St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-06-29

occasion for unfavOrable criticism, ex-
cept, perchance, in the extreme length
of the exercises, which was occasioned,
to some extent, by the delay in getting
the people seated before the exercises
commenced.
The overture Pavilion" was given
by the orchestra, and during the playing
of the Swedish Wedding March the
graduating class marched on the stage,
when they were addressed by Col
Fairbanks. He made few suggestions
from the standpoint of business man.
He urged them, first, to start right. A
wrong course leads in the wrong way
Be willing to begin at the bottom of
the ladder There is plenty of room at
the top. No person is born IA genius
What is done should be done thorough
ly, mastering thoroughly what is I'M
dertaken. Be willing to do the little
things, as it is the little things that
help to make up this life. Never lose
an opportunity, as an opportunity
comes, but it never comes but once.
He urged them to give attention to all
their undertakings, have perseverance,
and educate the memory.
The diplomas were then presented
by Sir Thaddeus Fairbanks, president
of the board of trustees, and the exer-
cises closed with benediction by Rev.
E. L. Fairbanks.
ALUMNI REUNION.
The business meeting of the alumni
of the Academy was held in No. 10 at
half-past p. m, Henry Fairbanks,
president, in the chair. After the
reading of the secretary's report, by
Miss Matte Hall, the officers for the
year ensuing were elected, as follows
President, Jonathan Ross vice presi-
dent, Henry c. Ide; secretary and
treasurer, Mary E. Stone executive
committee, Henry Fairbanks, Geo. NJ.
Gray, Henry c. Newell, Mrs. Harvlin
Paddock, Agnes Fairbanks.
This completed the business of the
association which then adjourned to
the large hall for some public exercises.
In the absence of President Ross, who
was holding court, Vice President Ide
kept the chair most of the session, al
though Judge Ross appeared upon the
stage for little while later in the after
noon.
The public exercises opened with a
quartette by Mrs. Minnie b. Hazen
and Misses Mary Fairbanks, Laura
Brooks and Flora Brown. The presi-
dent announced that this being the
fortieth anniversary of the founding of
the Academy, it had been thought best
to make somewhat more of this meet
ing than at some previous gatherings,
and the audience would now listen to
a historical sketch by the Rev. Edward
7. Fairbanks. The speaker began in
a very humorous vein which was con-
tinued through the paper. He insisted
that the fOrtieth year was not the time
to write history. This he proved from
the Bible-''A jubilee shall the fiftietll
year be unto you"-therefore we should
have to wait ten years longer before a
historical sketch could be expected-it
took forty years to get through the
wilderness ! The sketch was enjoyed
exceedingly by all present, and in
closing the speaker presented the
alumni association with "A picture OF
the old Academy as it was in IS45.
This paper was followed with music
by Il quartette of four students-Misses
Parker and Eastman and Frank Brack-
EFT and Charles Milliken-who sung a
lullaby by Sullivan very sweetIy.
The next exercise was personal rem
iniscences by Mrs. Parker Woodwork
of Concord, n. H., former pupil and
teacher. Mrs. Woodwork came to the
Academy as pupil in the midst of the
war. The first term "Opened with
eight bOys-all too young to go to the
war this in brief is the history of ST.
JOhnsbury Academy's patriotism" The
speaker Sketched occurrences and per
sons between the years of '62 and 90
not emitting beautiful tribute to
Principal Colby. Her paper was well
prepared and very much appreciated
by the audience.
After Mrs. Woodwork, brief speech
es were made by several former pupils
Rev. Henry +. Jewett, now principal
of Hopkins academy at Oakland, Cali
tornia, was called ont. In looking
around upon the portraits which hung
on the walls lie was impressed anew
with the thought of what a good thing
it is to be one of the founders of an in
stitutiOn like this. 1t is also a noble
thing to be il teacher in such a school,
and rare opportunity to be a scholar.
| He suggested that more was due the
Academy from the alumni and the
people of the place, and hoped the time
was not far off when all on the east
side of the street below Eastern avenue
would be public buildings, and at least
two more of them belong to the Acade-
my.
Rev. E. w. Parker, just returned
from his mission field in India, was the
next speaker. He was a pupil in 1855 !;
went to India in 80, first to a province
where the gospel had never been
preached and where no schools had
ever been established. Not a woman
or girl in population of five millions