest the cause, so well started under his hand, should suffer a check. As expressive of his feelings on the occasion, a few paragraphs may be quoted from his valedictory address to the school. As was natural, the address was largely retrospective, tracing the history of the five years he had been with them, indicating the difficulties and struggles, and emphasizing the triumphs vouchsafed to them. Of his attachment to the school and his regard for the noble men and women who had been associated with him in the work, he spoke in terms of warm commen- dation. " Five years of labor and anxiety," are his words, " have deeply enlisted and closely connected every feel- ing of my heart in its (the institution's) behalf. Such have been the variety and extent of my labors that, contrary to general experience and respect to past time, the period seems, upon the review, like half an age instead of five years. But in this retrospect, I THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 183 have nothing to regret, with respect to my connection with the school, but my own imperfections and mis- takes ; of these I have had an abundant share, and have needed the forbearance of the trustees and the charity of the public ; aside from these the review is, on the whole, pleasant." "I had rather," he continued, "have my name embalmed in the memory and affection of the rising generation than to gather military honors on the field of battle, or civic wreaths in the Senate House, or to have it emblazoned on the proudest escutcheons of the world's glory. The triumphs of this day, however subordinate and subordinate the field operations may have been, surrounded as I am by one hundred and fifty youths, who have gathered around our literary standard, and with whom we associate on terms of reciprocal affection, are an ample compensation for all past labors and solicitudes. " I stand here this day, also, with the consciousness of having aimed to do my duty, both to the people of the place and to the school. I have coveted no man's gold or silver: I brought none here I shall carry none away. Nay, but ye bear me witness that I have been willing to spend and be spent for you. If I can carry away a clear conscience towards men, it is all I ask." Of the general results of his labor in the school, he spoke with great satisfaction : " At the opening of the school we had but seven scholars ; since which time we have entered upon our books 1,150 different students. Of these about thirty have entered the sacred ministry, a number are pursuing the study of law and medicine, from twenty to thirty are pursuing a college course, 184 HISTORY OF and from a hundred to one hundred and fifty have gone out of our seminary, at different times, as teachers." The interest of the audience in the address was evi- denced by profound attention and many tears. The hour formed a turning point in many a young life, as well as in the history of the institution. Besides this formal parting, he uttered many other admonitory and closing words to youth of his charge. Among them was his last sermon in the old dining hall, which is vividly remembered by a few who heard it. " Let your conversation be as become th the gospel," was the text, suggestive of admonitory counsels, duties and responsibilities. The soul of the preacher was full of the subject; and out of his ample treasury he brought things new and old pertinent to the occasion. The fragment of life which remained to him was devoted to the work of education at the Wesleyan University, In 1832 he was a visitor at West Point, and in 1835 a delegate to the Wesleyan Conference, extending his travels 071 the Continent. Of the four General Conferences, 1824, 1828, 1832 and 1836, he was a member, and, by the last, was elected bishop, an honor he felt obliged to decline. On the 22d of February, 1839, he passed, in great peace and holy triumph, to the glorious realities of the other life. " ' Glorious life ! ' was the last whispered expression of his religious feelings." Possibly not the greatest, Dr. Fisk was the best beloved and most widel}' influential man in the Methodist Episcopal Church. Unlike some leaders of the people, who join with their large wisdom, sound THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 185 judgment and executive force, a severe temper, a rude- ness of manner, or repulsive demeanor, his qualities were all attractive, his temper was genial, his sympa- thies were generous. Men were drawn to him, and delighted in the sunshine of his presence. As a friend, teacher, counselor and guide, he was cherished with rational yet tender affection; as a Christian and a minister, he was held in high esteem for incorruptible integrity, devout and earnest piety arid rare gifts of speech, so often employed for the edification and sanc- tification of believers ; and as an educator, he was accorded by all a foremost place. If he possessed no single power in superlative excellence, he exhibited a rare combination of noble qualities, giving the impres- sion of completeness, symmetry and neatness of finish. In the best sense, he was a whole, perfect man, in whom no part was wanting, and nothing was in excess. As in few other instances, his faculties hung in balance and harmony a fine intellect, elegant taste, a health- ful and fertile imagination, generous sensibilities, sound judgment, a rare sense of propriety, reminding one of the Grecian temple, whose exact proportions, exquisite finish and exalted purpose challenge the admiration of ages. As a preacher, Dr. Fisk was a favorite with all classes. Untrammeled by the art of the schools, he spoke, in simple language, to the common sense of the people. His style was conversational ; he talked to the people. Without airs or pretensions ; without passion or strains of thrilling eloquence ; without eliciting thunders of applause, the stream of thought flowed, gentle, pellucid, bearing on its current the richest 186 HISTORY OF imagery and overcoming all opposition. It was not the thunder-storm raised by Whitefield ; it was the descent of the copious and refreshing dews, or the summer rain. Some of his best sermons were delivered in school houses and small chapels, in the out-districts of Wilbraham and the adjoining towns. Adapted to less conspicuous audiences, he rose easily to great occasions. He preached election sermons in both Massachusetts and Vermont, and served on innumerable dedicatory and missionary occasions. In controversy, so common in his day, he excelled, especially in handling the errors of Calvinism and Universalism. The " Calvinistic Con- troversy " remains a classic ; and his occasional sermons, though inferior to those of Watson, Robert Hall and Olin, display much more than average ability, indicat- ing larger possibilities than any actual performance realized. Above all, Dr. Fisk was a model educator. In his own church he led the column. Though some of his students have surpassed him in natural and acquired ability, they can never share with him the honor of giving form and consistency as well as practical effec- tiveness to our educational system. Born in New England, and sharing, from a child, in the privileges of her primary and advanced schools, he became imbued with the spirit and comprehended the methods of edu- cation in the East, the best features of which he incorporated in the schools of Methodism. Though an expert in no one department, he compared favorably with the graduates of the time in the knowledge of the usual studies. With the young, he was a favorite. They were HISTORY OF 187 attracted to him. One of Plutarch's born captains, he knew how "to create the obedience of his own fol- lowers." To students he was ever accessible, in fact, waiting to catch their story of difficulty or trial, and to reveal the true remedy. His advice was sound and, usually, it proved helpful. In teaching, his aim was te develop manliness and strength in the best lines. Education was a means to a higher end. With the best educators, he made virtue and religion the ulti- mate end. " What is man," he asks, " without reli- gion ? If destitute of charity, or true religion, the most learned are nothing. What are they when destitute of moral principles and moral habits? They are worse than nothing." The school as well as the church should be a redemptive agency. " The end of learning is," to quote from Milton, " to repair the ruins of our first parents by regaining to know God aright, and out of that knowledge to love Him, to imitate Him, to be like Him, as we may nearest by possessing our souls of true virtue, which being united to the heavenly grace of faith, makes up the highest perfection." The adaptation of Dr. Fisk to the hour and work was an important element of his success. Whatever he might have been in other situations, he was exactly the man to lead the educational advance in the Method- ist Church. At once devout and scholarly, the people recognized his leadership, and followed him 011 to suc- cess. Marvelous man ! His like we may not soon see again. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 189 period 11. of tf)e Het). tDiiliam Songs, Qlngtist, 1831 March, 1832. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 191 CHAPTER XXII. THE SERVICES AND ASSOCIATES OF MR. BANGS AT THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. TO fill the place made vacant by the resignation of Dr. Fisk was no easy matter. The number of liberally educated men in the Methodist Church, at the time, was small ; and, of those with the requisite mental training, few would compare favorably, in general accomplish- ments and adaptations, with the retiring principal. In the estimation of the Methodist public, he was the ideal educator. The glory of great success crowned his efforts. Under his guiding hand, a flourishing literary institution had arisen from a ruin : the seven students of the first day had grown to a great multitude. The embarrassing situation was felt by the trustees. They looked in all directions for the suitable man, with- out finding him. Meantime, Dr. Fisk drew attention to William McKendree Bangs, son of his old and hon- ored friend, Dr. Nathan Bangs, at the time one of the foremost men in the Methodist Church. Following the suggestion, the trustees, on August 17,1831, elected Mr. Bangs principal of the Wesleyan Academy. The selec- tion of a,n. unknown and untried man was not entirely 192 HISTORY OF satisfactory to any member of the board. For the mo- ment they could see nothing better, and so ventured in reality to select a man on the reputation of his father. William McKendree Bangs was born in the city of New York, in 1810, and died there in 1852. He gradu- ated at Ohio University in 1829, and at once became professor of ancient languages in Augusta College, in Kentucky, passing thence to the headship at Wilbraham. At the close of his term at the Academy, he joined the New York Conference, of which, and of the New York East, taken from it, he remained a modest and worthy member to the close of life. Though a fine scholar, and a man of many virtues and excellencies, he was disqualified for the position he occupied by the want of physical stamina and experi- ence. The duties of the place required robust health and elasticity of spirits, while he was oppressed and saddened by physical debility. As a result, he mingled little with the students, either in the classes or at social and religious gatherings. He was the man behind the screen, as his physical condition required close confine- ment to his room. The protracted absence of the principal from the rou- tine duties of the school caused the trustees not a little misgiving. They felt that something must be done, as the school was not in a condition to run itself. At a special meeting, February 29, 1832, "a committee was appointed to converse with Mr. Bangs, the principal of the Wesleyan Academy, and ascertain his views, growing out of his health, and other circumstances in relation to the extent of service he has rendered, and will be able to render in the department of instruction. And, if the THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 193 principal cannot give satisfactory encouragement that he will be able to render efficient instruction daily in the Academy, then and in that case, said committee shall be authorized to make a settlement with him, and to hire another principal, and that said committee be authorized to employ all necessary teachers." Of course, with the existing condition of his health, the principal could not give the required pledges, and so the committee were driven to dispense with his ser- vices after the close of the term. That they were obliged to make a change is not surprising; the surpris- ing matter is that they ever engaged a man so physically disqualified for the services required in the position. It is almost equally remarkable that Mr. Bangs ever con- sented to accept the office whose duties he must have known he was so little able to perform. Besides his disabilities growing out of ill health and inexperience, he moved in the shadow of Dr. Fisk, who, as man, teacher and citizen, was the idol of all. The contrast was unfavorable to the new man. The one was thoughtful, reserved, inactive ; the other familiar, affa- ble, easy, full of tact, and delighting in activity. In spite of his many personal excellencies, the new princi- pal was a repellent force, removing men to a distance from him ; the oljd one was attractive, genial, magnetic, fastening men to him "as with hooks of steel." With a change so striking, a powerful reaction was inevitable. The change is indicated in the attendance. The aggregates by terms had gone up under Fisk to 602 ; they sank under his successor to 560. The decline may not have been due entirely to the unfitness of the prin- cipal ; that was no doubt a considerable factor. 194 HISTORY OF Mr. Bangs had associated with him in the board of instruction, John Foster, William G. Mitchell, William Magoun, Edward Otheman and Samuel P. Dole. Edward Otheman was born in Boston, July 31, 1808, and died in Chelsea, March 9,1886. As student, teacher and trustee he was long and honorably connected with Wilbraham. He began his preparation for college at the Sandwich Academy, and on the opening of the Wesleyan Academy, repaired to the new seat of learning by stage, having for fellow passengers the Thompsons, whom he met for the first time Everything was then primitive at the school. Boarding the first term with Abel Bliss, he was one of the first eight to enter the new boarding house. The social meetings and preach- ing services he attended with great delight. The preaching by Dr. Fisk, plain, simple, warm and rich in Bible truth and Christian experience, was instructive and helpful. The sermon of Bishop George before the Conference, held in the grove east of the Academy, made a lasting impression upon him. He entered Brown in 1827, and graduated in 1831, with good standing in his class. From the college he went to Wil- braham, where he remained two years, boarding, to- gether with his father and mother, then advanced in years, with Dr. Jesse W. Rice. The father is still re- membered as a gentleman of the old style, wearing the cocked hat and knee-buckles. In person, Mr. Otheman was of medium size, spare, with ruddy countenance and black eyes, an elastic step and cheerful temper. As a teacher, he made a favorable impression. Self-reliant and energetic, he was yet mod- est, gentlemanly in his bearing and easy in social inter- THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 195 course. In the class-room, he was active, alert, ready in the use of his stores of knowledge and unceasing in his endeavors to secure accuracy in drill as well as to en- kindle the enthusiasm of his pupils. For those who came under his instruction he cherished a deep and abiding interest, and was never weary in efforts to help them to rise by winning the prize of scholarship. In return he found favor with students and managers. The trustees vote, in favor of his continuance a second year, addition to his salary. In 1832 Mr. Otheman was married to Miss Emarancy Thompson, one of the trio with whom he entered Wil- braham in the stage coach. At the close of his second year, Dr. Fisk offered him a place in the Wesleyan University, but the business interests of the family re- quired his return to Boston, where most of his later life was spent. Though he joined the New England Con- ference in 1835, he soon went on the supernumerary list. In the Walnut Street Church, in Chelsea, he was long a pillar, and served for many years as a trustee at Wilbraham, a part of the time as president of the board. During the administration of W. McK. Bangs, Miss Lucy Windsor, a person well spoken of by her associ- ates, served as preceptress. For fuller record of her services, the definite data are wanting. In person, she is said to have been tall, slender and erect, with precision of manner and dignified affability. Samuel P. Dole, born in Saulsbury, December 28, 1808, and died September 10, 1841, presented an imposing fig- ure. Though he remained but a year, he made a deep im- pression on students and citizens. He was an enthusiast in whatever he undertook. He delighted in outdoor life, was a great pedestrian, and drew many students after him, over meadow and mountain, scaling fences and tramping, like a regiment of soldiers, over walls. A per- son of magnetic influence, he never lacked followers among the boys. Dole excelled as a teacher. With a clear and strong grasp of the subject, he was able to present it intelligibly to the mind of the pupil. He went to the root of the matter, and led his pupils by drill to a mastery of the subject in hand. No one could escape him, or fail to catch the enthusiasm which flowed through his soul. A giant in form, Mr. Dole was a pos- itive and independent thinker; a radical, always ten years in advance of public sentiment. The anti-slavery debate, destined to convulse the nation, had just begun. A few fanatics had entered the arena, Dole among them. The subject burned within him, and found utterance on every proper occasion. A student who, in the Club Debate, spoke favorably of colonization, was reasoned with in his room, and convinced of the untenableness of the position he had taken. On the student's return to Natick, in 1836, he was urged to debate the subject with one Henry Wilson, who was astounded at the radical views of his opponent. The members of the Natick club were then nearly all good Whigs. Wilson, who came rapidly to the views of Dole, rose from the shoe- maker's bench to the Vice- Presidency of the United States.* The teachings of Dole, which had thus indi- rectly reached the future Vice-President, soon spread through the Academy. The course of this young man was brilliant but brief. The cause of his leaving Wilbraham was his sending a *Eev. Franklin Fisk. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 197 lad to the dungeon for the night.* He entered the Wesleyan University in 1833, and later, without gradu- ating, spent two years in Switzerland. After his return he began teaching in Providence, and was obliged to desist from failing health, resulting in his early death. Edward Hyde, who succeeded Solomon Weeks as steward, was born in Norwich, Ct., March 31, 1786, and died in Wilbraham, March 16, 1832. Converted in 1803, he entered the New England Conference in 1809, and traveled in succession the Poplin, Readfield, Scituate, Martha's Vineyard, Tolland, Summerset, Warwick, Ashburnham, and New London circuits. He was also presiding elder on the Boston and New London Dis- tricts. In 1831 he was stationed at Wilbraham with the design of taking charge of the boarding house. As a minister, Edward Hyde was good, sensible and useful, rather than great. He was a revival preacher, succeeding not by any patent methods, but by devotion, faithfulness and work. He touched the individual even more than the mass, and kept close to his one work. The zeal of the Lord's house consumed him. He dwelt much, in his preaching, on the high privileges of believ- ers, and rejoiced in a rich Christian experience. Devoutly pious as he was, Mr. Hyde was also a care- ful and judicious business man. He began well as a steward. The trustees believed in him, and the stu- dents loved him. Cheapness and excellence are with difficulty combined in a boarding house ; but Mr. Hyde gave excellent satisfaction to all parties, and, had he lived, might have rivalled the fame of Solomon Weeks. But, alas, his day at Wilbraham was short. The *D. K. Merrill, whose father was a trustee, and disapproved the act. 198 HISTORY 0# triumph of his death was the marvel of the hour. The Shekinah rested, as it were, in his chamber. He waited and rejoiced in view of full immortality just in sight. "If God should offer me a world," he said, ^'and add to it two thousand worlds, I would not choose to go back to life." Living with a consciousness of pardon, with- out a cloud, and with a full flow of joy, he often shouted aloud the praises of God. " The chariot is come ! " "Don't you see it?" "Glory to God!" were among the triumphant utterances of this ascending saint. The sermon at the funeral is one of the few Dr. Fisk pub- lished; and contains an admirable portraiture of the man and Christian. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 199 pertob 11. 3. lje &bministration of tlje Bet). Sol)n ^foster, 31. itt. 18321834. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 201 CHAPTER XXIII. THE SERVICES AND ASSOCIATES OF JOHN FOSTER AT THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. AT the annual meeting of the trustees, May 30, 1832, the Rev. John Foster was elected principal in the place of Mr. Bangs. English by birth, he came early to America, and in 1823 was received on trial in the New England Conference. A self-made man, who studied in the saddle and by the pine knot at night, he became an earnest and successful student and a popular preacher. After a couple of years on the Danville and Vershire circuits he went to Moretown circuit, where he was quite successful in securing conversions and in building up the churches. In 1826 he traveled the Boston circuit with Merritt and J. A. Merrill, passing the next year to the Newbury circuit with Bartholomew Otheman. In Wilbur Fisk, in whose district were his first three charges, he found a true and helpful friend, who encouraged him in his work and stimulated in him a love of learning, thinking the defects in his early training might be partially remedied, and a man of fine natural parts be rendered more useful to the church. 202 HISTORY OF At the instance of his friend, Foster was stationed, in 1828, in Wilbraham, where he was popular as a preacher and improved the new opportunity for study, especially in the natural sciences, for which he discovered a natural aptitude. So great was his proficiency that he was often invited to hear a class, and was invariably popular wi-th the students. As a self-made man, begin- ning late, he was an example and inspiration to struggling young men. If, with his disadvantages, the young preacher could do so much, what might not those do who enjoyed the advantages of the Academy? So far from operating to his disadvantage, his self-training formed a large element in his popularity. In 1829 he was employed regularly as a teacher, and made a good record in his classes. After Dr. Fisk's retirement, he was the foremost man in the faculty. Even under Bangs he was really in front, always prompt, active, energetic, capable of great endurance and inspired by a love of labor. Besides the duties of the class-room he constantly carried on advanced courses of study. Already really in possession, he was naturally chosen to the headship. But it soon became apparent that he was less adapted to a leading than to a subordinate position ; he could teach better than he could govern. The class brought oat his better qualities, while his elevation to the highest place revealed defects and incompatibilities hitherto concealed. Excellent as a man and a preacher, he was not a born manager, especially among students whom he seemed never fully to understand. Though he came early to America, a flavor of the Englishman remained. Dignity and reserve marked his movements. The rule of authority THE WESlEYAN ACADEMY. 203 came in the place of the tact and gentleness so fully realized in the first principal. Fisk was the father, Foster the magistrate. The morning of his service was clear and calm, with promise of a serene and joyous day, rather than the confusing war of elements which supervened. Under other conditions, requiring less tact and judgment, he might have made a good run. As associates in the board of instruction, he had, during his first year, Edward Otheman, William G. Mitchell and Samuel P. Dole, whose record has been already given. After the death of Edward Hyde the boarding house was managed until the close of the year by his widow, when the place was filled by Dr. Miles Belden, who pleased the students but did not have a long reign. In the spring, John W. Hardy was chosen to succeed him, but for some reason declined the honor. In 1833, Sabura Stocking, a brother of Selah and an excellent scholar, was chosen to the position of classical teacher. Born in Glastonbury, Ct., June 24, 1810, he graduated at the Wesleyan University in 1835. Though not a hard student, he contrived to carry on the studies of his last two years in college while teaching at Wilbraham. After a year as principal at the Troy Conference Academy, he studied theology (1837-40) at New Haven, and entered the Protestant Episcopal Church. He was rector at Newton, Mass., and Orange N.J. After traveling in Europe, he became rector (1863-1881) at South Oyster Bay, N.Y. In his appearance and manners, Mr. Stocking was prepossessing. Tall, graceful, easy in his bearing, with fair countenance, black eyes and light hair, he attracted 204 HISTORY OF attention and won those who came near him by his genial temper and fine flow of spirits. A few yet remember his courtly air and the jaunty way he had of throwing his cloak over his shoulders. In the plain coat of a Methodist preacher he appeared to less advantage than in the gown of the clergyman. The gifts of Mr. Stocking were popular. An easy and graceful writer, he also possessed the elements of a popular speaker mental quickness, a musical voice and a general flow of feeling. Acquiring knowledge himself, as it were, by absorption, he lacked the patience to drill less active intellects. In this, he was very unlike his associate, Dole, who took the kingdom of knowledge by storm. Though he remained but a couple of years at the Academy, Mr. Stocking is remembered as a conspicuous figure in the faculty of the time. Daniel H. Chase, celebrated as the first graduate of the Wesley an University, and serving as mathematical teacher at Wilbraham for a single year, was born in Hoosick, N.Y., March 8, 1814. After his year at Wilbraham and another as tutor at his alma mater, he opened in 1835, the Middletown Institute and Prepar- atory School, which became the theater of his life work. At the meeting of the trustees, in 1833, George M. Hyde was chosen a trustee in place of Elias Gilbert, who had never qualified. For occasional visitors and their friends, who had hitherto been entertained free, "The Resident Agent" was requested to make a reasonable charge. The question of better church accommodations for the students came up at the same time, and the trustees suggest the erection of a new THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 205 church for which the institution will pay three hundred dollars. They also condemn the practice, among the students, of visiting each other's rooms. The steward of 1833-4 was Davis Smith, who was popular among the students, but an ugly deficit of five hundred dollars troubled the trustees. John W. Hardy suggested that the deficit was altogether unnecessary ; he could run the department so as to show a balance of five hundred dollars on the other side. Dazed for the moment, the board discharged Smith and elected Hardy, who assumed the title of "Resident Agent of the Academy." The change was, by Hardy's request, to be kept secret, as the students might make some disagreeable demon- strations at the removal of their favorite steward; but on his way to Springfield, the next morning, "the Resident Agent" met Judge Morris, going to Wilbra- ham, to whom he revealed the doings, and before twelve o'clock the judge communicated the news to the astonished trustees, citizens and students. The sensa- tion in the school was immense. In spite of it, Mr. Hardy, in the spring of 1834, became "the Resident Agent" and a disturbing element in the school. With the students his harsh, autocratic manner made him unpopular; and to insure the five hundred dollar balance he was obliged to provide a less generous table, which could never be adequately explained to a company of hungry students. He soon came in collision with the principal. Two such kings could not rule in harmony; neither knew how to play second. As a result, the school became divided in twain, and the offended students came nearly to open revolt. At the moment of outbreak Dr. Fisk was called in to heal the 206 HISTORY OF trouble ; the school was called together, and Fisk asked the ring-leader against the principal what was his grievance. Having stated it in mild form, the point was yielded and the rebellion collapsed in a moment. The old order was resumed. The fire, however, instead of being extinguished, continued to smoulder under- neath, and at the close of the term Mr. Foster concluded to -yield the ground to "the Resident Agent"' by offering his resignation. In receiving it, the trustees commended him to the patronage of the public as "a good scholar and an enterprising and efficient teacher." The closing address was memorable. Elaborately prepared and fully written, the address was really a defense of his administration, and abounded in sharp hits at" the Resident Agent" and his sinister methods. In many respects the school flourished under Foster, though the numbers somewhat declined. The five hundred and sixty-three of 1832 declined in 1833 to five hundred and forty-six, by aggregate of terms. After leaving Wilbraham, Mr. Foster taught in the South, with what success I am unable to learn. It is safe to say that his forte was not in management. As a preacher he excelled. " His sermons were usually well prepared; his manner in the pulpit was chaste and impressive, and he seldom failed to produce deep and salutary impressions on the audience."* Argument, fact and Bible statement formed his stock in trade ; illus- trations were few and well chosen, not seldom from the field of science with which he was quite familiar. Delib- erate in opening, he warmed as he advanced, but never so as to lose control of himself. Strength, steadiness, a *JV, W. Allen, Ms. Letter, THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY, 207 naastery of the subject, were apparent. John Foster was of the English build, short, thick-set, somewhat portly, and firmly compacted, a picture of perfect health, which the hard service in the itinerancy had not tended to damage. For his opportunities, he made much of himself, and only mistook his calling in undertaking to become a school manager, especially in troublous times. In these days the Debating Club was a center of interest, where all the great questions were considered, and the powers of tb.e contestants were measured and disciplined. To nothing do old students turn back with more delight than to the struggles in this intel- lectual arena, where they learned to think on their feet and to measure their capacities by those of other men. Of the students of the time some became widely known. Ralph W. Allen came in 1830, and remained two years. He became a preacher and writer. Calm, deliberate, he was a good manager, with clear and judicious insight into men and things. Loranus Crowell was a careful, though not a brilliant, student, and became an influential member of the Ne\v England Conference. Gad N. Smith and George W. Bates also became preachers ; the one a sedate and faithful member of the New York, the other the eccentric preacher of the New- England Conference, who died at Martha's Vineyard in holy triumph after long sickness. John W. Lindsay was quite young when at the Academy, and his connection with the school is n 3t much remembered, though he has made a conspicuous record since as an educator and preacher. Joseph W. Lewis, long known as a quiet and worthy member of the New England Conference, HISTORY OF received his training at the Academy. He was a natural preacher and a man of good judgment. Though he never aspired to high things, he was invariably useful and beloved in his charges. L. W. Blood and Hiram A. Wilson went to the Providence Conference, where they were held in honor. Franklin Fisk, a pattern of propriety and neatness in dress and manner, was here with open eyes and a memory which hold's, to this day, the incidents of the period. Theophilus Stewart, a gentleman and good scholar, came from Georgia. He traveled with Dr. Olin in Egypt and the East. Abel Stevens, at fifteen was the marvel of the school, known as "the boy preacher" then, and since as the literary man and historian of Methodism. From Brimfield came John W. and Fisher Ames Foster. The latter was great in declamation, was the orator of the time. He long held a government position at Washington. Timothy D. Lincoln, from the same place, made a noble record at the Academy. He studied law, and settled in Ohio. Charles W. Pitman, a worthy, quiet young man, was son of Dr. Charles Pitman. Albert G. Hough ton, of the firm of Hough ton & Co., New York, here added to his stock of knowledge, and obtained a wife in Miss Maria Otis, daughter of Rev. Erastus Otis, and after her death he married her sister Hannah. Gardi- ner Rice, an earnest and persistent student, established a private academy in Holliston, and later a similar one in Shrewsbury. John Maffit, the clergyman's rogue, after- ward famous in blockade running, was at the Academy. John L. and Oscar Shafter, sons of Judge Shafter, of Vermont, were also there. Loyal Andrus was loud in his devotions; and John Loundsbury, of Connecticut, is THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 209 remembered for his good sense. Little Sam M. Hewlett afterwards became famous as the temperance orator. No one could forget Brother John Hyer, from Virginia. Among the ladies of the period were Lucinda Crane, of Dal ton, already noticed, sister of Hon. Z. M. and James B. Crane, and later Mrs. Dr. Weston ; Miss Good- win, true, sincere and devout; Hannah E. Merrill, daughter of Rev. J. A. Merrill, and later wife of Rev. Henry E. Hempstead; Elizabeth Arnold, a chaste, seraphic spirit, who became the wife of the Rev. Samuel Estey and, after his death, of Rev. Horace Moulton ; and Margaret Carson, of Dalton, who became Mrs. Parker, of Newburg, N.Y. Thomas Bowman, who is now the venerable and beloved senior bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church was at the Academy for a brief period in 1832. Franklin Fisk, noticed later on in our narrative, began back in Foster's time. Sidera Chase came in also at the same period. Elizabeth Henderson, a good scholar and an attractive young lady, became the first wife of Dr. Miner Raymond, and thus spent a large part of her life at Wilbraham, where she was highly appreciated by the citizens as well as those connected with the school. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 211 periofc n. 4. QLtye &bmini0tration of llje Heo. ?Uaoib fatten, Rev. DAVID PATTEN, D.D. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 213 CHAPTER XXIV. THE RETURN OP PEACE AND PROSPERITY TO THE ACADEMY UNDER DAVID PATTEN, JR. 1834. AT the annual meeting of the trustees, in 1834, the Rev. David Patten, a choice young man, a favor- ite of Dr. Fisk, and a former student in the school, was elected principal. He was born in Boston, October 15, 1810, and died there March 26, 1879. Reared in a beautiful Methodist home, he was early associated with the services of the church, and enjoyed the best advantages of training in the primary and intermediate departments in the city schools, graduat- ing with honor from the English High School. To com- plete his preparation for college, he spent some time in Wilbraham. In modesty, industry and judgment he was a model, admired by both teachers and pupils. In the boarding house, he had the favorite room on the second floor. Even then, he was recognized as the born and accomplished gentleman. For one of his years, he was remarkably well read in literature and history ; he had been a student from the cradle. He 214 HISTORY Of wrote elegant compositions and occasionally courted the Muses with success. The religious convictions which had continued with him from the cradle, culminated in conversion during the great revival in 1828, and his young life was happily moulded under the influence of Dr. Fisk. The story of his conversion was charmingly told by himself in one of those marvelous prayer ser- vices. The glimmer of light, as the dawn which broke upon the storm-tossed voyager, had brightened to per- fect day, the peace of God. In 1830, he entered the Wesleyan University with ample preparation, and graduated in 1834 as valedicto- rian. His selection to fill the important and difficult place at Wilbraham indicated the estimation in which his talents and qualifications were held by Dr. Fisk, a good judge of men, who enjoyed the advantages of long and intimate acquaintance with the young princi- pal. Although an untried man, his friends felt sure of his success. He had always moved in the best society. He possessed great harmony of character. In temper and manners he was agreeable, and would be sure to attract people to him. Such qualifications could not fail of success. As associates in the work of instruction, Mr. Patten had an admirable corps of teachers. There was " Brother Mitchell," with his usual good humor and enthusiasm, in the department of natural science. Miner Raymond was yet in the English branches, assisted by Loren Wood. Sabura Stocking instructed in the classics ; John Roper, a recent graduate of Wes- leyan University, took the chair of mathematics. Most of these came over from the former administra- THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 215 tion. John Roper was a new recruit. Born in York- shire, June 6, 1813, he early came to America, and after the preparatory studies, entered Wesley an, gradu- ating in 1883, as one of the first class of six, and then he was only twenty years old. Even then, he was a mature man modest, genial, but self-reliant and thorough in his knowledge and methods of teaching. Without apparent enthusiasm, he was intense and steady in devotion to his work. He saw truth in a clear, dry light. Catharine Hyde, a native of Wilbra- ham, a graduate of the Academy and a young lady of singular excellence and beauty of character, was chosen preceptress. With ample intellectual furnishing, she was endowed with goodness, and her life shone as a clear light among all associated with her. As a teacher, she was clear and enthusiastic, inspiring her pupils with the desire for the best things in this as well as the other life. John W. Hardy, the genius of econ- omy and the man of severe and iron will, remained as " the Resident Agent," to plague the young principal. Under his rule, "the dingbat," or solid bread of the old boarding house, came into great ill repute; and some said he could squeeze more out of a copper penny than most men could extract from a dollar. He believed in things that paid and had little faith in what did not pay. In the presence of such a living irritant, David Patten remained as placid as the silver lake. The fall term had been announced to open on the first Monday in September ; but the religious interest, centered in a camp meeting held in the grove east of the Academy, occasioned a delay of one week. The meet- 216 HISTORY OF ing was largely attended, and the interest pervaded the school during the whole term. Reuben Ransom, the village preacher, aided greatly in the work by his ser- mons, social services and personal efforts. As a result, many students as well as citizens were led to accept the Lord Jesus as a personal Savior. Brother Ransom was born in Rome, N.Y., June 11, 1794, and died at Grand Paris, Ind., in 1845. Though not a great, he was a good preacher, and the odor of his virtues long remained in the atmosphere about Wilbraham. Some thought " the glory of the man " was the woman whom the Lord had given to be with him, to aid in dressing and keeping the garden. On the second Monday in September, amid the fer- vors of the revival and the natural beauties of the summer which overspread the landscape, the school came together in the east hall, and David Patten, Jr., with an elastic step and in the most graceful manner, mounted the platform, and by opening the fall term, began his gracious reign at Wilbraham. The day was fine. The attendance was encouraging. The prospect inspired the best hopes for the future of the school as well as of the young man who had come to take charge of the institution. To the place itself, he was no stranger. There he had studied. There, too, lie had found the delightful companionship of many who had gone forth into the great harvest field. Above all, it was there he had taken upon him the vows of a higher service to last through life. With a brief glance at this interesting past, and a look forward into the mys- terious future opening before them, with suitable coun- sels and admonitions, he and his associates plunged into THE WESLEfAN ACADEMY. 217 the work of the term, determined, whatever might be the result, to devote to the duties of the place their very best energies. In pursuance of this high purpose, difficulties disappeared. The old troubles once at an end, the school rilled with pupils, and a measure of prosper- ity, beyond anything known under Dr. Fisk, attended the institution. In 1834, the numbers in attendance, by aggregate of terms, was 760, an advance of 214 on the preceding year. In 1835, the number fell to 716, but the next year a tidal wave took it up to 864, and in 1837 to 934, the high water mark of his administration. During the seven years Mr. Patten was in charge, a large amount of faithful work was performed, but most of it in a quiet and orderly manner: a sort of rou- tine, which affords few incidents adapted to garnish an historical outline. The new principal took no stock in educational novelties, crazes and cheap reforms. Satis- fied to do one thing, and fully believing there was no short cut to the kingdom of knowledge, he held to the beaten path. In his view, the only effectual means of making scholars was honest, persistent effort. The institution store was sold ; the plan for giving instruc- tion in mechanics and agriculture was totally aban- doned ; the mechanic shop was transformed into a laboratory, and the farming was relegated to the steward, who was usually a practical farmer. 