Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-06-14

his first term here on Monday. April l3,
1863 aud here he has ever since remained.
Ii was no easy task which Mr. Bingham
found before him In several instances
the committee had been unfortunate in its
selection Of teachers, for then AS now the
material out of which good teachers are
made was scarce-and in consequence the
school had fallen largely into a state of
turbulence and misrule. But at the outset
the new teacher let his pupils know that he
was there TO command, and that he was al
so there To do them good-that he was there
to awaken their energy and aspiration 70
teach them sef-conhdence and self respect
to treat them like reasonable beings of
whom something was expected in return,
and to help them to grow up to be men and
women The result Of his influence was
marked from the first. A new atmosphere
breathed through the school order reigned
where disorder had been the rule before ;
the boys and girls felt that a new force was
working over them and in them, and from
that day to this the school has grown stead
ily in strength, efficiency, and as "A power
for good in this community and i'll the
state.
1t is interesting, and always has an ele
ment Of the picturesque, to hear some of
early experiences with Mr.. Bingham and
the means he took to make them obedient
diligent students These means were very
varied often they were of very pro
nounced character, but they we're always
effective, and always the student knew in
his heart that they were used for his good
Not only in the school room was the school
masters influence felt. He knew where
the boys spent their evenings. he rescued
them with his own hand from places Of vi
cious ASSOCIATION and insisted that their
lives should be clean and decent. For such
service they render him today sincere
thanks and gratitude.
One characteristic of Mr. Bingham's life
long influence in his school is notable, and
that is the uniform respect which he has
always inspired in his pupils. However re
bellious individual students may have been
at heart or in act, however hard they may
have kicked against the pricks, the old
scholars now stand forth as one, an army
more than IA thousand strong to declare
that his dealing with them was wise and
Just and for their good
Another characteristic which deserves
especial mention is Mr. Bingham's unfail-
ing way of trying to make every pupil
stand ON his own feet and to bring out his
oftentimes latent self confidence aud self
respect Every one who has been often a
visitor in the High school room knows that
| it is a rule which has no exception to teach
the pupil what is in him, to teach him com
maud of his own faculties and never, il
possible, to emasculate his manhood with a
discouraged, humiliating sense of failure
and disgrace and Of not being as other
boys and girls are. The means to this END
in "the Old Schoolmaster hands are very
numerous sometimes they seem for the mo
ment not joyous but grievous, but in tn,
end they work for the pupils intellectual
and moral salvation.
! Every year for twenty five years Their,
has come up under Mr.. Bingham's hand
new class of boys and girls, many of then
timid and shrinking and watching will
half scared eyes his quick, alert movement
and his ominous eyebrow, and every veal
there has gone out class which has Learned
to appreciate to love and respect him,
of four children born to Mr. and Mrs
Bingham, three are now living, all resi-
dents Of BrattlebOro. These are Louise
wife of f. H. Putnam Eugenia, wife o
DR.. f. 6. Pettee aud Chas. +. Bingham
bookkeeper at the Peoples bank.