Daily Kennebec journal., 1891-08-08

eonnunitv Ia Which IL ehiilfen had -
eapcsfionei sdsansasss beysaa Ne ordinary
spvr school. and fnaily N this Beiehbof
hood lived II nen, vho had Aearee Afte
enough and pusses loag snDush 10 lay the
fcp ndstion for IN ins6tntios, the good voak
o9 which hsd only beHaa in shsir LIE uoe.
n wor'd 10 moRs eager fof ths oaa-
srnnAienI dessils OF vaflike heroes
thsn fsr the founders Of senanariss Of
learning. buf that 10 NOS conclusive evidences
shss the hIessipes and bentfa conferred ey
thu farmer ars NOSE Datfriai or eHdurinE
,hsn those made p,ssible By the lives Of
the latter; gtscrslly the couvesss i. d.
cid sdiy the fact. About the yeaf isSo,
Joha d Lsps. Samuel fsylcf. Eeenszer
Frys, Alden Sam, an and Alton Pope, all
prt minert nenbsrs OF the Society OF
Frieeds began to sdsoeafe the establish
ment Of . school where the children OF fnat
iarse community might receive careful
training. cuitivatiIE il 4 renee, rehs,ea'
i'm eressien ard broad teaching. or to use
their words - select school, some, u
not al OF these msn proposed to insure the
,pccs 50 Of this plan by giving Thousand
doltArs il vidusi,y. This money 90 hpefAl
" given vas the beginning OF succss ssion
Of donations made by mes Ard women Tor
b sole pu pl.e Of multiplying The cppor'u'
nide. ard .d sn,sges Of the on g--to give
talent an OBJ ,riu aity to become character
Wi lam Hsbpie, . vigorous spirited maa
~ a born tescteY. was the Fret principal
The school a, fret was not success naan-
,iaiiy srd vas soon closed
In 1856 Ell JSnes, the Ffiend miaistef
a I'd ni.,iopsvy, those home was in the
town Of CsiaS, sdv,ca.d tht an IN Irs be
made to ,s-op. tie school; Si5 900 being
nece.ssryyo sscure ih- success Of tue new
undertaking he bs sme chairman OF Q COM
mittee 70 raise that Awaun., which VA
. early ali sub- crihsd BY 600 Friends in the
State Of Maine. Eli Joue. himself b. came
the priacioal for his hfst year and had
large and suecessfui 'ceo't /.
Albert Smiley, Augustine Jones. Richard
M. mes. Ei~srd Ii. C,ok and Charles u.
Jouss have neen prohinent among lite prin'
cip.ls I,hN developed some OF lis oesl
teachers ~ho are at work at the present
zine Many Of its Rrsdustes have become
famous, very many more have maze useiu
caiz ms and lived no less robie lives from
|uetc;ihM they were qaits ard uuhef'
sl,.d
In 1880, its Ar.t great misfortune can
upp 1t A fire destroyed the Acacemy
building ar the school vss closed. Five
ears later a la'gs building for school pur
poses vas con,tructed j lining the boafdins
house. In the autumn Of 1887 the erti''
structure Was bufnsd down by the work o'
an incsndisry. 10 this time OF discour 'ge
me- mt friends we're not wanting. and The
present set Of buildings we're raised.
The school 10 now under charge OF New
Eogland yearly meeting Of friet d.. viii
| r afus NJ. Jones, A. M. = graduate Of Hsv
erford College as i,s principal. supported b!
corps OF six teachers. Ofigioslly TIT
friends aimed ss having schools where thei
children might be taught by themselves
today they open their schools to all, an'
Oak Grove Summary, together with TN
large Fjepd's School at Providence, er
roll more than two thirds their pupils out
side their o~nSsociety.
All such institutions have an Internal his
tory which can no more tie written IN sucl
| = sketch rs this, than its influence on
generation Of our citiz ms can be measured
| 1t must always be cause for vain regre
that the faithful and generous men whit
wrought for it in its infancy and mourne'
| at its reverses sre not spared to see II
the height Of its prosperity and usefulness
supported as the Seminary 10, by friends O.
large resources aud benehcent spirit, it
future 10 full of possibilities, as its NAM
I, implies, Of seed sowing.