The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1869-09-25
Letter from Amherst, Mass.
AwfrpSr Nlasa !


FRIEND WmrNEY We have been travelling so
much and under such peculiar circumstances,
that can hardly remember when / wrote you
last On arrival ut Worcester July lst,
i was exceedingly glad TO receive file Of the
Advertiser and many letters from our Honolulu
j friends. Up to this date / have been able to
follow out the programme which formed before
leaving Honolulu. On July lst l designed to
reach Worcester. and Mt 5 A. NJ ON that very
I. .morning entered the city. IL was n rather cold
and cloudy morning, bat q cordial welcome from
an afectionate sister and family soon dispclled
the otherwise unpleasantness of the occasion.
We found the country looking splendid. Farmers
are just commencing their moving, but moving
and other farming implements are not what they
were twenty-five years ago. Now, moving, rak-
ing, pitching, and slowing hay is done by ma
ehnery. The change is wonderful. It is literally
true that now one man does the work Of ten,
according TO the old system
After spending three days at Worcester, we
came 10 Amherst 10 attend commencement exer-
eises. Edward and Frank accompanied US. 1t
WIS exceedingly pleasant to return to spot
where had spent 50 many pleasant years, for i
fitted for college ut Amherst Academy, and spent
four years in college, hence five and half years
were spent by me in this beautiful place
Anniversary week really commenced on the
Sabbath. President Stearns preached his Bac-
ealaurente sermon at p. NJ. AS it was the
18th, y his discourse was not alive with evangeIc
4 truth, but glowed with the warmest patriotic
sentiments. This college during the war took
Z front rank in sending forth young men to fight
\ for freedom and liberty. Even one or two pro-
fessors laid aside the insignia of the professors
chair, and buckled on the warriors armor-
Perhaps no one was more conspicuous than Prof.
pr Col Clark, who married Miss Harriet Kapio-
sni Richards. lie served through the war, and
when the struggle was over he returned To college
fItes. lie has since been invited to the Presi-
kentship OF the Massachusetts, Agricultural Col
3ege, which has been located in Amherst. This
Institution is now entering upon the 9th year Of
Is existence, although only two classes have en-
ered.
These agricultural colleges OF America are o
oew feature of coIIege-lile. The United States
Qovernment has set apart large sections OF wild
md TO the several States OF the Union, accord
nc with the representation in Congress Lands
~ apart to Massachusetts, yield about Si2 900 in
Src-t annually Two-thiris of this amount
tes ,OOO) falls to this new Agricultural College
but this amount must go to pay teachers or pro-
kssors. To make this useful, the town Of Am
.berst gave $4,000 to have the college located
here Private individuals gave S2S 600 more,
Ind the State has added $50, 900 more With
khis total amount 400 acres Of excellent land has
been purchased, five buildings have been erected,
md the institution is in successful operation
with President Clark at its head He ia n hre
Pnan, and the college Is accounted grand sue
agricultural operations in the way Of experiments
5ln new machinery and everything relating to the
Iagriculturc Of America and the world A few
days since nuoring match called together twenty
five different kinds of moving machines, The
Pcience Of botany, chemistry and agriculture in
rs various branches will receive the fullest atten-
lion- have visited the college, and was exceed
ngly pleased with all the arrangements.
1 have also met Prof. Brewer from college in
North Carolina, who married another daughter
4 the late Mr.. Richards OF the Hawaiian Islands.
Vn following the IS Visitors Guide - and look
naos the cabinets of Amherst College, met
With the following honorable mention OF one Of
ionolulu's citizens: slr. Henry Dimond, Of
honolulu, IN the Sandwich Islands, has also been
very liberal and valuable correspondent, having
urnished such an exclusive series Of shells OF
fhoes islands as none but experienced collector
md naturalist could have procured, with such
humbers Of duplicates not only to enrich the
ollection with numerous varieties Of each species
but also 10 frnish materials for other exchanges "