1835. In 1835, the trustees, encouraged by the large attend- ance, raised the principal's salary from $400 to $500 per annum. The preachers, too, who had contributed or should contribute to the funds of the Academy, to 218 HISTORY Of the amount of twenty-five dollars, were to have fifteen per cent deducted from the tuition bills of pupils they might send. This small favor was a recognition of the valuable services the preachers had rendered the institu- tion. In the New England boarding schools of the time very slight provision was made for music; hence it is not strange that Dr. Fisk made no provision for instru- mental music. The demand had not arisen in the patronizing territory. No students came asking for instruction in that department. The music department was of slow growth. Mrs. Potter, a friend of the prin- cipal, who went to Wilbraham to educate her children, began to teach music. Hannah Potter, the daughter, became proficient in music, and was, this year, for the first time, placed in charge of the music department. The position was at first of little value. Nothing was organized. There were no pupils. The whole matter was an aspiration rather than a reality. Miss Potter had little more than the honor of being appointed the first teacher of instrumental music at the Wesleyan Academy. But, like the true teacher, she delighted to try, and was inspired with the hope of ultimate success. In this tentative form, the music department was hardly so much a part of the Academy as a private attachment, run as an experiment by the instructor. The first thing to be done was to obtain an instrument. There was but one piano in town, and that too poor to use. The institution was not yet rich enough to buy one, a situation certainly not very favorable for entering upon a course of musical instruction. Unable to pur- chase, Miss Potter was fortunate enough to hire a small instrument, a sort of pocket-edition piano, of WESLEYAtf ACADEMY. 219 Mrs. Dr. Frost, of Springfield, on which were thumped out, in the parlor of the old boarding house, the first notes of music in the curriculum of the Academy. In possession of an instrument, the next need was of pupils. The response was slow. The first to come was Miss Emeline R. Moody (later Mrs. Sterling). For a season she was the solitary pupil ; but, in course of time, another and another responded to the call. Miss Potter continued but a single year, and was succeeded by Miss Sperry and others. In 1836, the institution purchased an instrument, and from that date has given attention to instrumental music. 1836. At the annnal meeting of the board of trustees, August 16, 1836, the Hon. Abel Bliss, who had served as secretary from the organization, resigned the office, with the thanks of his associates for the able and satis- factory manner in which he had discharged its duties. The record he left, in his own hand, is extended, accu- rate, full and neat, serving as a brief running history of the institution through several of its earlier years. At the same meeting John M. Merrick was elected a member of the board and made its secretary. Rev. J. A. Merrill was chosen treasurer. In place of Sabura Stocking, Harvey B. Lane, a son of George Lane, born January 10, 1813, was chosen. After a single year of service, he became a professor at Wesleyan University, where he remained for his life work. The wife of Professor Lane was Maria, sister of Hannah Potter, the first music teacher at the Academy. In 1835, the Rev. James Porter was pastor of the 220 HISTORY Of village church. The remarkable feature in his pastor- ate was the great revival of that year. Not less than 100 students were converted, and a very large number was added to the membership of the local church. Some of the conversions were quite remarkable. Wil- liam C. Pierce, a prominent student and afterwards a leading minister in one of the Ohio Conferences, was one of these. At first a skeptic, he caine at length to be a sincere inquirer. How to find favor with God he did not know. It was at length proposed by his friends that he should go to the church and offer him- self as a seeker. To this he did not accede. But at the close of the evening sermon he rose, and laying off his overcoat, said : " Fellow students, I have been thinking of the subject of religion and have concluded it is true and good and my duty to seek it. I intend to begin to-night, and I invite you all to go to the altar with me and try to find it." The effect was electrical. The descent of an angel would not have astonished them more than that speech; and such a rush to the altar has seldom been seen. The work broke out at once in great power ; and Pierce, who was a magnetic speaker and a favorite with the students, became a great worker in the meetings. JOHN M. MERRICK. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 221 CHAPTER XXV. THE TURN IN THE TIDE OF PROSPERITY OF THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY ABOUT 1837. 1836. AT the annual meeting of the board of trustees in 1836, Heman Bangs, John L. Smith and William S. Smith, who had served for brief terms, resigned. To fill the places thus vacated, Bartholomew Otheman, Joel M. Lyman and John M. Merrick were chosen. Joel M. Lyman, a substantial farmer of Wilbraham, who as a local member was able to perform much val- uable service for the institution, was born in Wilbra- ham, April 17, 1796, and died there May 26, 1857. He served most of the time on the prudential committee. John M. Merrick, whose long-continued and valuable services in the board give him a high place of honor, was born in Wilbraham, May 9, 1810, and died there April 30, 1892. He was reared in the family of John Bliss, to whom his early-widowed mother had been united in marriage ; and, at his majority, came in pos- session of the substantial property left by his father. 222 HISTORY OF From a very early day he was, as it were,, an essential part of the institution, for whose interests he so con- stantly and faithfully cared. He was a trustee from 1836, and from 1836 to 1842 he was secretary, and then again from 1853 to 1858. From 1842 to 1861 he was treasurer of the board. From 1850 to 1852, and again from 1856 to 1861, he was steward. In 1826, he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he remained to the end an honored member. In 1835 he was chosen a trustee of the church, and often served as steward and as leader of the choir. He was one of the committee to build the church in 1834, and also the new Memorial Church in 1870. In the town as well as the church, he was held in honor. He was town clerk in 1840-2, and again 1863-5. For thirty years he was justice of the peace, and in 1866 was a representa- tive in the Legislature. In all these varied relations which he sustained, Mr. Merrick merited and received the favor of his fellow citizens. He came down into the vale of years as one of the most honored and substantial men of the town. In 1886, on the fiftieth anniversary of his election as a trustee of the Academy, the other members of the board gave him a reception and presented to him a fine portrait of himself. The presentation speech was made by Dr. William Rice, the president of the board. The occasion was a delightful one and gratifying to Mr. Merrick, as evidencing the high appreciation of his services by his fellow members. Isaac T. Goodnow, who now first appears as a teacher, was born in Whitingham, Vt., January 17, 1814, and struggled to obtain an education. He was a Prof. I. T. GOODNOW. Prof. JOHN H. TWOMBLY. THE WEtiLEYAN ACADEMY. 223 clerk in Vermont and later in Coleraine, where he joined the Methodist Church in 1832, and became deeply interested in education. Joining Ichabod and Thomas Marcy, he walked sixty miles to reach the school, where he remained as student and teacher for more than twenty years. For several years, he studied at the Academy in the summer, and during the winter taught school to defray his expenses in the summer. His aptness at teaching opened the way for the use of his services, first in the department of English and later in that of natural science. Goodnow was tall, slender, with light complexion and hair. His fresh countenance had a flush of crimson, especially when excited. In spite of his frail appear- ance, his physical nature was elastic and he was capable of great endurance. He was a great pedestrian, often going on foot to Springfield and back, a distance of ten miles each way. He was an enthusiastic Graham- ite, denouncing in his physiology class, "hot ding- bats," fresh bread, the fine wheaten loaf, and all the meats, especially " hog," fit only to be eaten by people with brass stomachs. But, in the face of all this good instruction and advice, the students indulged in the hot bread and steak without stint. However excellent the gospel of Grahamism, very few students possessed the self-denial requisite to observe its precepts. But, by the enthusiasm of Goodnow, physiology became in- stalled as a regular study in the Academy. As we have seen, the attendance in 1837 touched the highest point, viz. : 934 by aggregate of terms ; and from this high mark the numbers steadily declined for ten years. The causes of the rapid growth of the Academy 224 HISTORY OF are found in the excellence and cheapness of the school, The opening met a want of the section, and the rush to the new institution was a surprise to all parties. The decline in numbers has been thought less expli- cable. The principal and teachers remained popular, never more so. The instruction was thorough, the management judicious and the general interest was never better. In spite of all this, the decline went on. The change came from without, not from within. The institution retained its former excellence ; but it was operating under new conditions. There were several causes of this decline worthy of note. First, the hard times of 1837. The shock in the business world was severe and widespread. In every part of the land, many great houses went down, or were so damaged as to cause a check to business. In many instances, the rich became poor, and the poor found their scanty incomes greatly diminished. A financial disturbance, so severe and widespread, could not fail to affect unfavorably the patronage of the Academy. Secondly, The slavery agitation occasioned the with- drawal of the patronage from the South. This reformatory cyclone, arising as early as 1830, had now attained great intensity and violence. The advocacy was positive and earnest, the opposition powerful and bitter. The social atmosphere was in an inflammable condition. No department of society was exempt from the agitation ; the state, the church, the family, the neighborhood felt the touch of reform. Of course, the discussion invaded the Academy. Trustees, teachers and students were stirred by the new impulse, either THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 225 favorably or unfavorably. The young men caught it up in the debating club ; they made the negro and his wrongs the subjects of composition ; they thrust incen- diary papers into the reading room. Abolition was the one topic sure to strike fire. In the running debate, which continued through several years, the warm and generous Southrons were constant participants, as often in favor of abolition as against it. With the boys it was hardly yet a conviction: it was an impulse, resulting from the agitated state of the social atmosphere. Meantime, a majority of the trustees and teachers, if not in sympathy with the peculiar institution, feared the influence the continued agitation might exert on the school. To moderate public feeling, the trustees declared it "altogether uncalled for, inexpedient and injurious to have introduced into the public exhibitions and performances of the Wesleyan Academy, any of the exciting party subjects of the day. The board, therefore, request and instruct the principal to prevent the introduction of any such topics on such occasions, and, as far as possible, to prevent the agitation of any such subjects among the students." The resolution reminds us of Madame Partington's broom. They could make no headway against a sea which was breaking over the continent. Despite resolves and precautions, the waves rolled over trustees and faculty. The stoutest opposers of to-day became the leaders of reform to-morrow. The Reading Room Society took the bits in its teeth, and rushed ahead on lines deemed objectionable to trustees and teachers. The reform, once in the majority, determined, in the 226 . HISTORY OF exercise of a sort of State rights, to introduce the most objectionable and inflammable documents. The read- ing room was a little institution of their own, and they proposed to run it independent of trustees and faculty. All they asked was to be let alone in their glory. To bring them to a better mind, " the trustees authorize the society so to amend their constitution as to prohibit the introduction of any periodicals until paid for in advance ; and, also, that no periodical shall be taken in the reading room, the moral character of which is objected to by a majority of the faculty and resident trustees." They had already forbidden the society to modify its rules without the approval of the authorities. But these defensive measures were of no avail. In one form or another, the debate went on. A leader in these movements was son of an influential trustee.* For posting a notice on the premises, of an anti-slavery meeting, he was called before the faculty, and Miner Raymond, then a rising teacher and later principal of the Academy, and, also, later a flaming abolitionist, thought the young culprit ought to be expelled. But he was not expelled, nor even silenced on the matter in controversy. The debate went on with increasing, intensity, until the ideas of New England on personal liberty obtained complete sway in the institution, and Southern patronage was, as a matter of course, entirely withdrawn. Thirdly. The founding of rival institutions, in the patronizing territory, was another potent cause of decline. At the beginning, the Wesleyan Academy ha.il # William Bice, Jr., now Rev, Dr. Rice, of Springfield, Rev. WILLIAM RICE, D.Di THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 227 no rival in the Methodist Church. Students came from every part of the land. But the very success at Wilbraham stimulated the friends of education in other parts of the church to secure similar foundations, thus narrowing the field of the Academy at Wilbraham to New England, then to Massachusetts, and finally to the western part of the State. New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and Rhode Island planted schools of their own, thus excluding the old Academy from their territory. Other denominations, also, planted around the Wesleyan Academy Monson, Westfield, Suffield, Easthampton, Amherst and others. This would natu- rally diminish the attendance of non-Methodist stu- dents, of which there has been from the first a large number, rising often as high as one third. In spite of these rival institutions, however, large numbers of out- side students are still attracted to Wilbraham by its reasonable rates and thorough methods. But with so much of its territory cut away, there was but one way open to the Academy. The narrow field must be ploughed deeper, and more carefully cultivated. The harvest which had come from a hundred acres, must now be gathered from ten. This deeper culture required time. Some years must elapse before the institution could rise to its old record of numbers. Fourthly. But the grand cause of decline is found in the reorganization of the public school system under Horace Mann. The State, by undertaking what these institutions had been doing to promote higher educa- tion among the people, became the most formidable rival of the academies. In the high school the people have the academy at their doors, which is, of course, 228 HISTORY OF the best arrangement, especially for the poor. Their children can enjoy the advantages of the best instruc- tion in the high school even when unable to attend an academy. The public school must always be the school of the people, extending, as it does, its advan- tages to all classes on the easiest terms. The old sys- tem in Massachusetts was rudimentary, taking the pupils little beyond the four R's. The attempt of Horace Mann was to enlarge and perfect the system, so as to take the pupil on to the college, thus filling the space between the primary school and the college, which had been occupied by the academy. The high school narrows the field from which the academy can draw patronage. The spirit of this great reform became incarnate in Horace Mann, in whom broad intelligence was com- bined with profound moral and humanitarian instincts and convictions. This eminent philanthropist and edu- cational reformer was born in Franklin, Mass., May 4, 1796, and died in Ohio, August 2, 1859. The theme of his oration on graduating at Brown, in 1819, gave the key-note of his life work the Progressive Character of the Human Race. He studied law, and was elected to the Legislature, from Dedham, in 1827. Removing to Boston, in 1829, he was elected to the Senate, of which -body he was chosen president for 1836 and 1837. He afterwards went to Congress, and during his last years was President of Antioch College. But his best work was in the fields of education and philanthropy. As a legislator, he aimed at humanita- rian rather than mere industrial and economic improve- ment: he wished to improve the man, as 'well as his THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 229 conditions. And in securing the moral improvement of man, he assigned a very high place to education. "Its function is to call out from within all that was divinely placed there, in the proportion requisite to make a noble being," reminds us of Milton's grand passage, on the same subject, where he would employ education as an instrument for repairing the ruin occa- sioned by the fall of man. It was natural that the friends of education in Massachusetts should turn to this man, as the natural leader in the reorganization of the educational system of the State. As no other man of the time, he realized the defects of the existing system, and understood the true "remedy. He felt that no patchwork would do: the system must be reorganized entire ; a work which the legislature, under his inspiration and leadership, took in hand. On the 29th of June, 1837, the Massa- chusetts Board of Education was organized, and Horace Mann, the real originator, was chosen the first secretary. Leaving all other business, he devoted him- self to the work of improving the quality and elevat- ing the standard of education in his native State. For the time, this was his one work. The toil of years was not in vain. He not only gave Massachusetts a better system: he communicated a powerful impulse to the cause of education throughout the Republic. The Massachusetts system has been the model on which other States have moulded their educational institutions. Under the new regime, normal schools were founded; the schools were graded, registers were to be kept, and in towns of 3,000 inhabitants high schools were to be maintained. In a word, under the magic touch of sts'ronr o> Horace Mann a model system of education was pro- duced, which will forever remain the grandest monu- ment to the genius and wisdom of this great educator. Every town felt the effects of his work. The purpose of these new State provisions was to supersede the academies. If the higher provisions had reached the small towns and villages, the end would have been attained. Here the State failed. The high school could reach only the needs of the large towns. Hence, there still remains a field for the academies. And then, too, some parents prefer to send to the academy. Some students begin late, and would hardly care to enter the high school ; and those preparing for college generally prefer to go to the academy, where this is a specialty. So that from these special sources the academies are still kept full, and are likely to be in the years to come. At the same time, we can see how the academies in Massachusetts labor under new diffi- culties. The field of the Wesleyan Academy has been greatly restricted ; and it is only its marked excel- lencies which enable it to retain large numbers. Miss Miranda Nash was, in 1837, employed as music teacher, at a salary of $200. The salary of the princi- pal was raised from $500 to $550 ; and that of Miner Raymond from $300 to $400, which was considered fairly liberal at the time. Among the students in attendance during David Patten's term, were the following : Margaret Otheman, who became the wife of Abel Stevens, noted as the boy preacher, and later still more widely known as the his- torian of Methodism. Jane C. Sessions, who became Mrs. David P. Robinson, of Blandford. Lucy Stone, THE tfESLEYAN ACADEMY. 231 the well-known advocate of anti-slavery and woman's rights, who married Dr. Black well, was here, as also Julia Avery, an attractive young lady, who became the wife of John Roper, and after his death, the wife of George C. Rand, the famous Boston printer. Abraham Avery, Jr., a member of the great printing firm of Rand, Avery & Co., was a student of this period. John W. Dadmun, a conspicuous student, became a popular preacher in the New England Conference; and Josiah Hayden, of Williamsburg, became a noted local preacher in the Valley. Antoinette C. M. Bliss, daughter of John Bliss and half-sister of John M. Mer- rick, married the Rev. Dr. Spear, of the Methodist Church, South. Caroline L., daughter of William North, of Lowell, a leading student, became the wife of Dr. William Rice, of the New England Conference. 232 HISTORY OF CHAPTER XXVI. THE LATER SERVICES OF DAVID PATTEN, JR., AT THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. THE year 1838, at the Wesleyan Academy, opened under favorable auspices. Though the decline already mentioned had begun, the decrease in numbers was so slight as to be hardly noticeable. The tide was still at flood, and both teachers and students were animated with courage and hope. The trustees applied to the Massachusetts Legislature for the appropriation of some part of the funds provided by the State for the education of teachers. Although it was made to appear that the Academy had sent out "from forty-nine to one hundred teachers for the public schools annually, the application was unsuccessful." It was just at the moment when the State was making preparation to educate the needed number of teachers in its own special schools. The large numbers in attendance made some further provisions for boarding indispensable. For several terms they had been short of room. The boarding house was full; the neighborhood was crowded, and THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 233 still there were those who could not be accommodated. The basement of the Academy had been partitioned into sleeping rooms and still the provision proved inadequate, making it evident to the trustees that nothing short of an addition to the old boarding house, or the building of a new one, would meet the demand. After mature consideration, it was determined to erect a new boarding house for the ladies, on the east side of the street, opposite the principal's house. The building was to be three stories with a basement, eighty-five by twenty-eight feet, and capable of accom- modating eighty students, besides the steward and his family, and the teacher having the general supervision. This commodious and elegant building, for several years filled with boarders, cost, with its furnishing, 85,000. The exact cost of the building itself was 83,808.43. Both houses were crowded with students; but the new house had so far relieved the pressure as to allow the basement to the Academy to be transformed into an assembly room. The religious interest of the year was encouraging. Besides the laborers in con- nection with the school, the Rev. William Livesey, as pastor of the village church, was helpful to every spiritual interest in the community. William H. Buzzell was this year added to the teaching corps. He was employed in the classical department. Born in Portland, Maine, December 4, 1809, he early devoted himself to study, and after passing through the schools of his native city, he entered the Wesleyan University, graduating with high rank in 1838. On leaving college, he entered on his work at Wilbraham, where he remained until 1855, $34 HISTORY OF a period of seventeen years. After leaving the Academy in 1855, he taught in Evansville, Indiana, and in 1871 became a member of the Society of Shakers at Water- vliet, New York, as also the teacher of the children in the family. From 1873 to 1881, he was postmaster of Songea, Livingston County, New York, where he still resides. He married Rebecca Doane, of Orleans, for some time a pupil under him at Wilbraham. She died October 29, 1853, leaving several children. Mr. Buzzell was a short, thick-set man, with dark complexion, hair and eyes. Though reputed to be the best educated man in the institution, being master of seven or eight languages and having a head stuffed to repletion with all sorts of knowledge, he was extremely modest and destitute of personal magnetism ; while in society, in which he mingled very little, he was inept and reticent. As a teacher, he was always thoroughly master of his subject and very familiar with the details of the text-books; but he was less "apt to teach" than some of his associates in the faculty. A ready scholar himself, he could not easily come into rapport with minds struggling up from the beginnings of knowledge, or sympathetically conduct them step by step to com- plete mastery of the subject in hand. Men who easily attain the goal are not always able to comprehend the struggles of minds which work more slowly. Never- theless, Buzzell was a great drill-master, never weary till the idea permeated the brain of the pupil. The drill was heavy. There was no uplift of his classes to a clearer atmosphere, no burst of enthusiasm to take them on to the goal. In spite of these defects, his work was thorough and durable. Though he could SUSAN J. SWIFT (Mrs. Dr. G. M. Steele). EMELINE R. MOODY (Mrs. Sterling), Student. Miss L. M. HODGKINS, Professor in Wellesley College. LYDIA BREWER (Mrs. Dr. E. Noyes Colt), the first student at Wilbraham. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 235 never speak extemporaneously, he would, on occasion, read a graceful paper. Miss Hannah M. Thompson, who now became pre- ceptress and made a remarkable impression on the school, was born in Chester, Vermont, November 25, 1812, and died in Nova Scotia, March 10, 1844. As we have seen, she accompanied her parents to Concord and Wilbraham, where she passed through a full course of instruction, discovering great aptitude for learning and an elegant taste in literature and the fine arts. Under the preaching and influence of Dr. Fisk, she became personally devoted to Christ and a worthy and useful member of the church. With quick, active and vigorous mental faculties, delicate tastes and a love for the beauties of nature, she made rapid advances in study. With a taste for literature and art, she delighted also in the higher branches. Mental and moral as well as natural science were her joy; and, as a recreation, she often went through the problems of algebra and geometry. To a mind ever on the alert, eager to grapple with and master difficulties, no study was accounted hard; the severest tasks served as a pastime. In the Sabbath school, she was a devoted and successful teacher; and at an early date she exhibited taste and skill in the use of the pen, especially in writing for youth. " Procras- tination" and "The Widow's Jewels," which give evidence of beauty and force of expression, had a great run as Sunday school books. They were among the best of the time. In person she was slender and graceful. Modesty and frankness were admirably combined in the ex- HISTORY OF pression of her countenance. In manners, she was elegant and easy, without affectation ; and there was an air of piety and devotion in her conversation. In a word, in her character there was a chaste and beautiful harmony, a combination of virtues and graces which made her life really attractive to those associated with her. To her new task she addressed herself with thought- fulness and courage. " I trust I shall be able to do my duty ; at the same time I feel a very strong inclination to say what that duty is ; and while I think I wish to be led, I am constantly choosing to lead." While courageous in undertaking her work at the Academy she cast a longing look towards the home from which she hoped never to be long separated. With these home longings, she remained resolutely at her post and impressed herself as no preceptress had hitherto been able to do upon the school. Pupils were stirred by her teaching and moulded by her gentle spirit and beautiful example. The memory of her virtues and gracious deeds was cherished in the institu- tion. At the close of the spring term she returned to Boston ; and, on the fourth of October, was joined in marriage with Rev. Humphrey Pickard (now Dr. Pickard), of Sackville, New Brunswick. A beautiful memoir, with selections from her writings, was prepared by Rev. Edward Othemari. Though now out of print, so graceful a volume could be reproduced to advantage. The year 1839, in the Academy, was uneventful. Josiah Hayden of Williamsburg, Mass., and Rev. William Smith were added to the board. of trustees. The former served inconspicuously for four years ; and THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 237 the latter, a member of the New England Conference, who married the daughter of Hon. Abel Bliss, died in Boston, March 30, 1843. His son, Rev. Augustus Smith was a leading member of the Rock River Con- ference. The trustees in memorial resolutions recount the virtues of the deceased and make grateful mention of his services in behalf of the institution. They also extend further favor to the preachers. Instead of making a reduction of tuition bills in favor of their children, they made tuition free to them. One of the great enterprises of the time was the building of the Boston & Albany Railroad, which was completed from Boston to Springfield in 1839. The event was celebrated in Springfield by a mass meet- ing at which Gov. Edward Everett delivered one of his elegant addresses on the material progress of the age. Among the crowds in attendance to witness the marvel and to hear the silver-tongued orator, were the students of the Wesleyan Academy. It was their first ride on the railway, and, as it was free, every lad availed him- self of the opportunity to witness the celebration. In 1838 and 1839, the Rev. William Livesey was pas- tor of the village church. During the latter year, there was a deep religious interest among both citizens and students. The pastor was aided in this good work by the Rev. John Rice and the Rev. Leonidas L. Rosser (later the Rev. Dr. Rosser), and among those converted, at that time, was Gilbert Haven, afterwards so famous as a writer, a radical leader, and a bishop in the Metho- dist Episcopal Church. Prior to this great change in his life-purpose, he trained with the less regulated ele- ments in the school. 23$ MISTOXY OF In 1840, the Board of Trustees elected to their body Professor (afterwards President) Augustus W. Smith, of Middletown, who served the institution for twenty years, thus restoring the intimate connection of the Academy with the college. Dr. Fisk had died in the close of the preceding year, and this new election was designed to fill his place. Judicious in his plans and counsels about the ordinary matters of administration, Dr. Smith was especially serviceable in the selection of teachers, with many of whom he had been familiar in their college course. The year 1840 was marked by great political excite- ment through the country. It was the Harrison year. The air was full of tariff reform. The anti-slavery agi- tation, also, began now to be felt in the North, espe- cially in New England. The patriotism of the school was displayed in the Fourth of July celebration. Ro- land Hitchcock, a prominent student and an ardent Democrat and stump speaker, whose fame filled the church, gave the oration. Washington, Jefferson, the country and liberty, in the fashion of the day were glo- rified. Then came the toasts, responded to by Hemp- stead, Bill, Park, Haskell, Fleming and Anderson. The Republic and the rights of man, of course, were not forgotten. The principal came in for a share of com- mendation. He was toasted as "a gentleman whose acknowledged talents and moral worth have deservedly won for him the confidence of all with whom he is asso- ciated." For several years, these fourth of July celebrations had proved a means of disturbance. If the adherents of one political party were in the lead, those in the other THE WESLEY AN ACADEMI. 239 wing would withdraw and celebrate by themselves in some other place. To prevent the recurrence of these independent divisions on political lines, the trustees determined to close the term during the last days of June, an order which still prevails. The exhibition this year was an unusually brilliant affair. Several talented young men Park, Hemp- stead, Beach, Merrill, Lamberton, Braman, Rice took part. The oration of W. A. Braman on the character of Robert Hall was commended for "beauty of idea, purity of style and for the decided tone of religious sen- timent which pervaded it ; "* and that of William Rice, Jr., the valedictorian, on the Triumphs of Christianity "was a noble effort, the product of a mind strengthened and disciplined by constant, laborious application. Many parts, particularly that in which the future tri- umphs of Christianity were contemplated, were strik- ingly beautiful."* The valedictory addresses, at the close of the oration, " were eloquent and pathetic. The speaker evidently touched the right vein of feeling, and the effect upon those who listened will not soon be for- gotten. There are few scenes, in the history of early life, more painful than the separation from those with whom we have been associated in study. The occasion awakened tender and stirring thoughts and feelings and the delicate themes were touched by the orator with great skill and ability."! The fall term of 1840 was a season of social and reli- gious interest. There was much small roguery in the boarding house, which eluded the search of Bro. Healy, the steward. A stove sometimes tumbled down the * Springfield Gazette, July 29, 1840. t Springfield Gatette, 240 HISTORY OF stairs of the third story, or a calf or pig was found in that high place. In the spring of 1841, the country was startled by the sudden death of President Harrison. A fast was proclaimed by the Vice-President, who then became President. The students were called together in the basement of the Academy and an able discourse was delivered by Miner Raymond, on the strength and per- petuity of a nation, based on Psalms 33: 12: "Blessed is that nation whose God is the Lord." With the spring term of 1841, the services of David Patten, Jr., at the Academy came to an end. He was transferred to the Providence Conference, where he held leading charges and was Presiding Elder on the Providence District. From 1854 to 1866 he was pro- fessor of theology in the Biblical Institute at Concord, N.H. In 1855, he received the title of Doctor of Divinity from his alma mater, and on the removal of the Theological School to Boston, he was chosen Pro- fessor of Homiletics and Pastoral Theology. From 1873 to his death in 1879 he was Registrar of Boston University. He married Maria, daughter of Hon. Laban Marcy of Greenwich, Mass. Children : Charles H., born October 12, 1845 ; Randolph M., born Septem- ber, 1852, died young; Frederick M., born November 19, 1856. He was three times elected to the General Conference and was chosen a member of the committee to revise the Hymn Book and Ritual. The character of this admirable man, so attractive in youth, ripened, as he advanced, into great beauty. "David Patten belonged to an order of nobility, such as no earthly monarch ever created. What gracious THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 241 light was in his countenance I Benevolence, yes ; dig- nity, yes ; gentleness, yes ; but something more than all these. Mr. Alcott has called it solar light. Let us call it the light of the Mount, something of that which radiated from the face of Moses when he came down from talking with God ; something of that which trans- figured the Son of man when the disciples desired three tabernacles, but really wist not what they said. Nature did much for our departed brother, but nature alone never put into any human face the peculiar illumination which shone in his. As I was once walking behind him, a perfect stranger stopped me to inquire who he might be. He excused himself by saying that he never met so strikingly benign and noble a human being without an irrepressible desire to know more of him. Had my questioner encountered one of the gods of the antique world walking among men, he could hardly have displayed a more marked and singular interest. "But along with this rare dignity and loftiness of spirit, there was a gentle simplicity and heartiness which rendered it impossible for us to feel that he stood above and apart from us, a cold and beautiful statue upon a lofty pedestal. Men who knew him forgot that they were not like him. Better than that, his genial sympa- thies were so gently strong and steady that, uncon- sciously, associates came to resemble him more and more. Withal there was ever a coy sprightliness of mind, a quaint, quiet humor in thought and speech which often reminded us of Addison or Chesterfield. To the hour of his last sickness, he kept so fresh and youthful that it would have occasioned a shock 242 HISTORY OF in the youngest of us to have called him Father Patten."* This rare human life faded into a glow of golden sunset. Oppressed by the weight of disease and wearied by the long day of toil, he reposed confidingly as a child on the bosom of infinite love. "I lie in the arms of a loving Savior ;" he said, " and He keeps me safe." As he gazed upward, he suddenly asked, "Is that the procession of the angels I see, coming to gather the elect? I hope I am one." The vision was repeated and he was borne upward by the heavenly convoy in the chariot of flame. *JPrea. W. F. Warren. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 243 Iperiob 11. 5. l)e Qlbministration of tlje Het). Charles ^i.in. 1841-1845. Rev. CHARLES ADAMS, D.D. WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 245 CHAPTER XXVII. THE SERVICES AND ASSOCIATES OF REV. CHARLES ADAMS, A.M., AT THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. THE Rev. Charles Adams, A.M., Principal of the Wesleyan Academy, from 1841 to 1845, was born in Stratham, N.H., in 1808. He was educated, as we have seen, at Newmarket, Wilbraham and at Bowdoin College. To pay his way through academy and college, he was in the habit of teaching during the winter. In those early days he was active in the social meetings. He was invariably brief, his prayers rarely exceeded in length the Lord's prayer, and his remarks were not much longer. The devout spirit exhibited at Wilbraham, was maintained in college. Graduating, with high standing, in 1833, he was chosen principal of the Seminary at Newbury, Vt., where he presided with great acceptance and suc- cess for five years. He was constant in the work of teaching and in endeavors to create in the students a deeper love of study. At the close of the five years, he returned to the pastoral work and was stationed at Lynn Common, where he hoped to remain his full term of two years. But this was not so to be. The resignation of 246 HISTORY OP David Patten opened a place at Wilbraham, which the trustees insisted on his filling. Though reluctant to abandon the pastorate and engage again in teaching, he yielded to the importunity of his friends and accepted the position in the Wesleyan Academy. Mr. Adams had the misfortune to come in on the receding tide. The numbers, as we have seen, had been steadily though slowly declining from 1837. The fact was patent, though neither the cause nor the strength of the outgoing current was fully understood at the time. The new principal had youth, courage and vigor, which, it was hoped, would overcome the difficulty and bring back the former prosperity. The fall term was opened by an address which was received with much favor by the teachers and students. He treated the general aspects of education, physical, mental and moral, and then enlarged upon the needed surroundings of the student. We should have good buildings, and rooms pleasantly arranged and orna- mented. The grounds, too, were to be neatly kept. The new principal believed in the supremacy of law ; and the law once on the statute book should be enforced in a stringent manner. But the rule some- times came in to trouble its inventor. The rule forbade the sexes to ride or walk together. A leading student was invited to the marriage of a former one. Permis- sion was asked. But there was the ugly rule, which the principal felt it incumbent to violate by allowing the favorite to take his "opposite." As associates in the board of instruction, Mr. Adams had John Roper, William H. Buzzell, Isaac T. Good- now, Robert Allyn and Charles F. Stockwell. The last THE WESLETAN ACADEMY. 