Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-09-27
THE HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI.
THEIR THIRD ANNUAL REUNION


Some POO members Of the High school
alumni association will always remember
the reunion Of 1899 held at the Brooks
House last evening, with peculiar pleasure
and satisfaction, for the gathering was in
the best sense a successful one The house
was thrown freely open to the guests Of the
evening, and a spirit Of cordial fraternity
and good fellowship pervaded the meeting
from beginning 10 end, subdued though it
inevitably aud properly was by the memo
rial character which the exercises took
ON because Of the death of Mr. Bingham
just as the last school year was closing
The after-dinner speaking was in the main
a tribute 10 his memory, and this tribute
from the lips OF old pupils was as affection
ate and as just as even the tender heart Of
the Old Schoolmaster could have wished.
The hour in the parlors from TO . was
given 10 a genuine informal reunion, when
hand grasped hand and a thousand welcome
schoOlday memories were revived. During
this hour Miss Stewart and Miss Cressy en-
tertained the company with a piano duet
and Miss Gregg with a song. At 8 o'clock
the doors Of the dining room were thrown
open, and the long handsomely set and
decorated tables presented a rarely attrac-
tive appearance as the company passed in
to the banquet This feature Of the even
ing was a credit to the house. The menu
was abundant, the service admirable, and
compliments were paid a hundred times
over ~ mine hosts, the new landlords and
manager Of the Brooks House The exact
number at the tables was 1870. The Lett
singer orchestra furnished music while the
viands were being discussed and during the
evening
At 10 o'clock the wants Of the inner man
having been supplied, Mr. II II. Thompson,
the president, called the company TO order
and introduced the after dinner speakers.
| We regret that lack Of time and space com
| pels us 10 make our report Of the speeches
much less complete than we could wish.
| Rev Frederick Greene Of Audover Mass who
snatched the time from busy mans life, at the
committees urgent request, 10 pay pupils trib-
/ ute 10 The Old SchuOlmaster' answered to this
/ sentiment The one thing which the old High
| school scholars have ia common, Mr. Greenr said
| Is their old teacher, and what would the
! High school h. 10 their memory but Tor MI
| Bingham. The college has life, almost soul of
it, own. II has an esprit du corps which binds its
! members and It's graduates together, but all this
Is lacking In the public High school, which h sim
| ply a collection Of individuals Il claim there
! would h. no eXcus' for such gathering AZ tins
| were II not for the bond " our common love and
| esteem for the man who has been n friend and
] 4
! the remarkable hold which Mr. Bingham had upon
his school and upon his pupils In their after life,
Mr. Greene found the secret u It, Isl IN his disci-
] pline and the methods taken to enforce II. OF
| this it, justice and mpartiality were the marked
features He recalled no case when the school
| sided with the offender against the TEACHER; %,
| In his sympathy sympathy which studied
| eHch individual member Of his school aud
met his needs 81, IN his enthusiasm, which was
b4undlt-s and unfalling' ~ in his patience.
| the school ruom was to help his pupils to help
themselves, aud this help was given no less t. the
bright boys at the head than To- the duh ones at
! the foot He taught 10th ends NJ his class
The interest which be- inspired ESPECIALLY IN math
| ematits and natural science Was remarkable. The
habit Of attention which he inculcat-i had hs--ii
one Of the greatest helps to the SPEAKER In hi
college life and since.
Passing ON to the end with many tender words
| and Illustrative incidents by the way, Mr. Gre-nr
said that the Old SChcolmRster's death was all
that his pupils could have desired. He died
! with the harness on This tribute - a man who's
! memory fun lOOl alumni hold IN grateful reyrr-
ence, was simple In language, comprehensive, AT
frStonate aud justly discriminating Ia It's thought
and IN every way eiuiuently fitting As the central
feature ia the first annual reunion after Mr. Bling
ham laid down his faithful untiring and unspar
| ing work Of lifetime
| Following Mr. Greene Miss Lulu Greasy read a
| short paper which IN Appr,-'Atiye words dt7scrited
school Life with Mr. Bingham, aud paid 10 his
memory a ~uinany tribute 81 esteem and affec
| ton
Col Est..y 'rrminis'.d" briefly his recollection
/ " High school life going back 20 the days of Alb
bot Balch Miles aud Howard who preceded Mr.
