Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-11-28

In Norman-Gothic style. II d devoted TO
recitation rooms. chapel, q hall, which seats
!. 100 persons. chemical laboratory, gymnas-
ium. music room. and the necessary Offices,
store rooms. wash rooms, etc. Its dlmen-
sions are g by ~ feet. and the top OF the
SHIRE which ri~e- from the main tower r.
10 feet from the ground. The building T.
heated bv steam. lighted hy ga and sup
nIiei with water lt~ cost, u1t including
the finishing of gymnasium. was 81 900
the cost of al the building and furniture
wa SOB .O00 Daring the earlier years OF
the Academy. it wa sustained by the hrm
Of F.N r Fairbank- and CO. hnt since
1850 all construction expense have been
defraved by Mr. Thaddeus lairhluk-.
The new edifce was dedicated on the $lSi
ult.. with appropriate exercise. The main
adire-- upon the occasion wa hy President
Rackham of the University of Vermont We
lind ID in full 10 the CaIsaonlul and should
be glad 20 copy it entire if our limits per
ml,ipd The opening portions, referring 10
the importance OF the Academy in nur edu-
cationa, system, and especially 10 the iide.i-
IL with which institutions of learning are
won't To- administer and return 10 the public
the funds with which they are endowed r.
seem ia DIS especially excellent in matter
and manner. and We give them below
EXTRACT fR1A AR. HuCkHAA ADORE
B.. .sr
.- .uu Of interest. not 1nly o. the CITIZENS %
Il John-burv and it- vicinity, hat Co all
,nr-lligent friends of higher education IN
the proceedings of the day / recognize.
and thankfully recognize this meaning
that practical, iar-Sightcd men looking
about for opportunities TO use for the pub
DC benefit the wealth with which God mas
blessed them. have come % the conclusion
that portion of IL could not be devoted 10
q better purpose than the iurtherance OF
Academic education. And therein. I an
confident, luey showed a. much i-dum a.
pab.ic spirit Thai money devoted % pur-
nose oi education D. wei invested. j. s1
generally admitted and So largely acted upon
IN our times. that 10 may be said o. he one
of the lew settled naXim-o OF Christian Polit-
lea Economy intermediate, or what w
,al. Academic education. however. ha, MOI
received iu our country. It- due share ln
the distribution nf favor The common
schools sIr under ihe protection aI thr
State College. though a- Vet sanity
endowed when compared with the great
foreign Universities. are becoming more
and more lAe iavorte legatees OF large
minded men OF wealth the schools f0r
secondary instruction. meanwhile, though
fully a. important IN their place a the com
mon schools and the Colleges, have had. IN
most cases. no other resources than tuition
ices and occasional subscriptions. Inc time
msv come and believe will come when the
public high schools viii be able TO doa con-
siderable part of the work that mas hitherto
ievo.yed on academic Bat they can never
wholly supply the place Of the academic
The old acGdemy, or seminary, or county
grammar school, or literary institution. bY
whatever iar-tetchcd AMI ambitious name %
was known. has been throughout New Ing
land. and certainly in Vermont. an educa
ting force In the community not second u
either the common schools or the colleges.
In rural communities. the neighboring AGA
DENY. and it alone. kept before the Young
public the idea and encouraged the amhi
ton of scholarship. Within It's walls aSplr-
ing poverty was always respectable and
welcome there were opportunities for
self-haardinr and other devices Tor cheap
living tuition could usually be paid by
hvpothecating future receipts from teaching
district schools II q smattering. and only
q smatterinC. of al the OlOgies that were
ever invented came within the spacious cur
riculum OF these humble Institutions, still
more substantial studies were not neglected,
and even hvmeans Of these ha li-c0mprehend-
ed sbStruSities. the mind was expanded %
thoughts beyond the range OF Arthme-
tic. Grammar snd Geography. and seeds of
truth were dropped which in after time
brought forth reai scientific knowledge and
useful practical invention. To speak
=ightingiy of he work done by Academic
in past time. as do some 10 say that de-
fcipnt secondary instruction is the weak
point IN our educational system, and that
the Academic are chargeable with the de-
ficiency. would be 10 speak the truth very
unFrateiuliy that these institutions have
survived nj all. ana have done a well a.
