The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-09-20
Rev. Henry P. Jersey. D. D. IL. D.

To the Editor of the Press
The death of man, who for the last
half century has occupied the prominent
position of DR.. Torsey as a great and sue
cessful educator, would seem to call for
something more than a brief passing
notice.
As popular teacher and disciplinar-
ian, as an educator of the masses, we
believe it will be generally conceded that
DIR. Jersey at the time of his death, was
without peer, A careful computation
of the historic records of the Maine
Wesleyan Seminary and Female College
will show that at least $4,000 students
have graduated and gone out from that
institution during the thirty-eight years
of the Presidency of Dr.. Torsey. And
SO great was his influence over the stu
dents under his care, it is safe to say,
that not one of their number ever left
the institution without carrying with
him the impress of his apparent stern,
yet kind and fraternal hand. He had the
peculiar, yet happy faulty of impressing
himself upon the minds and characters
of his students; SO that they never forget
his teachings, admonitions and advice.
The boys and girls that were students
under him are scattered all over the
world. They are found in almost every
profession and occupation in life; and
find them wherever you will. the briefest
reference to 'sold Kent's Hill, = will draw
from them the kind and fraternal feeling
they entertain for their old teacher and
friend, DR.. Torsey.
AS illustration of this fact, I will
briefly refer to the pleasure trip made by
the Doctor and his estimable wife only a
few years since, in which they went as
far south as Texas, visited California.
coming home through some of the West
ern and Middle States. In speaking of
this delightful trip the Doctor said every
where he journeyed, he found more or
less of his old students from whom he
received the kindest marks of attention.
In San Francisco, where he remained
three weeks the alumni of Kent's Hill
gave him grand ovation, presided over
BY Judge Williams of the California S. J.
Court, at which there were music and
speeches by prominent officials of the
city including the mayor. The Doctor
once told the writer that it was not an
uncommon thing for him, when leaving
a hotel. during his occasional visits away
from home, when he called for his bill to
find it had been paid without his knowi
edge by some old student friend.
But this tribute to the memory of
life long friend would be incomplete
without reference to DIR. Torsey's early
life and connection with Kent's Hill.
The old seminary started out as a
manual Labor" school, thus enabling
poor boys to pay portion, or the whole
of their expenses, from their labor on
large farm and in furniture" shops
erected for this purpose. This drew to
the institution a large number of this
class of students, but while it favored
them, involved the institution in hopeless
bankruptcy. Through the efforts of its
friends most of it's debts were compro-
missed, SO that in 1914 the school was
opened and the labor department aban-
doned.
Henry P. Torsey who had been an as
sistant the year previous was elected
President on condition that he should
receive the buttons and pay all bills for
repairs, expenses and instructions. Dr..
1OTSey Was oilen III Lie NiSoI Oh NE anu
manhood. Under his great skill as a
teacher, and tact as disciplinarian the
school made rapid onward strides until
1853, when it had entirely outgrown it's
accommodations. Through the effective
agency of the late DR.. Stephen Allen,
aided by DR.. Jersey, as best he could
outside of his duties as President of the
school, the elegant and spacious building
known as Sampson Hall'' was completed
and opened for students in August 1860.
In 1878, Dr. Torsey- acting as financial
agent outside his other duties, Bearce
Hall was erected at cost os $4,000 the