Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-07-08
(From the New York Tribune)

(From the New York Tribune)
THE FAMOUS BOJFDOIN CLASS.
In the latter part of the summer Of 1928 there
passed through the turn-stiles from the College
grounds in Brunswick, Me, 81 young men, name
Charles J. Abbott, John S. C. Abbott Thomas
Aver Elisha Bacon. Samuel Z. Benson, Alden
Boynton, James W. Bradbury Richmond Brad
ford, Horace Bridge, Geo. Is. Cheever, Jonathan
Cilley, Cyrus ii. Coolidge, jeremiah Drummer,
Nathaniel Dunn, Joseph J. Eveleth, David II.
Foster. Pat'k Ii. Greenleaf, Vim. Hale, Nath'l
Hawthorne, John ID. Kinsman, Josiah 5. Little,
Stephen Longfellow, II. w. Longfellow, Alfred
Martin, Alfred Mason, Frederick Melen, Mark
II. Newman, Hezeklah Packard, Geo. W: Pierce,
Edward ID. Preble, Cullen Sawtelle, David Shep-
ley, Charles Smell, William Stone, Edward }.
Vose, Eugene Weld, Seward Wyman.
They went forth in the vigor of youth. with
strong hearts and high hopes, to be their own
masters, and to act their part in life, after having
been under tutors and governors for four years
within those college bounds. Thirty seven OF us
went out in 1925. and now call has been made
for us to assemble again on the college grounds,
on Tuesday July 6, after the lapse OF 90 years.
Mason fell in three years, Martin and Nose in six,
Melen in nine, Pierce in ten, and Cilley in Is
years and others have been dropping off, one by
one, since. j. S. &. Abbott, the Rev. DR.. q.
b. Cheever the Hon. s. 2. Benson, the Hon. J.
w. Bradbury, C. j. Abbott, Horace Bridge, c. II.
Coolidge, Nj. D., Prof. N. Dunn, Joseph Evclelh,
VIM. Hale esq, Henry Wadsworth Longfel!ow.
the Hon. Cullen Sawtelle, the Rev. DR.. ID. Shep-
ley, VIM. Stone, and one or two others have been
spared. We went forth with elastic step and
youthful glow, but return slow in pace, time worn
| in vsage, and whiened with age. There is no
resisting the work of half a century. And he Is
fortunate, OR rather is provdentially favored who
even lives so long; he must not complain if Time
has set his hand pretty heavily upon him during
the course of those years.
| The class of 1925 is called famous class. 1t
has given to the world Hawthorne and Longfcl-
low. think it was regarded as a marked class
in college. Even its number was unusual. TWAS
| larger than any class that had ever before been
graduated at that college, and larger than any
that graduated there for II years afterwards.
The one which Immediately preceded it contained
only ID members. Our class at one time num-
bered AZ men, but two died before the course was
finished, and three left college. John S. c. Alb
bolt was good scholar, amiable in disposition,
| and courty in manners. George b. Cheever, be-
sides being good general scholar, possessed the
| ability to put upon seven-by-nine scrap OF paper
| more ideas than any other man in the class. Long
fellow was accounted good poet before he left
college, and Cilley and Hawthorne gave promise
of what they were to do. In college, Hawthorne
was quiet, thoughtful, honest young man. can
remember my surprise when l heard that he was
| in Custom house; but Salem not the whole
world. The old philosophers explained the fall
ing of stone by saying that everything went to
Its place :" and it in the end with Ilaw-
thorne. He went to his own place-Iiterature.
Cilley, there are tears for him-so promising, SO
popular. Tears for his death, and tears for the
manner of his dying. He fell, as it is we'll known,
in duel while Representative in Congress.
Pierce was literary man, and would have made
his mark as a writer, had he been spared.
| Samuel p Benson had an excellent standing in
the class. He studied law, and was elected to
Congress. He is still living.
| James w. Bradbury was one of the best schol-
ars in the class. Having had the advantage of
| U.,I. Gknr1n ,af,A ,rt nf fhp
law, he came to the bar under very favorable cir
cumstanccs, especially as the democratic party
were ready to receive such recruit with open
arms. But, like all young lawyers he had serious
obstacles to encounter: The kennebec bar at that
time was peculiarly brilliant, embracing the names
of Allen, Boutelle Belcher, Emmons, Evans,
Fuller, Sprague, Wells, Vose, Williams, and ma
ny other able competitors for professional bust
ness He took high rank as young lawyer from
the start, and in few years acquired an extensive
and lucrative practice. In 1885 he was appointed
County Attorney, and held the office for three
years. He was always an active and efficient
member of the democratic party, and his culture
and character led his political friends to elect him
to the United States Senate in 1916. During the
SIX years of his service he nearly oil the time
on the Judiciary COMMITTEE, and in that honora-
BILE position ably and faithfully discharged his du-
ty to his State and country, and was firm sup
porter of the Constitution and the Union. As
Chairman of the Select Committee on French
Spoliations he made an elaborate report and
speech upon the subject, and had the satisfaction
Of seeing the bill accompanying the report pass
the Senate by an unusually large majority. He
has always been a warm friend of his Alma
Mater, serving for many years in the Board of
Overseers, and since 1860 as trustee. And in
1872 the College, in acknowledgment of his tidel
ty to its interests well as to his learning in the
law, conferred upon him the degree of LII. ID. He
has been leading member of the Historical So
ciety of Maine for many years, and on the death
of Judge Bourne was elected President, which Of
fee he now honoraby fills.
Richard Bradford practiccd medicine and died
in Auburn in 1874. He man of positive
Christian character, and retained his love for the
classics to his lying day.
Horace Bridge Is in the naval service. lIaw-
thorne wrote a journal of our African Cruiser"
from his journal.
Stephen Longfeow, the poets brother, died in
1850 at the age OF 40.
Prof Nathaniel Dunn entered the Sophomore
year in 1922. He was the first teacher in the
Wesleyan Academy at Wilbraham Mass, in 1922.
He has delivered lectures in Rutgers Female Col
lege recently. and is still living.
Among those who entered the ministry were
Alden Boynton, Elisha Bacon, Thomas Dyer, Pat
rick III. Greenleaf, and David Shpey. Cullen
Sawtee has been in Congress and is still living
Cyrus IL. Coolidge is physician and is still liv-
ing. Charles j. Abbott is lawyer at Castne,
Me. John ID. Kinsman, NJ. d.. studied law and
went to Visions in TO recover his health, but died
in 1850. VIM. Hale Is a merchant in Dover, n.
H., and Joseph j. Eveeth is bank cashier in
Augusta Me. Mark H. Newman and Hezekiah
Packard were in the book -trsde and have both
died. Charles Smell entered upon the practice Of
medicine in Bangor, Me-, and died suddenly in
1868 AN OLD Boy.
New YORK, July l. 1873.
NOTE; Joseph j. Eveleth returned to Augusta
last year from an extended tour in Europe and
places upon the Nile, and has retired from bust
ness Editor