they have an important work otherwise m
provided for that some Of them have strug-
gied their way 10 responsibility, Is more
than could have been expected. and entities
them 10 oar commentator and gratitude
But beyond question the need of the hour
is improved Academic instruction and the
ir-i and essential condition Of Snch an
proKement Is increased endowment. speak
mo then IN behalf of those who arr watch
ing and lablring for the means OF educa
tional advancement. ] SAY, sill honor 10 the
men who have the Ssgacity 20 discover the
need OF THE times and the iiberality 10 pro
vide for b. And . will add, speaking for
myself eo.legr man, ~ one greatly
desiring t1-ee our colleges in general and one
ol them IN particular. supplied with means
ipr eula- gang sheir power and usefulness,
am glad Go see q portion ot the liberahty OF
\ erm1nt citizens expended upon academic
OF whose prosperity the colleges themselve,
arr largely dependent. The recent end0w-
mruis Though limited. sd Beman and Essex
Academic the new enterprise al SaxtOu
River and especially the addition of these
mobile and beautiful huildings to the aca-
iemic facilities of ST. J0hnsbury are en-
c0uraging -iEu1 ol movement n the right
direction
The growing disposition 10 endaw lnsti-
tuition ul lrarnng BE- one Of the many
gratifying proofs Of The prevalence among
our people JI athouElttu. and large minded
hpuev0lence. But il is more than this IL
pvincee confidence 90 the future preya-
ience OF truth and right. Let rs Try to
realize the meaning Of an act ike that of
William OF Mykeham IN endowing his col
lege at Oxford, or that Of Samuel Milliston
or George Pes body. when on reflection and
from religious motives they devote large
sums % the perpetual support Of an acade-
my How far On into the future do they
dare o. let their thoughts run Do they
distinctly fursee that in spite OF all the
leFel conditions that NAV attach 10 the en-
dowment. il may still he perverted 50 a 20
work directly against the principles which
they desire most 0fall things to perpetuate2
" hat guarantee Is there that Dartmouth
College, 0r the University of ermont,o r 81
Johnsbury Academy may not in the year 1873
be engaged IN prOpagating some pestllent
heresy in philosophy or morals, undermIn-
inc the faith which their heneiactors
thought they were contributing TO cherish
nder what persuasion, then, do prudent
men. men who take into consideration the
possible influence a. well as the present
value Of their gifts, pour them without CON
diu0n9 into the treasures of literary in
stitui0n7 and confidently commit them 10
all the uncerIaintie~ of the future2 The
answer 10 these questions would disclose
the deep-iying faith ol mankind, especially
OF the mobile and magnanimOus among man
kind, hrst in the favor Of God attending and
Guarding every good enterprise and secondly
IN the general rectitude and fidelity Of learn
ing. W hen good man POUNDS school or en-
dowsa university he certainly thereby says,
and intends 70 say, 10 all the world, Il have
snch confidence IN the loyalty Of learned IN
situations 10 truth and virtue in the long
run, ! 50 thoroughly believe in the self-cor-
receive tendencies OF study and science, that
will take the responsibility Of guaranteeing
the influence OF tins institution for all time
to come noble and 5eaHtiful eXhibi-
ton OF man confidence both in God and
IN man Human life hardly presents one
more mobile 0r beautiful such an act Is an
unconscious prophecy of the triumph Of
| truth over error. Of real over false science.
| And it is very remarkable how rarely this
confidence has been disappointed 1t Is
zsie 10 say that funds given TO learned
societies have been far less frequently per
verified than funds given to most other