Bingham
sui Master Rugg. while finding the broadest
! grounds for encouragement Ia The Education ut
! To-day, sounded "A clear note of warning against
some Of the dangers which lurk 10y the way. Hl-
tribute a. Mr. Bingham was a warm one. ON the
S.-cund day Of his service In the school thu Old
SchoolmAst..r had said to him. "RugR 70 ahead
and do your duty, and remember that Bingham /.
ts-hind your tack every time This was the KEY
note Of their work together With true insight
Mr.. Rugg said that the real secret Of Mr. Bing
hams success as a teacher lay in his originality.
Miss Minnie Bra-or gave spirited and ringing
recital Of Bungay ; 'Cre--ds ~ the Bells
Mr.. Mcl.Achlin, the principal. In SPEAKING
On The American School and SchoolmAster. " al
luded first H. the foundation principles which un
derlle our school ~ stem. a. laid down and estab
lished by our Puritan fathers. Coming down L.
the work Of our day be- trenchantly said. "A per
feet school would h. g"nd moral policeman IN
any community. The youth In our schools n''nd
10 learn that genius Is myth and aud that
c'-'s is character. THrr words than thes- wer,
never said In closing Mr. Mcl.AChlin spoke with
grateful appreciation ~ the good work which has
h-en done IN the High school before him. and int,
Who's frutagr be- enters In manly, earnest
words he said that his highest purIsuse to helI
our boys and girls to build broad and strong the
foundation for useful, aspiring Christian char
acters, and he asked the community to give hin
their support aud cooperation IN this work
Rev. DR.. Walker, whom not every hhs
known a. High school alumnus was the lAsi
speaker. His theme was Early Teachers and
Pupils, and W. regret that W. cannot give, moi
only his words but carry with them the aroma OF
the genial wit with which he int@rwovr them and
which repeatedly CONFUSED his hearers Dr
Walker said that when hr thought IT himself as d
High school alumnus while brother Greene Wa
SPEAKING he thought he must ls.long at least e.
the carbOniferuus period, but when Col Estey ap
p--artd with his "reminiscences he concluded that
he must L. H. far back a. the lower siluriAn peri
I'd. The Brattlrburu graded school system was
established. with many "A struggle and misgiving
IA lNi2, and he had Ia confess that he was a mem
btr Of thu first class IN that graded school Some
OF his most amusing rrculleCtiuns were OF Moses
NOOlsOn, the tcgs-ntric principal ~ thOs- DAYS
Coming 10 the serious side Of his subits,t Dr
Walker said that the true mission of our schools
Is to establish character for future growth and
usefulness, and H. Is las recently happened In
people referring 10 the death OF Fred and Mary
Thompson they arr cut on from earthly work
and growth, the preparation Is none the less sure
/ ~ Tor USEFULNESS aud expansion ~ spherr be
future Of our common schools. DR. Walker said
II that they Ia built on the broadcast and most In.
elusive non sr,tarian basis
The speaking ended soon after ! / o'clock
The order of business was then taken VI
and officers elected for the coming year
To the retiring board Of officers who have
done the difficult work of successfully es-
tablishing the alumni association, much
credit is due and thanks are freely given
The good nights were said and the com
pany dispersed in the hour from II to /.
Members of the alumni present from out
of town were
MIR. aud Mrs II. F Barber. Wilmington: Mrs
Fred Cutler, Minneapolis Mimi; Nellie Eddy, Bns
ton, Mass Rev. +. W Greene, Andovrr, Mass
Conn; W. J. Reed, Ansonia, Conn; Jennie Steb
bins. keene y. II ; Mr. aud Mrs q. q War;. VII
mingtOn; Rev Geo. l.. Walker, Hartford. Conn