Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1869-07-29
A VENERABLE INSTITUTION.
phllllps Exelcr Acaslcl my and Some OF
IT. Famous StMdonts-TWO PrlMcI-
pals who have Served Eighty-OMo
Years.

1'hlll1ps Exeter Acadcl ny and Some OF
tls Famous StWslentv-TwO Primci.
Years. " ' ''
Professor Bowon, Of Harvard College,
has prepared u concise history of tho orr
gin and fortunes of Phillips Exeter Acad-
cmy, OF which no is ono OF tho Trustees,
and it has been published ny "profltory
notice" to catalogue of this ancient
school, which gives tho names OF all tho
instructors and Students during its eighty
Six years of existence. Tho school was
established nj Exeter, N IT,, in 1888 and
writer III tho Springfield Republican says:
'lt gives tho name, residence and ago ut
cntoring of 1856 pupils Of tho academy,
among whom wore Busllrod Washington,
Daniel Webster, Lewis Cass, Edward Ev-
orott, James Sparks, John G. Pulfrcy, Geo.
Bancroft, Richard 1Iililreth, John p. Hale,
Con. John A. Dix, DIR. Peabody, of SPRING
fold, DIR. Peabody, Of Boston, Thoo Ly-
man, >. q. Richmond and many more who
have become famous in ono way or anoth-
or since they left Extor. Among tho in
htrnctors who wore not also pupils We find
Row. Henry Ware, Jr., President Walker,
OF Harvard College, Alexander II. Everett,
and Chancellor Hoyt, OF Washington Uni
vorsity. The two Principals who have
roigned eighty-ono years, were DIR. Benia-
min Abbott, whose term was half a centt,-
ny, and DR.. SOule, the present head of the
school, who first entered it as a pupil sc
years ago, and rs an instructor 81 years
ago Such consistency i'll position is re-
markable anywhere, and still more so in
America, whore things change, and men
with them pretty rapidly. It is less re-
markable in Rockingham county, New
Hampshire, however, than anywhere else
on this continent, for TINT is a corner of
tho world that changes less than any other
place wo know OF, from one generation to
another. So much tho better for it say
We, and certainly so much the better for a
quiet old classical school, not much dis
turbed rs yet by tho controversies about
philosophy and the sciences, which threat
| en- to destroy tho usefulness of other
schools.
''The founder of Exeter Academy was
DIR. John Phillips, one of tho family to
which Wendell Phillips belongs. lie was
born ut Andovor, just a century and a half
ago, graduated ut Harvard College and
studied theology, rs did his neighbor,
like him, avoided the pulpit. Ho became
q merchant at Exeter, and acquired hand
some property, which he gave mostly to
the two schools bearing his name, in Exc
ter and in Andover. To Exeter Academy
he gave about $G5, 900, to Andover about
$3l 900; the hitter was first founded in
IT'S, while that Mt Exeter was chartered in
1881, and opened in 1888; DR.. Abbot be-
came it's principal in 1888; its first teach
or, Mr. Woodbridge; being called sprccept-
| or DIR. Abbott was a raro teacher, and
gave the new school q great reputation.
lie WAS also courteous gentleman, and
it soon became the correct thing for
gentlemen's sons from all parts OF tho
country to 90 to his school. Lees and
Westinghouse Taylors and Ogles came
from Virginia and Maryland; Cushings and
Perkinses. Swales and Aphorphes from
Boston; Pickmans and Dcrbys from Salem
Thorndykes from Beverly, and Dwights
from Springfield, not to mention the de-
scendants Of the great ccnturions' in Rock
ingham county-the Gilmans, Sullivans
and Peabodys Of Exter; Chlcys of North
ampton; Plumers Of Epping; Sheafes, Cutt-
ses, Langdons and Langdon-Elwins of
Portsmouth, etc. Good schools wore then
few, and teachers like DR.. Abbott are
always few. Heleft his place in a blaze Of
glory reflected from his distinguished
pupils, Webster, Everett, Saltonstall and
tho rest, who gathered ct Exter to celebrate
Cllelr Oh Ccacnof S0ml-CenCennlll LII.
Soule, his worthy successor, has MAIN
tanned the reputation, wllilo advancing the
scholarship Of the academy, and now has a
hundred and twenty boys under his charge,
among whom, arc tho son and ,namesake OF
General Grant and the son of Montgomery
Blair. The conmcnlnblo feature of. tho
school is the provision made for poor
scholars, who arc maintained ON tho foun-
dation,' as it is called, as we'll rs taught
gratis. Twenty such scholarships arc now
supported, and moro will soon DO added;
whilo the necessary expenses of scholars
not so maintained are kept very low by
furnishing them lodgings and club-rooms
! without expense. Professor Bowen states
that it will soon be necessary to rebuild
tho old academy at n cost which he esti-
mates at $4,000. It would ben grateful
offering from tho survivors of the four thou
sand pupils of tho school, if thcy should
contribute tho amount, and allow the
present funds Of the institution to 90, as
they do now, to maintain a gootland cheap
classical course for boys fitting for col
loge." -,