247 named was at the time an undergraduate at Wesleyan University. He was an earnest, warm-hearted young man, who remained but part of a year, graduating in 1843, he entered the Michigan Conference, but later studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1847. In v 1850 he was lost on the voyage to California. His only child, Madalan Louisa, who married C. K. Turner, was the first lady admitted to Michigan University. Miss Clarissa F. Abbott, a young lady of many accomplishments, was chosen to the position of precep- tress and teacher of the ornamental branches. Miss Nancy H. Goldsbury was teacher of music. During his first year at Wilbraham, the principal supplied the village pulpit. The religious interest dur- ing the latter part of the year was good, resulting in the conversion of a number of souls. The sermons of the preacher contributed to this result; but the labors of some of the students, especially those of Reuben, H. Loomis, were still more important. Loomis was really the missionary of the school. He was not only efficient in the prayer services, he did a great amount of personal work among the students himself and stirred up others to like exertions. In an important sense, this was a students' revival. Others, indeed, cooperated ; the main work was done by a corps of students. To Loomis, Wilbraham was ever a dear place the best in which to enjoy religion and the most open field for work in the Master's service. It was in these meetings that Daniel Steele was brought into the light. In 1842, Abraham Avery, one of the original trustees, resigned, and Miner Raymond and Roderick S. Merrick were elected trustees. The latter, a brother of Dr. 248 * HISTORY OP Frederick Merrick, was born in Wilbraham, January 2, 1808, and died there March 28, 18-33. He was a sub- stantial and valuable citizen, a member of the Meth- odist Church, and an efficient helper in the Board of Trustees. William Healy, Jr., of Southbridge, who came in as steward in 1838, under Patten, closed this year. A good house and farm manager, he was liked by both students and trustees. Though a Congrega- tionalist, he labored faithfully for the interests of the institution. The students were sometimes troublesome, but the steward's eye was on them. In one instance, Henry E. Hempstead, with others, was involved. The others left the school before discovery. The principal required Hempstead to make confession before the church. In complying, he stood up and read an extended paper in a clear, full voice, without the least indication of shame or penitence. It was really the coolest and most defiant confession ever heard, but it was accepted. Reuben Palmer, of Springfield, a man of good heart and purpose, though not adapted to fight with beasts at Ephesus, was chosen steward. He served but one year. Both he and his excellent wife were highly esteemed at the institution; but four salaries would not have tempted him to go through the labor and worry again. Of Howe, who followed him, we have no knowledge. The academic year was again divided into four, instead of three terms. The great Advent camp meet- ing held at Chicopee was attended by many students. The same autumn, a company walked to Springfield to hear John Quincy Adams, in Dr. Osgood's church. Instead of dipping into politics, then very heated, he WESLE7AN ACADEMY. 249 Spoke on science, philosophy and religion. The Whig State Convention drew another crowd to Springfield to hear Rufus Choate, who took occasion to denounce a young anti-slavery fanatic of Boston. At the Academy his name had never been heard before ; it has never ceased to be heard since. It was Charles Sumner. The speech of Choate was a tornado of eloquence, with thunder and lightning, which the boys greatly enjoyed. In 1843, the teaching corps was reenforced by the election of Rev. John H. Twombly to the department of mathematics. He was tall, loosely built and awk- ward in his movements, but an admirable teacher enthusiastic, thorough and helpful to the pupil. He knew, even then, how to deal with the young and was, during his term, a power for good in the school. At the close of his work at the Wesleyan Academy, he entered the pastorate, and has served many of our lead- ing churches. His suggestions and efforts have been helpful in organizing the young in the Methodist Church. In education, he has taken a deep and perma- nent interest. He was one of the overseers of Harvard, was President of the State University of Wisconsin, and a trustee of Boston University for several years. This year, also, Miss Emeline B. Jenkins, a graduate of the Academy, and an estimable young lady every way qualified for the position, was chosen preceptress. During her two years of service in this place, she became greatly endeared to both students and citizens. She was a model woman. Above the medium size, symmetrical in build, with a fair, open countenance and large, benevolent eyes. She made a most pleasing im- pression upon all favored with her acquaintance. At 250 HISTORY Of their annual meeting, the trustees also chose Charles Adams and Phineas Crandall members of the board. Phineas Crandall was born in Montville, Ct., Septem- ber 13, 1793, and died in Moosup, Ct., November 5, 1878. He was a member of the New England Confer- ence, filling important charges and serving for several terms in the office of Presiding Elder. He remained a member of the board until 1868, for most of the time he was too far from the institution to give much attention to the details of business. He was retained mostly for his wisdom in counsel and influence in the Conference. In 1844, Mr. Adams offered his resignation; but, at the earnest request of the board, he withdrew. At the close of the year, he determined to return to the pastor- ate, and his resignation was final. In accepting it, the trustees express their regrets at his departure and their grateful acknowledgments for his 'faithful service in the school. On retiring from the Academy, he be- came pastor of Bromfield Street, Boston, and in 1847 he was induced to take the chair of Hebrew and Greek in the Biblical Institute. Two years later, he returned to the pastorate, serving at Lowell and Cambridge. In 1853, he was transferred to the Genesee Conference, and from 1855 to 1858 he was in the Cincinnati Conference. From 1858 to 1868, he was President of the Illinois Female College, and thereafter he held a clerkship in the Dead Letter Office in Washington. He followed the example of Dr. Emmons in retiring from the pulpit, " while he had sense enough to do so," observing the rule better than Emmons himself, who thought he had sense enough to preach when he had advanced into the eighties. Adams retired at sixty. THE WESLEVAX AVADEto*. 251 The decline in the number of students at the Academy continued through the entire term of Mr. Adams. The period was one of transition ; the condi- tions under which the institution had been founded were disappearing ; other conditions, under which it was to exist in the future, were taking their place. The decline came, as we have seen, from without rather than from within. The conditions, rather than the adminis- tration, were working to the disadvantage of the school. The most popular principal could not have reversed the tendency ; time and the coming in of new forces alone could control it. In person, Charles Adams was short and thick-set, with dark eyes, hair and beard, cut short. In later life, his beard was worn long, giving him a patriarchal appearance. In manner, he was active and energetic ; never quite easy and graceful in social intercourse. The stiffness of youth never became flexible under the culture of later life. By sheer resolution and persist- ence, he made the most possible of moderate natural endowments, enabling a man of second-rate capacities to do the work of a first-rate man. As a manager of schools, he gave himself thoroughly and earnestly to the work. Besides the care of the institution, he gave large attention to the details of teaching, not only in the departments of mental and moral science, which were usually attached to the chair of the principal, but also in those of the ancient lan- guages, literature and rhetoric. In all these lines, he was a great drill master, bringing to his work energy, intensity, enthusiasm, instructing with the eye, the voice, the attitude and movement of the body. Even ZoZ HISTORY OF now, after the lapse of forty years, we can hear his clear and resonant voice ringing out in the Greek class as he takes them through the declensions and conjugations without once tripping even in the minutest details. No one who had the good fortune to be in his classes can ever forget how he rushed upon his work, awaken- ing attention and rousing to action every mind in the class. Loomis claimed that he once picked him up on a Greek perfect: it is the only instance we ever heard of. He was not a man to be picked up : he used to pick others up. The thoroughness in his classes usually gave those entering college a place in the front rank. Perhaps no principal of the Academy ever did so much and so good teaching as Charles Adams. He was unwearied in his exertions and interest, not only in communicating the quota of knowledge, but in awaken- ing an interest in the pupil and in stimulating the mental and moral faculties, and leading the student in those courses best adapted to make of him a scholar and a citizen. To this end, also, he read many lectures to the students on a great variety of subjects, adapted to stimulate the mind and guide the life. Dr. Adams revived the old theological class organized by Dr. Fisk. Among those in the class to whom he delivered lectures were: Carlos Banning, L. B. Clark, Silas Piper, W. F. Loomis, H. M. Nichols, D. H. Sher- man, James M. Wooster, and John F. Sheffield. In addition to the intellectual training, they engaged in practical religious work. On each Saturday they met with Freeman Nutting, the pastor of the village church to arrange a plan of service for the week. Besides the instructions of the principal, the class was addressed THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 253 from time to time by ministers from abroad, including Dr. Dempster, who afterwards founded the Biblical Institute at Concord. As a preacher, Dr. Adams held a high rank in his Conference. On great occasions, when he put forth his strength, he was able to make a strong impression ; but his sermons were not uniform. In the course of a pas- torate, he preached some exhibiting great ability, some also which were quite ordinary. Many of his sermons at Wilbraham were adapted to the condition and needs of students. Dr. Adams, who took a prominent part in the anti-slavery debate of the time, was honored with a seat in the General Conferences of 1844 and 1848. He was also known as an author. "The Women of the Bible," " Evangelism," and " Words which Shook the World," were the titles of his leading books. Conspicuous students under Charles Adams were Henry Baylies, who became preacher and lawyer; Valorus Taft, a leading politician in Massachusetts for many years; Oliver Marcy; John W. H., Hannah W. and Elizabeth D. Hawkins, the children of John Hawkins, the distinguished temperance reformer, Reuben H. Loomis, and Mathew Willard. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY, 255 perfofc 1T1K 6. STlje &bminislrati0tt of ttye fteo. Robert 21. iH., at tl)e tDeslegan Rev. ROBERT ALLYN, D.D. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 257 CHAPTER XXVni. THE SERVICES AND ASSOCIATES OF THE REV. ROBEBT ALLYN, A. M., AT THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. ON the resignation of Charles Adams, Miner Ray. mond was unanimously elected principal of the Wesleyan Academy. But, as he preferred to remain in the pastorate, for which he possessed eminent gifts and qualifications, the honor was declined. To fill the position, the Board selected three individuals, all emi- nent teachers and former students of the Academy, from whom the committee on teachers was authorized to secure a principal. The three were Osmon C. Baker, Edward Otheman and Robert Allyn. The first two declined the honor, leaving only the last on the list, who happily accepted the position and became the sixth principal of the Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham. Robert Allyn, a fine scholar, an enthusiastic teacher, and an earnest worker in the general field of education, was born in Ledyard, Ct., January 25, 1817. He pre- pared for college at the Wesleyan Academy, boarding for a part of the time with Calvin Brewer, who was decidedly interested in the young student. There he 258 HISTORY OF made many pleasant acquaintances, among them Joseph, Emeline and Ellen Dennison, Isaac T. Goodnow, Isaac Jennison, Jr., who became his room-mate at college, David P. Robinson, Clark Coolidge, William A. Bra- man, Richard S. Rust, William C. Pierce, Bradford K. Pierce, John Holt, Lucy Upham, William Bardwell and Jane Taylor. Entering the Wesleyan University in 1837, he grad- uated in 1841 with such men as George Landon, Isaac A. Savage, L. R. Thayer, D. P. Robinson and B. K. Pierce. It is much to say that he stood high in such a class. Though easy to learn, he was, through his entire course, a diligent and earnest student. Besides the class studies, he gave much attention, while in college, to English literature. On leaving college he returned to Wilbraham as a teacher of the ancient languages and mathematics. In his Virgil class were Gilbert Haven, Henry Baylies, R. H. Loomis, Smith Tuttle, Oliver Marcy, Samuel F. Beach, Caleb P. Wickersham and others. Haven was the rapid reader, who hardly needed to open a book to learn what was inside. If he had neglected the lesson, he could usually pick up enough of the story, as the recitation proceeded, to pass muster. Mr. Allyn was an admirable teacher, familiar with the details of the text-books and the best methods of instruction : he knew very well how to start the young mind in its investigations as well as to awaken and maintain enthusiasm in his classes. He held sway less by authority than by love. The thirst for knowl- edge led the student to accompany the teacher in the path opening so delightfully before him. Those who THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 259 had the pleasure of sitting in his classes will never for- get his genial temper or his helpful words. He was sol- icitous to so train his pupils as to make the most of them. In personal appearance Mr. Allyn was tall, loosely put together, a trifle awkward in movement, with light complexion and slight touches of beard, hardly suffi- cient to allow side whiskers. In conversation, though without the utmost ease, he was ready and intelligent, opening up fresh lines in an interesting way, and keep- ing in constant touch with the other party. He knew how to hear as well as to speak. After a couple of years at Wilbraham, he entered the pastorate in the Providence Conference, only to be called back, as we have seen, at the end of the two years. The term at the Academy opened very pleasantly and hopefully. The address of Mr. Allyn was brief and pertinent, referring to the past history of the school, and to the work opening before them for the current year. The school was buoyant in temper, and animated with courage and hope in undertaking the tasks before it. The board of instruction, under the principal, re- mained unchanged. At the annual meeting of the board, Hon. Abel Bliss, one of the founders and an original trustee, resigned, to the regret of all his associates. The case of John W. Hardy, so often the occasion of disturbance in the affairs of the institution, was referred to a committee which reported : " That J. W. Hardy is, in the judg- ment of the trustees of the Wesleyan Academy, an improper person to be a trustee, and therefore his con- nection with this board of trustees is hereby dissolved." Thus ends a painful record in the board of trustees. 260 HISTORY OF He was a curious specimen of humanity a man of severe temper, exceptionable methods, a Christian Ish- maelite, with his hand against every man and every man's hand against him. In so hard a man, few could see any good. And yet, those near him, found better qualities to commend. " Both he and his wife," writes Robert Allyn, " were really kind. How kindly he remembered even the wayward whom he had often severely reproved, I never knew till years after, when, broken in health, deprived of property and bereft of wife and children, he spent a month at my house, and lived over, in word, his history from Vermont to Wilbraham, and down into the vale of poverty and despondency. He was no friend of mirth or jollity, however well intended, and he was incapable of appre- ciating a joke. To mischief of any kind, even though entirely harmless, he was an enemy. I smile, even now, as I recall an occasion when he asked me to witness a reproof of a thoughtless, mirth-loving lad, now a grave judge in a great State. After setting before the boy the gravity of his offense, and hinting at an expulsion or whipping, the lad, with upturned eyes and piteous tone, pathetically asked : ' Were you never a boy, Father Hardy ? ' ' Yes,' said he, quick as thought, 'and have repented it in dust and ashes ever since.' It was the pride of the old man to make money for the school ; and just how he was able to do it, with board and room at one dollar and a quarter per week, one could never guess until he tried the hardtack, leathery steak, thin soup and archaic butter on his table. One trial was enough to solve the problem." * Letter to the author. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY, 261 In place of these the board elected Robert R. Wright and Amos Binney, the former an honored citizen and business man at Wilbraham, was born at the South Par- ish (now Hampden) January 21, 1811, and still lives. He was present at the dedication of the old Academy, and stood near Dr. Fisk when he delivered his opening address. In 1835, Mr. Wright engaged in mercantile business in his native village, and removed to the North Parish in 1839, where he remained in trade until 1873. Mr. Wright has been a leading man in the town, and in the Methodist Church, of which he has long been a mem- ber and office-bearer. As a local member of the board of trustees, he has been able to give much attention to the affairs of the Academy. As a man of sound judg- ment, broad views and much business experience, his plans and counsels have proved valuable to the institu- tion. He married, August 16, 1838, Miss Louisa W. Carpenter. He married second, August 16, 1852, Eliza S., daughter of Dr. Jesse W. Rice. Of the first were two sons and two daughters. The Rev. Amos Binney was born in Hull, Mass., October 30, 1802, and died in great peace in New Haven, Ct., March 29, 1878. Converted at sixteen under Father Taylor, he joined the New England Conference in 1826, in which he occupied many pastoral charges. From 1848 to 1850 he was presiding elder of Spring- field District ; and in the latter year he was transferred to Lynn District where he remained four years. As a preacher, he was plain, simple and evangelical, aiming rather to do good than to be a great preacher ; and as a pastor he was diligent and earnest. In the use of money, he was careful and judicious. Though not a 262 HISTORY OF theologian in a large sense, he wrote a theological com- pend which continues to be studied with profit in many lands. As a trustee, he was for several years quite serviceable to the Academy. He married Caroline Wilder, of Hingham, in 1824, whose daughter became the wife of Dr. Daniel Steele. His second wife was Miss Isabella Hill, preceptress of the Academy thi's year. During Mr. Allyn's first year there were in attend- ance three hundred and eighty-three students as against three hundred and forty-two of the year before. The work of the year was faithfully done. Besides the routine work, the principal found time to give many addresses, on special subjects, to the students. The ex- aminations at the close were highly creditable to teach- ers and pupils. At the annual exhibition the speaking was good, and the valedictory was assigned to Nathaniel J. Burton, who did himself and the occasion ample justice, in an oration marked by justness of thought and beauty of style, and delivered with an easy and charm- ing eloquence. William S. Studley was equally happy in giving the poem of the occasion. These kindred spirits entered the Wesleyan University together, and, in later years, fully met expectations raised at the Academy, the one as the successor of Dr. Bushnell, and the other as an orator who has filled the most conspicuous pulpits in the Methodist Church. In 1846, Oliver Marcy and Samuel F. Beach were added to the teaching corps. The latter prepared for college at Wilbraham, and took the valedictory at Wes- leyan in a large and able class. He taught in Alex- andria, Va., later studied law, and was for many years president of the First National Bank there. Prof. OLIVER MARCY. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 263 Oliver Marcy was born in Leyden, Mass., in 1820, and made his first essays at learning in the public school. In 1841 he went to Wilbraham to prepare for college, and in 1846 graduated at Wesleyan University. In college he stood high, and graduated with honor in the class with Gilbert Haven. At Wilbraham he long re- mained as a faithful and beloved teacher. In personal appearance Mr. Marcy was prepossessing. Of medium size, full habit, with light complexion and hair and an eye beaming with intelligence and moral pur- pose, he exhibited a benign temper, an intelligence and a simplicity of manner pleasing to every one who knew him. The law of kindness was stamped upon his coun- tenance, and his gentle words were the fitting vehicles of his pure and noble thoughts. In him were combined the temper of the child and the intellectual grasp of the philosopher. On leaving Wilbraham, in 1852, he be- came professor of natural science in the Northwestern University, where he has made a name for himself in the world of science. In 1847, James Luke, of East Cambridge, was elected trustee, in place of Bartholomew Otheman, resigned. Mr. Luke soon removed to Wilbraham, and built an elegant house, later owned by S. J. Goodenough. He was a man of sound judgment, pacific tastes and reli- gious convictions, earnestly desirous to contribute some- thing to the cause of pure religion and sound learning. In the board of trustees he performed much detail work. At the same time Orange Judd took the place of Isaac T. Goodnow, in the department of natural science. He was born in Niagara County, N.Y., July 264 HISTORY OF 26, 1822, and graduated at Wesleyan in 1847, with such men as E. G. Andrews, Alexander Winchell and others. As salary, he received four hundred dollars, and the proceeds from courses of lectures he delivered each term. On leaving the Academy he went to Mid- dletown, where he immortalized himself by the erection of Judd Hall, which he gave to the university. He was an able and inspiring teacher. Alexander P. Lane, a man of great energy, self- reliance and large, possibly venturesome, plans, was chosen steward in place of James Howe. He remained four years, with "the confidence and respect of the trustees and faculty." The $5,000 debt incurred in building the ladies' boarding house had grown to $8,000, and the trustees concluded to appeal for aid to the Legislature, which, in aiding nearly all the other literary institutions of the State, had forgotten Wilbraham, which had educated more of the children of the people than any other one. Joseph A. Merrill, Amos B. Merrill, Amos Binney and Phineas Crandall were chosen a committee to apply to the Legislature for funds, and an enlargement of the charter. The committee brought the matter before the Legislature, asking for $25,000. This was at first utterly refused; but, on second thought, they granted the Academy a half township of the State's Maine lands. The charter was enlarged so as to allow thirty trustees. The year was one of increasing prosperity and en- couragement. The total attendance was two hundred and fifty-two. From the graduating class Wilbur F. Loomis, John H. Gaylord, Andrew McKeown, Lorenzo Rev. WILLIAM S. STUDLEY, D.D. Rev. N. J. BURTON, D.D. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 265 White, L. S. Slade, E. T. Ailing, Albert H. Brown, W. F. Humphrey, Charles T. W. Kellogg and Oliver R. Steele entered the Wesleyan University. During his last year, Mr. Allyn introduced the ladies' graduating course, which soon became very popular. The course covers four years, and includes the leading branches in science, languages and literature. The members of the first class, graduating in 1848, were, Jenette Brewer, Laura L. Button, of West Springfield, Cordelia M. E. Newhall, of Lynn. Under the amended charter, five additional trustees were elected in 1848. They were, Samuel Warner, Lee Rice, Edward Othemau, Horatio N. Hovey and Syl- vanus W. Robinson. Lee Rice was born in Wilbra- ham, October 22, 1802, and died there March 16, 1857. The trustees make honorable mention of him, as also of J. L. Lyman, who died the same year. As a resident member, he was able usually to be present at meetings of the board, and to give attention to details of busi- ness. The name of Sylvanus W. Robinson was re- placed by that of Nath. R. Parkhurst, which appears in the catalogue, but he declined to serve. Mr. Hovey of East Cambridge was useful in caring for the Binney property in that place. At the close of the year the literary societies came out in brilliant form. An ora- tion was delivered by N. J. Burton, and a humorous poem was given by W. S. Studley. The memory of both was still fresh in the Academy. From the class of this year William R. Clark, James E. Mclntyre, George W. Rogers and Francis A. Loomis entered the Wesleyan University. The crowning feature in the anniversary of 1848 266 HISTORY OF was the first alumni gathering. The alumni came from all quarters, and as no building would accommodate them, the gathering for dinner and speaking was in the grove north of the Academy. The procession, in the order of years, from the Academy grounds, started at ten o'clock. The meeting was called to order by Hon. Amos B. Merrill, the president of the day, and letters of congratulation were read by the principal. At the close of the reading, Annis Merrill, Esq., of San Fran- cisco, was introduced as the orator of the day. The address was historic, giving a continuous outline of the progress of the Academy from the founding. He told briefly of the planting at Newmarket ; the struggles and failure in the old seat ; the removal to Wilbraham ; the growth and prosperity of the new institution ; and the noble men and women who had been connected with it. The oration was followed by a humorous poem by W. S. Studley, which put the congregation in good humor for dinner. After dinner brief addresses were made by several individuals who had been connected with the Academy. "It was a season of thrilling in- terest, and all seemed to catch the spirit of the occasion, and wish the sun for that day to delay his going down." Before closing, they resolved to hold a similar gather- ing again at the end of five years. The numbers in attendance during Mr. Allyn's last year ran up to four hundred and sixty-two different students. The religious interest was also good, much attention being given to interest the students in the Sunday school. The appointing of George W. Rogers as valedictorian occasioned a flurry among the students. On hearing of it, the principal uttered a severe rebuke, THE WESLETAN ACADEMY. 267 which, instead of allaying, increased the flame, when he at once sent in his resignation. If he had waited a little, the elements would, no doubt, have come under control. But the die was cast. Since leaving Wilbraham, Dr. Allyn has been very useful in the educational work connected with the Methodist Church. He immediately became principal of the East Greenwich Academy, and in 1854 was chosen commissioner of the public schools of Rhode Island, and editor of the Rhode Island School Master. During the time, he served two terms in the Legisla- ture, and was visitor to West Point. In 1857 he was pro- fessor of ancient languages in the university at Athens, Ohio. He was president of the Wesleyan Female College in Cincinnati 1859-1863, and was president of McKendree College from 1863 to 1874. In 1874 he was chosen principal of 'the Carbondale Normal Uni- versity. The Wesle} 7 an University gave him the title of D. D., and McKendree College that of L.L. D. From this record it will be seen how extensive and important has been his educational work. William R. Clark prepared for college under Robert Allyn, as also Russell H. Conwell, a distinguished Baptist preacher of Philadelphia. Micah Dyer, Jr., became a lawyer in Boston, and Julius L. Strong en- tered politics and was elected to Congress. William S. Washburne became a member of the firm of Lippin- cott & Co. of Philadelphia. Anna C. Warren, later Mrs. Knight, became well known as the preceptress of the Academy under Dr. Cooke, and Susan J. Swift, a brilliant scholar and leader in the social circle, has been since well known as the wife of Dr. George M. Steele. SIS TORY ill. Gbe pertot) of 184S-1802. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 269 periofc 111* 44 lb things are passed aroan." ** jBeijolb, Jf make all tljings HCUJ." "CD tl)oa afflicteb, tosseb tnitl) tempest, anb not comforted ! beliolb, 3 mill set tlin stones in fair colors, anb Ian tt)jj founbations in sapphires." 270 HISTORY OF \ . l)e ^bministration of lt)e Heo. Miner ftanmonb, MD., at tl)e tXJeelegan ^cabemg. 1848 1864, Rev. MINER RAYMOND, D.D. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 271 CHAPTER XXIX. BIOGRAPHICAL AND CHARACTERISTIC NOTICES OF MINER RAYMOND AND HIS CO-LABORERS DURING HIS FIRST TWO YEARS AT THE WES- LEYAN ACADEMY. THE election of Miner Raymond as Principal of the Wesleyan Academy marks a new and importan era in the history of that honored institution. Of all the principals, Dr. Raymond's term of sixteen years was at once the longest and most fruitful in important results. Under the touch of his genius and the control of his unconquerable will, old things disappeared, and almost everything about the institution became new. Difficulties, which to weaker men would have proved altogether insuperable, vanished in the presence of one so able to influence men, and to command resources. Of all the managers at that seat of learning, he proved to be by far the most masterful. Others did nobly, he excelled them in the greatness of his work. He was the providential man of the period; he was made for such a crisis. To an active and balanced brain, capable of broad and wise planning, he united the courage, 272 HISTORY Off fertility in expedients, tact in handling resources and tenacity of purpose, which never fail to take one on to success. Obstacles, so far from dampening his ardor in efforts to rehabilitate the Academy, tended rather to rouse the great qualities of his nature and to bear him on to greater triumph. If the institution was built by the care and efforts of Wilbur Fisk, it was rebuilt in grander proportions and lifted to a higher plane in the esteem of the Methodist and general pub- lic by the faith, energy and persistence of Miner Ray- mond. To this wise master builder, the friends of the institution owe an immense debt of gratitude. Miner Raymond, a great educator and leader of men, was born in Rensselaerville, N.Y., in 1811. Beginning life in the ranks of manual labor, he determined to devote his energies to the service of St. Crispin, and early became an adept in the use of the lapstone and the waxed-end. The public schools of the place had little to give and failed to kindle in him a love of learning. The event in his youth most decisive and far-reaching in its influence on character and fortune was his conversion and union with the church in which he was to be so conspicuous and honored. The account of the great revival at Wilbraham, in 1828, kindled in him a desire for knowledge ; it was the turning point in a great life, starting him on a new course, and bringing him into intimate and helpful relations with an educational institution. But for the revival he might, to-day, be occupying his old place on the shoe- maker's bench. The religious interest, by awakening in him nobler aspirations and purposes, became the means of separating him from his early occupations. *< 346 HISTORY OF in his appeal to the public for the amount of money necessary to cancel the debt against the trustees." In all the movements now of the trustees, this debt was the objective point. The proposal of Rich and Claflin would avail nothing without this debt could be cared for by other friends of the institution. And how to cancel so large an obligation was a problem no one had been able to solve. Small contributions would not prove sufficient ; and where could they look for large ones? But if the matter remained obscure to most, light dawned upon one mind whose resources had never failed him in the hour of need. As other institutions had done, he would have the Wesleyan Academy appeal to the State. To be sure the State had already refused them, but they had a stronger case now and they should speak with a voice to be heard, even on Beacon Hill. To prepare the way for a successful plea before the Legislature, Dr. Raymond judged something must be done among the people. The matter was brought before the New England Conference at its session in Worcester, April 7, 1858, and the preachers pledged themselves to present, on the second Sunday of the ensuing May, " to their respective congregations the claims of the Wesleyan Academy and that within three weeks thereafter, we will, if practicable, put in execu- tion such measures as in our judgment will most effect- ually secure, within that time, a faithful application for aid, to each and every accessible member of our church and congregation from whom there is any prospect of obtaining contributions to this cause, in all cases where practicable, making such application in person." The Conference also declared that " the relation of the Wes- THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 347 leyan Academy to the educational interests of the Com- monwealth are such as make it just and equal that said institution receive State aid to an amount sufficient to relieve it in its present emergency, and that should the trustees petition the Legislature at its next session for such aid, the secretary be and hereby is authorized to affix his signature to such petition in behalf of the Con- ference." The appeal to the churches was presented promptly and with great vigor in all parts of the Conference. Besides the efforts of the pastors, Dr. Raymond himself gave much time and attention to the matter, applying especially to those who were able to make considerable contributions to the cause. The business was urgent. To say nothing of the debt itself, the interest amounted to two thousand five hundred dollars a year. At this rate the interest would soon make large additions to the indebtedness. As we have seen, the first appeal for State aid was denied. It was a curious spectacle to see men who had lauded education to the skies and had advocated appro- priations from the treasury to schools in which they were especially interested, refusing to vote a dollar to aid, in its extremity, an institution which had done an impor- tant work in educating teachers for the public schools and in preparing the children of the people in large numbers for the work of active life. To the friends of the Wesleyan Academy, the exhibition of narrowness on the part of the broad men of Harvard, Amherst and Williams was painful in the extreme. In extenuation they held that whatever had been done in the past, the time had fully come to refuse all appropriations to denom- 348 HISTORY 0? inational schools. With such views prevailing among the legislators, it seemed to many of the friends useless to make further effort in that direction. 1859. Such, however, was not the view of Dr. Raymond. He determined to appeal to the people. If the mem- bers of the Legislature were not spontaneously moved to aid a struggling institution, every whit as deserving as others which had been aided, he would induce the masses to help him. The petitions were widely circu- lated and poured in upon the Legislature of 1859. The committee to which they were referred granted hearings to the friends of the institution. Among those helpful in the matter were Hon. William Claflin of the Senate and Hon. Amos B. Merrill of the House. To the prayers thus presented and urged, the committee could not consistently turn a deaf ear. The case was urgent and demanded attention. However much some of the members might be averse to it, it became more clear with each day that aid must be granted to Wilbraham. The moment this sentiment prevailed in the body, the friends of other institutions which had been favored again and again, instead of dealing with this case of need by itself, determined to make it the occasion of enlarging the endowments of their favorite institutions. That is, men who had claimed that the State was unable to afford aid to denominational schools, were quite will- ing, after all, to take the lion's share for those of their own faith. Their opposition proved to be less to the appropriation of money to denominational schools than to the appropriation to any schools save their own. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 349 The friends of Harvard, Tufts, Williams and Amherst, the broad benefactors who had stood as models, could be induced to aid Wilbraham only by a bribe in the shape of aid to their own institutions. One who intensely opposed the appropriation was Amasa Walker, of North Brookfield, a man who claimed to be deeply interested in the cause of education and to cherish broad religious and humanitarian sympathies. In this campaign for education, the real breadth of many of these legislators became quite apparent to all observers But in spite of all this opposition, the measure was car- ried. The Omnibus Bill, embodying the provisions of the grant, reads as follows : An act to incorporate the educational fund and to grant aid to the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Tufts, Williams and Amherst Colleges and to the Wesleyan Academy in Wilbraham out of the proceeds of the sales of the Back Bay Lands. SECTION 1. The avails of the sales of land belonging to the Commonwealth in the Back Bay shall be paid into the treasury to be held, invested and applied in accordance with the provisions of the resolves of 1857, Chapter 70, and the moiety of such avails, which, by the provisions of said chapter, inure immediately to the use of the Commonwealth, and which, by the 96th chapter of the Statutes of 185S, is styled " the Back Bay Fund," shall be held invested and appropriated as follows; that is to say, (1.) The whole of such moiety, until the sum of three hundred thousand dollars shall have been disposed of, shall be employed for the redemption of the scrip of the Commonwealth, issued in the year 1856 in accordance with the provisions of the third sec- tion of Chapter 235 of that year. (2.) After such sum of three hundred thousand dollars shall have been received into the treasury, one half of the avails of the sales of such moiety shall, as fast as received, be added to the Massachusetts school fund, for the purpose of increasing the prin- cipal thereof. (3.) The remaining avails of such moiety shall, after being 350 HISTORY OF received into the treasury, be distributed upon August 1 in each year, among the institutions hereinafter named in the proportions following; that is to say, (1.) Twenty per centum of the avails of such moiety shall be paid to such persons as may, at the present session of the Legisla- ture, be incorporated as trustees of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, such piyments not to exceed, in the aggregate, the sum of one hundred thousand dollars. (2. ) Twelve per centum of the avails of such moiety shall be paid to the trustees of Tufts College, such payments not to ex- ceed, in the aggregate, the sum of fifty thousand dollars. (3.) Six per centum of the avails of such moiety shall be paid to the trustees of the Corporation of Williams College, upon the order of the corporation, such payments not to exceed in the aggregate, the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars. (4.) Six per centum of the avails of such moiety shall be paid to the trustees of the corporation of Amherst College, upon the order of the corporation, such payments not to exceed in the aggregate, the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars. (5.) Six per centum of the avails of such moiety shall be paid to the trustees of the corporation of the Wesleyan Academy in Wilbraham, upon the order of the corporation, such payments not to exceed, in the aggregate, the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars. SEC. 2. No payment as aforesaid shall be made to either of the aforementioned institutions, unless, before the time for such pay- ment, it shall be made to appear to the satisfaction of the Gov- ernor and Council, that there has been secured by subscription in aid of such institution, in cash or in bonds of unquestionable security, an amount equal to the amount then to be paid to such institution, according to the tenor of this act, nor to either of the institutions hereinafter named, unless there shall have been estab- lished in such institutions, the number of free scholarships set opposite their respective names; that is to say, in Williams College, thiee free scholarships; in Tufts College, three free scholarships; and in Amherst College, three free scholarships. The aforesaid free scholarships shall be under the control of the Board of Education, and may be filled and managed in such mode as now is, or may hereafter be, provided by law for the regulation of free scholarships established by the Commonwealth. SEC. 3. The avails of the moiety of the sales of public lands, THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 351 which, by the provisions of the 70th Chapter of the Resolves of 1857, inure immediately to the use of the Commonwealth and the distribution of which is not otherwise provided for in this act, shall be added to the principal of the school fund. Section four provides for a reserve of two hundred thousand dollars for roads and bridges. The act was approved by Governor N. P. Banks, April 9, 1859. In one respect this grant was disappointing. It brought no present aid to the trustees of the Academy. They might not be able to realize for many years ; and meantime the interest was running up at a fearful rate. For this reason we shall meet the debt again. In the educational department, this, like the preced- ing year, had been prosperous in the face of great difficulties. Numbers were less, but the enthusiasm remained. The religious interest, too, was encouraging. The social meetings were lively and profitable. The students found great inspiration in the sermons of Rev. William F. Warren, who occupied the village pulpit. Then young himself, he addressed a youthful audience every Sunday. Though not in daily contact with the school, the young preacher did much to teach, inspire and guide those who sat at his feet each Lord's Day. At the annual examination, the visiting committee were highly pleased. Of thirty-three classes, they placed twenty-nine in the first rank. The paintings and sketches of the art department were superior. There were only one hundred and sixty-seven different stu- dents. Of these, Achsah B. Freeman of New Salem, and Sarah E. Wendell of Great Falls, N.H., graduated from the ladies' course. Amos B. Merrill, Horace M. Sessions and Carlos 352 HISTORY OF Pierce were elected to the board of trustees. The last named did not serve. Hon. Amos B. Merrill, a successful lawyer and a valued friend of the Wesleyan Academy, was born in Lyman, N.H., March 4, 1820, and died in Boston, August 30, 1872. After preparing for college at Wil- braham, he entered the Wesleyan University, but left in the junior year. In 1839-40, he was principal of the preparatory department of Louisiana State College. He graduated at the Harvard Law School in 1841 and at once opened practice in Boston, where he remained until his death. In 1859-60, he was a member of the Massachusetts Legislature from the eleventh ward of the city. In 1846, he married Nancy H. Goldsbury, who survived him a few years. Mr. Merrill manifested a deep and abiding interest in the Academy, of which he was trustee from 1859 to 1871. He was usually at the annual meetings of the board and was a wise counselor and a courageous actor in the various undertakings of his time. As a legal adviser, his services were very valuable to the institu- tion. In securing the grant from the Legislature, also, he was serviceable by reason of his knowledge of the subject and acquaintance with the members. Besides what he had given in his lifetime, Mr. Merrill remem- bered the Academy in a bequest from which six thou- sand two hundred and fifty dollars were realized. To the Memorial Church, also, he left the same amount. Horace M. Sessions, who was serviceable as a trustee, was born in South Wilbraham (now Hampden), Jan- uary 23, 1828, and prepared at the Wesleyan Academy for the agricultural department of Yale. As an agricul- Hon. AMOS B. MERRILL. R. L. CUMNOCK. