Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-08-23
Craftsbury Academy and its Cabinet

Orleans county, it would not have
been necessary for the information of |
the public to make special mention
of such thing as that whose name
stands over this article. Fe,O insti-
tutions and those nell supported, was
the rule then; and it is easy enough
to see practically as well as theoretic-
ally that dozen half defunct organ
izations have less power than one in
the full vigor that the strangling of
the other eleven might impart to it.
"a living dog is better than dead
lion" and a steam engine can do more
work than a score of one horse ma
chimes. Nowadays each town of
five hundred inhabitants must have
its academy; and unless the proper
ton of children and youth is greater
in this vicinity then it is in most com.
munities at the present day, these in
situations are a laughable commentary
on municipal selfshness. One would
think men and women were trying to
satisfy their consciences for their vio-
lations of the great command to mul-
tipty by ostentatiously, making ample
provision for the education of those
that never come into the world. In this
state of affairs the things of the past
are forgotten. Men in becoming more
selfish become more narrow minded
and more absorbed in the present,
therefore the things Of the past are
neglected and in this particular mat
ter of which we were speaking, the
things that belonged to the old schools
are left to decay-are forgotten, un-
less indeed they belong to the
Academy" in our own town. 1t is
amusing to see how local interests
will drill holes in peoples memories
and make sleeves of them.
Happening the other day to stroll
into the old Academy building at
Craftsbury Common, we were led by
the general appearance of the build
ing within and without into the above
mentioned train of thought. AS we
entered the school room below anG
glanced at the printed notices on its
walls, there was a strange mingling
in our feelings of the sad and the ludi
crous. Dim with age and begrimmed
with school-room vapors, they sug
gested sad remembrances of the past
while the sentiments expressed were
ridiculously at variance with the APP
pearance of things around. "On
ward and upward" is an excellen
motto, but it would lose its force if
painted on the ruins of Palmyra
Excelsior" is good in its place, bu
on Delaware's or Florida's seal m
stead of New York's it would be rid
iculous. "Tempus fugit" is Away
and absolutely true in this WORLD
never seen to be so more sadly an
strikingly than in the midst of sue
surroundings. Perseverance, omni
vincit" brought the comical yet hal
indignant thought of what might hav
been; while "Order is heavens frs
law" paraded in central and col
spicuous place, suggested at once th
immense distance which must exil
between that happy place and tt
poor old Academy. We explored tt
wood house and the ante rooms, bea
tiful with cob web architecture an
redolent with the perfumes of ii
past, and assembled the stair case.-
The bell rope hung as invitingly as
days of yore from the ceiling abov
and we couldn't help thinking Of Il
chubby pairs of hands that had give
it many forbidden pull, the nimb
little feet that had scampered aw;
when the door opened below, and t
cunning little eyes that had play
innocence SO perfectly as to de
punishment. We passed the "nor
room" door, just glancing through
broken panels, with sigh as we sa
the ruins strewed about the floor
The apparatus room" opposi
preserves something of its philosol
ical appearance; though its treasur
are sadly married. The big solar L
croscope is a ruin: the hydrosta
bellows has been used for pok
and footstool: the electrical mach
is a wreck, all that was breakable
the strength of naughty boys havi
been smashed to atoms. The ORE
has more than half collapsed, a
the galvanic cups and leyden j
have lost their terror. Time a
space would fail to tell of the oil
ruins. Its too bad; but such is
course of events. There is a bril
side though even here. The telesce
is uninjured; the quadrant, thou
old fashioned, is disable; and
globes (large Is inch globes,
restrial and celestial are perfect.
At the end of the hall is the c
met. This was formerly the AGA