Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-07-06

i was supposed would result from IL. lC wa
s therefore abandoned, and all traces of tn
s workshop, and of the splendid waite,
;, wheel, which gave motion to the ms
D chinery employed therein for mechanics
r purposes, as well as of the stream of waite
s artifcially conducted to the premises TO
D the purpose, have long since disappeared
But the appropriate work of intellectua
and moral culture was steadily pursued
4 and as place of thorough preparator
, training, the position taken in their classe
, by such as entered college from the Semi
} nary, soon caused it to be regarded b,
competent judges as superior to most, ant
, not inferior to any Institutions of tn
same grade, whether in this or in neigh
, boring States.
In 1887, on the resignation of the frs
principal, whose departure to occupy sim
liar position in an institution at Andover
Mass, was much regretted, Mr.. Stoddart
was appointed his successor. Though tht
Office of principal was by him declined
he performed for term or two the duties
of classical teacher to very great accept
ance, until transferred to professorshiI
in Middlebury College. DIR Coleman was
succeeded by him who now addresses you
Under his administration, with the valua
BILE assistance of Mr.. William A. Burn.
ham, who, on the formal establishment Of
an English department in 1885, had been
appointed to take charge of that depart
ment, the institution continued to be con-
Quoted until 1854. For portion of this
time valuable aid was rendered by Rev.
Samuel ]. M. Merwin, who was employed
as teacher of languages and elocution.
His efforts for their improvement will be
recalled gratefully by the students of
that period. When the speaker resigned
his Office as principal at the date just
mentioned, Rev. Joseph Steele, then pas
tor of the Congregational Church at Cas-
tleton, was appointed his successor. With
him Mr. Burnham was associated as CO.
principal, by special appointment of the
board of trustees.
On the retirement Of Mr.. Steele, after
two years of service, his predecessor was
solicited to return. Having before occu-
pied, for nearly seventeen continuous
years, the same position, his acceptance
of the appointment appeared to be well
coined by the community with which he
had been so long identified as citizen.
After six years of further service, having
been deprived, by the lamented death of
Mr.. Burnham, in the spring of 1860, of
his valuable cooperation, and thinking
the time had come when a younger man
should occupy the post, at the close of
1862 he again resigned the Office of prin-
cipal.
At this time the need of thorough re-
pairs, alterations and additions had be-
come imperative. To give opportunity
for making these, the operations of the
school were suspended, and not resumed
until the commencement of the spring
term of 1854. In the meantime the pro-
posed improvements were completed, at
an expense of between four and five
thousand dollars. VIM F. Bascom, Esq,
having been appointed principal, the
school was reopened under the joint in
struction of himself and Mr. Solon Albee.
The latter had previously been an assist
ant teacher in the Seminary from the
time when the declining health of Mr..
Burnham compelled him to ralinauish
position which he had held with great ac-
ceptance and usefulness for the space of
twenty-five years
Mr. Bascom retired after one year of
service, returning to the city of Wash
ingtop, where he before resided, and is
now professor in Howard University.
filled by Mr. Albee until his acceptance
of professorship in MiddleBury College
in 1866.
At an annual meeting of the corpora
ton in 1865, Rev. Franklin M. Olmsted
was appointed principal, and continued to
hold the office for two years. He was
succeeded in 1867 by Rev. Roswell Har-
ris, Jr., and he again in 1868, by the
present principal, Rev. L. A. Austin.
The necessity of so frequent changes
was to be regretted, for the impression it
naturally gave of want of stability in
the character of the institution. But the
present arrangement, already of three
years duration, it is hoped will be perma-
nent, so far as permanence can be prop
erly predicated of anything human and
liable to the usual contingencies of NOR
tai existence. 1t is the desire and aim
of the trustees, certainly, to commit the
immediate direction of its affairs into
competent hands, and to one every way
qualified as we'll as disposed to regard the
duties of bis office as the life work ap-
pointed him of Providence to fulfill.
I come now to speak of the causes
which have operated to change in some re-
spects the character of the seminary from
what it bore at the outset. Having its
origin in a bequest, designed for the ben
eft of special class of students, the ar
rangements first made had primary refer
ence to the accommodation of young
men of This class. Though to have made
it a place of general education in all
branches of learning, and for pupils of
both sexes, would not have been incom-
patible with the provisions of it's charter,
vet as the design was to attract hither
Young men of limited means, having their
hearts set upon preparation for the gos.
pei ministry, the problem with the trus.
tees at first was, to secure for such the
most thorough instruction in the prepara
tory course of study, and at the least pos
sible expense. Others who might choose
to avail themselves of the advantages of q
school of this character, were entitled
to them on the payment of the proper
equivalent.
The fruit of this policy was the char
acter which has been represented as per-
tanning to the earlier pupils; and it vim
dicates the wisdom of the founders and
guardians of the institution. Such mod
ifications, however, as experience dictat-
ed, the trustees have ever been ready and
willing to adopt, and did so as they were
found necessary. As those not contem-
plating course of classical study re-
quired some special provision to be made
for them, this was done by the establish
ment of an English department, with a
suitable person appointed to take charge of
it, as early as 1885 With this was con-
nected provisions also for instruction in
other languages and in the sciences.
With the course of study thus. extend
ed and adapted to the wants of all seek
ing a general education, the number in
attendance from our own town increased,
while fewer came hither from abroad to
claim the benefit of the Burr fund.
Thus gradually, in the course of years,
the distinctive character of the seminary
as place for the preparatory training OF
young men destined for the ministry, has
given place to that of an academy for
general education.
Connected with this has been a
change in another respect, which