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 353 turalist, he devoted much attention to the raising of blooded stock. In 1853, he was chosen town clerk and treasurer and in 1860-62, he served as school committee and superintendent of the town schools. Assessor in 1876, he was chosen to represent the district in the Legislature of 1877. In 1881, he removed to Atlanta, Ga., and now has charge of the drafting depart- ment of the Electric Light Co., of Fort Wayne, Ind. Mr. Sessions married, July 2, 1856, Juliette Lord, of Westfield, Mass. The only serious disturbance in the management of the school during the administration of Dr. Raymond, occurred at the close of this year. In distributing the honors, the valedictory address was assigned to Frank J. Wagner, at which thirteen members of the class remonstrated ; and, as their remonstrance produced no change of programme, they refused to appear on the stage at the exhibition. Private expostulation failed to change the minds of the remonstrants. At the close of the chapel service the next morning, Dr. Raymond arose, and, without note or comment, read the names of the thirteen contumacious students arid declared them expelled from the institution and forbidden to reenter the grounds. The names of " the immortal thirteen " were, Henry O. Marcy, Henry A. Buttrick, Franklin O. Barnes, E. K. Dexter, George W. Cook, Henry E. Burton, George A. Newcomb, Alonzo B. Newell, John H. Peck, Jr., S. A. Smith, Charles S. Raymond, Timothy E. Steele and A. W. Cook. Though excluded from the institution grounds, they remained in town and com- pleted their preparation for college in a private club. Of these, five entered Middletovvn ; viz., Buttrick, G. 354 HISTORY OF W. Cook, Dexter, Newcomb and Steele. Marcy and Newell went to Amherst, the former being now a trustee of the Academy as noticed further on, and the latter an eminent teacher. Buttrick died in college; G. W. Cook established an educational institute in Pough- keepsie ; Dexter is a successful lawyer of Boston ; New- comb is a prosperous merchant in the same city ; and Steele is an able lawyer in Hartford, Ct. Of the other six, we are able to speak less definitely. Smith has made a great success as a financier in Cali- fornia ; Raymond is a famous Boston merchant ; Peck engaged in teaching and in the civil service at Nor- wich, Ct. ; Burton is a leading lawyer of Hartford, and A. W. Cook is an enterprising journalist, of Milford Mass. THE WESLEXAN ACADEMY. 355 CHAPTER XXXVII. 1860. THIS was an epochal year in America. The culmi- nating political event was the election of Abra- ham Lincoln to the presidency of the United States. The atmosphere was everywhere disturbed by the one great question which had come to involve all others. The storm of war could already be heard in the dis- tance. Though located in a quiet hamlet, the life of the Academy was not unaffected by the commotion of the political elements. In the board of instruction, Charles N. Stowers replaced Nathaniel Fellows. He was born in Stockton, Me., September 24, 1835. On graduating at the Wes- leyan University, he engaged at Wilbraham for two years. A thorough scholar, he was also an enthusiastic and popular teacher. He was afterwards principal at Camillus, N.Y., and later became a preacher in the Troy, Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakota Conferences, in which he has occupied leading charges. 356 HISTORY OF George C. Rand, Philip Tapley and Rev. Joseph Cummings were elected members of the Board of Trustees. George C. Rand, the great printer of the firm of Rand, Avery & Co., was born in Danville, Vt., December 13, 1810, and died in Newton, December 30, 1878. Son of the Rev. John Rand, a Christian min- ister, he early learned the printer's trade in Boston and rose by skill, diligence and faithfulness to be one of the famous printers of the city. The placards which called out the respectables in 1835 to mob Garrison were printed and posted by George C. Rand, whose eyes were yet holden. In 1841, he began work on Ziotis Herald for D. H. Ela. A year later, he pur- chased and published the Sunday School Messenger, in company with Mr. Reid, who dropped out in 1845. In 1854, the firm of Rand, Avery & Co. was formed, and a wide field was opened before them. They printed " Uncle Tom's Cabin," of which 400,000 copies were sold in this country and 500,000 in England. They printed for the Harpers when their house was burned, and for the city. The business of the firm became very exten- sive, and their printing was of the best quality. The reputation of the house stood high in every part of America. The growth and enterprise of this firm affords a striking instance of New England thrift and capacity. From a pay roll of twelve dollars per week, they rose to four thousand dollars per week. In person Mr. Rand was tall, with thin and sharp features, light blue eyes and a cheerful, benevolent aspect. In almost every respect, he was a model man, who will be long remembered and honored as a sterling man of business, a friend ever generous and true, and GEORGE C. RAND. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 357 an intelligent, active and devout Christian. Mr. Rand married Julia, daughter of Abraham Avery, of Wil- braham, widow of John Roper, and sister of his part- ner in business, Abraham Avery. As a trustee, he was quite serviceable to the institu- tion. Though not always able to be present at its meetings, he aided the cause by his counsel and means to the very last. He shrank from no responsibility. Whatever the interests of the institution demanded, he had courage to undertake. Abraham Avery, son of the original trustee of the same name, was born in Wilbraham, November 15, 1824. Besides instruction in the public schools, he attended the Academy for several terms from 1836 to 1844, when he graduated with honor, as the valedic- torian of the year. Entering the Wesleyan University, he prosecuted the course successfully until the senior year, when he left to enter the Law School at Har- vard. Instead of going to Harvard, however, he accepted a desirable position in a business house in Boston, where he remained five years, becoming, in the meantime, thoroughly accomplished in business. In 1854, he joined his brother-in-law in the printing business, under the firm name of Rand, Avery & Co., which for many years remained famous, as the most conspicuous printing establishment in Boston. The incidents in the history of the firm have been given in the preceding sketch. The large business not only tested the great qualities of the managers, but brought them into intimate relations with many publishing houses and the leading authors of the day, such as Emerson, Lowell, Longfellow, Whittier, Holmes, Bret 358 HISTORY OF Harte, Aldrich, Mrs. Stowe, Fields, Howells, Everett, George Ticknor, Mrs. Howe, Surnner and hundreds of others, which was in itself no mean education. The firm, as we have seen, printed for nearly everybody for the state, the city, for individuals, and for great publishing houses, like that of the Harpers. In 1878, the health of Mr. Rand became so impaired that he was obliged to abandon business and, by the mutual consent of the parties, the firm was dissolved ; Mr. Avery also retiring from business. Since his retirement from active business, he has given much attention to various departments of business, in which he has acted as trustee or director, as the Newton and Watertown Gas Light Company, the Franklin Savings Bank, the Shawmut Fire Insurance Company, the Ash- ton Valve Company, the New England Railroad Pub- lishing Company and Foster's Wharf Company. He has also acted as president of the Globe Nail Company and of the Rand-Avery Supply Company, besides taking part in various other interests. For thirty-five years, the residence of Mr. Avery has been at Union Park, Boston. In the midst of multi- plied engagements, he has found time repeatedly to make the tour of Europe, from St. Petersburg and Mos- cow to Naples and Rome. He has also visited many sections of our own country and Mexico. The schol- arly tastes of Mr. Avery, cultivated by reading, travel and social intercourse, were recognized, by the Wes- leyan University, in conferring on him, in 1851, the degree of Master of Arts. He married Miss Margaret C., daughter of Hon. William S. Camp, of Middle- town, Ct. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 359 Philip P. Tapley, one of the great business men of Lynn, was born in Rising Sun, Indiana, November 10, 1817, and died in Lynn, where he had come in child- hood, April 26, 1875. He was a member and trustee at the Common Street Church, and a man of first-class business capabilities. For many years, he was a direc- tor of the Lynn City National Bank. As a leading manufacturer of morocco and kid, he did much to stimulate the business of the city and accumulated some half million of dollars. As a trustee at Wilbra- ham he was influential as an adviser and contributed liberally to the funds of the Academy. He served fourteen years on the board. In personal appearance, he was above the medium size, well proportioned and gentlemanly in his bearing, giving one the idea of a first-class, solid, reliable business man, an honor at once to the church of his choice and the city in which he resided and made his fortune. The Rev. Joseph Cummings, D.D., one of the fore- most educators in the Methodist Episcopal Church, was born in Falmouth, Me., March 3, 1817, and died in Evanston, May 7, 1890. He graduated at the Wes- leyan University in 1840, and, at the close of his course, spent three years as a teacher in Amenia Semi- nary and three additional years as principal of the same. In 1846 he joined the New England Confer- ence where he filled the leading pulpits. In 1854 he received the title of D.D. from the Wesleyan Univer- sity, and in 1866 he received the same from Harvard and LL.D. from the Northwestern. In 1853 he was elected to the chair of Systematic Theology in the Biblical Institute, but he declined the honor. In 1854 S60 HISTORY OF he was elected president of Genesee College, at Lima, where he served with great popularity for three years, resigning in 1857 to accept the presidency of Wes- leyan University which he held for eighteen years. For two years thereafter he served in the institution as professor of Mental Philosophy and Political Economy. The work of his life was done at the Wesleyan, by increasing the funds and buildings and elevating the status of the institution. He was the first graduate to attain the presidency. In 1878 he returned to the pastorate, in which he was popular and useful. In 1881 he accepted the presidency of the Northwestern. He was an influential member of the General Confer- ences of 1864, 187l> and 1880. An able and loyal man, he performed much valuable service for the church, especially in the department of education. During the year 1860 there were in attendance one hundred and eighty-five different students. There were four graduates from the ladies' course. They were, Susan J. Barker, who became the wife of the Rev. Benjamin I. Johnston, of the New England Con- ference ; Emma A. and Ellen A. Ramsdell, of Thomp- son, Ct.; and Emma E., daughter of Robert R. Wright, of Wilbraham. Notwithstanding the aid granted by the State, the debt remained a chief concern with the trustees. The interest was present and cumulative, while the avails from the sale of Back Bay lands were future. The Conference, which met a few days after the passage of the appropriation act, congratulated itself and the Christian public upon " the present prosperity and effi- ciency of the school, despite the depressing circuin- THE WESLETAN ACADEMY 361 stances of the past two years, and upon the prospect of its speedy relief by the munificent liberality of its friends and the generous assistance of the State ; yet, in view of the fact that this State aid will become available only at an uncertain and somewhat distant period, and in view of the rapid accumulation of inter- est on the debt of the institution, we would urge on all concerned the imperative necessity of the immediate payment of all subscriptions made for the relief of said institution, and that even those subscriptions made to be paid in separate installments, should be paid at once, where such payment is possible." In accordance with this suggestion, Dr. Rajonond continued his efforts to collect the subscriptions already made and to secure new ones ; but, at the same time, he determined to proceed further and ask the Legislature of 1860 to advance the money on the grant made the preceding year. In this application he was successful. The Act of 1859 was modified by the fol- lowing provision : Resolved, That there be allowed and paid from the treasury of the Commonwealth on April 1, next, to the Treasurer of the Corpora- tion of the Wesleyan Academy in Wilbraham, upon the order of the Corporation, the sum of $22,000 in satisfaction and upon account of the grant made to said Academy by Chapter 154 of the Acts of 1859; and provided also that the sum of $30,000 shall be subscribed by individuals as a contribution to the funds of the Academy, which subscription shall be satisfactory to the Governor and Council, before the amount, appropriated by the first Resolve, shall be paid. Eesolved, That the Treasurer and Receiver General of the Commonwealth shall forthwith open an account with the Treas- urer of the Corporation of the Wesleyan Academy in Wilbraham, and he shall charge said treasurer with said advance of $22,000, and shall charge him with interest thereon, semi-annually, on 362 HISTORY OF October 1, and April 1, in each year, at the rate of five per cent per annum; and whenever, by the provisions of said Chapter 154 of 1859, any portion of the proceeds of sales of lands in the Back Bay becomes due to the Corporation of the Wesleyan Academy in Wilbraham, the portion thus due shall be retained by the Treas- urer of the Commonwealth and shall be credited to the said Treasurer of the said Corporation, in the account aforesaid; and interest shall be credited on said payments, semi-annually, on the first days of April and October, in each year, at the rate of five per cent. Resolved, That whenever the full sum of $25,000, granted to said Academy, shall have accrued from the proceeds of sales of lands in the Back Bay, in the manner provided in said Chapter 154 of the Acts of 1859, and shall have been credited to the Treasurer of the Corporation of said Academy, in the account established under the preceding Resolve, said account shall be closed, and the balance, if any, due said Treasurer of said Corporation, shall be paid over to him, on the order of the Corporation ; otherwise, the payment of $22,000 shall be deemed and held full satisfaction of the grant made by said Chapter 154 and of all claims of said Cor- poration by reason thereof. Resolved, That these Resolves shall not take effect unless accepted by the Corporation of the Wesleyan Academy, in Wilbra- ham, at a legal meeting thereof, provided, that if the said principal sum of $22,000, or any part thereof, shall not have accrued from sales of lands in the Back Bay, at the end of ten years from the passage of these Resolves, then the Corporation of th Wesleyan Academy, in Wilbraham, shall be liable to pay, without interest, the difference between said principal sum of $22,000 and the amount actually realized from such sales of lands, on demand of the Treasurer of the Commonwealth. The Resolves were approved by Governor John A. Andrew, March 29, 1860. The provision was at once accepted by the Board of Trustees, and the $22,000 were received from the Treasurer of the Common- wealth. At the annual meeting of the trustees, the treasurer acknowledged the receipt of the $22,000, which had been paid on the indebtedness. After this THE WESLETAN ACADEMY. 363 payment, the debt still stood at $15,884.00 ; but to meet this debt, subscriptions had been obtained to the amount of $12,998.91, nearly sufficient to extinguish it, and thus enable them to enter the new boarding-house untrammeled by any financial burden. 1861. As the new year dawned, the interest in public events increased. Secession was in progress, and the new president was inaugurated amid threats of vio- lence. The North waited in suspense; but, at the attack on Sumter, there was an uprising of patriotism through all the free States. The new spirit was felt in every village and hamlet. Soldiers started from the Capital, and the war broke in full force through the land. Of course, this state of things in the country affected the school, rousing the patriotic spirit, and bringing, as it were, interests of the country into the seminary. The changes in the boards of instruction and government were few. The Rev. E. O. Haven, D.D., a distinguished educator, then editor of Ziori's Herald, and later one of the bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church was elected a trustee. As he was not often able to meet with the board, he performed but little detail work for the institution ; but the influence and occasional words of so distinguished a man and leader were of great value to the cause. Dr. Haven was at different times Principal of Amenia Seminary, Profes- sor and President of Michigan University, and Presi- dent of Northwestern University. He was also Secre- 364 HISTORY OF tary of the Board of Education of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In the department of music, Simeon Fuller, a person well qualified by natural taste and training for the posi- tion, was instructor. Robert O. Sessions was employed as steward at a salary of four hundred dollars per annum. A competent and faithful servant of the insti- tution, he remained at his post four years. The annual exhibition was an occasion of more than usual interest. The war notes, heard through the land, were echoed across the stage. Lydia A. Gibbs, of Bridgewater, was the only graduate from the ladies' course. The students by aggregate of terms, ran up to five hun- dred and twenty-one. The completion of Rich Hall, the name to the new boarding-house, which had been for many months in process of erection, was the leading event of the year in the history of the Academy. It was ready for occu- pancy at the opening of the fail term. This magni- ficent building, unrivaled for elegance, comfort and convenience, has facilities for the accommodation of two hundred students. It is not surpassed by the boarding hall of any similar institution in the coun- try. Like its predecessor, this whole structure was built of brick, with brown stone trimmings, at a cost of $60,000. In architectural taste and convenience, it excels all the other buildings of the group. One hun- dred and forty feet front, four stories high, with an L one hundred feet, three stories high, all averaging about forty feet in width, the building contains one hundred rooms, each room twelve by fifteen feet. The house has many modern conveniences. It is heated by THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 365 steam. An abundant supply of water is taken to each story and distributed by pipes to the various rooms. Public bowls and bathing tubs are also arranged on each story. It was claimed, and with reason, that no more perfect structure for the purpose, had ever been erected. Elegant taste is combined with convenience. In the general landscape, Rich Hall, as the most con- siderable structure in the village, forms a conspicuous and striking object, observable not only from the highlands, but far over the plain. Long may it remain to afford accommodation to successive classes of stu- dents, who may resort to this seat of learning for the purpose of storing and disciplining the mind, and to commemorate the courage, faith, patience and liberality of the noble men who cooperated to secure its erection ! 1862. The long struggle maintained against grave obsta- cles, in the rebuilding of the boarding hall, proved a good advertisement of the school. At its com- pletion near the opening of the fall term of '61, the stream of attendance rapidly increased. In place of the one hundred and fifty-two of the spring term, were two hundred and fourteen in the fall, filling every part of the new building. The Conference in 1862 rejoiced in the emergence of the institution "from its succession of disasters, strengthened by its struggles with adver- sities, and prepared for a wider sphere of usefulness" in the training of the rising generation. The board of instruction was filled with strong, earnest and experi- enced teachers, devoting the energies of mature life to this important work. To make known to the public 366 HISTORY OF the superb accommodations of its palatial buildings, and the superiority of its faculty of instruction," the Conference suggested further advertising through the press, that our youth may not be drawn away, by ad- vertisements, to institutions offering inferior advan- tages. The facilities and excellencies of "this best appointed Methodist seminary " they would have blaz- oned abroad. Edwin B. Harvey, Truman H. Kempton and Philip B. Shumway entered the board of instruction, all effi- cient and successful teachers. Edwin B. Harvey was born in Deerfield, N.H., April 4, 1834, and graduated at Middletown in the class of 1859. After spending a year as a teacher at Troy Conference Academy, and two years as principal of the Macedon Academy, he went to Wilbraham in 1862, where he spent two years as an instructor in Natural Science. In 1864 he studied medicine at Harvard, and a couple of years later entered on a successful practice in Westboro, Mass. A thorough scholar, he was also an earnest and impres- sive teacher. During his five years at Wilbraham, Truman H. Kempton was the favorite of students and citizens. Active, genial, enthusiastic in the pursuit of knowl- edge, he was adapted to instruct and guide the young committed to his charge. They felt the power of his presence, his intensity, his animation, his electric touch, as well as the force of his words. He was born in Quebec, November 14, 1840, and graduated at Middle- town in 1863. At the close of his term in Wilbraham, he became principal of the high school in Jonesville, N.Y. From 1869 to 1873, he was principal of the high THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 367 school in Chicopee ; and, in the latter year, he accepted the Latin chair in Boston University. In 1880 he was transferred to the professorship of Roman and Consti- tutional Law, which he held but a few years. Edwin B. Shumway, an able and earnest teacher, was born in Burrillville, R.I., June 6, 1836, and gradu- ated from the Wesley an University in 1863. In 1865 he engaged in the practice of law in Chicago, and four years later devoted himself to railroad business. In 1867 he married Mary, daughter of Rev. Dr. Miner Raymond. There were this year four hundred and twenty-one different students at the Academy. Five ladies gradu- ated. They were, Juliette A. Bosworth of West Spring- field; Jane E., daughter of Rev. D. K. Bannister; Mary G., daughter of Rev. James O. Dean, and later wife of Rev. John Peterson ; Ellen M. Newell of South- bridge, and Mary A. Seaver of Palmer. Mary G. Dean was valedictorian. Henry T. Eddy was the only one entering Middletown. He joined the New Eng- land Conference in 1866, and died the following Sep- tember at twenty-six years of age. 368 HISTORY Of CHAPTER XXXVIII. THE FINAL SERVICES OF MINER RAYMOND AT THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 1863. IN 1863 the country had reached the darkest period in the war. Repeated disasters in the field had turned our armies back, and depressed the loyal people. But, notwithstanding the condition of affairs in the country, which largely affected the schools of the land, the tide continued full at the Wesleyan Academy. The at- tendance this year rose to six hundred and ninety-three in the aggregate, or four hundred and sixty different students. The price of board was raised from two dol- lars to two dollars and a quarter per week, with an extra charge for washing. By this advance some were induced to go outside for accommodation. This led to the adoption of a rule requiring "all students, not residents of the place, nor boarding themselves, and who had not hitherto boarded in private families, to board in the boarding house." In the ladies' graduating course Anna Howe of THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 369 Marlboro, H. Lizzie Morgan of Clinton, and Rachel R., daughter of the Rev. Samuel Tupper, received diplo- mas. An item of interest this year was the centennial celebration of the incorporation of the town. The ad- dress, by the Rev. Rufus P. Stebbins, D.D., a native of Wilbraham and a student under Dr. Fisk, was deliv- ered in Fisk Hall. Judge Morris, at the age of eighty- five, presided; and the orator, from a brief, spoke to the delight of the audience for more than two hours. At the close of a sumptuous repast, in the new Rich Hall, briefer addresses were made by Judge Merrick of Louisiana, the Rev. Horatio Stebbins, a brother of the orator, Judge Morris, Amos B. Merrill and others. Francis J. Warner, Lewis H. Taylor and Horace Smith were added to the Board of Trustees. The first was a native of Wilbraham, and son of a former trustee, a very worthy man who served the institution only two years. Lewis H. Taylor, an energetic and successful busi- ness man, was born in Enfield, Ct., December 27, 1822, and died in Springfield. Early removing to Springfield, he engaged in the paper business. For many years the firm of " Green- leaf & Taylor " did a large and lucrative business. On his retirement from the firm he purchased the Spring- field Union, which, under his control, took on new vigor and extended its circulation. What many prophe- sied would prove a failure in the hands of a man totally unused to newspaper management, turned out a great success, the improvement in the paper enabling him, at a later date, to sell out at a large advance. He had demonstrated the possibility of running a paper 370 HISTORY OF successfully by the side of the Republican. This had not hitherto been believed. Mr. Taylor was a prominent Methodist. At Pyn- cheon Street he was trustee, steward, and long super- intendent of the Sunday school. In the formation of Grace Church he was one of the leaders and chief sup- porters, holding therein the offices of steward, trustee and superintendent of the Sunday school. As a trustee of the Wesleyan Academy he performed a large amount of faithful service, and was a liberal contributor to the funds of the institution. Generous and catholic in his sympathies, he not only aided his own denomination, but gave much to objects little known to the public. 1864. The year 1864 remains memorable as the last in which Dr. Raymond retained control of the institution. It was a year of marked prosperity. The storm of the civil war, by which the country had been desolated, had reached a crisis, and through the rifts in the cloud light began to break. The North was animated with fresh hope. The Rebellion would certainly be subdued. The joyous and exultant temper of the country began to be felt in the school. The price of board was now raised to three dollars per week. The advance in price did not check the attendance, as there was an advance of one hundred on the previous year. The aggregate rose to eight hundred, or five hundred and eighty-six differ- ent students. The closing of the academic year was an occasion of much interest. Besides the large number of students, many of the friends of the institution were present to THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 371 attend the examinations and annual exhibition. With the exercises of the latter full eight hours were occu- pied. Many of the addresses possessed superior merit, and were delivered in an easy and animated manner. At the close of the morning exhibition the principal introduced Governor Andrew, who had come down from Easthampton, and who sat patiently through the eight hours of morning and afternoon exercises. " The governor responded briefly but happily, making the lateness of the hour the excuse for his brevity. He expressed his interest in the welfare of this prosperous school, and of all similar institutions in the State. He alluded to his pleasant visit of two years ago, and regretted his inability to be present last year. Par- ticular pleasure was expressed that he could hear the young ladies this time, a privilege he did not have before. He complimented them highly on their per- formances, and spoke particularly of the ingenuity and taste displayed in the selection of titles for their essays, something out of the ordinary course ; and, if some of them were slightly transcendental, instead of being blamed they were rather to be praised. The absence of stereotyped phrases, and the use of fresh and uncom- monplace words was also noticeable, as well as the cheerful and hopeful tone, so different from the over- sentimentality often displayed on such occasions. It is a mistake to suppose, in emerging from childhood and leaving school, a person has passed his happiest days. The older we grow the happier we are. From his own personal experience he could testify to this, and he believed it was true universally. We do not leave happiness behind, but it is always alidad of us ; 372 HISTORY OP especially to the educated man and woman who can converse with books, and who have opened before them the delights of literature and science, is this true. Such have always a shrine where they can retire from the cares, worries and losses of life and be free men and women. " Then, warming up as he spoke of the future of the young ladies, the Governor said there was nothing stronger, or more to be relied on for happiness, or was at the same time so lovely and beautiful, as domestic love ; and, in an eloquent outburst of emotion, he described the love of the daughter to her parents, the sister to her brother, the mother to her son, and the heaven-born love of the wife to her husband, and assured the young ladies that nowhere is such happiness and power to be found as at home, where woman sits heaven- crowned, unquestioned and serene. He also spoke of the power of woman for evil, relating the anecdote of the minister, who illustrated this point by the parable of the rich man's feast. One who was wanted could not go because he had just bought a farm ; another had bought five yoke of oxen and must prove them; and still another had married a wife and could not come. Thus you see one woman has as much power to do wrong as five yoke of oxen. The governor then com- plimented and congratulated the teachers on their labors and successes in bringing up and keeping up the institution, and closed by reciting a translation of the beautiful poem of Schiller entitled ' Longing,' which, he said, came nearer than anything else to the feelings of those about to graduate."* * Springfield Republican- THE WESLEJAN ACADEMY. 373 At the close of the exhibition, eight in course received diplomas. They were, Josephine Evans of Evauston ; Mary E. and Alraira C. Holman of Salem, Oregon ; M. Isabella Morgan of Chesterfield ; Sarah A. Thomp- son of Litchfield, Ct; Sarah A. Tenney of Fisherville, N.H.; Anna A. White of Hinsdale, N.Y.; Sarah M. Woodward of Keene, N.H. Robert M. Cumnock and George B. Dusenberre entered the Wesleyan Univer- sity. But the event of this anniversary was the resigna- tion of the Rev. Dr. Raymond, who had held his posi- tion for sixteen years. Under date of June 28, he sent the following note to the trustees then in session : DEAB SIBS, The undersigned having been elected to the chair of Systematic Theology in Garret Biblical Institute, and having accepted the same, hereby resigns his office as principal of the Wesleyan Academy; this resignation to take effect immediately, or as soon as the duties of the present term are performed. M. RAYMOND. The sentiment of the Board of Trustees, on the occasion, are expressed in the following resolutions : "Resolved, That, in accepting the resignation of Rev. Miner Raymond, D.D., as principal of the Wesleyan Academy, we do so with a deep sense of the loss we sustain as the guardians of its interests, and also of the grave and important responsibility imposed on us thereby of providing a suitable successor. " That the long-continued, faithful and efficient ser- vices of Dr. Raymond as teacher, and especially as principal of the Academy, entitle him to the warmest admiration and gratitude of our church, and of the 374 SISTORY OP community as well as of the trustees, patrons and friends of the institution. " That, in his removal to a new and distant field of labor, he will go accompanied with the earnest affec- tion, prayers and benedictions of his numerous attached friends in and out of the institution ; and we most cordially commend him to the hearty fellowship of the community with which he will labor, and to whose welfare he will devote his accumulated weight of wisdom and energy as a minister and teacher." The term of Dr. Raymond at Wilbraham is the most important period in the history of the Wesleyan Acad- emy. It is the period of rehabilitation, improvement and enlargement. The quickened and broader life of our people demanded, in our educational facilities, a more adequate, material expression, while their advance in taste as well as means made possible and desirable a more attractive and better furnished institution of learning. To no one was this want more evident than to Dr. Raymond. He saw this to be the next thing in order; and, what others did not clearly discern, he discovered the way to secure this desirable result. To no other individual is the Academy so deeply indebted for its enlarged prosperity and usefulness as to Miner Raymond. Others performed well their parts in ordi- nary times ; he, coming to the front in a peculiar and critical hour, excelled them in the comprehension of the situation and in the facility with which he availed himself of its opportunities. He found the Academy, after the fire, in a depressed condition; he lifted it, as with the strength of a giant, to a high and commanding vantage ground. At his magic touch the whole scene THE WESLEY Atf ACADEMY. 375 changed. The group of dilapidated wooden buildings, in use at his advent, became palaces of brick, roomy, elegant and well furnished for the accommodation of a large number of students. Of the past principals, no one remained at his post so long, no one made his presence so powerfully or widely felt. In an impor- tant sense he ' created a new institution ; the name remained, almost the whole material substance became new. To the property, valued when he began at $25,000, he added a round $100,000, making it one of the best equipped and most attractive academies in the land. The removal opened to him a fresh and attractive field in the wider West. He entered into new connec- tions. The study of theology, to which he was to devote himself, was no new theme to him. For many years he had considered profoundly the leading prob- lems of the gospel ; and their treatment, in scientific form, could not fail to please one who delighted to teach and who had so often expounded popularly and lu- minously those grand themes of the gospel in the pulpit. As a fruit of his labors in the West, we have his volumes on theology, abounding in clear and forcible statement, in felicitous exposition and logical and con- clusive reasoning, adapted to perpetuate through com- ing generations the memory of one who thought so justly, and who labored with so high a purpose. But, whatever the estimate of his later labors by voice and pen, his services in connection with the Wesleyan Acad- emy will remain conspicuous, and in the institution, re- stored, enlarged and beautified through his faith, cour- age, and persevering labors, in its group of noble 376 HISTORY OF educational buildings, will be found his proud and enduring monument. The committee, to which was referred the nomina- tion of a successor, reported for the consideration of the board the names of Nelson E. Cobleigh, then editor of Zion's Herald, William R. Clark and Gilbert Haven. On the first ballot Dr. Cobleigh was elected; but, as he declined the honor, the final selection of a principal went over to a special meeting of the board. During Dr. Raymond's long term of service, a con- siderable list of young ladies and young gentlemen, whose later history is full of interest, passed under his instruction, to only a few of whom we can here refer. Ira G. Bid well, a guileless man, became a famous preacher in the New England Conference ; John R. Buck studied law, and was chosen a member of Con- gress ; R. L. Cumnock became a famous elocutionist and has been connected with the Northwestern Univer- sity; W. H. Daniels is known as a preacher and author ; Benjamin F. De Costa became an Episcopal bishop in New York; Everett O. Fisk and Joseph K. Gill are educators. George Prentice received fresh inspiration at Wilbraham. Here, too, Joseph Pullman prepared for college, as also George E. Reed, the eminent presi- dent of Dickinson College. Charles Pratt, the Brook- lyn millionaire was there in 1848, with Nelson Stutson, a young man of brilliant talents, who died too young, and George and Nicholas T. Whitaker, both of whom entered the New England Conference. Alvin P. Hovey, who was there in 1856, became a member of Congress and governor of Indiana. Monroe Nichols engaged in Rev. GEORGE E. REED. D D , Pres'dent of Dickinson College. IRA S. JOHNSON, Esq., Student in 1853. TSE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 377 teaching; Alpheus P. Martin became mayor of Boston ; and Frederick W. Pitkin studied law and was elected governor of Colorado. Ira S. Johnson, a conspicuous business man of Canaan, N.Y., and a student in the Wesleyan Academy in 1852 and 1853, was born in New Lebanon, N.Y., September 9, 1834, and died in Washington, D C., March 6, 1890. He resided on a large estate bequeathed to him by his uncle, Ira Sherman, managing his lands, and, at the same time, engaging in various other lines of business in and out of town. His knowledge of men and things, his admirable judgment and incorruptible integrity made him the foremost citizen of his own town, and an important factor in the business and politics of the county. For many years he was a large wool buyer, either on his own account, or as agent for manufacturing corporations, or for firms in New York or Boston. Though he never accepted office for him- self, he was a sagacious and influential politician in the Republican party, exhibiting insight and gifts of man- agement which might have taken him far up in the scale, if only he had chosen to move in that direction. In the politics of his congressional district, he was a most influential man, having power to help or hinder materially, any one who aspired to office therein. While far-seeing and sagacious, he was just and honorable, invariably standing for what he judged the best meas- ures and men. As a friend, neighbor and citizen, he was highly respected by all, and his death created a void which could not be readily filled. In the Presby- terian Church, of which he was a member, he held a prominent place, and he was deeply lamented by his 378 msTORf o# L^ 1 '' fellow-members. In all respects he was one of the men no community could afford to lose. There were some famous women at Wilbraham under Dr. Raymond: Harriet C. Merrick, later the wife of Dr. William F. Warren, president of Boston Univer- sity ; Julia F. Rider, who remembered her alma mater in a bequest of one thousand dollars ; Harriet N. Sikes, who became the wife of Rev. John H. Mansfield ; Olivia M. Olmstead, who married Rev. George W. Mansfield; Ellen F. Derby, later Mrs. George Prentice; Philipine H., daughter of Dr. Jacoby ; and Diantha A. Kilgore, who became the first wife of Bishop Henry W. Warren. \rEsLEYAir ACADEMY. 379 Iperiofc Him. 2. I)e Qibntinistration of tf}c Hen. (Ebroarb Cooke, D D. 1864-1874. Rev. EDWARD COOKE , D.D, TEE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 381 CHAPTER XXXIX. THE FIRST YEAR OF EDWARD COOKE AT THE WES- LEYAN ACADEMY. 