The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-11-18
Rev. J. III. Hincks in Bethany Church.

union meeting of Montpelier churches
was held in Bethany church, on Sunday
evening. to listen to the Rev. j. II. Hincks,
who had been invited to deliver an address
on " The Work of Atlanta University in the
South" Mr.. Hincks is dean of that insti-
tuition, and is travelling in the North with a
view to create an interest in educational work
among the coored people. A little more
than three years ago Mr.. Hncks resigned
his pastorate OF Bethany church. A very
large and attentive audience greeted him on
his return to Montpelier.
Rev. Mr.. Gallagher presided. The OPEN
ing prayer was offered by Rev j. Edward
Wright, and the closing prayer by Rev. A.
j. Hough. Mr. Gallagher in a brief but
timely introduction said that he took great
pleasure in welcoming Mr.. Hincks to Mont
pelier, that certainly the splendid audience
before him expressed their cordial welcome,
and even the pale moon of the North yelled
her lovely face in sympathy while Mr..
lanta University in the South" Mr.. Hincks
then stepped forward and in choice language
and with great dignity spoke on his interest
ing subj set. We regret that our space will
not perm detailed report, but we give the
substance of his remarks.
After referring to the touching story of
Casper Hansen, German boy who was con-
fined in a cell till sixteen years of age, with
out ever seeing human being, and then set
free with a letter on his person giving the
facts of his melancholy life, which modern
writers have termed " crime against the
SOUL" Mr.. Hincks said slavery was also
crime against the soul, and freedom had
brought the emancipated slave all its bur-
dens without any preparation for its onerous
duties. Here Mr.. Hincks gave several facts
of the progress of the colored race and their
ability to be educated: He then proceeded
to describe the work Of Atlanta Uni
versity, saying its students numbered six
hundred, teachers twenty-nine; that it had
four handsomely built and finely-equpped
brick buildings and sixty acres of valuable
land. The institution is Christian, but I'M
sectaran in its management and influence,
has an independent board of trustees, and
receives no aid from city, state or national
governments. Its work is wholly confined
to the sons and daughters Of the freedmen.
Its present object is to train an intelligent
and efficient body of teachers and leaders
for the colored population of the South.
Twenty-four students are in the college
course, 80 in the college preparatory, so in
the normal 800 in the grammar and 80 in
the primary, the latter serving as model
school for the normal students. Industrial
training is given to the boys in carpentry,
blacksmithing, mechanical drawing, print
ing and farming; to the girls in cooking,
sewing, dressmaking, printing, nursing the
sick, and in general household duties. Tu-
ition, scholarships of $40 annually are
needed for all students. These scholarships
do not aid the student to pay his charges to
the institution, but they enable the uni
versity to make the charges so low that the
majority of the students can pay them. An
endowment fund of 100000 would pro-
vide for the present work, so as to render
the tuition scholarships of $40 unnecessary.
At present, the university has only about
S27 900 of invested funds, and these for
special objects. An increase of $4,000 an
nually is needed to carry on the necessary
work of tuition. Without such an income,
providing $40 annually for each student,
the educational work of the institution
would have to stop.
Mr.. Hincks gave the history of the origin
of the institution, stating that it dated from
the days of the civil war, when far sighted
missionary teachers and officers of the Freed
mems Bureau saw the necessity for found
ing an insti ution in which opportunities
for b CHER instruction should be afforded
TO colored youth, and which should be able
to furnish teachers and other educated lead
ers to the newly-emancipated race. A char
ter was procured in 1867, establishing the
university as corporate body for the Chris
tian education of youth, and made broad
enough to cover all possible requirements
OF an institution of the broadcast scope and
most permanent character. BY money pro-
cured from the Freedmen's Bureau and
other sources, noble site of about fifty
acres of high ground in the western part Of
the city OF Atlanta was purchased, and in
1869 the first building was opened and at
once crowded with students. For some
years the institution was under the control
of the American Missionary Association,
two OF whose secretaries are still on our
b )ard Of trustees, and which still makes an
annual appropriation of SO 900 to the school.
But the broad nature which the work of the
school assumed, together with its relations
t. the state and the public, made it desirable
that it should cease from an exclusively de-
nominational connection, and enter upon
an independent life, with its own self-per-
petuating board of trustees, like the great
colleges and universities OF the country"
Mr.. Hincks illustrated his subject with
many interesting facts, and showed conclu-
sively that the colored man is capable of
filing any position when properly trained
After his address, many OF his former par
ishioners and friends greeted Mr.. Hincks.
THE annual meeting OF the Vermont
Road and Trotting Horse Breeders Associ-