Morning journal and courier., 1889-09-09
oUILFORD,s CELEBRATION.


 Its Quarto MIllenial - The Address
 In Y nIl Of Rev. Dr. Willard of west
 ville-Eduoati0nnl Interests-A His-
 tortcal Survey Guilford's Many
 Pleasant Homes-ItsRoll of Honor-A
 Word About Madison QEast GuilforD
 -Roc0llectIons Of Teachers of maoi-
 sou-KnOwledge is Power.
 On a bright May day about the noon of the month there came to me from your worthy secretary letter, in which read: "will you give us an address of twenty-five minutes on Sunday evening, September Sth, mon education in Guilfordp My first thought was to say, "Please excuse me-" My second thought was to hold the matter In brief abeyanoe for further consideration. And my third thought, after 8 gentle re- buke from your genial chairman, was, "I will try and do it," And having been born in the Guilford east that was, and tided over, while young and tender, into the Mad- ison that now is, there seemed to be a two- fold reason why 1 should take some humble part in the celebration of the two hundred and fftieth anniversary of the original town. EDUCATION.
 Were to read to you Webster's definition of this word, and also that of Worcester, 1t would take up more time than one can spare while trying to condense himself into twen- ty-fve minutes.
 must then be content to say that educa- ton, like tree, has root, trunk, boughs. Take good care of the root, and the trunk will be sound and the boughs will be full of fruit. Did the men of other days, who breathed the great sea wind that swept in over the waters, look well to this thingl They did. And education, to their minds, meant more than reading; more than spell ing; more than geography; more than arith- metic. It meant the complete development of the entire man by the culture of those faculties that give strength, energy, objec- tive force in all right directions. But they cent days, knew that the great principle must receive much of It's needed strength from good schools and good books.
 And, as Senator Hawtey said at Milford, "When there was any great thing to be done our fathers had their town meetings and got the sense of the meeting." And that sense they made practical. Hence on page 80 of the History of Guilford, from the manu. scripts of Hon. Ralph Q. Smith, I read as follows: "Schools were established proba- bly, as early as the establishment of the church, 1643. They were formerly support cd, like the clergyman, by tax. At town meeting holden the Eth of October, 1646, a committee was appointed of three men to collect the contributions for the salaries of Mir. Whitfield and Mir. Higginson, and it was ordered that the additional sum towards MT. Higginson's maintenance with respect to the school shall be paid by the treasurer yearly out of the best of the rates in due season, according to an agreement" From this time forward Guilford has been favored with good and true men Gift to instruct her youth" Fener, Belamy, Pitman, Collins, Elliott, Ward, Dudley, Johnson-these are names that appear on the printed page as having been teachers prior to the year 1794, "when the present system of school districts was adopted In Connecticut"
 In November, 1924, the Lancasterian method was inaugurated. This was contin- ued for about five years and then given up. Among its teachers we may name Dr. Abram Talcot and MT. Samuel Robinson.
 But while methods change the good work goes on. From 1881 to 1887 MT. R. D. Smith, Mir. Lumsn Whedon and Mir. Julius N. Down, each in the order named, seeks ITO rear the tender thought,
 To teaeh the young idea how to shoot, To SOW the fresh instruction OCT the wind, To breathe the enliv'n spirit, and to fix The generous purpose In the daring breast" Years wear away and another step is ta~ ken in the right direction. Mrs. Sarah Grifing, widow of Hon. Nathaniel Grifang, and Hon. Simeon B. Chittenden, both open their hearts and hands for one and the same purpose, and that is to promote the cause of sound learning.
 September Sd, 1855, building known as "The Guilford Institute" had been com. pleted, and was opened with suitable pub. lie exercises and addresses by Rev. E. Ed- win Hall, s. B. Chittenden and others.
 In 1737 library was formed in the towns of Guilford, Saybrook, Killipgworth and Lyme. But before the close of that century Guilford, in the course of events, had library of it's own. And I only state, what many know, that her people were then and are now "readiug people" mankind has done, thought, gained or been" is lying as in magic preservation in the pages of books. Or, with Coleridge, that 'It Is saying less than the truth to affirm that an excellent book is like we'll chosen and well tended fruit tree. It's fruits are not of one season only, with the due and natural intervals. We may recur to 1t year after year, and it will supply the same nourishment and the same qualification, if only we ourselves return to 1t with the same healthful appetite"
 And If 1t be true-and in my judgment 1t is trus-that the root principles of education are largely in good schools and In good books, It is-I nn sure-none the less true that for these two hundred and fifty years Guilford has not only held fast to the cond- tions named, but both alike have grown with her growth and strengthened with her strength. The spirit evoked from her schools and her books has thoroughly penetrated and permeated the minds of her people. And out of this has come @ common thought power more to be desired than gold-yea, than much fine gold. The root, the trunk, the boughs of education are all here, and have been here right through the genera tions. Hence we look for fruit and are not disappointed.
 No one can ride or walk through this good ly town and not gay to himself and others: "What pleasant homesi" "How beautiful for situationi" 'Tis true that education did not create these Guilford acres, nor coax the sea to kiss their face through all the rolling ages, but ssthetic culture has done much to make that face more inviting, and to adorn the whole body with grace and beauty. The rude and unsightly touch that comes of ig- norancs and illiteracy has not made its mark on ysur door posts nor on your public green, nor has it left It's debris on the green hill or on the pebbled beach. The outraged forms of objective beauty seem to say, "This Is an educated people,"
 Passing now to social life, Behold how good and how pleasant 1t Is for brethren to dwell together In unity" But such condi- tions arc rare and not many behold it. A defective educ ation is sure to develop ao un- healthy atmosphere, full of little annoyan- ces and discomforts, and this will generate bitterness and envy, and strife. But where e long line of educational faces has been nsrved with common sense, and these have become quickening entities in the minds of the people, there tho social atmosphere is clear and braeing. The sun never disputes about It's orbit. No more does genuine worth. A star never asks to shine by an. other stars light. No more do deserving men and women ask recognition beyond their merit. And culture that can produce this state of things has in it rich and praise worthy excellence. And good 1t is to know that your social atmosphere Is pure and sweet, and inviting, free from the jealousies and rivalries that pertain to half educated minds.
 Should one think and say that education has but little to do in moulding and shaping tho social element, another might think and say that rain and dew, and sunshine, have but little to do in the matter of corn and grasses, and roses. But such thinking and such speaking would be contrary to the na- ture of things, and no more go in the one case than in the other. And am not right in observing that "pleasant homes" and so- cial health owe much to educationi Anoth- or fact to be considered Is that of the high character and distinguished worth of many whose early training was In your schools and in reading your books. What could be said of c sky without sun or moon, or starsl And what could be said of town without men intellectually bright' Happily for you these latter have not been wanting. Some