1864. THE first matter for the trustees to consider in their special session, was the election of a principal of the Academy. After a careful survey of the field and a study of the qualifications of several candidates, they selected as the one they deemed best qualified for the position, the Rev. Edward Cooke, D.D. Besides his literary qualifications, they valued his experience in managing literary institutions. Edward Cooke was born in Bethlehem, N.H., Janu- ary 19, 1812, and died in Newton, Mass., September 18, 1888. He prepared for College in the Maine Wesleyan Seminary and graduated at the Wesleyan University in the class of 1838, containing such men as Timothy D. Lincoln, Bostwick Hawley, Daniel L. Harris, Loren L. Knox, Leonidas Rosser and James M. Shafter. After graduation, he spent two years in teaching at Amenia. In 1840, he was chosen principal of Pennington Semi- 382 HISTORY OF nary, N.J., where he remained seven years, giving entire satisfaction to the authorities, insomuch, that he was invited to return after an absence of two years. While yet in the seminary, he united with the New Jersey Conference and in 1847 was transferred to the New England Conference where he took leading work at Saugus, Charlestown, South Boston, and at Hanover Street, Boston, where he made a brilliant opening. This was, at the time, one of our largest churches, requir- ing in the pastor much labor and constant attention to details, for which Dr. Cooke was so amply qualified by both physical force and versatile pastoral gifts. In the midst of these labors, he was invited to take charge of an important educational enterprise, the Lawrence University, founded by Amos Lawrence and his son Amos A. Lawrence as early as 1848. During the six and a half years Dr. Cooke spent there, he organized the university. He also raised the funds for the Apple- ton Library and the Lee Claflin Endowment of the Presidential Chair. After his retirement, he was invited to return, but other duties prevented. For two years he served on the Board of Regents for Normal Schools in Wisconsin. In 1859, he returned to the pastorate, and two years later was stationed at Harvard Street, Cambridge, and then went to Meridian Street, East Boston, whence he passed to Wilbraham. After the close of his ten years at the Wesleyan Academy, he performed a large amount of work, as President of Claflin University at Orangeburg, S.C. He was a mem- ber of the General Conferences of 1856, 1860 and 1880. He received the title of Doctor of Divinity in 1854 from McKendree College, and the next year from Harvard. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. He married Miss Mary L. Emery, July 29, 1839. Of this marriage were Josephine E., born September 12, 1340 ; Wilbur F., born February 17, 1842, died October 21, 1842; Mary Eliza, born July 26, 1845, married Robert R. Wright, Jr. Associated with him in the board of instruction at the opening of his term were Simeon F. Chester, Tru- man H. Kimpton, Lorenzo White and Thomas B. Wood. Isabella H. Binney resumed her former place as preceptress and instructor in French and Drawing. As music teacher, Ellen Dow was assisted by Miss Eva M. Wells. Lorenzo White, well known as a clergyman and author, and as teacher for four years in the Wesleyan Academy, was born in Granby, Mass., May 9, 1821. Educated at the Wesleyan Academy, he joined the Providence Conference in 1851 and was transferred to the New England Conference in 1855, where he filled several important charges. After his service at Wilbra- ham, he was principal (1875) at Montpelier, Vt., and managed for some years a private academy at New Salem, Mass. Mr. White has struggled all his life with frail health. In spite of this sharp thorn, he has contrived to do a vast amount of work, both as a student and preacher. Ill health prevented his graduating from college where he entered, but did not prevent a large amount of pri- vate study. With a sharp, quick, accurate mind, he is qualified to master whatever subject he undertakes, and was adapted by his clear and fruitful intellect to become an instructor. He draws hair lines and makes nice distinctions. He delights in metaphysics arid 384 HISTORY OF mathematics. At Wilbraham, the prophet was at home, but not without honor as a true, good, manly man. Besides various articles in the periodical press, he is author of an essay on "Systematic Beneficence," the best one of the three which took prizes and were pub- lished together. It is one of the bits of religious liter- ature which deserves to live. He married, in 1849, Elizabeth Babcock, of Chester, Mass. He married, sec- ond, Sarah F. Latham, of Northfield, Vt. Thomas B. Wood, an earnest student and enthusiastic teacher, was born in LaFayette, Ind., March 17, 1844, and from his cradle cherished a love of learning. At the age of twenty, he graduated from the Wesleyan University with honor, passing at once to Wilbraham where he spent three years, teaching in the department of Natural Science. He made a reputation as a teacher, and bore away the love of all who knew him. He mar- ried Miss Ellen Dow, of Westfield, July 23, 1867, and went to South America where he has labored success- fully as a missionary and a teacher. In 1873, he acted as United States Consul at Rosario, and in 1874-6 was Professor of Political Econonfy and Constitutional Law in the National College at Buenos Ayres, and in 1876 was transferred to the chair of Astronomy and Physics in the same institution. Dr. Cooke had the advantage of coming in when the tide was nearly at flood. The new buildings and the agitation for several years in raising money for improve- ments and for the liquidation of the debt, had served as admirable advertisements to draw students. They came from all sides and in larger numbers than ever. The fear that the change of principal would reduce the num- THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 385 bers was natural. The great success of the former years was so evidently the work of one man that it was easy to doubt, when he was removed, whether the high tide could continue. The first term showed that the impulse communicated to the school by the former man- ager continued in full force. There was, at the same time, a certain disadvantage in coming in at the flood. The tide could rise but little higher. And then the inevitable turn was ahead. To keep the numbers up is nearly as hard as to raise them at first. Dr. Cooke was certainly fortunate in keeping the school full during the earlier half of his term. To secure this end, he advertised in various ways. He was able, also, to devote constant attention to internal man- agement. In his constant effort to raise money, Dr. Raymond was necessarily absent for long periods to the disadvantage of the school ; for, however excellent his associates, there was no such powerful presence in the Academy as that of the principal. By care and unre- mitting effort, the gain made under a preceding admin- istration was advanced under the new. 1865. The attendance for the year was five hundred and fifty-seven, as against five hundred and eighteen of the preceding year, a most gratifying advance. Not only was the school full, but large numbers completed full courses of study; there were eleven in the ladies' course this year. They were, Helen A. Handy, Bloomy Holden, Ellen Holden, Louisa J. Jillson, Christine Ladd, Rosa P. Merrill, Elizabeth J. Steele, Clara M. Lord, Georgia A. Parker, Sarah D. Tupper and Ellen A. Whitman. Of 386 HISTORY OF these, Ellen Holden was valedictorian. From the classical course, John R. Gushing, Tamerlane P. Marsh, Caleb T. Winchester, Alfred Noon, George E. Reed and Frank D. Porter went to Middletown; Raymond F. Hoi way graduated at Harvard ; Gilbert C. Osgood went to Boston University ; Luther E. Barnes, Daniel G. Hill, C. M. Russell, Edward Senior and Samuel E. Wood completed the course and did not enter college. Of these, George E. Reed became an eloquent preacher and is now president of Dickinson College, and Charles T. Winchester is an able and popular professor in Wes- leyan University. Gushing, Hoi way, Noon and Osgood are all honored members of the New England Conference. The Conference took an encouraging view of the sit- uation. They say: " We are happy to learn that this oldest educational institution of our church has enjoyed during the past year, more than its usual success. At the close of the spring term (1864), Dr. Raymond resigned his position after sixteen years of earnest and successful labor. A successor was immediately secured upon whose appointment the friends and patrons of the Academy may well congratulate themselves. A better selection could not, probably, have been made. Already he has more than met the expectations of his friends. The faculty is able, vigorous and devoted. A higher grade of scholarship, especially in the classical depart- ment now obtains. Its facilities for accomplishing its ends, unsurpassed by any similar institution in New England, commend it to the liberal patronage of the whole public, and particularly to the Methodist com- munity. The property of the school is valued at one hundred and sixteen thousand dollars, upon which there THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 387 is a debt of twenty-four thousand dollars. The board- ing house, during the early part of the year, failed, on account of increased prices, to pay expenses." The committee record with gratitude the fact " that for niost of the year, a gracious religious interest has pervaded the school, and nearly one hundred have been converted to God. With so much to encourage and inspire, they find the removal of the debt and the enlargement of the library still to be pressing wants. The debt was the curious heritage coming down from the former administration. It was supposed as the com- pletion of Rich Hall approached that nearly enough had been subscribed to cancel all indebtedness. But this was not true. In some way, at the last, there was a deficit, the size of which the writer has not been able to ascertain. The Conference, as we have seen, set it down at twenty-four thousand dollars; but that was designed to be a mere approximation, more or less. Some place it as high as thirty thousand dollars ; others, who were intimate with the affairs of the institution, put it down to sixteen thousand or seventeen thou- sand dollars. Perhaps if we place it at about twenty thousand dollars we should not be far from the truth. In 1865, Edward Cooke and Edward F. Porter were elected trustees, the former being chosen treasurer of the board. He continued a member of the corporation until 1879. Edward F. Porter, a leading business man of Boston and an honored member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, was very serviceable to the institu- tion. Usually present at the meetings of the board, his practical suggestions and wise counsels were inucli relied upon by his associates. For ten years, from 1871 388 HISTORY OF to 1881, he was president of the board, and, of course, his position gave him a leading part in. the management of the affairs of the Academy. David Ward Northrup, who came in as a teacher this year, was born in Sherman, Ct., February 19, 1844, and graduated at the Wesleyan University in 1868. He taught at Wilbraham before graduation. Later he taught at Fort Edward and studied law in Albany and became a leading member of the bar at Middletown, Ct. From 1873 to 1881 he was an influential member of the Legislature. As a teacher in the Academy, he is favorably remembered. Helen A. Handy taught Eng- lish and French, and Laura M. Bryant served a single year in the English department. Miss Bryant returned in 1867 and taught with great success, until 1871, the Higher English and mathematics. Hattie Whipple assisted on the piano, and Hattie E. Wells gave atten- tion to physical culture. Mrs. E. T. H. Putnam took the place of Mrs. Binney as preceptress, serving a sin- gle year. The commercial department, designed to aid students in preparing for practical business, was this year organized by W. F. Lamb, who continued at the head down to 1881. The value of his services may be estimated by the length of time he was allowed to hold. To a deep and permanent enthusiasm in the cause, he added unremitted exertions to build up his department and he had the pleasure of seeing a large number of students pass under his training. The steward chosen this year was E. E. Warfield, who was assisted in the house management by Mrs. Warfield and Mrs. H. G. Arnold, who gave great satis- faction as matron for three years. THE WE8LEYAN ACAbEMY. 389 CHAPTER XL. THE HIGH WATER MARK IK THE ATTENDANCE AT THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 1866. '""PHIS year was phenomenal in the number of students 1 in attendance. The record reached 1,045 by ag- gregate of terras, or 679 different students, the highest point ever touched in the history of the Academy. The winter term numbered 346; the spring term 330; the fall term 369, making the above total of 1,045. This great increase resulted from three causes operat- ing at the time. The new administration, which had come in with much public favor, drew attention to the school. In addition to the novelty was the activity of the new principal, who set all the machinery in motion. Moreover, those were the flush days after the war, when money was easily earned and as easily expended. Many parents had the means to educate their children, and young ladies and pretitlemen were able easily to earn the money with which to educate themselves. But there was a wider cause. The increase in num- 90 bers was really a part of the movement which began in the rebuilding under Dr. Raymond. The interest had been gradually rising until the movement culmi- nated, filling the institution to repletion. The increase in the property of the Academy ren- dered advisable an enlargement of the charter under which the corporation held. In response to the peti- tion of the trustees, an amendatory act was approved by the governor, March 26, 1866, authorizing them " to hold for the purposes set forth in the said act of incor- poration, real and personal estate to an amount not exceeding three hundred thousand dollars." The Rev. Fales H. Newhall, D.D., and Henry J. Bush, of Westfield, were chosen trustees. Dr. Newhall held the position thirteen years, and was of great service to the institution, not only by his wide and practical knowledge of educational matters, but also by his knowledge of its needs and the best methods of meeting them. Henry J. Bush was a prominent and wealthy layman, who served the seminary until 1883 by his counsels, means and attention to the details of business. The preceptress this year was Miss Mary True, a daughter of Dr. Charles K. True, a young lady of fine literary and social accomplishments, who did much faithful and valuable work. She married a gen- tleman in South Carolina, where she resides. Warren L. Hoagland, who took the department of mathe- matics, was born in Townsbury, N.J., May 11, 1844, and graduated from the Wesleyan University this year. At the close of his two years at Wilbraham, he began the study of the law in Albany, but later turned to divinity at Drew. Joining the Newark Conference in THE WESLETAJf ACADEMY. 391 1870, he filled an important charge, and two years later became an instructor in Drew Theological Seminary. As assistants in English and French, Cynthia P. Hazen and Laura E. Prentice served for a single year with favor. William H. Cook assisted in the classical de- partment. As steward, we now find the genial and excellent Orrin E. Darling, of Chicopee, and his esti- mable and intelligent wife, who devoted three years of conscientious and faithful service to the institution. For genuine worth, Christian character and noble pur- pose, as well as for good works, they were highly appreciated. He was born in Rowe, Mass., April 19, 1820, and for many years was in trade in Chicopee. Both he and his wife have long been worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Under Dr. Cooke, the department of instruction was more fully organized than ever before. Something was done in this direction by Dr. Fisk. Robert Allyn organized the ladies' graduating course. What had been well begun by his predecessors, was now carried on to completion by Dr. Cooke, who had more leisure than his predecessor to devote to the internal affairs of the school. The whole school was arranged in three departments. They were, (1.) the preparatory course, extending over a single year, and designed to take the student on to the next grade of studies. (2.) The graduating course, covering three years, and comprising studies adapted to fit pupils for the active duties of life. (3.) The classical course, containing much the same matter as the old course, but distributed in an orderly manner over three years, and designed to afford an ample preparation for college. Three years were 392 HISTORY OF required to complete the second and the third courses, while those remaining for briefer periods could select from these courses. In this way, the wants of transient and more permanent students could be met. The advantages of sj'stem and order could thus be secured to those choosing a full course, without damage to those taking a partial one. The new plan* has proved an advantage to the pupils and the institution. More have taken a full course, and the grade of scholarship has been advanced ; especially in the classical department, which has done some very thorough and satisfactory work. Students came to realize the advantage of system and time for drill. As a result of the steady and full flow of patronage to the Academy, the income of the corporation became much greater than ever before. In the brisk times prices advanced. Board ranged at three dollars per week, besides extras for heating and washing, and tui- tion for English branches at six dollars, with corres- ponding advances in the higher branches. It has been asked why, with this advance in prices, and the great inflow of students during Dr. Cooke's term, there was no reduction of the debt. The author can only answer in part. The history of the debt would require a careful scrutiny of the books, which he has not been able to make. In place of such accurate knowledge, some general considerations only can be offered which may tend to a solution. It is to be remembered that there was a great advance in current expenditures as well as receipts. If they received more for board than formerly, the cost of supplies had increased during the war period, and at the same time a table with greater variety was required to meet the demands of better conditioned students. The same holds in considering the department of instruction. But, to go a step further, the interest on the debt, at the ruling rates, amounted to $1,500 a year. And, then, the increase in the number of stu- dents rendered additional rooms needful ; and to meet this demand, $1,500 were expended on Rich Hall, in finishing the attic and basement, and in furnishing additional modern improvements. The old house formerly occupied by the principal was refitted and repaired. To afford better accommodations for the natural science department and the library $1,200 were expended on Binney Hall and $3,000 for chemical and philosophical apparatus. To retouch and garnish the old Academy cost a thousand dollars, and the library, to which the Conference had called attention, was replenished at an expense of $1,500. This was for the purchase of Chester Field's collection, not the most suitable for an Academy, but a purchase made at the suggestion of Isaac Rich, with the design, possibly, of aiding a worthy and impecunious minister. There is one other item of expense not to be forgotten. This is the advance in salaries. Down to Dr. Cooke's time, the salary of the principal had remained at $1,000; it was then raised to $1,800 ; and the salaries of the heads of departments rose from $800 to $1,400; that of the preceptress went up from $400 to $700 ; and those in subordinate positions rose correspondingly. The increase of students, too, demanded additional teachers. The increase in salaries in these ways was not less than $3,000 a j-ear. These items account in part, at least, 394 HISTORY Of for the large expenditures during Dr. Cooke's admin- istration. The attention of the trustees was now called to the question of better church accommodation. They accept the proposal of the village society to allow students alternate slips, in the church to be built, at the rate of one dollar per term for each student, and auth- orize the president of the board to appeal to the public for aid through the press, and constitute the president of the board, the principal and George C. Rand a com- mittee to solicit and receive subscriptions for that purpose. The Conference renews its expressions of satisfaction at the order and prosperity of the school, adapted, as never before, to impart, as never before, sound literary and religious instruction. In the continued religious interest among the students it finds special occasion for gratitude. Most of the pupils in the institution at the time were religious, many had been converted at the Academy. In the graduating course,' nineteen received diplomas. They were, Ella A. Allen, Louise M. Battershall, Mary F. Browning, Mary L. Booth, Ada M. Davis, Fannie E. Flagg, Joseph K. Gill, Georgie A. Goodnow, Mary E. Hall, Rachel Keyes, Hattie E. Marcy, Luman F. Merritt, Margaret E. Pickering, Mary Sawin, George H. Sherman, Albert H. Sweetser, Sarah E. Wakeman, Nellie M. Wakeman and Belle R. Wood. Eighteen gentlemen completed the classical course. They were, E. B. Andrews, Charles F. Allen, Elisha T. Bartholo- mew, Samuel F. Cushman, Nathan S. Dunklee, William E. D wight, William T. Ellis, Leon C. Field, Benjamin Rev. E. B. ANDREWS, D.D., President of Brown University. WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 395 Gill, Edwin J. Howe, Barton Lowe, Edward A. Merrill, Walter G. Mitchell, William H. Peters, Fred. Perkins, John S. and Joseph R. Wood and Edward S. White. Of these, Dwight, Gill, Merrill, Peters, Field, Howe and John S. Wood entered the Wesleyan University. Elisha Benjamin Andrews, the valedictorian, was born in Hinsdale, N.H., January 10, 1844. His father and grandfather were honored Baptist clergymen. He enlisted in the Federal Army in 1861, and after serving three years and seven months was discharged on account of wounds received in the service. After preparing for college at the Wesleyan Academy, he entered Brown University, graduating in 1870. His theological studies were completed in 1874 at Newton Theological Seminary. For a single year 1874-1875, he was pastor of the First Baptist Church in Beverly. Elected, 1875, president of Denison University, Gran- ville, Ohio, he resigned in 1879 to accept the professor- ship of Homiletics in Newton Theological Seminary. In 1882 and 1883 he traveled in Europe. In 1882 he was elected professor of History in Brown University, and in 1889 he became president of the same. In 1887 he published Institutes of General History, a very able work, and in 1889 the Institutes of Economics. In preparation and in college he was proficient in all his studies, especially in mathematics and metaphysics. Dr. Andrews is one of the remarkable men of the age. An independent and strong thinker, he is controlled by a sound judgment and high moral purpose. He has been honored with the titles of D.D. and LL.D. and ranks high among the educators of the time. He mar- ried a daughter of Rev. Ralph W. Allen, D.D., late a 396 HISTORY OF member of the New England Conference. In having the opportunity to aid in quickening and moulding the spiritual and intellectual life of so distinguished and influential a man as President Andrews, the Wesleyan Academy is highly honored. It is gratifying to know that he reciprocates the feeling of attachment the Academy cherishes toward him, and his visits to the place have always been welcome. 1867. The decline in numbers, slow at first, but to be long continued and extreme, began this year. As against the six hundred and seventy-nine different students of the former year, they now had six hundred and seventeen. The decrease was slight, but was enough to mark the turn in the tide. The Conference makes handsome reference to the late improvements in the facilities for education at the Academy. "The debt has been somewhat reduced; though, in consequence of the multiplicity and impor- tance of the objects placed before the people for centen- ary contributions, less has been realized from these collections than was anticipated. Surveying these facts, your committee can but regard the financial and general management of the school as exceedingly satisfactory." There came into the board of instruction, Herbert F. Fisk, Asa Boothby and David B. Furber. Mrs. A. C. Knight instructed in French and Belle R. Wood in English. Herbert F. Fisk, a thorough scholar and successful teacher, was born in Stoughton, September 25, 1840. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. Graduating at the Wesleyan in 1860 he taught a year in Franklin, N.Y., and then became principal at Shel- burne Academy, Vt. In 1863 he accepted the chair of Ancient Languages in Cazenovia, which was exchanged for that at Wilbraham in 1867. In 1868 he went to Lima, N.Y., and in 1881 to the Northwestern at Evanston, where he has gained a high reputation as a scholar and teacher. Asa Boothby, an enthusiast in natural science, was born September 23, 1834, and graduated from Middle- town in 1859. He taught in Falley Seminary until 1865, when he became a druggist. He served with great popularity at Wilbraham from 1867 to 1874. He was a born and trained teacher. Zeal for science con- sumed him. From, his lips, scientific truth never fell cold and colorless ; it was touched with the hues of his own imagination. In 1879 he returned to his beloved work in Falley. David B. Furber, who taught for a single year at Wilbraham was born in Marlowe, N.H., October 31, 1846, and graduated in 1867. After a year at Wilbra- ham, he became an instructor in the Westfield High School and in 1879 was engaged as the bookkeeper of Crane Brothers, in the same place. The music department was reorganized under Dr. Eben Tourje", assisted by Miss Emily F. True. The music rooms were in the parlor of the boarding house and in Fisk Hall. The best methods of instruction were adopted, better instruments purchased, and the depart- ment placed on a thorough basis. As a result the number of pupils in music was greatly increased. The Commencement week was an occasion of much 398 HISTORY OF interest. There were ten graduates from the classical department; viz., Daniel S. Alford, W. H. Cook, Samuel G. Gushing, William A. Fuller, John Gray, Almon E. Hall, T. Randolph Mercein, Wilbur F. Potter, Harvey N. Shepard, and George B. Simpson. Of these, Alford, Gushing, Cook, Marcein and Potter entered the Wes- leyan University. Nine completed their studies in the graduating course; viz., Jennie E. Bigelow, Marcia L. Burleigh, Laura M. Bryant, Eugenia L. Bushnell, Mary A. Foster, Emily F. Houghton, Marion E. Lewis, Fan- nie A. Morse and Annie H. Noble. Miss Foster, later Mrs. Gregory, a fine scholar and speaker, was vale- dictorian. The occasion was rounded out by an enthusiastic alumni gathering. The meeting, held in Fisk Hall, was called to order by Hon. Amos B. Merrill and prayer was offered by Gilbert Haven. Dr. N. J. Burton, a former student in the Academy, a brilliant preacher and the successor of Horace Bushnell, was the orator of the day. The practical as against the ideal side of life was the theme he handled with rare ability. It was not good to be alone ; to withdraw oneself from the actual, rough, dirty world. The world needs us, we need the plain work-day world. A cloistered, solitary life is destructive to health, vigor, manliness; to the amenities of life as exhibited in good manners ; to the power and activity of the mental processes ; to the more generous impulses of the heart ; and to sanity of mental and moral nature. In style, matter and manner, the oration was very felicitous, abounding as it did in argu- ment, incident, anecdote and sharp turns of wit, and holding the audience spell-bound for more than an hour. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 399 At the close of the oration, the Rev. W. S. Studley, D.D., an alumnus, gave a pyrotechnic display in the shape of a biographic and humorous poem, on the early days of the institution. The spondees and dactyles blazed and darted and spluttered and exploded over the audience amid roars of laughter at the " ding- bats," the "Porkham Cord wood," and the "Satinet" of those ante-diluvian times. At the close of the poem, the audience repaired to the dining hall, elegantly festooned and furnished with an ample and excellent repast. Some had dined here before ; but to most the place was new. "The feast of reason and flow of soul " succeeded the repast. The older alumni relived the past and admired the greater present. The mem- ory of the chairman went back to the struggles and triumphs of the founders. Governor Claflin expressed his great satisfaction at being present to witness the prosperity of the institution and to express his entire satisfaction as to the use made of the liberal grants from the Commonwealth. The State had always taken a lively interest in the cause of education; and no money was better expended than that used to foster education. No institution, to whose founding and up- building the State had contributed, had used its funds more wisely than the Wesley an Academy. Out of the little possessed at first, the founders contrived to make much and do a great educational work; and now that our people are more numerous and means are more abundant, it seems desirable to secure these larger accommodations and better furnishings. The governor was followed by Rev. Sidney Dean, of Providence, an alumnus of '32, later a preacher, mem- 400 HISTORY OF ber of Congress and editor of the Providence Journal; Mrs. Thomas, a former student and preceptress; Velorus Taft, an admirer of the Academy ; Rev. Pliny Wood ; Gilbert Haven; and Willard F. Mallalieu, who was more of a prophet than an antiquary. So closed one of the most delightful gatherings in the history of the institution. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 401 CHAPTER XLI. THE SEMI-CENTENNIAL OF THE FOUNDING OF THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 1868. LIKE those immediately preceding, the present was a prosperous year in the school. At the annual meeting of the board, L. W. Pond was chosen a trustee. Though afterwards implicated in business irregularities, he did good service in the board, of which he remained a member until 1877, and was a man of many noble traits of character. The board of instruction was reenforced by the elec- tion of D. M. Brummagim, A. S. Howe and Joseph G. Robbins. Professor Brummagim, an excellent man and teacher, held the chair of Ancient Languages for three years; Mr. Howe that of Mathematics, and Mr. Robbins that of English for two years. J. W. Hastings, an excellent instructor, took charge of the music depart- ment, assisted by Mary E. Lucas and Lucie A. Marcy. Mrs. A. C. Knight, a sister of Dr. W. F. Warren, and a competent scholar and instructor, was chosen precept- 402 HISTORY OF ress, serving acceptably until 1879. Mrs. Knight felt a deep interest in the welfare of both school and pupils, especially the younger girls, who found in her a coun- selor and guide, a care-taker and friend. After leaving Wilbraham she became preceptress in the preparatory school at Athens, Tenn., where she has done extensive and valuable work in that opening field. The numbers this year reached six hundred and fifteen. Twenty graduated from the classical course. They were, Howard E. Alcott, John S. Bagg, S. M. Beale, John M. Brooks, Alpheus H. Bryan, Sexton P. Coomes, Geo. F. Degen, David S. Holbrook, L. M. Hubbard, Charles H. Knight, Isaac J. Lansing, Ambrose E. Palmer, Damon C. Porter, Stephen O. Sherman, Charles W. Smiley, George H. Smith, Samuel F. Smith, John W. Wescott, William B. Wheeler and George W. Wright. Of these, Lansing, Porter, Sherman and Wright entered Middletown. Nine completed their studies in the graduating course. They were, Genie H. Bell, Annette Davis, Addie A. Foster, E. Ella Hayden, Helen M. Newhall, Mary Pelton, Mary E. Phelps, Narcissa A. White and Hannah Whiton. The vale- dictory went to David S. Holbrook of Chester, Mass. This year, the Alumni Association celebrated the semi-centennial of the founding of the Academy at Newmarket. The occasion proved to be one of rare interest. Dr. Cooke made an extended historical address, recounting the incidents and facts in connec- tion with the founding and growth of the Academy. He dwelt with evident interest on the rebuilding, and rejoiced in the new creation which had arisen as by magic around them. "The Wesleyan Academy," he Rev. I. J. LANSING, Student. Rev. JOSEPH PULLMAN, D.D. Student. STEPHEN OLIN SHERMAN, Student. (Journalist.) FRANK M. CRANE, Student. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 403 said in conclusion, "bears the proud distinction of being the first of a class of institutions, now so numer- ous, that may be called the people's colleges; for they have opened their doors to both sexes,, and, in the spirit of Methodism, have sought to benefit, not the privi- leged few, but to unlock to the many, alike rich and poor, the treasures of knowledge. Where others have not sought, there she has found her brightest jewels. Fifteen thousand of the sons and daughters of the people have received instruction in these halls. These efforts to secure the education of the people have been her praise and may it continue to be her crown of glory." The address was published entire in Ziorfs Herald of the period. For many years, the town of Wilbraham had taxed the personal property of the Academy, under the plea that this kind of property was not exempted by the charter. The board had ordered the treasurer to pay the tax under protest. In order to insure a full and final settlement of the question, the trustees brought suit against the town. During this year, the case came before Judge Chapman, who decided in favor of the Academy and ordered the town to refund the amount paid as taxes with interest. 1869. Matters at the Acadeni}^ in 1869 call for only brief notice. A. F. Chase instructed in mathematics and Rachel Keyes in English. Rosa P. Merrill aided in the art department, and Mrs. C. H. M. Newell in wax- work. Mr. Chase, a fine scholar and popular instruc- tor, was born in Woodstock, Me., October 26, 1842. 404 HISTORY OF After two years at Wilbraham he went to Kent's Hill to teach. Henry E. Crocker, also, taught here two years, with good success. 1870. Charles M. Parker, an accurate scholar and a model teacher, who began a most successful career this year at Wilbraham, was born in Jay, Me., November 17, 1843, and graduated at the Wesleyan University in 1868. Before going to Wilbraham, he taught a year at Kent's Hill and another at the Wesleyan Female Col- lege in Cincinnati. Professor Parker was a rare teacher, of whom any institution might well be proud. With a clear and disciplined mind, a thorough mastery of his subject, devotion to his work, facility in teaching, and the patience which insured thorough drill and com- plete mastery of the subject in hand, he was at the same time a genial and attractive man in his intercourse with students and citizens. Though a master, he was simple in tastes and habits and unpretentious. The classes which passed under his hand, were fitted to enter any college, and usually at the head of the col- umn. His departure was sincerely regretted. Impaired health led him to Pasadena, as a sort of sanitarium, where he has been able to resume his old occupation. The attendance now fell to five hundred and ninety- three. Albert L. Bacheller, Edgar H. S. Bailey, A. O. Brooks, George B. Dorsett, Theodore A. Duncan, John S. Flagg, William A. Gregory, Charles F. Merrill, F. W. Patten and Carstein Wendt completed their studies in the classical course. Wendt received the valedictory honor. Bacheller, Dorsett, Merrill and Patten went to Prof. C. M. PARKER. Prof. CHAS. H. RAYMOND. Prof. BENJAMIN GILL. Professor H. F. FISK. tHE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 405 Middletown. In the graduating course, Eugene Atchison, Lizzie E. Bacon, Helen C. Coomes, Dora E. Cross, Louise M. Hodgkins, Lizzie J. Lathrop, Clara Markham, Mary E. Pepper, Anna C. Taft and Lester F. Hill received diplomas. Miss Hodgkins has been, for many years, an honored professor in Wellesley College. The Memorial Church, the chapel of which was opened for public services January 9th by a sermon from Dr. W. F. Warren on John 12:23, treating on the duty, object and manner of worship, was the conjoint work of the Academy and the local society. The plan, contemplating a building eighty by fifty-six feet with a chapel sixty by thirty-two feet, was drawn as early as 1856, at an expense of not more than $25,000 of which $11,000 only were in hand at. the beginning. The latter sum proved to be sufficient only to make a begin- ning ; for the full cost was a little less than $45,000. The Conference of 1867 approved " the style and dimensions of the church, as demanded for the accommo- dation of the joint congregation of students and cit- izens." The churches were asked to contribute to this cause, in response to a call to be sent out by the trustees and the local church, and the contributions were very liberal. At the end of the year $15,000 had been expended in rearing the walls, $15,000 more would be required to complete it. Of the sum needed, the pastor, Rev. F. Furber, raised by an additional appeal to the churches $7,117 during the year; but this sum, like those before, quickly sank out of sight. The builder, Porter Cross, then found another round $10,000 would be required to finish the roof and the inside. To 406 HISTORY OF meet this, Lee Claflin agreed to pay the last $2,500, oil condition the whole should be subscribed before October 1, 1869. On the twenty-ninth of September it was announced that the whole amount had been secured. Even with this -$10,000 the society was left with a debt and without a spire. On the seventeenth of February, a series of services was opened by Mrs. Van Cott. As a result the pastor received ninety-three on probation and baptized forty. Many students repaired to their homes to repeat the story of their new found treasure. As the members of the local church entered so fully into the work, the revival spirit continued after the special services closed. In midsummer, the church was formally opened by a sermon from Dr. Raymond. It was one of his able discourses, built on the fundamental truth of redemp- tion. In spite of the sweltering heat, which gave the audience immense discomfort, they hung on his words with the interest of other days. In bringing this noble work to completion many deserve praise. The trustees aided ; the men did a noble work ; the women were diligent and helpful, especially in the furnishing. In the building of the church, Dr. Cooke was active ; and he claimed that Franklin Furber, George C. Rand, Mrs. Wesley Bliss and Miss Lucinda D. Moody were worthy of honorable mention. Though the cost of the church largely exceeded the original estimate, it has proved to be of great value to the Academy, in affording attractive accommodations to the students, and an ample assembly room for commencement and other occasions. It is in THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 407 keeping with the buildings around it. The Gothic architecture is the permanent fashion, making the struc- ture a valuable object lesson, whose ivy-clad walls will become more attractive with the lapse of years. The carrying up of the spire will complete and beautify the work. 1871. Herbert H. Burbank and Wilbur F. Claflin were elected trustees. The former, a worthy citizen of the town^ remained in the board but a single year. Wilbur F. Claflin, who took the place of his father and served until 1880, was born in Milford, March 6, 1831, and died in Hopkinton in 1885. He was a student at Wilbra- ham, where he first made the acquaintance of the young lady who became his wife and who survives him. For many years, he was a member of the firm of William, Claflin & Co., and was also in partnership with A. Coburn of Hopkinton. To the institution, he was serviceable both by counsel and pecuniary contribu- tions, the amount of which cannot be here stated. Mr. Claflin was a quiet, unobtrusive man, with a gift for business and was a liberal contributor to the funds of the local church of which he was a member. The teaching corps was reenforced by the election of W. H. H. Phillips, Donnell G. Brooks and James Mid- dleton. The two latter occupied subordinate positions, doing good service for a single year. W. H. H. Phil- lips, who remained in faithful and efficient service until 1883, was born in the Province of Ontario, July 25, 1841, and graduated at the Wesleyan University in 1865. After spending three years in Europe, he taught 408 HISTORY oP at Lima, N.Y., and at East Greenwich. He taught mathematics, a department in which he was thoroughly accomplished and in which he is not unknown as an author of elementary books. As a teacher, he was clear, incisive and strong ; knowing the matter himself, he was able to aid pupils in a wise way. Besides the attention to the duties of the class room, he felt an interest in everything connected with the school. He identified himself with the local church and for a season served as treasurer to the board of stewards. To the classes which passed under his careful instruction and drill his services were invaluable. Orrin Daggett, who was chosen steward this year, was born in New Vineyard, Me., January 7, 1816. He married February 21, 1839, Mary Perkins, of the same place, who proved a help-mate indeed. He was one of Maine's honored farmers care, diligence and calcula- tion were marked features in his character as an agri- culturalist. He was at it early and late. Nothing ran to waste. Everything was utilized to the utmost advantage, as he was guided by a practical judgment almost infallible. For several years, he was steward at Kent's Hill and brought his ripened wisdom to Wilbra- ham where his services were invaluable. The lands were put in the best order and rendered extremely pro- ductive. The bushes were grubbed and the waste land, of which there was considerable, was reclaimed. In the care of matters about the boarding house, he was equally successful. Economy, care and skill in furnishing at the least cost and so as to secure the best table, made him the model steward. Without dispar- agement to any of his predecessors, he easily holds, for TBE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 409 i length of service, knowledge of the situation, facility in handling his resources and faithfulness in the discharge of the duties of his position, a foremost place among the honored stewards of the Wesleyan Academy. Con- sulted and trusted by the board, he was loved by the students. In his wife, he had an admirable house manager, whose gentleness and prudence admirably supplemented his own rugged strength of character ; and enabled her to care tenderly for the convenience and health of the students. The attendance went down again, this year, to five hundred and thirty-four. Twenty-three completed a three years' course of study. Those in the classical course were, Oliver A. Coleman, Warren A. Luce, Crandall J. North, David J. Richards, George E. Sand- erson, James M. Smith, Edward O. Thayer, Henry M. Waldrof, Melvin C. Wood and Joseph Zweifil. David J. Richards was valedictorian. The graduates in the English course were, Sarah W. Clapp, Mattie E. Gould, Mollie A. Harrison, Emma C. King and Nellie A. Wood. North, Sanderson and Thayer graduated at the Wesleyan University, and David J. Richards at Harvard. 