The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-08-20


cal School. In the last twenty years the cid
academy has existed rather in the form Of a
high school for the town Of Yarmouth. Fo.
though the Acad6my's ancient name pre-
serves the word ''North" tits situated In that
portion Of the old town Of North Yarmouth,
which became simply Yarmouth by diyis-
ion. In fulfilling its functions as high
school, the Academy neglected the classical
studies which had formerly made 1t so IA
nous. especially as fitting school for Bow
doin. But the recent action Of the town Of
Yarmouth In establishing high school, has
left the old Academy free to return to the
old mission which 1t carried on so success
fully up to 1870. 1t has two excellent build
ngs. finely located in the beautiful village of
long standing which yields $500 year. In
addition, $4,000 In contingent subscriptions
have been made to IL In the year Just past !;
and its friends are at work raising So. 600
additional. Rev. B. p. Snow, well known
In educational circles and formerly a
tutor In Bowdoin College, has charge Of the
Academy's new departure, or rather Its re-
turn to the old policy.
The revival OF the prosperity OF one OF its
old academies Is matter OF much interest In
Maine. II beg to say that believe the fos-
to be of great Importance" wrote President
Eliot, Of Harvard, in response to the invita-
ti0n to attend the recent centennial ami
versary Of the founding Of Berwick Acad-
emy and he noted q fact which has been
witnessed here In Maine, that many of the
old academies, having survived the difficult
period OF high school competition, are now
reviving.
North Yarmouth Academy is one of the
oldest In Maine. Its beginnings were In
June, 1910, although 1t was not until 1914 that
the great General Court of Massachusetts,
approved its incorporation and christened 1t
with the name 1t has borne honorably ever
since. Like many another excellent insti-
tuition, 1t started with a subscription paper,
which began: 1--WE. the subscribers, desirous
means of a better education than are to be
found in common schools, and believing that
II sufficient encouragement can be given,
such one may be instituted In this town,
do hereby agree to pay" etc. By this sub.
scrlptlon paper S1675 were raised, Ammi Il
Mitchell heading the list with $50, and
Hannat Russell. Hannat Russell. Jr., and
Edward Russell ended 1t with lots valued al
$500, on which 10 place the building. The
old yellow record book of the Academy's
trustees. kept for twenty-one years In the
precise and even hand of Edward Russell,
Secretary, shows that the subscribers took
steps stepS 10 doil 70 erect rec building: which they
=
stories high, 10 feet stud. with cellar under
the whole building "a feet Deep" At the
same time they voted to call themselyes
The subscribers to the ,proprietors' school
house In North Yarmouth" The property
Major Afford Richardson was made treas
urer. There were 80 incorporators, leading
citizens OF the town, Nathaniel jerks. and
Ammi X. Mitchell, who held 10 shares each,
beln the most important holders. In April
1911 the movement had proceeded so far that
IL was voted to examine bell then for sale
10 Portland. In September 1913 the sub
scribers found 1t necessary to devise means
to pay the bills due and finish part of the In.
side Of the building. Yet the work was so
Tar along that the same meeting could au-
thorize Capt. Daniel Mitchell to slave the
privilege OF the upper story to drill his COM
pany In provided no spectators are admitted
by whom the building may he injured"
Evidently the raising Of money to COM
plete the building was slow work, for the
next month (Oct. IL, 1873 the trustees voted
OF this tewn on the subject Of education the
Rev. Mr.. Brown be invited to preach SER
mon on the subject and that the treas
urer make statement of the situation Of the
concern and ask contribution towards de-
fraying the expense Of furnishing the build
ing." Rev. Mr.. Brown was the Rev. Francis
Brown, first president of the Academy's
board Of trustees. and in 1916 called thence
TO the Presidency Of Dartmouth College. On
December 6. 1918, the sermon was preached.
The records say it was an excellent dis
course" and further specify that the contu-
meeting the pr0prietors voted to petition the
General Court for an act Of incorporation
They had laD0rod over three years, and
their building was nearly completed. The
records do not show that any school had
been opened.
The act Of incornoration was annrovad
Feb. 4, 1914 by Gov. Caleb Strong. of .Massa-
chusetts. The preamble recited that 1.-THE
encouragement Of literature In the rising
generation has been considered by the wise
and good as the basis upon which the safety
and happiness Of free people ultimately
depend" Therefore the members OF the
General couIt felt justified In Incorporating
the academy "for the purpose Of promoting
piety and virtue and for the education Of
youth in such languages and such Of the
liberal arts and sciences as the trustees shall
direct" Rev. Francis Brown heads the list
Of inccrp0rators. the others Of whom were: (:
Cushing Prince, Rev. Amasa Smith, Hon.
Ammi X. Mitchell, Rev. Thomas Green, Rev.
Sylvanus Boardman. Gen. Afford Richard
son, Rev. John Dutton, Tristram Gilman,
Russell, Nathaniel jerks, Allen Drinkwater
and Calvin Stockbridge. The cautious Gen.
eral Court prescribed that the annual income
Of the institution should not exceed $1,000.
When the Board of Trustees organized
they chose Rev. Francis Brown, who was
pastor OF the Congregational church, as
President. Mr.. Brown was a trustee Of
Bowdoin College. and soon after to be
famous In New Hampshire as the complain
ant In the great Dartmouth College suit won
Dy Daniel webster before the United States
Supreme Court. Mr.. Brown took the presi-
dency OF Dartmouth In 1915 after the trustees
had removed DIR. Wheelock on account OF a
reiiglous controversy Of long standing. The
legislature interfered, increased the number
OF trustees until there was majority against
PRESIDENT Brown. DIR. Wheelock was then
reinstated. President Brown and the MI
nority trustees began suit. and In 1919 he was
reinstated after the memorable law suit
wnlcn gave to the brow Of Daniel Webster
an added laurel. and established the position
OF the corporation Of Dartmouth College as
superior to the authority of the state Of New
hampshire. The Dartmouth College case
does not belong to the history Of North y ar
mouth academy, only as showing the quality
oI the men who watched over the infancy OF
the academy.
In 1915 tue school was ready to open Its
doors. aud trustees were looking about for q
preceptOr preceptor' They heard Of Mr: Cqshman
NOT engage him. Soon after the committee
OF the trustees reported that they had en-
gagged the Rev. David M. Mitchell to take
Lne academy. In January, 1916, 1t Is evil
9ent from the records that this school was In
full operation, since we find the trustees
voung that the visiting committee proceed
70 the school Immediately and to make
such remarks to the students respecting
order and subsection to the commands Of the
preceptor as circumstances may In their
0plnion require; just what caused this
vote we are unable to determine, but prob
aDly the good people of the village had been
scandalized by some pranks of the students
OIL the new institution.
ne nrst years were evidently times Of
doubt and disbursement with the founders
OF the Academy. From 1918 to 1898 the trus-
Tees held no meeting. and when finally one
was called through the Intervention Of a
Justice Oh the peace, one Of Its objects was to
devise means OF securing the charter and
raising a fund To .skeep a Dermanent school