Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1873-05-03
GAINESVILLE FEMALE ACADEMY.
The Institution to Change Hands Sep.
TENDER 1st, 1873.

The Institution to Change Hands Sep
TENDER 1st, 1873.
We announced in to-day's CHRONICLE
that the GAINESVILLE Female Academy
with the commencement of the fall
session. goes 10 the control Of Prof
james. NJ. Wright, now and for some
years past an esteemed citizen OF
Athens, Alabama, at which place he
has been successfully conducting fe-
male college of no mean pretensions
and of a well known character. In
view of Rev. DIR. j. B. West retiring
from the GAINESVILLE Female Acade-
my, it were not inappropriate that we
say something touching the operations
Of this educational institution while
under the presidency of this pleasant
christian gentleman and polished
scholar.
Immediately after the war, DIR. West
leased, for ten years, the Academy,
which at that time presented dilapi-
dated appearance, its condition, from
hospital uses to which it had been so
long subjected both by the federal and
the confederate armies, being least ad-
apted to Its former and. its present
purposes. Broken windows, dreary
rooms and Scared walls gave an unin-
viting aspect to the large and commo-
dious buildings where so many of
those ladies who are now both orna-
mental and useful to the social world,
received that thorough instruction and
graceful education which accomplish
ed them for the high and lofty duties
attending woman's moral and domes-
tic sphere. With an ambition not less
laudable than the commendable ener-
gy of the man, DIR. West commenced
repairing the buildings, and ere long
the well furnished apartments, with
all conveniences requisite for such an
Institution, were ready, and properly
so too, to subserve the grand pur-
poses for which they were originally
designed. The fall session of 1866,
the first since the war, opened with
large attendance ofyoung ladies, every
advantage to facilitate the requirement
of knowledge and for imparting true
education, being provided for by the
judicious foresight of the president.
So excellently was the Academy con-
Quoted that the average attendance for
the past seven years has been over two
hundred students annually. Renem-
bering the impoverished condition of
our country, the financial depression of
our people, the waste places and the
desolation which fearfully befell so
many hearth stones, sundering the
wreath of domestic duties and sever
ing the home ties with relentless pow
erty, it is no ordinary evidence of NOR
al success and not an unworthy tribute
to the presiding officer to speak our
praise for these satisfactory results.
How earnest, how mighty, the efforts
of man who could build up a dis
mantled school under the adverse cir
cumstances resulting from the late
war. there are but few that ever reckon
or realize
Every year there has been an aver
age attendance of sixty boarding pu-
pills. and when it is known that their
expenditures annually amounted to
about $3.50 per caput. we can realize
why an institution which from this
source alone has brought yearly 3d.,
600 to our city should receive the warm
support of those interested in the
prosperity of GAINESVILLE. During the
past seven years, from the above speci-
fed source, the sum of $l05, 900 has
been expended in this city. The
financial benefits, irrespective of the
moral and intellectual results arising
from the prosperous career Of the
GAINESVILLE Female Academy, are CO.
gent reasons for this cOmmunity's ia
voring actively the future and the
grander usefulness of the institution.
In retiring from the control of the
Academy, DR.. West is actuated by
desire to enjoy more quietude than is
compatible with the active duties in
cident to the position he has so grace
fully, so admirably filled. Having al
ready devoted much of his life, to ed
ucational pursuits, he can now well
afford to retire from the arduous duties
of the vocation, wearing the hOnors he
richly merits, and with the conscious
ness of having been a jealous and sat
isfactory educator. Weregret to learn
that he will retire, and yet are graft
ged to know that he will still be a citi-
zen of this place where he enjoys the
esteem and the confidence of his peo-
pie.
Prof. Wright, who assumes the I'M
expired term-three years-of DIR.
Vests lease, comes to us with the
highest recommendations that person
al worth and accomplished scholar
ship command. % Prof Wright is
native Of Montgomery county, has
devoted twenty-five years TO teaching,
and is, in addition to his scholarly at
tainments, high toned, christian gen.
tleman, the proudest title that any
man can wear. He assumes control of
the academy September 1st, and We
doubt not but that his long experience,
his faithful abilities and favorably
known reputation, both as gentle
man and a scholar, will secure con-
tinuance of the liberal patronage which
has so long been given. DIR, West.
We are pleased to state that the
present corps of teachers will, with
but few exceptions, be retained by DR..
Vests successor. The ladies consti-
tuting the corps are in every respect
we'll qualified for their respective posi-
tiOns. ensuring thereby the conditions