410 HISTORY OF CHAPTER XLII. THE FINAL SERVICES OF EDWARD COOKE AT THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 1872. AT their annual meeting, the trustees elected three new members of the board, viz., George M. But- trick, John W. Beach and J. W. Phelps, the last of whom served until 1877, and the two former until 1878. Beyond attendance at the meetings, we are not aware that they performed any notable services for the board. John W. Beach, D.D., who was reflected in 1882, was born in Trumbull, Ct., December 26, 1825. He pre- pared for college at Wilbraham and graduated at the Wesleyan University in 1845. He taught in Philadel- phia and at Amenia, where in 1851 he became principal. In 1854 he joined the New York Conference, where he held leading positions, and in 1870 was transferred to the New York East. On the retirement of Dr. Foss, in 1880, he was elected President of Wesleyan University, a position he retained until 1887. To the corps of teachers were added Benjamin Gill, THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. Crandall J. North and Martha M. Wiswell. The last two remained but one year. Mr. North was born in Elbridge, N.Y., March 2, 1847, graduated at the Wes- leyan in 1887. He was in the army during the Civil War and joined the New York East Conference in 1877. Benjamin Gill, an admirable teacher and citizen, was born in Yorkshire, England, July 11, 1843, came early to America, studied in Wilbraham and graduated at Middletown, 1870. He began by teaching classes in English, and in 1874 became instructor in Greek, a position he held with growing popularity until 1892. With a mind clear, full and active, he communicated his own enthusiasm to his classes, and, at the same time, held them in steady drill. To an unusual extent he maintained pleasant and even intimate relations with the citizens, by whom he was highly appreciated for his genial temper, gentlemanly bearing and kind offices. In the church, where he ever strove to be useful, his services were greatly prized, and, for many years, he not only taught in the Sunday school, but also performed the duties of class leader to the edification and comfort of all who attended. Useful as he was in the classical drill, he was still more serviceable in attempts to form and beautify the characters of those who passed under his hand. This year the elocution and commercial departments were organized ; the former under Joseph Carhart, who performed admirable work, and the latter under Watson F. Lamb, who was patient and persistent in developing his department. Previous to this, the declamations had been delivered only by the gentlemen, the ladies appear- ing only in the graduating exercises, when they read brief essays, or in the exercises of "open society." Those only appeared who could best perform their parts. Volunteer declamations were called for from the ladies, and the plan was so well approved that the next year it was required, and thenceforth the public speaking of both sexes was the same. This change has met a felt want, and the good fruits have fully jus- tified the innovation. The fires in Boston and Chicago ruined many of the insurance companies and raised the rates of insurance. On the one hundred and seven thousand dollars' worth of property at the Academy, the trustees had to pay three hundred and forty-eight dollars for insurance for one year, a very high rate. The numbers in attendance dropped this year to five hundred and three. The annual examination showed good proficiency in the studies of the term, and the exhibition was an occasion of much interest and spirit. The names of the twenty -five graduates were as follows: Eugene V. Baker, Burton J. Beach, Alma S. Brigham, Donnell G. Brooks, Daniel J. Clark, George S. Coleman, L. Belle Dewey, Robert Ely, Ella M. Fermin, Austin B. Fletcher, Amana Green, Arthur M. Kilgore, James E. Knapp, Lillie C. Lane, Jennie Larned, Webster Mer- rifield, Clara A. Merrill, Frank W. Pierce, Julia E. Redford, Henry D. Simonds, Phebe A. Stone, William W. Ward, Angle V. Warren, Herbert C. Wilmarth and Emma Wooster. 1873. Outside of the routine, we find little worthy of note THE WES LEY AN ACADEMY. 413 in this year. In numbers there was an uplift to five hundred and ninety-seven. Alexander J. Duncan, Mary Hall and Emily Upton became teachers. Miss Hall remained two years, the others but one. Twenty- five completed courses of study. In the classical depart- ment, the following graduated; viz., C. F. Chapin, George H. Clark, William E. Duncan, Lucy A. Fisk, S. E. Greenwood, William I. Haven, Jenny M. Lord, Thomas C. Martin, Laodicu D. Merrick, M. Josie Miles, Theodore Peck, Thomas R. Pentecost, Lucy Sawin, Alton H. Sherman, Arthur J. Silliman, Edward J. Smith, William C. Strong, George E. Taylor, Ella F. Walsh, William S. Winans, Jr., Lucy F. Winchester and John W. Wright. William C. Strong was valedic- torian. David K. Merrill, who was chosen a trustee in place of Miner Raymond, resigned, was born in Lyman, N.H., January 19, 1820. He studied at Wilbraham and joined the New England Conference in 1842 and con- tinued to 1880, when he returned to business. As a trustee, he was useful by active and faithful participa- tion in the duties and responsibilities of the position. 1874. Although the country was beginning to feel the strin- gency in business, the Academy was in good condition. The attendance dropped to five hundred and thirty-eight. Less than the preceding year, it was larger than in 1871 and 1872. There were thirty-nine who completed the course, whose names are given here. They were, Ella L. Bacon, A very E. Brewer, Mary E. Brewer, Charles M. Comstock, Charles F. Daggett, Emma A. Daggett, 414 HISTORY OF Carrie F. Davis, Hattie A. Davis, Charles E. Finkle, Josie O. Firmin, Sarali A. Fisk. Ella C. Goodrich, Charles M. Hall, Edgar M. Hermance, Marian T. Her- rick, Edward Hevvitson, Wilbur F. Holmes, Charles H. Houghton, Abby F. Hull, Lottie A. Lane, Charles F. Loomis, Alice R. Lockwood, J. F. McGregory, Charles S. Merrick, Florence Morgan, Clifton Pease, George H. Perkins, Frank T. Pomeroy, Mary E. Pomfret, Fred. A. Smith, W. B. Smith, Abbie S. Snow, Frank E. Stebbins, Charles W. Thatcher, Rebecca M. True, Anna Van Vleck, William E. Walkley and Lemuel Young. The year was marked by some adverse, as well as prosperous events. The barns, which had been con- structed at an expense of some two thousand five hun- dred dollars, were destroyed by the torch of the incen- diary. Much hay and grain with a pair of oxen, three valuable horses and fourteen cows, were burned. The new barns erected cost three thousand eight hundred dollars, which was paid under the next administration. But the event of the year was the change in the head- ship of the institution. After a term of ten years, Dr. Cooke handed in his resignation. In his administration there were some noteworthy features. Dr. Cooke was a man of detail. He delighted to have many irons in the fire. Small as well as great things were kept well in hand. The buildings and grounds were kept constantly in order ; nothing was allowed to get out of place; no board or blind was left loose; no waste material was allowed to accumulate on the prem- ises. On all sides were evidences of minute care and good taste. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 415 In the management of the business of the institution, he was extremely ready and active. The push natural to him was exhibited in the management of the school ; the machine was kept constantly in motion, and the movement usually conducted on to his grand objective. The advertising, which forms so important an item in the management of an institution of learning, was well done ; not always by paying for a square in the columns of the daily papers, often by gaining the ear of a reporter or correspondent, and by attentions to strangers who chanced to visit the place; appliances by which he drew a large number of students, in all some four thousand different individuals. With a deep and permanent interest in details and in external order, he was not unmindful of the higher pur- poses of education, the training of the mind and shaping the life. He arranged excellent courses of study ; he insisted on the drill requisite to insure mental discipline and steadiness ; he infused animation into the intel- lectual mass about him. He was also successful in his attempts to maintain a lively spiritual interest in the school. One connected with this administration writes that hardly a term passed without the conversion of a good number of students; the number was often large. A student of early days writes of a visit to Wilbraham on an anniversary occasion. "The annual services," he writes, "opened with a precious love feast on Sunday morning. There has been a continuous revival at the Academy throughout the year. The religious feeling was deep and universal. The speaking was uncommonly mature and interesting, and the singing spiritual and delightful. Such a heav- 416 HISTORY OF enly atmosphere is a good element for young minds to breathe. "Dr. Cooke opened the public services of the day with an admirable discourse to the graduating class. Entirely at home in the duties of the position, the doc- tor bears himself with great ease in all the appropriate functions of his office. With his eye upon a high stand- ard of excellence for the Academy, he is confident of realizing, by the blessing of God, his largest expecta- tions. His discourse was well adapted to the occasion, replete with wholesome instruction and impressively delivered. In the afternoon, the Lord's Supper was administered and the day closed with an evening social service, in which the retiring pupils took a very tender and affecting leave of their companions and expressed their consecrated hopes in reference to their future lives." The appreciation of his services as principal of the Wesleyan Academy, by the trustees, is expressed in the following resolutions passed unanimously by the board, June 23,1874: Resolved, That this Board of Trustees deem it due to the merits of the retiring principal to record their sense of the fidelity and ef- ficiency, with which, for the ten years of his incumbency, he has per- formed the duties of this responsible office. The trustees cannot but express their gratification at the continued prosperity of the institution during these years in every department thereof ; and they consider this success, under God, due largely to the unselfish, persistent devotion of the principal to the interests of the institution ; and they resolve that, wherever his lot may be cast, he carries with him the respect and esteem of this large board of trustees, who have so long been his associates. For Dr. Cooke, as a school manager, his best friends THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 417 do not claim perfection. Defects, as well as excel- lencies, marked his character. He was ardent, often hasty in temper and word, uttering things which caused irritation and proved not a little troublesome in the management of the school.^ Teachers were sometimes out of sympathy with him, and students did not always move harmoniously under his rule. The ill-feeling growing out of some of these rencontres was, especially in his later time at the Academy, very considerable. All this is freely admitted ; but we must admit, at the same time, that he did a large amount of valuable work for the institution, which was especially appreciated by his friends. The trustees certainly made a handsome recognition of his services. The claim that he was a careful and judicious finan- cial manager is somewhat less tenable. The income of the Academy was large under his administration ; the expenditures were also lavish. But after all these ex- penditures, his critics claim that there should have been something left to reduce the debt. The fact remains that through all this period of prosperity he allowed the debt to increase, which is thought not to harmonize well with economical and wise management. On leaving Wilbraham, though past the meridian and, indeed, advancing well toward sunset, he retained much vigor and elasticity; and, instead of falling out of the ranks and allowing his faculties to rust, he determined to continue the use of his talents in a department to which so large a part of his life had been devoted. The presidency of Claflin University opened to him, and he accepted with the purpose of making the most of his remaining time. There, too, he did a large amount of 418 HISTORY OF work and was helpful to the institution and to the race for whose education the university had been or- ganized. Of the many students under Dr. Cooke, we have given the names of a few who completed courses of study. Of one, who did not live to complete his course, we give a picture. Frank Lindley Crane, son of the late James B. Crane, of the firm of Crane Brothers of Dalton, was born in Dalton, October 2, 1851, and died there November 21, 1873. He was an at- tractive and promising young man, with a fine physique, affable but unaffected manners, and a genial temper. Among the students he was a favorite. In the religious interest of the revival winter, he was a parti- cipant. His untimely death, a short time after leaving the Academy, brought lasting sorrow to all the circles in which he moved. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 419 periofc Iff. 3. lje Qlbmimstration of the tteo. Natl)aniel lotos, SV. HI. 1874-1879 Rev. NATHANIEL FELLOWS, A.M. WESLEYAN ACAbXMY. 421 CHAPTER XLIII. THE EARLIER SERVICES OF NATHANIEL FELLOWS, A.M., AS PRINCIPAL OF THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 1874. NATHANIEL FELLOWS, who was elected as the successor of Dr. Cooke, was born in Stonington New London Co., Ct., November 19, 1828, and, in early life, enjoyed only such advantages for education as could be found in the public schools. His conversion, in his teens, awakened a desire for a more extended course of instruction, which led him to Wilbraham and Middle- town, where he was studious, regular in his habits and exemplary in conduct. Though not a brilliant, he was an accurate and thorough scholar, mastering whatever study he undertook, especially those of the severer sort, such as the higher mathematics. At the close of his course at Wilbraham, he was valedictorian. In 1858 he graduated at the Wesleyan University with honor, and was selected by Miner Raymond to fill the chair of mathematics at the Wesleyan Academy, where, 422 HtSTOfiY OF as a teacher and a gentleman, he stood deservedly high. Though without the dash, the brilliancy or magnetism which are important elements in the char- acter of many teachers, he possessed remarkable clear- ness, astuteness and balance of powers. He was _a level man. He knew men and things accurately. In the class room, as indeed everywhere, he was calm, self-possessed, master of the studies in his department and patient in leading pupils forward by a thorough drill. Constant and persistent in his efforts, he was satisfied only when the least advanced in the class had mastered the lesson. As a member of the faculty, his suggestions and counsels were usually wise and help- ful. With good sense, never disturbed by transient enthusiasms or deceived by the specious appearances of men and women, he usually saw matters of the moment in a clear light and with a sound judgment on which his associates could rely for guidance. In 1859 he joined the New England Conference, in which he held several important charges. In 1872 he was appointed to the charge of Worcester District, a position for which he was, by his knowledge of men and affairs, his sound judgment and generous sympa- thies, well qualified. Every interest in his district was cared for, and he moved in harmony with both his clerical and lay associates. In the arrangement of the work and men on his district, he was extremely judicious. The charge at Wilbraham was accepted with some hesitancy. With an ebb tide, the conditions were not encouraging. But, having accepted, he addressed himself earnestly to the task committed to him. So THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 423 far from acting in the dark, he realized the difficulty of turning the tide and bringing the school to a higher position. The tendencies were downward. The out- ward current was becoming stronger with each day. Hence, we may understand how critical was the period at which he assumed the management of the Wesleyan Academy. At the same time he was elected principal, Mr. Fel- lows was chosen a trustee and made treasurer of the board. As book-keeper, he employed Mrs. C. M. Nordstrom, a very competent and trustworthy person, who continued at the work to the close of the administration. As helpers in the department of instruction, he had two new men, viz., Daniel J. Clark and John H. Pills- bury, who served but a single year. The former was born in Ludlow, Vt., July 20, 1849, and entered Mid- dletown in 1872. Without graduating, he studied theology at Hartford and was settled, in 1880, over the Congregational Church in East Haven, Conn. John H. Pillsbury was born in Livingston, Me., December 30, 1846. He prepared at Kent's Hill and graduated from the Wesleyan University in 1874. At the close of the year at Wilbraham, he taught a couple of years at Middletown and then several years in the high school at Springfield, and later became Professor of Biology in Smith College, Northampton, where he con- tinues with increasing popularity. He married, August 7, 1878, Nellie S., daughter of Professor F. A. Robin- son, of Kent's Hill. Edward E. Kelsey, who had charge of the music department from 1874 to 1879, was born in Laporte, 424 HISTORY OF O., July 21, 1840. He entered Oberlin, but did not graduate. Converted at college, he joined the Congre- gational Church, of which he remains a worthy mem- ber. On returning from the war, he studied music at the Conservatory, in Boston, and passed from these studies to Wilbraham where he served successfully, his teaching being careful and thorough. Since leaving Wilbraham, he has been engaged in private instruction in Boston. 1875. The Conference of 1875 took a hopeful view of the' situation at Wilbraham, and commended the new prin- cipal as one well adapted to the work. The numbers this year fell to four hundred and seventy-five as against five hundred and thirty-eight of the year be- fore. The Board of Trustees was reen forced by the elec- tion of Edwin H. Johnson, Emerson Warner, and William H. Smith. Edwin H. Johnson, a large shoe manufacturer, was born in Lynn, in 1826, and success- fully carried on business in this native city until his retirement about 1880. He has used a large amount of money for charitable, religious and educational pur- poses, especially in connection with enterprises in his own denomination. Like all wise men, he values money for the good which may be done with it. Wil- liam H. Smith served but a single year. Joseph C. Burke, Emma A. Daggett and Eloise Sears entered the Board of Instruction. They were all excellent teachers ; the first and last remaining four years, the other two. Born in Middle town, Ct., Octo- ber 31, 1853, Mr. Burke graduated at the Wesleyan EDWIN H. JOHNSON, Trustee. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 426 University in 1874. With a mind clear, full and sym- pathetic, he was able to perform excellent service as a teacher. The year flowed on peacefully and without striking incident. The religious interest was steady and health- ful. The prizes, which had been established, became a feature in the closing exercises of this year. The speaking at the exhibition exhibited maturity, care in preparation and admirable artistic qualities. 1876. Joseph Cummings and Daniel Steele were elected trustees, the former for a second term. Daniel Steele was born in Windham, N.Y., October 5, 1824, and graduated from Middletown in 1848, where he remained for two years as a tutor. In 1849 he joined the New England Conference, in which he held leading charges. From 1862 to 1869, he was professor of Ancient Languages at Lima, and then for three years was act- ing Vice-President of the College. In 1872, he returned to New England, where he is known as preacher, teacher and writer, especially on subjects connected with the higher Christian experience. In 1876 the attendance fell to three hundred and eighty-nine. Of these, twenty-eight completed the regular course of study. They were, Edward P. Childs, George B. Clifford, William R. Goss, W. G. Grant, Martin W. Griffin, William F. Leonard, Charles H. Libbey, Wilbur F. Nichols, Milton Percival, Albert J. Pratt, Henry W. Rolfe, Charles H. Sawyer, Charles A. Stenhouse and Henry M. Warren. Of the ladies, Harriet E. Abbott, Nellie E. Bossett, Rachel A. Byers, 426 HISTORY OF Anna C. Converse, Anna B. Coomes, Addie E. Deane, Anna C. Kibbe, Mary M. Richardson, Eliza A. Samp- son, Laura B. Sampson, Leila S. Taylor, Esther H. Thompson, Florence S. Tombs and Clara Van Vleck. In connection with this anniversary, the Alumni Asso- ciation celebrated the semi-centennial of the founding at Wilbraham. The attendance was large and the audiences enthusiastic. The oration was delivered by Colonel R. H. Conwell, an alumnus of the institution. The advance of knowledge and civilization was the orator's broad theme, set forth with his usual elo- quence. Professor Gill read a historical sketch, char- acterizing the different periods in the development of the institution. The Alumni Dinner, at which Col- lector Simmons presided, was a reminiscential occa- sion. The chairman, who referred pleasantly to his school days at the Academy, was followed, in felicitous phrase and incident by Rev. B. K. Pierce. Then came Dr. Warner, Hon. J. R. Buck, Hon. V. C. Taft and others. 1877. Rev. S. F. Upham, George L. Wright and Rev. A. C. Eggleston were chosen to the board of trustees. Rev. S. F. Upham, the eloquent preacher and platform speaker, was born in Duxbury, Mass., May 19, 1834. Graduating at Middletown in 1856, he filled leading pulpits in the Providence and New England Confer- ences until 1881, when he was chosen Professor of Homiletics in Drew Theological Seminary. He has been twice a member of the General Conference, and is widely and favorably known through the church. TSE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 427 Rev. A. C. Eggleston, a prominent and able member of the New York East Conference, was born in Western New York, and graduated from the Wesleyan Univer- sity in 1858. As a trustee of the Academy in which he took his preparatory course, he has done faithful service. George L. Wright, a paper manufacturer of Spring- field, was born in Wilbraham, April 5, 1815. He married, March 7, 1837, Caroline S. Rogers, of Spring- field. He was president and a director of the Agawam Paper Co., and treasurer of the Worthy Paper Co. He is also a director of the Chicopee National Bank of Springfield. In 1859 he was chosen a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. In the church, as in the city, he has always held an honored position. He is a trustee of Trinity Methodist Episco- pal Church, in Springfield. A delegate to the Lay Electoral Conference in 1876, he was chosen to repre- sent his Conference in the General Conference held that year in Baltimore. In the department of elocution, Charles H. Ray- mond took the place of Joseph Carhart. Born in Brooklyn, O., May 5, 1855, he graduated at Middle- town in 1877. At the opening of the fall term, he repaired to Wilbraham where he was to remain ten or more years. In 1879 English Literature and Rhetoric were added to his department. In the years he remained as a teacher at Wilbraham, he made an admirable record. In his instructions, he was clear, forcible and persistent, taking the student through a course study and severe drill. In everything about the institution and the pupils he felt an interest, and 428 HISTORY Of strove earnestly to promote the interests of both. With students, teachers and citizens he was a favorite. Of few teachers in any institution, are so many good things said as of Professor Raymond. On leaving Wilbraham he took charge of a house in a preparatory school at Lawrenceville, N.J., where he remains in honor and usefulness. On a quiet Sunday in June, the people were startled by a fire in the village, which destroyed the Congrega- tional Church and most of the buildings contiguous to it. Within the burnt district the movement of the flame was rapid and the destruction complete. The loss was about $34,000. The attendance this year was three hundred and twenty- four. The commencement was an occasion of interest. Rev. A. B. Kendig gave his "Model Man" in the evening, and Professor Winchester charmed the Alumni with his " London in 1777." Fourteen gradu- ated this year. They were, Edwin G. Alexander, George R. Dickinson, John C. Firniin, B. F. Kidder, John W. Maynard, William R. Newhall, William H. Ransom, George B. Silliman, Nelson J. West, Olive Abbe, Minnie L. Foster, Mary M. Robbins, Eliza J. Sutcliffe and Madge S. Scarlett, the last of whom bore off the honors. Kidder and Newhall went to Middletown. 1878. The Board of Trustees was reenforced by the elec- tion of S. J. Goodenough, L. C. Smith, and Charles P. Armstrong. The last two remained but a couple of years ; the former served long and faithfully. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 429 S. J. Goodenough was born in New York City, in 1817, and died in Wilbraham, December 28, 1891. Orphaned at six, he found friends in the church of his fathers, who secured for him a place in the Methodist Book Room where he learned the trade of book-bind- ing. He was at the head of the department when the troubles occurred under Carlton and Lanahan. Though his name was involved in the confusion of the time, he was cleared from all suspicion in the matter. On leaving the Book Room in 1868, he removed to Wilbraham where he has been of great service to the school and the local church. For twenty-five years, he was a member of the Sunday School Union and Tract Society, and treasurer of the former. He married the daughter of Rev. Timothy Merritt, one of the most revered men in New England. From the estate of the Hon. Amos B. Merrill the Academy now received $6,250, and the Memorial Church the same amount. This amount extinguished the debt on the church; and it reduced that on the institution from $27,000 to about $19,000. The Con- ference, as usual, speaks a favorable word for the Academy. The anniversary sermon was delivered by Prof. W. N. Rice, of the Wesleyan University, on Gal. 4 : 9, "Be not weary in well doing." Before the Corpora- tion the Rev. O. H. Tiffany spoke on tha "True Theory of Progress." The Alumni were addressed by Rev. Dr. Lindsay. Of the two hundred and eighty-seven students in attendance, eighteen graduated. They were, Franklin R. Allen, Hiram Griffin, Karl B, Harrington, Frank E. 430 HISTORY OF Howell, Edward R. Rowland, Manson A. Merrill, George R. Prentice, Clarence Spooner, Joseph R. Tay- lor, Arthur W. Tirrell, Addie P. Abbott, S. Jennie Burke, Sarah C. Dorchester, Mary L. Halsey, Hannah M. Hogeman, Fannie M. Merrick, Cynthia Merrill, and Harriet M. Merrill. Of these, three went to Middle- town, two to Boston University, and one each to Yale, Amherst and Williams. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 431 CHAPTER XLIV. THE FINAL SERVICES OF NATHANIEL FELLOWS AT THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 1879. IN the early part of this year, the religious interest in the Academy was deep and pervasive. Believers were edified and sinners were converted, a result due, in no small measure, to the labors of the village pastor, the Rev. W. T. Perrin, and the band of faithful work- ers associated with him. The numbers now ran down to two hundred and sixty, the lowest point in the scale of attendance touched since the opening year of the Academy. Of these, eleven completed the studies laid down in the courses at Wilbraharn. They were, J. R. Forbes, George Gallup, Annis M. 'Kilgore, William B. Owen, Benjamin Phillips, John L. Pratt, Warren Tyler, Clarence E. Ward, Martha M. Collis, Allena J. Dates and Carrie E. Hanford. Rev. Joseph Cummings, D.D., addressed the gradu- ating class j Rev. M. Trafton, D.D., the Corporation. 432 HISTORY Of Rev. W. F. Mallalieu, D.D., gave before the Alumni his admirable lecture on the characteristics and exploits of the Anglo-Saxon race. The event of the day was the resignation of the prin- cipal. In accepting, the trustees express their appre- ciation, in resolutions offered by Dr. William Rice and unanimously adopted. Whereas, Rev. N. Fellows has presented to this Board of Trus- tees his resignation of the position he has so ably and satisfactorily filled for five years, as principal of the Wesleyan Academy; Therefore Resolved, That we desire to express our high appreciation of the faithful services of Principal Fellows, of the sagacity with which he has conducted the business affairs of the Institution, the prac- tical wisdom which he has shown in the administration of disci- pline, the culture and scholarship which have characterized his teaching, the rare ability which he has displayed in the arrange- ment and classification of the various departments of instruction and the uniformly wholesome, genial and Christian influence which he has exerted upon the pupils. R/solved, That we appreciate also the untiring and unselfish devotion, with which he has labored to promote the interests of the Institution over which he has presided. Resolved, That we take this opportunity to put on our records this recognition of his faithful services; and we would express also our personal respect and esteem for Principal Fellows and our warmest wishes for his prosperity and success, as he goes from the position he has so nobly filled as Principal of the Wes- leyan Academy to discharge the duties which may hereafter devolve upon him in another department of Christian labor. The decline in numbers is the most striking feature in this administration. From the six hundred and seventy-nine of 1866 to the two hundred and sixty of 1879 is an amazing shrinkage. This within thirteen years ! What is even more remarkable, the decline came when the school was ably manned. Principal THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 433 Fellows was an admirable manager. Under him the school moved without friction. And the Wesleyan Academy never had better instructors than Charles M. Parker, W. H. H. Phillips, Benjamin Gill, Charles H. Raymond, Watson F. Lamb and others there under Principal Fellows. In the face of all this came the great decline in numbers. What were the causes operating to this result? A few of them deserve notice in this place. The hard times of 1873 and onward, will occur to every reader as a leading feature in the case. The business world was fearfully disturbed. It was the transition from the high prices of war to the low prices of peace. In the crash many great houses went down. Men once rich became poor, and those of moderate means became straightened in their resources, if not actually poor. Such a state of things in the financial world could not fail to affect unfavorably the attend- ance at the Academy. In many households, the reduc- tion of expenses became indispensable, and that reduction was often made on the side of education. To secure food and raiment, they sacrificed the advantages of higher education. As the waves of the ocean are often most deeply and widely agitated after the shock of the storm is passed, so the severest effects of a financial crisis on an educa- tional institution are often realized long after the crash. This was the case in 1837 and again in 1857, at the Wesleyan Academy. The crisis of 1837 was felt through the business world, but the prosperity of the Academy continued flush for a year or more thereafter. When business began to revive, the effect of the crisis 434 HISTORY OF on the school became every day more visible. The severest pressure came as late as 1843, when the aca- demic ship touched bottom and began gradually to ascend. In 1857, when the crisis was sudden, sharp and brief, the school was fullest. The decline came during the three or four years afterwards, when busi- ness had completely revived. The like happened in the crisis of 1873. The shock came in 1873, but the effects extended as a dark cloud over the entire period of Mr. Fellows' administration. The flow of patronage, so full at the time the business disturbance began, diminishes for five years. Unlike the crisis of 1837 and 1857, that of 1873 was persistent. There was no reac- tion, no spring back to old prices, and to former busi- ness activity. Affairs remained inactive through several years. Again, there was a natural reaction from the great prosperity of the rebuilding period, when there was much to advertise the Academy. The institution was reconstructed, in more glorious form than the original, which was itself a standing advertisement ; and in securing this rehabilitation, the principal and other agents were constantly among the people, drawing attention to the increased advantages to be secured by the improvements. The bow having been bent to its utmost tension, there must needs be an unbending. Its very misfortunes had served to keep the institution before the public ; the more prosperous era was also one of decline in numbers. From 1866 the decline was constant down to 1879. The hard times did not originate, they only hastened the collapse. If the busi- ness crisis of 1873 had not occurred, the pressure upon THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 435 the Academy would no doubt have been less severe but would still have been most sensibly felt. There was another difficulty; the advertising, so necessary to keep a literary institution before the public, was sparingly employed under Fellows. The grand advertisement of rebuilding was withdrawn j the new things had become old, and for that reason failed to attract special attention. After this period of conspicuity, it had come in some way to be accepted that the Academy needed no advertising, as the natural flow of patronage would keep its classes full. The mistake soon became apparent to all. There are few schools which can afford to dispense with advertising. Here and there one, which from age, position, prestige or connections may itself prove a sufficient advertise- ment. It is the exception, not the rule by which ordi- nary institutions must be governed. Under the new principal the machinery moved in such order and quietude that the outside public, no longer hearing the noise of the wheels, forgot that the institution was in operation, or even in existence, and, of course, the number of students rapidly declined, the internal order and harmony, as it were, proving a hindrance to the growth and prosperity of the Academy. The valuable qualities of a literary institution must be noised abroad, if in no other way, by the whir and rattle of its gearing. In some way people must learn that you are around and engaged in earnest work. Meantime, prices in the Academy had gone up. There was board for a dollar and a quarter no longer. Instead of being a very cheap school, it had corne to rank with those institutions which make reasonable 436 HISTORY OF charges and furnish a full equivalent. There was no manual labor department, no easy method of meeting bills. As a result, the poorer part of the old constitu- ency dropped away, and the school had to find a new one among people of some means. This transition required time. At the same time the competition with rival acade- mies and the high schools, which have become such an attraction in every considerable village and every city of the Bay State, was becoming more sharp. People who had good educational advantages at their doors were not likely to send their children to an academy at a distance. As a result, the Academy became the school for special classes -^ those who begin late in life, those who wish to prepare for college or the active duties of life more rapidly than can be done in the public schools, or, it may be, those who live in small towns without high school advantages. The finances of the period were handled by the prin- cipal with amazing skill. He had the rare wisdom to make much of little, to hammer out the penny, so as to make it as good as two. Compared with former years, the income from regular sources was quite small; but he turned that small income to the very best advan- tage. There was no useless expenditure. Every leakage was stopped. The greatest care was used to insure an ample return for every dollar expended. Besides meeting the current expenses, including a large interest on the debt, out of the regular income, he rebuilt the barns burned during the last year of his predecessor, at a cost of $3,700, spent $1,000 on the music department, and paid $2,000 of the debt. The THE WESLETAN ACADEMY. 437 debt, as he found it in 1874, was about $27,000. By aid of the $6,250 from Amos B. Merrill, he reduced this debt to about $17,000. This is certainly, under the circumstances, a remarkable showing. To attain this result required no little vigilance and nerve. Every superfluous officer was dismissed. The salaries were all reduced. None but the most necessary improvements were made. At some points the expenditure of larger sums would have been desirable ; but the withholding saved the institution from extreme embarrassment, if not bankruptcy. In this high endeavor, the principal was aided by the steward, who raised on the farm a large part of the supplies needed in the boarding house. Above any farm manager ever employed by the institu- tion, he knew how to transform waste land into a garden, and to make two stalks of corn grow where only one had been produced before. The principal and this admirable farmer served as an endowment for the institution. But the principal had become convinced that, to revive the school, a change of method would be indis- pensable. To increase the patronage of the institution, renewed attention must be given to advertising. The new departure, he thought, could be best made by a new man at the head, whose advent upon the scene would itself serve to draw attention to the Academy. Hence, he offered his resignation. At the close of his labors at Wilbraham, Mr. Fellows resumed his work in the pastorate. For a year, he had charge of a church in Montpelier, Vt., and then for another year he taught Moral Science in the Vermont Conference Seminary. In 1881, he returned to Massa- 438 HISTORY OF chusetts and was stationed in Webster Square, Wor- cester. The next year, he was appointed Presiding Elder of Springfield District. At the close of this prosperous and delightful term he was stationed at Boston Street, Lynn, passing thence to Southbridge and Newton Upper Falls. 4. ^bministration of Keo (Seorge Jtt. Steeie, ., 1879 1892. Rev. GEOR3E M. STEELE, D.D. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 439 CHAPTER XLV. THE EARLIER SERVICES OF GEORGE M. STEELE, D.D. AS PRINCIPAL OF THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 1879. IN 1879, Dr. Steele, a man of large ability and sound judgment, a ripe scholar, an experienced educator, a careful and judicious business manager, a successful dis- ciplinarian with the instinct and capacity for general school management, was elected principal of the Wes- leyan Academy. The high expectations created by the election of a man so well furnished for his work have been more than met in an administration extending over a dozen years or more. From a depressed condition, the institution has been elevated under the labors of the principal and his co-labor ateurs, to a position of assured and healthy prosperity. The Rev. George M. Steele, D.D., son of the Rev. Joel Steele, an honored member of the New England Conference, was born in Straff ord, Orange County, Vt., April 13, 1823. His youth was spent on a farm in his native town, with a chance for meager schooling during 440 HISTORY OF the winter months. The few advantages afforded in those years were improved to the utmost. With a little touching up of his knowledge at Newbury Seminary for a year or two, he was able to teach and complete his preparation for college. He graduated with good standing from the Wesleyan University in 1850, in the class with Nathaniel J. Burton, William S. Studley, John M. Van Vleck and others who have attained emi- nence in life. At the close of his college course, he spent three years (1850-1853) at Wilbraham as teacher of Mathematics and Latin, making a fine success and winning the favor of all with whom he was associated. As an instructor, he possessed clearness of perception, accuracy, breadth of intelligence, sound sense and facil- ity in communicating his ideas to the mind of the pupil. Joining the New England Conference in 1853, he held, during twelve years, leading charges in Fitchburg, Lowell, Lynn and Boston, where his labors were highly acceptable and successful. Though not an orator, he was a clear and forcible thinker, affording such fresh and striking views of the truths delivered as to interest and impress all thoughtful hearers and to edify the members of the flock. In sympathy with all movements for the extension of the cause of Christ the Sunday school, the pastoral work, the class and social meetings his forte, nevertheless, was in addressing the intellect and in presenting those truths and phases of the gospel which commend themselves to educated people. Even in the pulpit he was an educator. In 1865, he was chosen president of Lawrence Uni- versity, a position he held with honor and great useful- ness until his removal to Wilbraham in 1879, doing THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 441 much to strengthen and upbuild a young institution in the growing northwest, as well as to evince his own rare qualifications for the management of educational enterprises. During his long stay at Appleton, he made a deep impression upon both the institution and the people of the region ; for he was a citizen, taking a deep interest in whatever concerned the State, as well as an educator, careful in the training of those com- mitted to his charge. Under his wise management, the number of students steadily increased and the general interests of the university were advanced. Upon young men of promise, especially, he exerted a strong and sal- utary influence, communicating to them a fresh and larger inspiration and giving safe direction to their awakening powers. As a writer of freshness and strength, he had already become widely known in news- paper and magazine articles; and as instructor in polit- ical economy, he made himself quite familiar with the economical and financial problems which agitated the country. He is the author, also, of text books ; those on political economy and Bible study have found great favor with the public. In 1866 he received the title of D.D. from the North- western University, and in 1879, that of LL.D. from Lawrence University. In 1871 he was a member of the board of visitors to the Naval Academy at Annapo- lis, Md., and in 1873 he traveled in Europe. He was a member of the General Conferences of 1868, 1882 and 1876. He married Miss Susan J. Swift of Province- town, a woman of rare ability and fine accomplish- ments, July 1, 1852. Children : Lilian, born October 28, 1855, died July 29, 1858; George Francis, born 442 HISTORY OF October 16, 1858; Harriet, born October 24, 1860, died April 16, 1869. In seeking a new head for the institution at Wilbra- ham, it was quite natural that the trustees should turn to one who had enjoyed the advantage of wide experi- ence and whose rare qualifications had made him suc- cessful in handling a literary institution. They held that past success was the best guarantee for the future. At the same time, he was elected a member of the board of trustees and chosen treasurer of the corporation. With him were chosen two other trustees, viz., James P. Magee and the Rev. Willard F. Mallalieu, D.D., the former, so long and favorably known as the agent of the Methodist book room in Boston, served but a couple of years, the latter continues to the present time and lias efficiently cooperated in the duties and responsibilities of the board until his election to the Episcopacy in 1884, when his new duties called him to the South. Miss Catherine J. Chamberlayne, a lady admirably qualified for the position, was chosen preceptress. To a mind clear, strong and cultivated, she united the gift of teaching as well as the art of governing, enabling her to hold with a firm and steady hand the classes commit- ted to her charge, imparting knowledge and insuring discipline. A graduate of Elmira College, Miss Cham- berlayne had enjoyed the advantage of large experience in teaching and in dealing with students at Lasell, and at the Wesleyan Female College in Cincinnati. One so well equipped for her work by natural gifts, study and travel abroad, could not fail to mould and improve her department. Until her departure in 1886, THK WES LET AN ACADEMY. 443 she exerted a wide and salutary influence on the school. The board of instruction was further reenforced by the election of Henry L. Taylor, who served for a single year, and Mary E. Wethervvax, a competent and faith- ful instructor, who had charge of classes in German and English. Many of the classes under her instruc- tion were large, requiring much care and labor. Dr. Steele entered upon his work with courage and efficiency, though not without a measure of anxiety as to the outcome. It was hoped the change of times would give a favorable turn to the school, especially in an increase of attendance ; but the gain in this particu- lar, the first year, was less than had been anticipated. The number of pupils rose from two hundred and sixty to two hundred and ninety-nine, a very encouraging gain, though not enough to materially affect the condition of the treasury. The rigid economy of the preceding five years could be no longer maintained. The wear and tear of those years had made improve- ments necessary. At the end of the year there was found a deficit of three thousand dollars. But in the face of this discouraging fact, the year was one of success and encouragement. The ship, as we said, had touched bottom and was gradually ascending, an aspect of the case which encouraged all concerned to labor and to wait for the better day. 1880. In entering his second year as principal of the Wes- leyan Academy, Dr. Steele rejoiced with trembling. The gains made in numbers were encouraging, though 444 HISTORY OF not sufficiently encouraging to afford entire assurance. The attendance had arisen from two hundred and ninety-nine to three hundred and twenty-two. Encour- aging as was the increase in attendance, it was not sufficient to prevent another ugly deficit in the account of the treasurer. To prevent, if possible, its recur- rence, the principal was fruitful in expedients. One of these was the drawing of fresh talent to the boards of government and instruction; he put the school in prime condition, and at the same time endeavored to catch the ear of the public. David H. Ela, D.D., and D. B. Rising were elected trustees. The former was a leading member of the New England Conference, and qualified by talent and experience in the management of a literary institution to render important service in the board; the latter was a large business man of Springfield, whose practical judgment and familiarity with affairs made him very serviceable to the institu- tion. Residing so near the institution, his services were available on every important occasion. At this time Miss Adelia M. Hall became registrar, bookkeeper and cashier for the corporation. The daughter of Judge Obed Hall, of Stamford, Vt., she graduated at the Academy in 1871. After spending several _years in successful teaching, she returned to serve the institution as keeper of the accounts. By her fidelity, accuracy and devotion to business, she has been extremely serviceable to the treasurer and the corporation. The trustees have several times expressed their sense of the value of her services, in keeping an accurate and orderly account of all their business trans- actions, and in carefully attending to the smallest items THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 445 in her department. Any doubtful matter was at once and carefully investigated, and all the facts ascertained. Indeed, the entire financial interests of the institution were constantly in hand, so that the status of any matter could be ascertained by instant reference to the record. Though the changes under Dr. Steele have not been sudden or striking, there has been steady improvement and advancement in every department of the school. The classical course, in which preparation for college was se- cured, and which had for many years been ably manned, was now extended and enlarged. Instead of three years in Latin and two in Greek, four in Latin and three in Greek were required, resulting in a better preparation for college, and raising the reputation of the Academy as a preparatory school. The natural science depart- ment was also improved by the addition of studies in practical chemistry, and the fitting up of a valuable laboratory for this purpose. The rnineralogical cabinet was also better arranged and brought near the recitation room. The course in English literature too was en- larged, and increased interest as well as facilities, began to characterize these studies. The art department, once flourishing but now fallen to decay, was recuperated under the direction of Miss Wyman, and has since remained an attractive feature of the school. During the hard times, the department of music was almost inevitably neglected ; but under the direction of Miss Stebbins, and at great expense, the musical instruction has been of a high grade. Under Prof. Raymond, the gymnasium now became a more important feature in the instruction of the Academy. At first attendance 446 HISTORY OF was voluntary, but as the facilities were increased and the method improved, attendance was required of all members of the school. The advantages to the health and physical development of the students have been very great, repaying the few hundred dollars expended for the outfit. The physical training secured here is now appreciated by nearly all the students, who would be quite unwilling to relinquish what was at first regarded as a task. A new feature in the instruction of the Academy introduced by Dr. Steele, was the study of the English Bible, after the same thorough manner in which we deal with a classic. In this, the Wesleyan Academy was a pioneer, as the work began here more than five years before the efforts of Dr. Harper and his associ- ates, and Dr. Steele's system has been adopted in more than a hundred academies and collegiate institutions. At first there was some friction, and great fears on the part of the management that the attempt would prove a failure, or be regarded by the patronizing public as a hobby. But those fears were groundless. The reluc- tance at first felt by some students soon gave place to cordial interest, and the study is now a matter of course in the school, requiring less effort to keep the plan in operation than to maintain the general exercises of composition and declamation. The study is made a part of the Sunday exercises. The preaching services are attended in the morning, and then, in the afternoon, the whole school assembles for Bible study. The classes meet, under their several teachers, in separate recitation rooms ; the students are marked as in other studies, and an examination is required at the close of THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 447 the term. The course, extending over four years, covers the entire Bible, enabling the student to obtain an intelligent view of the whole scheme of revelation, and to read with greater insight and profit its minuter portions. In this way Sunday, instead of being an idle day, so disagreeable and dangerous to the young and active, is filled up with agreeable and profitable exer- cises. In this way, too, the scheme is promotive of the good order and discipline of the school. What was at first regarded with doubt and suspicion, has come to be accepted as a valuable feature in the instruction of the Academy. Neither students nor patrons would go back to the old order. 1881. In 1881 Dr. Steele began to plan for the extinguish- ment of the debt which had so long hung as an incubus on the institution. In addition to the usual efforts to raise money, the Rev. C. L. Eastman was appointed agent of the Academy. Though lie traveled through the Conference, and collected some money and secured some students, he found the soil hard to work. The people everywhere felt that they had performed their duty to Wilbraham in the struggle at rebuilding. Hence, the agent found them unprepared to contribute again to the cause. In spite of this cool reception, the prin- cipal felt that he must be heard for his cause, and that funds must in some way be secured to remove the debt. At the annual meeting of the board, four valuable members of the body were chosen. They were, A. C. Hough ton, a leading business man of North Adams ; Judge Jarvis Rockwell, an able and influential lawyer 448 HISTORY OF of North Adams; Hon. Chester C. Corbin, a leading layman and conspicuous business man of Webster, and Hon. L. M. Hubbard of Wallingford, Ct., a prominent lawyer of the State, and late Secretary of State in Connecticut, who prepared for college at Wilbraham, and has ever retained a generous regard for the institu- tion. With the exception of Judge Rockwell, who died in 1885, friese all remain in the board, and have performed much faithful service for the cause. As men of intelligence, clear insight and large enterprise, they have planned generously and executed vigorously. In the commercial department Watson F. Lamb was replaced by A. A. Randall, a young man who had been connected with the Business College, Rochester, N.Y. and who was thoroughly furnished for service in his department, and was apt in the use of his resources. Under his management, the department became very popular and useful to persons desirous to secure some preparation for the details of business. The increase in the number of students was this year quite marked. The numbers rose to four hundred, and for the first time under the new administration, the regular income equalled the expenditures. This forward leap gave a new inspiration, and caused all to feel that the institu- tion had again touched solid ground. Hon. L. M. HUBBARD, Student and Trustee. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 449 CHAPTER XL VI. THE LATER SERVICES OF GEORGE M. STEELE, D.D., AS PRINCIPAL OF THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 1882. AT their annual meeting, the trustees chose two new members of the board, viz., John W. Beach and Olfver Hoyt. The Rev. John W. Beach, D.D., a mem- ber of the New York East Conference, and a graduate of the Academy, had served as a trustee during a former period ; and now, on becoming president of the Wesleyan University, he again accepted the position, in which he was able to render valuable service to the institution. Hon. Oliver Hoyt was a leading and liberal layman of Stamford, Ct., interested in every- thing relating to the Methodist Episcopal Church, es- pecially in the departments of benevolence and educa- tion. He was a wise as well as a liberal giver; and Ms careful judgment, courage and practical suggestions rendered him a valuable member of the board. Miss Nellie K. Chamberlayne was the only addition made to 450 HISTORY OF the corps of instructors. Though brief, her services were efficient and acceptable. The Rev. Loranus Crowell, D.D., who now became financial agent of the Academy, was born -in Ware, October 28, 1815, and died in Lynn, April 8, 1889. He was the son of the Rev. Joshua Crowell, an original trustee at Wilbraham, where the son was prepared for college. Graduating at the Wesleyan University in 1840, he was for four years the principal of the Spring Hill Academy at Sandwich, Mass. In 1844 he joined the New England Conference, and held leading charges in Boston, Worcester and Lynn. He was four times presiding elder. In each of these positions he gave excellent satisfaction, and held a high place in the esteem and affections of his ministerial and lay breth- ren. His candor, good sense and unselfish devotion to the cause of the Master and the church gave him a wide influence among all classes with whom he was associated. In 1877 he was honored with title of D.D. from his alma mater, and he was favored by an election to the General Conference of 1856. As a man he was calm, cool, judicious, with simple tastes and habits, gentlemanly bearing and extremely good sense. His instincts were all healthy and reliable. Men trusted his judgment and incorruptible integ- rity, and were warmed to admiration by his sympathies. The law of kindness reigned through his whole nature ; but, at the same time, there was nothing impulsive or weak in his generous tendencies. The tenderness of the child was joined to the most manly qualities. As a Christian, he was extremely conscientious, hum- ble and devout. Though he claimed little for himself, THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 451 a life approaching so near to a model could not be hidden. The open assertion of his devotion to the service of God could have added nothing to the public conviction of his deep sincerity and devout aspirations for a holy life. He was carried by no novelties or impulses. The thread of his life ran even the whole way. The old and vital truths and experiences of Christianity satisfied both intellect and heart. In the pulpit, he was plain, simple, gracious, a son of consolation rather than a son of thunder, meting out the truths suitable for the hour. Though not original or striking in his modes of presenting truth, his theme was always evangelical and well studied. He was a sensible and good preacher rather than a great one. What was great in him was character, which gave emphasis and impressiveness to whatever he uttered, and made him influential with his brethren. Himself a cultivated man, he was to the last deeply interested in the cause of education, especially in the institution with which he was associated. To young men who aspired to intellectual improvement, he was a wise and gentle counselor, often offering suggestions which were extremely helpful. In young men who struggled to rise, he was always deeply interested and desirous .o inspire them with high and holy purposes, and to guide them into the path of ultimate success. As the financial agent of the Academy, he performed an important and difficult work in disposing of the debt, which had so long been a trouble to the institu- tion, and in making a beginning towards an endow- ment. In this work he visited all parts of the Confer- ence, made a large number of public addresses and of 452 HISTORY OF private applications for funds, keeping the interests of the institution constantly before the people, and in this way doing not a little to increase the number of stu- dents. In his excursions through the Conference he took special pains to search out former students, and to revive their interest in the Academy, from not a few of whom he received handsome contributions. ZENAS M. CRANE. Hon. Zenas Marshall Crane, the son of Zenas and Lucinda (Brewer) Crane, a leading paper manufacturer of America, and, as we have seen, a student in the Wesleyan Academy as well as a liberal contributor to its funds, was born in Dalton, Mass., January 21, 1815, and died there March 2, 1887. Mr. Crane began life under favorable conditions. With the wealth and rep- utation of his father behind him, he knew nothing of the struggle to rise from poverty or misfortune, so nobly made by many young men. His was the more difficult task of wisely using the accumulations of an earlier generation, and of advancing, from his high vantage ground, to the still greater things made possi- ble by his early opportunities, by the improved meth- ods and appliances of business, and by the growing wealth of the country. Many have struggled up from the foot of the hill ; fewer have been able to make the ascent from a higher starting point. Mr. Crane was one of the few. So far from being satisfied with the achievements of the past, his superb qualities took him on to a higher goal, making him an important factor in the business world, and the foremost member of the family group. Hon. ZENAS M. CRANE, Benefactor. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 453 His training was of the best. In the home, where he was reared, there was abundance to supply every material need, and, at the same time, a thorough appre- ciation of the value of industry, intelligence, enterprise, morality and religion. The education, so well begun in the household, was carried forward in the public school and completed in the Academy, where he en- joyed the rare opportunity of instruction under Dr. Fisk, one of the most competent and inspiring instruc- tors of his day. Besides the training of the schools, the sons of Zenas Crane received a thorough business edu- cation, including a minute knowledge of all the details of the paper manufacture, as it then existed. They were required to begin with the rudimentary principles of the industry, and to advance until they became expert vatmen. At an early date, Zenas M. was de- tailed to outside business. He often drove the team to Albany and Hartford for the purpose of selling paper and purchasing supplies for the mill. In this way he was inducted into the forms of business, and brought in contact with various classes of men, no unimportant part of his business education. For many years Zenas M. Crane was engaged in business with his father. In 1842 the business was transferred to Zenas M. and James B. Crane, sons of the original proprietor, who, under the firm name of Crane & Company, enlarged the business and advanced the house to a foremost place in the paper world. In 1844 they built the stone mill, near the original one ; and, when this was destroyed by fire in 1870, they erected, on the same site, a larger and better one. In this the first paper for paper collars was made. It is 454 HISTORY oP now used for the manufacture of bond, parchment ana other exceptionally fine writing papers. The Bay State mill was leased in 1850, and devoted to the manufac- ture of buff and other writing paper. In 1865 the property was leased, and afterwards purchased by Zenas Crane. It was burned in 1877, but immediately rebuilt on a larger scale, by Zenas Crane, Jr., and brother, known since 1889 as the firm of Z. & W. M. Crane, the members of the firm being Zenas and Winthrop Murray Crane, sons of Zenas M. Crane. Ladies' fine stationery is the specialty to which the mill is devoted. In 1879 the contract for the manufacture of bank, note and bond paper was awarded to the Cranes by the government, and, in order to meet the demands from this quarter, the property at Coltsville, now known as the Government Mill, was purchased. There all the bank-note paper for the government is made. The furnishing of bank-note paper is not confined to the United States ; orders have been filled for Canada, Mexico, nearly all the South American Republics, and even for Italy and Russia. This extensive demand for their bank-note paper indicates the excellence of the article and the wide popularity of the firm. In connection with this bank-note manufacture is an interesting incident. As early as 1846, Z. M. Crane invented a method of introducing into the fiber a num- ber of silk threads, representing the denomination of the bills. The bank at Northampton, the Hamilton Bank of Boston, and some others, used the " distinctive " paper of the Cranes, but it failed to gain general favor with bank men. In 1879, when the Cranes secured the contract for the manufacture of bank-note paper, Hon. TBS WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 455 John Sherman, then Secretary of the Treasury, ordered the insertion of the silk thread, to prevent counterfeit- ing by raising the denomination. As soon as the distributed lines were ordered an Englishman came, claiming a patent covering the improvement. In this embarrassment of the government, Mr. Crane was able to produce specimens of his earlier work from the bank at Northampton, thus saving the government the expense of a large royalty. But Zenas M. Crane was something more than a mere business man. As the senior member and outside manager of the firm, he became the statesman of the family a man of broad views, large resources and wide relations with the public, qualifications sure to render their possessor influential in whatever circle he might enter. Though not a professional politician, he cherished a deep interest in whatever related to the welfare of the State. Reared in the faith of the Whig party, of which his father had been a member, and admiring the great talents of its leaders and statesmen, like Webster, Clay, Choate and Everett, he yet refused, in 1848, to vote for General Taylor for president, and from that date cast in his lot with the Free Soil and Republican parties. He was in with the first corps which made a favorable assault on the slave system, and he enlisted for the war, never faltering in his allegiance, or failing to afford solid support to the cause. Though not an aspirant for political office, he accepted, in a few in- stances, what was voluntarily offered. In 1856 and 1857 he was chosen one of the senators from Berkshire, and in Ib62 and 1863 he was an honored and useful member 456 HISTORY OF of the executive council with Governor Andrew. It is a curious circumstance ttyat his father had been a member of the Legislature, and also a counselor under Governor Everett in 1836 and 1837; and that his son Zenas, after being a member of the House of Representatives, was elected a member of the Executive Council for 1885, under Governor Robinson, sitting in the place occupied by his grandfather fifty years before. Like his father, Zenas M. Crane was a man of gen- erous impulses and widespread charities. Though not an indiscriminate giver, his heart and hand were open to every good cause. He studied the field, and often contributed to worthy objects which others had passed by. Observant of matters near home, he was not unmindful those farther away. His means were used in no special line ; secular, social, religious and educa- tional interests claimed his attention. As he blew no trumpets before him, his charities were usually un- heralded. For many years it had been known that some one had contributed ten thousand dollars to the funds of the House of Mercy in Pittsfield, to secure the free treatment of diseases of the eye and ear, but it was only after his death that the public came to know that Mr. Crane was the donor. When he learned that the friends of the Wesleyan Academy were endeavoring to increase the funds of the institution, he quietly sent his check for one thousand dollars to the agent. To a relative, long afflicted by sickness, he many times passed his check, with a kindly and appreciative greet- ing. Like instances, we have reason to believe, were not unfrequent, and many of them may be known only in the judgment. THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 467 To the Crane family he sustained most intimate and affectionate relations. There were no jealousies arising from his conspicuity, and he assumed no airs of supe- riority to any of its members, not to the younger. Even to his sons he never assumed to dictate, allowing each to learn self-reliance by operating on his own lines and by his own methods. In Mr. Crane were combined most valuable and com- manding traits of character. In business circles his capacity, sagacity, superior judgment and incorruptible integrhy were recognized ; and, as a citizen, neighbor and friend, he became " conspicuous for his generosity, his fidelity to dut}^, his support of education, temperance and religion." With those struggling with misfortune and poverty he was tenderly sympathetic and ever ready to afford wise counsel and to extend the helping hand. The true friend of every man, he was the best beloved and most highly honored citizen of the town. With health and increasing prosperity, with his family about him, and a troop of friends outside the domestic circle who appreciated his great qualities of mind and heart and delighted in his fellowship, he passed into the serene and beautiful autumn of a well spent life. His exit was sudden. Amid the striking changes in social, industrial and political life, the Crane family furnishes an instance where all the members, for three generations, have been devoted to a single industry, mostly in the same town. The fact implies unity and steadiness of pur- pose, persistence, intensity and diligence in business. The staying qualities, so indispensable to large success in any department, and so richly developed in the 458 English race, are conspicuous in the members of this family. They have the capacity to hold on and hold fast. Mr. Crane was twice married; and, by his two wives, the daughters of Winthrop Laughlin, a prominent paper manufacturer of Lee, he had three daughters, Mrs. George T. Plunkett of Hinsdale, Mrs. H. O. Bates of Brooklyn, N.Y., and Miss Clara Crane ; and two sons, Zenas and Winthrop Murray Crane, who successfully and honorably prosecute the business to which the several members of the family have been so long devoted. The father is thus honored in the suc- cess and estimable character of the children, to whom his memory must ever prove a precious heritage. Though he has passed within the vail, the odor of his virtues remains diffused through the wide social and business circles in which he was accustomed to move. "Considerate, generous, just The best that was in him lives on And blossoms in the dust." 1883. Three valuable additions were now made to the Board of Trustees. These were, the Rev. James M. Buckley, D.D., editor of The Christian Advocate, New York; Hon. John R. Buck, of Hartford, a former student in the Academy, and for a couple of terms a member of Congress ; and John H. Sessions, a leading business man of Bristol, Ct. Men of ability and wis- dom, they have rendered faithful and important service to the institution. The board of instruction was re- enforced by William J. Lloyd and Herbert G. Buck- JOHN L. BUCK, Trustee. WESLEtAN ACADEMY. 459 mgham, who served faithfully for a couple of years. Charles D. Woods, who served for a longer term in the Natural Science department, was born in Brooks, Me., September 11, 1856. Graduating at the Wesleyan Uni- versity in 1880, he remained three years assistant in chemistry at Middletown, whence he passed to Wilbra- ham, where he made a fine success as teacher. The affairs of the school moved with a steady and quickened flow, though without special incident. The numbers rose to four hundred and six, a slight advance on those of the preceding year. The order was admir- able, and excellent work was done in every department. 1884. The changes in 1884 were very slight, and need not detain us. The school enjoyed a large measure of prosperity, with an attendance of four hundred and eleven. 1885. Two new members were elected to the board of trustees. They were, Charles Winchester of Ashburn- ham, one of the brothers who built up the great chair business of the town ; and Oliver H. Durrell, a Boston merchant residing in Cambridge, who took a deep interest in the affairs of the Academy. At the same time Karl B. Harrington, Irving M. Norcross and Winfield S. Rich became instructors. The number of students this year fell down to three hun- dred and ninety-three, but this was temporary ; the wave came in later in fuller volume and force, and the school moved on with its wonted prosperity. 460 msroRT or 1886. At the annual meeting of the board, George R. Dick- inson, of Springfield, was chosen a trustee. Miss M. Annie Wythe, a lady of rare accomplishments and wide experience in educational work, was chosen preceptress. Besides travel and study abroad, she had been an instructor in several prominent schools. A lady of great refinement and extensive culture, she was unusu- ally competent in the government and guidance of young ladies at a boarding school. Joseph C. Rock- well, Mary E. Rand and B. S. Annis came in at the same time as teachers, serving with great acceptance and success. In the commercial department, John E. Ricketts, a competent and worthy young man, took the place of A. A. Randall. 1887. This year, George A. Russell, a native of Maine, who had filled several civil offices, and a man of culture and gentlemanly bearing, was chosen to fill the office of steward, made vacant by the resignation of Mr. Dag- gett, whose place, it was supposed, could never be filled by a man equally competent and efficient. This was a mistake. Though unlike, Mr. Russell has proved himself, if possible, more than equal to his predecessor. To general intelligence and good taste as well as sound sense, he joins the utmost diligence and care for all the interests committed to him. Besides the careful and economical management of the farm, the buildings are kept in repair and the grounds in order. In the man- agement of the house and the supply of the table, as well as in caring for every need of the students, he Rev. LORANUS CROWELL, D.D. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 461 displayed unusual judgment and tact, a service in which he was materially aided by his wife, a woman of much intelligence, great kindness and skill in the direc- tion of the affairs of a large and complicated house- hold. During this entire administration the steward's office has been ably filled, and contributed much to the success of the school. Alonzo W. Lowe now took charge of the commercial department. But the event of this year was the extinction of the debt through the labors of Dr. Crowell. This had existed for nearly thirty years, or from the time the first boarding house was burned and the erection of the new one, and had varied in amount from $17,000 to $27,000. In the rebuilding under Dr. Raymond, it was the design to cancel the debt and leave the property clear. The offer of Messrs. Rich and Claflin to build the present boarding house was designed to leave the property unencumbered; but instead of costing, as was estimated, $50,000, the new structure, with grading and furnishing, cost from $60,000 to $75,000, which left a balance of $15,000 or $20,000 unprovided for. Under the administration of Dr. Cooke, the debt, so far from being reduced, was actually allowed to increase to the larger figure above named. Under Nathaniel Fellows, partly by aid of the legacy from the estate of Hon. Amos B. Merrill, and partly by the economy of the principal, the debt was reduced from the above $27,000 to $17,000. During the first three years of Dr. Steele's administration the debt was increased from $17,000 to $24,000. This arose from the fact that the attendance of students was small, while enlarged expenditures had to be made to repair the waste of past years, and to 462 HISTORY OF furnish facilities for enlarged work. The fourth year the income had so far risen as to meet the regular expenditures, which was felt to be a most auspicious event, full of encouragement to the managers of the institution. The principal and trustees thought the time now ripe for liquidating the entire indebtedness, and the services of Dr. Crowell were secured for this specific object. Though no large sums were secured, Dr. Crowell was a faithful and efficient agent, and succeeded in collecting $19,700. The expense of the agency was $5,370, leaving for the payment of the debt $14,330. To this was added between $9,000 and $10,000 from the income of the school, and the two sums can- celled the debt in 1887, making for all concerned a day of jubilee, which was fitly observed by the friends of the institution. Besides the payment of the debt, Dr. Crowell secured some funds with which to begin an endowment of the Academy. Most of these subscriptions were in the form of annuities, or funds on which the corporation was to pay interest until the death of the donors. In this way about $19,000 were received. On some $11,000 interest has ceased by the death of the parties, and the amount has been used either for the payment of the debt, or in the establishment of scholarships, or for the beginning of an endowment fund. Dr. Crowell secured also funds for three scholarships, two of $500 each and one of $1,000. Still other sums were raised for the endowment, amounting to about $15,000. The whole amount raised by Dr. Crowell. up to the date of his death in 1889, aside from expenses, was about $35,000. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 463 On $8,000 of this, interest is still paid; the rest has been applied as above stated. 1888. The board of trustees elected this year two new and valuable members, viz., Hon. George H. Cowell of Waterbury, Ct., and Hon. Loranus E. Hitchcock of Chicopee, both members of the legal profession, the former a graduate of Wesleyan University, and the latter of Amherst College. The only change in the board of instruction was the election of Roland W. Guss, a former student in the Academy and a graduate of Wesleyan University, to the chair of Natural Science. Harmony and prosperity marked the efforts of the year, making it a good and profitable year. 1889. Dr. A. S. Flagg, of Wilbraham, and Warner F. Stur- tevant, of Springfield, were chosen trustees. Dr. Flagg was educated in part at Wilbraham, and entered the ministry, but throat trouble obliged him to turn aside to dentistry, in which he has been quite successful. During the Civil War he entered the service, and rose to the rank of a captain. As a resident of Wilbraham, he is able to be quite serviceable to the institution. His associate is a business man, able to be present only at general meetings of the board. In the board of instruction there were only two changes. Sarah Loomis and Roland W. Peck were elected as teachers. 1890. At their annual meeting the trustees elected, as members of the board, Robert A. Davison of Rockville 464 HISTORY OF Center, Long Island, N.Y., and Dr. Henry O. Marcy of Boston. The former is a business man, who passed through the educational course at Wilbraham, and the latter a successful physician, who also prepared for college at the Academy, was born in Otis, Mass., June 23, 1837, and entered Amherst College in 1859, gradu- ating iu 1863. After studying medicine at Harvard, he became surgeon in the 43d Mass. Vol. and also in the 1st Regiment of Colored Troops. In 1869 he studied in Europe, spending a year in Berlin, and then continuing his tour to the leading medical schools on the continent. Convinced of the correctness of Lister's teaching, he was one of the first in America to adopt and advocate his now famous, but then unknown, meth- ods of aseptic and antiseptic surgery. Few in America have done more to establish and perfect the methods of modern wound treatment. In 1880 he opened a private hospital for women in Cambridge, and later removed to Boston. Dr. Marcy has been a considerable con- tributor to surgical literature, and in 1887 he was honored with the title of LL.D. from the Wesleyan University. ' Three new teachers came in this year; viz., John F. Mohler, Eva F. Pike and Ada Colburn. But the most striking and painful incident of the year was the severe and long continued illness of Dr. Steele, the principal. After protracted sickness at home, he repaired for treat- ment to Clifton Springs, where he remained several weeks with small evidence of improvement; but, througli infinite mercy, the tide at length turned in his favor, and he came up gradually to a good measure of health, enabling Urn to resume his duties as head of THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 465 the school. In his necessary absence from the post of duty, the institution was fortunate in being able to command the services of Professor Gill, whose long ex- perience and ample furnishing enabled him to take the classes forward without break or damage to the work of the year. 1891. The changes this year were slight, and need detain us only for a moment. To the corps of teachers there were added Francis M. Austin, George B. Kingsbury and R. Watson Cooper. The first was elected to the chair of Latin ; the second had charge of the commer- cial department, and the third was selected to instruct in English literature and physical culture, each being excellent in his department. 466 HISTORY Of CHAPTER XLVH. THE CONCLUSION. HAVING traced the history of the Wesleyan Acad- emy from its small beginnings at Newmarket down to the present time, it only remains to take a parting glance at the route over which we have passed. In doing so, we may first notice some general features in the administration of Dr. Steele, and then draw attention to a few considerations connected with the entire history of the institution. Among the noble men who have administered with so much fidelity and ability the affairs of the Wesleyan Academy, Dr. George M. Steele, holds a conspicuous and honored place. As an educator and school man- ager, he is among the best. Judged by whatever standard, his administration has proved a gratifying success. The pupils in attendance during his term of service, have enjoyed the advantages of faithful instruction and wise guidance, while at the same time the moral and material interests of the institution have been guarded and promoted. Along all the lines upon which he has operated there has been THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 467 reasonable advance. Without resort to extraordinary or sensational methods, the improvement has been steady and healthful, the beneficial effects of which cannot fail to be felt for many years to come, in a growing appreciation, through a wide public, of the advantages of the institution and in the larger facilities for instruction in special departments. An important work of this administration was the removal of the debt, which had long been a burden to the management, and had proved detrimental to the best interests of the institution. What had been griev- ous to bear had, by long continuance, become intoler- able. Everybody felt that the removal of the debt was indispensable to the future prosperity and enlargement of the school ; but no one seemed to know how this important end could be secured. The field had already been canvassed and gleaned, so that the sending out of a fresh agent seemed to be out of the question ; while, on the other hand, the lifting of the school under this burden would prove a most difficult matter. At the opening of the administration the aspect of affairs was very forbidding. All the doors of hope seemed to be closed, and the new principal struggled long and ear- nestly to pry some one of them open. The small success of those early efforts was disheartening. Instead of bringing it up, the millstone of the debt seemed liable to sink the Academy in the depths of the sea. So far from meeting expenses the deficit the first year, as we have seen, was three thousand dollars. The continu- ance on this line would soon prove irretrievable ruin. In their essays to reach a better condition, the princi- pal and the trustees kept heart and pushed forward, 468 HISTORY OF sure that somewhere there must be a favorable outcome to their efforts. How great the achievement of this cancellation can only be known to those who under- stand the difficulties under which it was realized. The liquidation of the debt, at the time, was a triumph of faith, courage and persistent labor. If the amounts raised were not so great as those secured by Dr. Ray- mond, they were obtained under very different condi- tions and from different sources. There was no Rich or Claflin to whom appeal could be made. Aid from the State was no longer available. If realized at all, the amount must be secured in small contributions over a wide area, making it a toilsome and difficult work. The courage to work on to success under such condi- tions is worthy of all commendation. The financial scale is now complete!}' turned. In place of the debt there is the beginning of an endow- ment, which it is hoped will ere long be multiplied several fold, thus placing the institution on a solid arid reliable basis for the future. By these efforts at money raising, the property of the corporation has been appre- ciated to the amount of fifty thousand dollars or more ; certainly a very fair gain for one administration. The large increase in the number of students is an- other substantial evidence of progress in the affairs of the Academy. The attendance, in the past ten years, has well nigh doubled. At the beginning of the period, during which Dr. Steele has had charge, the attendance had fallen to the lowest point, affording an average for the year of only one hundred and forty-four and the ascent to two hundred and forty-seven was slow and difficult. There was no leap ahead, as in THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 469 the rebuilding period. In almost every instance the annual gain was small ; the saving clause in the matter was that the gain was continuous. Indeed, the striking feature in this administration is the regularity and steadiness of the movement. The average has been good, ranging from two hundred and twenty to two hundred and fifty, a number which some educators re- gard as sufficiently large for a single institution. But these are days for massing our forces, and there are accommodations for additional numbers. The quality of the instruction in the various de- partments has been excellent. The teaching force has been well chosen, and has served with great efficiency. The aim has "been to make "symmetrical, healthy and wise men and women, rather than mere ladies and gentlemen men and women of Christian common sense," adapting them to live in the practical, every- day world rather than in an ideal sphere where super- ficial accomplishments take the place of practical tact and solid judgment. According to the ordination of providence, men and women are to live together in families, and it is very properly thought that their school training should have some influence to the sober realities of our life estate. In the Wesleyan Academy co-education has been the order from the opening of the Academy. The favorable results realized from sixty years' experience confirms the managers in the belief that the existing method is the best. The government of the school has been at once firm and kind. While the rules are made to be obeyed, they are enforced with uniform care and consideration. The discipline is that of a well regulated household; 470 tllSTORY OP the interest of the student i.s consulted in all cases, and. less regard is paid to technicalities than to the merits of the case in hand. The principal, well versed in the knowledge of human nature, especially of student nature, has displayed the qualities of an admirable school manager. Under his hand, the machinery of administration has moved without friction ; the affairs of the institution have appeared, to a casual observer, to be self-regulated ; but in reality this admirable order results from the control of a master who knows how to maintain silent and effective rule. No rebellion or mutiny has appeared since the early years of the ad- ministration. There are many things the principal does not presume to know; they are things happening with no bad intent and sure to cure themselves; but, for serious cases, the harbingers of future disturbance, he has a quick eye to detect and a firm hand to deal with them at an early moment. His forte is seen in the prevention of evil. The dangerous spark is stamped out without being allowed to kindle to a flame. And this anticipatory discipline, the perfection of moral government, has been realized to a large extent in the last administration at the Wesleyan Academy. In tracing the course of this narrative, no one can fail to be impressed with the extensive and important work performed by the Wesleyan Academy in the field of education. Though classed with the younger educational institutions of the East, it furnishes a large record of service; perhaps no seminary, of its age, in New England, can boast so large a number of students. After the removal to Wilbraham, a popular current set toward the Academy, and, with slight exceptions, this THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 471 inward flow has been strong and full to the present hour. For some reason the institution has had a strong hold upon the interest and sympathies of the people, who, from the first, have furnished a large amount of patronage. From the start it has been the people's school. All pupils have occupied a common platform of opportunity. There has been no aristocracy, no favored few ; the temper and arrangements of the school have been democratic. The standing of the student has been determined less by family relations, social position, or material resources than by good behavior and progress in study. The proficient and earnest stu- dent has always held high rank there ; and, in the dis- tribution of honors, he has been quite sure to receive his full share. This result has not been accidental. From the founding it has been the design of the managers to furnish the facilities for sound and thorough education to the children of those favored with only moderate means. Money was to be of less importance than character, enterprise and diligence. In the early years of the Academy, prices ranged very low. The children of the poorest could make their way there. As prices in the market advanced and additional facilities were required in the school, the cost became greater. But even now, for the advantages afforded, the expenses of education there are quite moderate. Until recently, the exact numbers who had passed through the courses at Wilbraham were not known. The aggregates given in the catalogues footed up some twenty-eight thousand. How many of these were counted twice or thrice no one could determine with- out a careful canvass of the whole body of names, a 472 HISTORY OF task which was undertaken and completed, a couple of years ago, by the Rev. C. M. Hall. The result gives a larger number of names than had been allowed by conservative estimates, viz., sixteen thousand. Adding the attendance since the canvass, and for nearly twentj r uncatalogued terms, the numbers must now be above seventeen thousand. This is certainly a very handsome number to have passed through a single institution, whose history runs back little more than half a century. It may be doubted if any one of the older New England schools can afford an equally extensive record of attendance. To the members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America, the founding of the institution at Wilbra- ham was an auspicious and determinative event. Its influence was felt through the whole church. The success there turned the tide of battle for higher edu- cation over the entire field, and from that day the work went forward in all parts of the country. Wilbraham became the watchword and inspiration to the men interested in extending the facilities for education among our people. It was then first realized that the failures of the past, at Cokesbury and at New- market, were to be succeeded by a brilliant series of Christian schools, planted in the South and West as well as the East. From this it will be seen that Wilbra- ham was a key point in the educational movement in / the denomination ; the success attained by Wilbur Fisk ' was not merely local ; the blows he struck were heard in all parts of the church, and even yet resound over the prairies and along the shores of the Pacific. Again, the problem of co-education was solved, to THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 473 the satisfaction of most Methodists, in the experiment at Wilbraham, which has been, from the first, a mixed school. Ladies and gentlemen, often in nearly equal proportions, have been in attendance, and the union of these two elements has always lent a charm to the social life of the school. The experience of more than sixty years has confirmed the friends of the Academy in the conviction that the sexes are best educated together. For the most part the teaching and governing force at Wilbraham has been of a superior quality. If it had not been the school could never have run so smoothly. The moment a man comes in who is not well up in these particulars there is disturbance in the machinery. But there has been very little trouble from this source. The marvel is that, through the long period of its history, the institution has experi- enced so little friction. Harmony and order have usually prevailed, as in a well regulated family. A delightful religious influence has always been a marked feature in the young life of the institution. There have been many revivals in the school ; but they have, for the most part, been the result of cooperation among the students themselves. The movements, so far from being shaped and controlled by outside forces, have been spontaneous. There are few places where young people feel so free as in the social meetings of this school ; and yet those services, even in periods of deep interest, have scarcely ever run into any extravagance. Without the interference of the faculty, there have usually been level-headed students who knew how to steer clear of the breakers. The competition of the Academy with similar insti- 474 HISTORY OF tutions, and with the high schools in the patronizing territory, is considerably greater than in earlier years. But, if there are more schools on the territory, there are, at the same time, more students to be educated ; so that even though the field be narrowed, the Wes- leyan Academy will be likely to retain a fair share of public patronage. The friends of the institution re- joice in the multiplied facilities for the education of rising generations, and are concerned only to make the Academy worthy of the public favor and support, assured that a really meritorious school will not be likely to lack students. The changed conditions under which we live make an ample endowment of the Wesleyan Academy ex- tremely desirable. The cost of maintaining such schools is greater than formerly. The equipment must be more expensive and better ; the salaries of compe- tent teachers are at least one-third higher. The Acad- emy has to compete with institutions which are more amply furnished with funds. In order to have an equal footing the Wesleyan Academy should have not less than a half million dollars endowment. With such a provision the institution could move forward with confidence, and be always in readiness to do most efficient work. It is earnestly hoped that those who have means to bestow on worthy causes will remember an educational institution which has been so serviceable to the people and to the cause of Christ. Rev. WILLIAM RICE NEWHALL, A.M. THE WESLEY AN AUADEMY. 475 CHAPTER XLVIII. THE ADMINISTRATION OF REV. WILLIAM RICE NEW- HALL, A.M. THOUGH this history closes with the retirement of Dr. Steele, it may be proper to notice briefly some of the incidents connected with the opening term of his successor, who comes to the position under favorable auspices, finding the institution in a healthy condition with a full flow of students. The selection of a new principal caused the trustees not a little anxiety. The experienced and ripe men in our educational corps from whom selections had been hitherto possible, were no longer available. Many of them had passed off the stage ; and those remaining had advanced beyond the period of service in such positions. A new departure was inevitable. An untried man must be selected, and who that untried man should be was the serious question, long and carefully con- sidered. There were men in middle life from whom the selection could be made ; there were also young and rising men who were familiar with literary institu- tions and who had a reputation to make as school 476 HISTORY OF managers. Many considerations urged the selection of a mature man, having the advantage of years and experience in managing men in other departments. There were large interests at stake. There was con- siderable property to be managed, and the honor of the denomination was involved. But, on the other hand, the trustees did not forget that almost all advance movement is made by young men. Young men are indispensable in inaugurating reforms and carrying revolutions. Alexander and Napoleon were still young when they won victories and founded empires. Washington and Adams and Hamilton were immature when they entered the Revolution. Dr. Fisk was only a little past thirty when he took charge of the enter- prise at Wilbraham, and David Patten was under twenty-five when he was entrusted with command in the midst of a storm. With these conflicting thoughts, the trustees assembled, on the fourth of April, 1892, to make the selection of a principal. So far had the matter become settled in the minds of the trustees that, when the balloting was concluded, the chair announced the choice to be unanimously in favor of Rev. William Rice Newhall, thus turning the scale in favor of young men. But, though comparatively young, the new man is not without much valuable experience in the educational work. The Rev. William Rice Newhall, A.M., the principal elect, and the son of Rev. Fales H. Newhall, D.D., so well and widely known as a popular preacher, a scholarly writer and an accomplished instructor both at the Wesleyan Academy and the Wesleyan University, was born in 1860, in Boston, where his father was then THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 477 pastor, and was baptized by the Rev. William Rice, an intimate friend of the family, whose name he received. In the beautifubfamily in which he was reared there was much to inspire a love of virtue and knowledge. It was the home of a gentleman, a Christian, and a scholar with refined tastes and literary aspirations, and who was on intimate terms with tlie educators of New England, and was, for a considerable period, himself engaged directly in the work of education. On passing from the household, he enjoyed the advantages of our best public schools, in which he so greatly profited that, at the age of thirteen years, he went to Wilbraham to make special preparation for college. At the Acad- emy, he made many Valuable acquaintances, and was on intimate terms with John W. Maynard and B. F. Kidder, now prominent members of the New York East Conference. While devoted to study, he main- tained physical health and secured physical develop- ment by indulging in the athletic sports of the time. In 1877 he entered the Wesleyan University, where he stood third in his class the first term, and was one of the ten speakers at the commencement, receiving special honors for excellence in Greek. At the Uni- versity, he was an extensive reader ; he also maintained his religious standing, and, during his senior year, began to preach. At the close of his college course, he was invited to become a teacher at the Pennington Seminary in New Jersey, and also in the Seminary and Female College at Tilton, N.H. Accepting the latter invitation, he repaired to Tilton, where he remained but a single year, when the more favorable terms, proposed by Dr. Blakeslee, induced him to 478 HISTORY OF accept a position in the Academy at East Greenwich, R.I. At this excellent institution, he remained for four years, with ever growing popularity, as a teacher and a Christian man. In his classes, he was enthusi- astic and accurate, master at once of the studies in hand and gifted with the ability to teach. In his general intercourse with the teachers, pupils and citi- zens, he was invariably popular. During his entire term at Greenwich, he was looking forward to the ministry as his life-work and he preached nearly every Sunday, in the adjoining towns. The favor with which his ministrations were received by the people confirmed the conviction that his duty was in the pulpit. With this persuasion, he resigned his place at the Academy and in 1885 joined the New England Conference. The appointing power, regarding his qualifications to deal with student life, stationed him at Auburndale, the seat of the Lasell Seminary. The appointment was a fitting one. His ministrations were adapted to both the citizens and to those connected with the seminary, so that the size of his congregations was permanently increased. During President Bragdon's absence in Europe, the classes in Political Science were heard by Mr. Newhall, and his services were highly acceptable to the students and the management. Thus far he had continued in training, as it were, for the higher position to which he has now been elevated. But, on leaving Auburndale, he went to State Street, Springfield, where he engaged more fully in the general work of the ministry, and where his services proved very acceptable to the people of his charge. Popular with the young, his services were no less acceptable THE WESLEY AN ACADEMY. 479 with the older members of the church and congregation. In dealing with men and handling affairs, he exhibited good sense, a quality indispensable in managing schools as well as churches. While in Springfield, he was elected to a professor- ship in the theological department of the University of Denver, as also to other positions in that and other schools, a position he was strongly inclined to accept; but, on more mature consideration, he declined, prefer- ring to remain in his charge at Springfield. The elec- tion to the headship in Wilbraham caused him to reconsider his purpose to continue in the pastorate, and the field of usefulness in a large school, as well as the advice of friends, turned the scale in favor of accept- ance. His reluctance was based on his knowledge of the labor and care involved in the supervision of a large literary institution. Possibly he bore in mind the oracular utterance of Principal Fellows, who said to the student on administering some slight reproof: "When you come to stand in my place, as you may some day, you will understand how difficult it is to administer this school." He determined to try his hand. And, though the capacity for management must be, to a great extent, developed in the work, he mounts the platform and assumes control as one " to the manner born," giving assurance to his friends and the public of a peaceful and prosperous reign. For the attainment of this desirable result, there are many favoring conditions. Entire harmony prevails in the management and among the teachers and pupils. Seldom have the skies been more serene and cloudless, giving promise of a fair and prosperous day 480 HISTORY OF at this old and honored institution. The debt, which so long hung as a dark and ominous mass over it, was happily cleared during the preceding administration and the beginning of an endowment was secured. All this is a vast improvement on the financial condition in late years, and the trustees and teachers rise up with a sense of relief from a great burden, which had been long borne. These better conditions inspire courage and give elasticity to the movements of all connected with the institution. But we venture to repeat, there is still an imperative demand for a larger endowment of the institution. The competition with well endowed academies is sharper than ever, since the facilities of travel have so greatly in- creased. With good railroads, the distance of a hundred miles is a small consideration. The amply endowed institutions, too, are able to pay high salaries to their teachers, and without Wilbraham is able to measure up toward them she is liable to lose her best instructors, on whose services the reputation of the school so greatly de- pends. In the past, the trustees have been wonderfully fortunate in securing the services of many admirable teachers at moderate rates ; but they cannot be sure of holding those in the future who shall prove themselves highly competent in this department with the former amount of compensation. There is advance all along the line, and the Wesleyan Academy must keep step with the best. To do so, money has become more indispensable than formerly, and larger amounts of it are demanded to make a school a great success. In other years there was no danger of our teachers being drawn off to the schools of other sects ; they did not THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 481 want them; but now they have become wiser and do not hesitate to capture any specially bright and compe- tent teacher by the bait of a larger salary. The Wes- leyan Academy must be able to stand on an equal foot- ing; and, to do so, she needs an endowment of $500,000. Is it too much to hope that, from the many friends of the Academy and the persons who have been educated within its walls, there will be realized, in the next few years, this full amount of endowment? With an endowment of half a million, the Wesleyan Academy would be able to advance to the forefront of prepara- tory institutions in New England, affording her teach- ers ample remuneration and furnishing facilities for the best instruction in all the departments. It is a favorable omen for the new administration that a bequest of $15,000, for the permanent endow- ment of the Seminary, is announced in its opening days. The bequest comes from outside the denomina- tion, and from a man who never enjoyed the advantages of instruction at Wilbraham. He was prompted to the act by his general interest in education and by the conviction that the Wesleyan Academy was doing a valuable work for the children of the people. He knew not where the amount would secure better or larger results. The bequest ought to inspire others to similar deeds, especially those who have been educated in the institution. It is a curious circumstance that the large bequests and donations to the school have been made by those who were never pupils there. Let those who are favored with wealth not forget, in the final disposition of it, their alma mater. As its instruc- tions have proved a blessing to themselves, let them be 482 HISTORY OF sure to afford the means to make the institution a larger blessing to the rising generation. There can be no more fitting close to this narrative than a brief account of the noble benefactor whose lib- eral bequest to the Academy has just been made public. We are glad to be able, with the biographical outline, to furnish a good likeness of Mr. Prouty. DAVID PKOUTY. David Prouty, a devoted and peaceful citizen and public benefactor, was born in Spencer, Mass., October 18, 1813, and died there September 13, 1892. He was the fourth in descent from Richard Prouty, who settled in Scituate in 1667. Each of the intervening ancestors bore the name of David. The third David, the father of our subject, was a conspicuous man in the commu- nity, and had the honor of representing his town in the General Court. Like many of our noblest New England men, David Prouty was reared on the farm, and early acquired muscle and strength of constitution by handling the plow, the ax and the scythe. At the age of twenty- three he abandoned the farm, and entered the employ of Mrs. Hannah Hatch, widow of the late Eli Hatch, manufacturer of wire. During four years he devoted himself assiduously to the new business, acquiring thereby a full knowledge of its principles and their application, so that in 1840 he purchased the business with the plant. For six years he followed the wire manufacture with diligence and success, making a small beginning to his fortune. At the close of this THE WESLKT^f ACADEMY. 483 term he sold to Liberty Prouty, in order to take pos- session of the farm, inherited from his father, who died in 1845. Though he went back to the farm with his old love of the soil and of rural employments, he had come to realize that the new industries, then springing up in the town, afforded better opportunities to a cap- able man than the cultivation of the soil. Accordingly, in 1850, he sold his farm, and removed to the center of the town early in 1851. The next year he entered the firm of Charles E. Denny & Co., engaged in the boot manufacture ; but in 1853 the firm was dissolved by the ill health of Mr. Denny. He then engaged in the business with John G. Prouty, who died in 1854. He then took John Boyden as a partner, and operated under the firm name of "Prouty & Boyden" until 1857, when E. Jones & Co. took the interest of Mr. Boyden in the concern, and the firm became "David Prouty & Co." In 1859 Isaac L. Prouty bought the interest of Jones & Co., but the style of the firm re- mained the same, with the admission, in 1862, of T. C. Prouty as a partner. In 1876 David Prouty retired from active business. Industrious, careful, with sound judgment and good habits, David Prouty was an excellent business man- ager, who succeeded, in the thirty-six years of his active business life, in accumulating a very handsome property. Honorable in all his dealings and judicious in his methods, his practice gave strength and steadi- ness to the business of the town. His word was equal to his bond, and either was as good as the gold. In a word, he belonged to the best type of New England's business men. From their organization he held high 484 HISTORY OF position in the National and Savings Banks of the town being at the time of his death a director and vice- president of the former and a trustee and vice-president of the latter. Spencer has been fortunate in her benefactors. In the same year, 1889, that Richard Sugden gave the town a noble library building, David Prouty donated a high school building costing fifty thousand dollars. The superb contribution brought him prominently be- fore the public, a conspicuity so modest a man by no means sought ; but the fact emphasized his benevolent disposition, which received further illustration in his bequests of four thousand dollars to each of the Prot- estant churches in town, and fifteen thousand dollars to the Wesleyan Academy. At his death the whole community became mourners. The business men especially took note of the fact by ap- propriate resolutions, and by attendance in force at the funeral. The members of the high school, who enjoyed the advantage of his liberality, voted to wear a badge of mourning for thirty days. Though not a member of any church, Mr. Prouty was an upright and exemplary man, who prized such organizations, and gave reverent heed to religious truth and practice, cherishing the blessed hope of the immortal and glorious life. In his breadth of view and generous sympathies, he belonged to all the churches, and felt a just concern that they might be unhindered in the work to which .they are devoted. David Prouty was twice married. First, to Caroline daughter of Dr. Jonas Guilford, of Spencer, January 14, 1840, who died November 14, 1863, Second, to Mrs. THE WESLEYAN ACADEMY. 485 Sarah B., widow of Charles E. Denny, and sister to his first wife, December 16, 1867. She died January 3, 1873. By the first marriage he had one son, Jonas Guilford Prouty, born September 24, 1844, and died in 1863, at the early age of nineteen years. The grief at this death, in the same year as that of the mother and wife, was poignant and oppressive in the extreme. The strong man bowed under the weight of it. The one in whom he had hoped the family name and line might be perpetuated was taken from him, and his house was left desolate. Jonas G. Prouty, the son of the benefactor, was once a student at Wilbraham ; and the bequest of the father was suggested by the training and inspiration the son had received at that institution. This recognition of service is at once substantial and delicate, and will not fail to be appreciated by the friends of the school. In this way the names of the father and son will be indis- soltibly associated with the Wesleyan Academy, and will remain, as upon a monument, more durable than marble or brass. APPENDIX. 487 APPENDIX No. 1. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. Col. Amos Binney, Hon. Abel Bliss, Abraham A very, Esq., Rev. Calvin Brewer, Rev. Enoch Mudge, Rev. Wilbur Fisk, D.D., Rev. Joshua Citnvell, William Rice, Esq., Rev. John Lindsay, Rev. Timothy Merritt, Rev. Joseph A. Merrill, Rev. John W. Hardy, David Rice, Esq., John L. Smith, Esq., Hon. Gilbert Burrows, Alpheus Hanks, Esq., George M. Hyde, Esq., Rev. Heman Bangs, William L. Smith, Esq., John M. Merrick, Esq., Joel M. Lyman, Rev. Bartholomew Otheman, Boston, Wilbraham, Wilbraham, Wilbraham, Accesius. Exitus. 1824 1830 1824 1845 1824 1842 1824 1875 New Eng. Con., 1824 1826 Wilbraham, 1824 1839 Ware, 1824 1835 Springfield, 1824 1863 New Eng. Con., 1824 1841 Lynn, 1825 1837 Wilbraham, 1825 1849 Wilbraham, 1826 1845 Belchertown, 1830 1854 Middletown, 1&31 1836 Middletown, 1831 m34 Hartford, 1831 1833 Wilbraham, 1833 1849 New York Con., 1834 1836 Middletown, 1835 1836 Wilbraham, 1&36 1892 Wilbraham, 1836 1857 New Eng. Con., 1836 1847 488 APPENDIX. Rev. William Smith, Josiah Hayden, Prof. Augustus W. Smith, LL.D., Rev. Miner Raymond, D.D., Roderick S. Merrick, Rev. Phineas Crandall, Rev. Charles Adams, D.D., Robert R. Wright, Rev. Amos Binney, James Luke, Samuel Warner, Lee Rice, Rev. Edward Otheman, A.M., Horatio N. Hovey, Nathaniel R. Parkhurst, Esq., Rev. David P. Robinson, A.M., William North, Esq., Hon. Lee Claflin, Hon. Jacob Sleeper, Rev. Loranus Crowell, D.D., Rev. Charles K. True, D.D., Rufus Chandler, Harvey Banks, Esq., David Smith, Pliny Nickerson, H. Bridgman Brewer, Rev. John W. Merrill, D.D., Isaac Rich, Esq., Thomas Page Richardson, Harrison Newhall, John Wesley Bliss, Truman Kimpton, Rev. William Rice, D.D., Hon. Amos B. Merrill, Horace M. Sessions, George C. Rand, Philip P. Tapley, Rev. Joseph Cummings, D.D., Rev. E. O. Haven, D.D., Porter Cross, Francis J. Warner, New Eng. Con., 1839 1843 Williamsburg, 1839 1843 Middletown, Ct., 1840 1860 Wilbraham, 1842 1873 Wilbraham, 1842 1853 New Eng. Con., 1843 1868 Wilbraham, 1843 1853 Wilbraham, 1845 New Haven, 1845 1878 Wilbraham, 1847 1862 Wilbraham, 1848 1858 Wilbraham, 1848 1857 Chelsea, 1848 1881 Cambridge, 1848 1851 1848 '1850 Blandford, 1849 1865 Lowell, 1849 1859 Hopkintou, 1850 1871 Boston, 1850 1889 Lynn, 1851 1889 Middletown, 1851 1879 Springfield, 1851 1852 Springfield, 1851 1&59 Springfield, 1852 1875 Boston, 1852 1877 Wilbraham,. 1853 1875 Concord, N.H., 1853 1859 Boston, 1854 1872 Lynn, 1854 1882 Lynn, 1854 Wilbraham, 1857 1878 Wilbraham, 1857 I860 Springfield, 1858 Boston, 1859 1871 S. Wilbraham, 1859 1883 Newton, 1860 1878 Lynn, 1860 1874 Middletown, Ct., 1860 1866 Boston, 1861 1865 Wilbraham, 1863 1871 Wilbraham, 1863 1865 APPENDIX. 489 Horace Smith, Lewis H. Taylor, Edward F. Porter, Rev. Edward Cooke, D.D., Rev. Fales H. Newhall, D.D., Henry J. Bush, L. W. Pond, Wilbur F. Claflin, H. H. Burbauk, Hon. George M. Buttrick, Rev. John W. Beach, D.D., J. W. Phelps. Rev. David K. Merrill, Rev. Nathaniel Fellows, Edwin H. Johnson, Emerson Warner, M.D., William H. Smith, Rev. Joseph Cummings, D.D., Rev. Daniel Steele, D.D., Rev. Samuel F. Upham, D.D., George L. Wright, Esq., Rev. Asahel C. Eggleston, A.M., S. J. Goodenough, L. C. Smith, Charles P. Armstrong, Rev. George M. Steele, D.D., James P. Magee, Bishop W. F. Mallalieu, D.D., Rev. David H. Ela, D.D., B. D. Rising, A. C. Houghton, Hon. Jarvis Rockwell, Hon. Chester C. Corbin, L. M. Hubbard, Hon. Oliver Hoyt, Rev. John W. Beach, D.D., Rev. James M. Buckley, D.D., Hon. John R. Buck, John H. Sessions, Charles Winchester, Oliver H. Durrell, Springfield, 1863 Springfield, 1863 Boston, 1865 Wilbraham, 1865 Saugus, 1866 Westfield, 1866 Worcester, 1868 Hopkinton, 1871 Wilbraham, 1871 Barre, 1872 New York Con., 1872 Springfield, 1872 N. Cambridge, 1873 Wilbraham, 1874 Lynn, 1875 Worcester, 1875 Springfield, 1875 Middletown, Ct., 1876 Boston, 1876 Madison, N.J., 1877 Springfield, 1877 Birmingham, Ct.,1877 Wilbraham, 1878 Springfield, 1878 New Haven, 1878 Wilbraham, 1879 Boston, 1879 New Orleans, La. 1879 Boston, 1880 Springfield, 1880 North Adams, 1881 North Adams, 1881 Webster, 1881 Wallingford, Ct.,1881 Stamford, Ct., 1882 Middletown, Ct., 1882 New York, 1883 Hartford, Ct, 1883 Bristol, Ct., 1883 Ashburnham, 1885 Cambridgeport, 1885 1880 1885 1883 1877 1879 1883 1877 1880 1872 1878 1878 1S77 1876 1882 1891 1882 1880 1881 1885 1887 1889 1891 1890 490 APPENDIX. George R. Dickinson, Springfield, 1886 1888 Hon. George H. Cowell, Waterbury, Ct., 1888 Hon. Loranus E. Hitchcock, Cbicopee, 1888 Dr. Algernon S. Flagg, Wilbraham, 1889 Warner F. Sturtevant, Springfield, 1889 Robert A. Davison, Rockville C't,L.I.1890 Henry O. Marcy, M.D., LL.D., Boston, 1890 PRESIDENTS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES. Col. Amos Binney, 1824 1830 Rev. John W. Hardy, 1830 1836 Hon. Abel Bliss, 1836 1845 George M. Hyde, Esq., 1845 1848 William Rice, Esq., 1848 1852 Rev. Phineas Crandall, 1852 1854 Rev. Amos Binney, 1854 1856 Rev. Edward Otheman, A.M., . 1856 1861 Hon. Amos B. Merrill, 18P1 1863 Rev. Erastus O. Haven, D.D., 1863 1864 Rev. Edward Otheman, A.M., 1864 1865 Horace Smith, 1865 1866 Rev. Edward Otheman, A.M., 1866 1867 Hon. Amos B. Merrill, 1867 1868 Hon. Edward F. Porter, 1868 1869 Rev. Edward Otheman, A.M., 1869 1871 Hon. Edward F. Porter, 1871 1881 Hon. Thomas P. Richardson, 1881 1882 Rev. William Rice, D.D., 1882 SECRETARIES OF THE BOARD. Hon. Abel Bliss, 1824 1836 Hon. John M. Merrick, 1836 1842 Rev. William Smith, 1842 1843 Rev. Charles Adams, D.D., 1843 1845 Rev. Miner Raymond, D.D., 1845 1848 Rev. Edward Otheman, A.M., 1848 1851 Robert R. Wright, 1&51 1853 Hon. John M. Merrick, 1853 1858 Harrison Newhall, Esq., 1858 1860 Rev. William Rice, D.D., 1860 1882 Harrison Newhall, 1882 APPENDIX. 491 TREASURERS OF THE CORPORATION. Abraham Avery, Esq., 1824 1828 Rev. Wilbur Fisk, D.D., 1828 1832 Rev. Joseph A. Merrill, 1832 1842 Hon. John M. Merrick, 1842 1861 James Luke, Esq., 1861 1862 Rev. Miner Raymond, D.D., 1862 1864 Hon. John M. Merrick, 1864 1865 Rev. Edward Cooke, D.D., 1865 1874 Rev. Nathaniel Fellows, A.M., 1874 1879 Rev. George M. Steele, D.D., 1879 1892 Rev. William Rice, Newhall, 1892 492 APPENDIX, APPENDIX No. 2. BOARD OF INSTRUCTION. PRINCIPALS. Accessus. Exitus. Rev. Wilbur Fisk, D.D., 1825 1831 Eev. W. McK. Bangs, A.M., 1831 1832 Eev. John Foster, A.M , 1832 1834 Rev. David Patten, D.D., 1834 1841 Rev. Charles Adams, D.D., 1841 1845 Rev. Robert Allyn, D.D., 1845 1848 Rev. Miner Raymond, D.D., 1848 1864 Rev. Edward Cooke, D.D., 1864 1874 Rev. Nathaniel Fellows, A.M., 1874 1879 Rev. George M. Steele, D.D., 1879 1892 PRECEPTRESSES. Charlotte L. Tillinghast, 1826 1827 Susan Brewer, 1827 1829 Lucy Winsor, 1830 1831 Maria Steele, 1832 1833 Catherine Hyde, 1833 1835 Nancy Holland, 1835 1836 N. Miranda Nash, 1836 1837 Allen, 1837 1838 Hannah M. Thompson, ia38 1841 APPENDIX. 493 Clarissa F. Abbott, 1841 1842 Emeline B. Jenkins, 1843 1845 Isabella Hill, 1845 1848 Louisa E. Landon, 1848 1849 Sarah North, 1849 1852 Caroline J. Lane, 1852 1854 Isabella H. Binney, 1854 1857 Ruby Warfield, 1857 1864 Mrs. E. T. H. Putnam, 1865 1866 Mary S. True, 1866 186S Mrs. A. C. Knight, 1868 1879 Catherine J. Chamberlayne, 1879 1886 M. Annie Wythe, 1886 TEACHERS. Nathaniel Dunn, A.M., 1825 1829 William Magoun, A.M., 1827 1832 David Gould, A.B., 1828 1829 Rev. John Foster, A.M , 1829 1832 William G. Mitchell, 1830 1839 Rev. Edward Otheman, A.M., 1831 1833 Sabura Stocking, Samuel P. Dole, 1832 1833 Prof. Daniel H. Chase, 1833 1834 Rev. Miner Raymond, 1833 1841 Rev. Benjamin I. Diefendorf, A.M., 1834 1835 Rev. John Roper, A.M., 1834 1842 Harvey B. Lane, A.M., 1836 183S Isaac T. Goodnow, A.M., 1836 1847 Rev. Henry De Koven, 1*37 1838 William H. Bussell, A.M., 1838 1855 Rev. Robert Allyn, 1841 1843 Charles F. Stockwell, A.M., 1841 1842 Rev. John H. Twombly, 1843 1846 Oliver Marcy, A.M., 1846 1882 Rev. Samuel F. Beach, 1846 1847 Orange Judd, A.M., 1847 1848 Rev. Fales H. Newhall, 1848 1853 Mrs. Elizabeth E. Marcy, 1848 1849 Rev. George M. Steele, 1850 1853 Rev. Oliver S. Howe, A.M., 1853 1857 494 APPENDIX. Simeon F. Chester, A.M., 1853 1865 Kev. Henry W. Warren, 1853 1855 Rev. Edward B. Otheman, A.M., 1855 1856 Emerson Warner, 1855 1863 Rev. Albert D. Vail, 1857 1858 Rev. Nathaniel Fellows, A.M., 1858 1860 Rev. Charles N. Stowers, A.M., 1860 1862 Edwin B. Harvey, A.M., 1862 1864 Truman H. Kimpton, A.M., 1862 1866 Philip B. Shumway, A.M., 1862 1864 Rev. Lorenzo White, A.M., 1864 1868 Rev. Thomas B. Wood, A.M., 1864 1867 David Ward Northrop, A.M., 1865 1866 Helen A. Handy, 1865 1866 Laura M. Bryant, 1865 1866 Warren L. Hoagland, A.M., 1866 1868 Cynthia P. Hazen, 1866 1867 Laura E. Prentice, 1866 1867 Asa Boothbay, A.M., 1867 1874 A. C. Knight, 1867 1868 Laura M. Bryant, 1867 1871 Herbert F. Fisk, A.M., 1867 1868 David B. Furber, A.M., 1867 1868 D.M. Brumagim, A.M., 1868 1871 A. S. Howe, A.M., 1868 1869 Joseph G. Robbins, A.M., 1868 1869 A. Fitz Roy Chase, A.M., 1869 1871 Hannah D. Morrill, 1863 1879 Henry E. Crocker, A.M., 1869 1871 Rachel Keyes, 1869 1871 Charles M. Parker, A.M., 1870 1885 W. H. H. Phillips, 1871 1883 Donnell G. Brooks, 1871 1872 James Middleton, 1871 1872 Crandall J. North, 1872 1873 Martha M. Wiswell, 1872 1873 Benjamin Gill, 1872 1892 Alexander J. Duncan, 1873 1874 Mary Hall, 1873 1875 Emily Upton, 1873 1874 John H. Pillsbury, 1874 1875 APPENDIX. 495 Daniel J. Clark, 1874 1875 Joseph C. Burke, 1875 1879 Emma A. Daggett, 1875 1877 Eloise A. Sears, 1875 1879 Mary E. Wetherwax, 1879 1889 Henry L. Taylor, 1879 1880 Charles H. Raymond, 1879 1887 Emery Gill, 1880 1883 Nellie K. Chamberlayne, 1882 1883 Charles D. Woods, 1883 1888 William J. Lloyd, 1883 1885 Herbert G. Buckingham, 1883 1885 Karl B. Harrington, 1885 1887 Irving M. Norcross, 1885 1886 Winfield S. Rich, 1885 1887 Mary A. Rand, 1886 1889 BurleighS. Annis, 1886 1890 TEACHEKS OF ELOCUTION. Joseph Carhart, 1872 1876 L. A. Butterfield, 1876 1877 Charles H. Raymond, 1877 1889 Anna Mary Burrows, 1889 Joseph C. Rockwell, 1886 1891 Roland W. Guss, 1888 Sarah Loom is, 1889 John F. Mohler, 1890 Francis M. Austin, 1891 R. Watson Cooper, 1891 COMMERCIAL. DEPARTMENT. Watson F. Lamb, 1872 1881 A. A. Randall, 1881 1886 John E. Ricketts, 1886 1887 Alonzo W. Lowe, 1887 1889 Roland W. Peck, 1889 1891 George B. Kingsbury, 1891 INSTRUCTORS IN MUSIC. Hannah Potter, 1835 1836 Ann Eliza Sperry, 1S36 1S38 Ednah C. Shaw, 1838 1838 496 APPENDIX. Almira Davis, Lydia J. Belcher, Jennette Ashley, Nancy H. Goldsbury, Charles W. Warren, Eliza Gilbert Brewer, Cordelia M. Kettelle, Sarah M. Kettelle, Mahala E. Chester, Isabella H. Andrews, Miranda Chapin, Ellen A. Doe, Simeon Fuller, Mary I. Eaymond, Ellen Dow, Eva L. Wells, Hattie Whipple, Annie E. Miller, Doi-etta J. Doering, Eben Tourje, Emily F. True, Joseph Hastings, Jr. Mary E. Lucas, Lucie A. Morey, Henrietta N. Day, Arthur W. Kibbee, Edward E. Kelsey, Ella B. Stebbens, Georgiana Dewey, Lillie Lane, Carrie W. Stevens, Hattie E. Stacey, Eva F. Pike, Adelaide N. Colburn, Ebenezer Thompson, Solomon Weeks, Rev. Edward Hyde, Miles Belden, M.D., Davis Smith, Rev. John W. Hardy, STEWARDS. 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1845 1849 1850 1854 1855 1857 1858 1861 1863 1864 1864 1865 1866 1866 1867 1867 1868 1868 1868 1869 1873 1874 1879 1882 1873 1881 1883 1890 1890 1826 1828 1832 1833 1834 1835 1839 1840 1841 1842 1844 1849 1854 1855 1857 1857 1858 1860 1863 1864 1867 1865 1866 1867 1867 1868 1868 1874 1870 1870 1870 1874 1879 1883 1890 1828 1832 1833 1834 1835 1838 APPENDIX. 497 William Healy, Jr., 1838 1842 Reuben Palmer, 1842 1843 James Howe, 1843 1847 Alexander P. Lane, 1847 1850 John M. Merriek, 1850 1852 Samuel Warner, 1852 1855 John M. Merriek, 1855 1861 Robert O. Sessions, 1861 1865 E. E. Warfield, 1865 1866 Orrin E. Darling, 1866 1869 Orrin Daggett, 1871 1887 George A. Russell, 1887 498 APPENDIX. APPENDIX No. 3. THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS. UNDER the different years, in this history, we have given the number of students in attendance at the Wesleyan Academy by aggregate of terms. In the following table, will be found the average for each year. The results attained by these two methods, as the reader will see, are quite different. For instance, in the catalogue for 1891 the numbers given are, for the winter term, 240 ; for the spring term, 209; and for the fall term, 217. By adding these numbers we obtain an aggregate of 666 for the year. If, on the other hand, we take the average attendance for the three terms, we secure, as a result, 222. The average, as communicat- ing 1 the most accurate information, is the more valuable O result, and as such is tabulated. In the catalogues prior to 1838, we find no complete and accurate data for tabulation. There were, in some cases, two catalogues a year, and in others perhaps none at all. At least, we have not full catalogues, and APPENDIX. 499 can give only a fragmentary statement of numbers, not of great value. After 1838 the record is complete, save that in 1856-7, the two years were catalogued to- gether, so that we are unable to know what numbers to assign to each year. Accordingly those are left blank. COMPLETE DATA. DM* No. 1837-8 1838-9 184* 1839-40 272* 1840-1 267* 1841-2 182* 1842-3 161* 1843-4 170* 1844-5 173* 1845-6 193 1846-7 193 1847-8 223 1848-9 195 1849-50 178 1850-1 175 1851-2 227 1852-3 282 1853-4 300 1854-5 314 1855-43 1856-7 1857-8 198 1858-9 202 1859-60 157 1860-61 173 1861-2 191 1862-3 231 1863-4 260* 1864-5 280* Date. No. 1865-6 328 1866-7 339 1867-8 321 1868-9 286 1869-70 303 1870-1 281 1871-2 253 1872-3 309 1873-4 323 1874-5 278 1875-6 223 1876-7 194 1877-8 162 1878-9 144 1879-80 149 1880-1 163 1881-2 194 1882-3 221 1883-4 238 1884-5 229 1885-6 233 1886-7 245 1887-8 243 1888-9- 230 1889-90 235 1890-1 232 1891-2 500 APPENDIX. INCOMPLETE DATA. Date. Part of the Year. No. 1825 Fall Term, 91 1828 Spring Term, 129 1830 Fall Term, 163 Spring Term, 155 1831 Spring and Summer Terms, 190 1832 Spring Term, 222 Fall and Winter Terms, 241 1833 Spring, Summer and Fall Terms, 313 1834 Summer and Fall Terms, 342 1835 Summer and Fall Terms, 348 Winter and Spring Terms, 215 1836 Summer and Fall Terms, 400 Winter and Spring Terms, 266 1837 Winter and Spring Terms, 304 Summer and Fall Terms, 430 1838 Winter and Spring Terms, 314 Summer and Fall Terms. 379 L-D THE LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Santa Barbara THIS BOOK IS DUE ON THE LAST DATE STAMPED BELOW. Series 9482 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACIL A 000911 723 5