The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-06-28

Il. A. Mutt was next called on. He said.
in part: "While standing in front of the
Pavilion, this afternoon, | overheard re-
mark made by a citizen of Montpelier
which furnished me a text from which |
propose to preach for the next FIVE minutes.
This gentleman wanted to know what the
Kelley Institute has done in Montpelier for
the past year that we are making such a
fuss, and parading with band at our head.
If the gentleman was honest in asking the
question, / wish he was here tonight to see
these graduates. i would like to take him
up and down the streets of Montpelier and
show him places that year ago were the
worst rum holes that ever disgraced any
community and now they are clothing
stores and meat markets. / would like to
to point him to the woe-begone faces of
those in Montpelier who still have the
hardwood to engage in the traffic, showing
that the goose that laid for them the golden
egg has flown. / would like to take that
gentleman to hundred happy and re-
deemed homes in this town tonight, and
show him that the Kelley Institute has
knocked the old hats out of the windows, it
has put shoes on the chidren's feet it has
put flour and sugar in the pantry, meat and
vegetables in the refrigerator and a snug
balance on the right side of the ledger in
the savings bank. (Applause). 1 would
like to take him to one of these homes on
Saturday night, when the husband and
and father goes home from his work with
his weeks wages in his pocket; see the
| children toddling out to meet him, afraid of
their dad no more. / would like him to
gaze into the happy, contented face of the
wife and mother, that one year ago was
| tear-wet and sorrow-plowed and then ask
| him If he wonders that we had the band
out to-day. cloud cheers). Why, while
we all acknowledge that the MONTPELIER
| Military Band is the best band in the state,
If this good work goes on multiplying and
| increasing in the years to come as it has in
| the past, in future reunions we will want
| half dozen bands in line, for the Montpelier
band at the head of the procession will be
so far away that those at the rear can't hear
the music. (Applause). This has been
proud day for Manager Foster and DR..
! Nichols. They came to Montpelier a year
ago perfect strangers their treatment was
an experiment in this state, at least, and
| the press, the pulpit and the Christian peo-
pie of the town waited for results. Those
| results have come. Nearly 400 graduates in
the past year and only eleven reapses
| cloud applause). The Institute and its
management are to.day entrenched behind
a fortress of sustaining public opinion
against which the guns of such men as he
! who made that remark to-day are trained
in vain. (Appause). The Almighty smiles
upon this work. 1t stands for the right, and
Right is right, since God is God,
And right the day must win.
To doubt would be dsloyalty,
| To falter would be SIM"
After spirited medley by the band, o. NJ.
ingalls, of Sheffield made one of the best
speeches of the evening. He stated that
the day before he came to the Institute for
treatment he drank seventeen bottles of
Jamaica ginger and twelve bottles of es-
sence of peppermint and that he often took
a bowl OF alcohol, crumbed crackers into it
and ate it with spoon. The interest taken
by Mr. ingalls, in the reunion is shown in
the fact that he drove sixty miles to
attend it.
p. L. Lyons, president of the Montpelier
| Kelley League, made a brief address in
which he congratulated Manager Foster
and DR.. Nichols on the success that had
crowned their labors for the past year, and
in closing paid a merited tribute to the
members of the Ladies' Auxiliary League.
Major j. l.. Elder, on being called out,
briefly related his experience interspersing
it with witty remarks that caused great
laughter, and took his seat amid ringing
cheers.
The hour was getting late, but the an
nouncement of Mr.. Lord that Rev. A. H.
Webb would say few words was received
with general satisfaction. The excellent
impression produced by his speech at the
marks that follow. Mr. Webb is solid I"
with the Kelley graduates for all time, for
his earnest words show him to be in hearty
sympathy and close touch with them. He
said: " Mr.. President, ladies and gentle
men:-This is the best temperance meeting
/ ever attended, and although / have been
a lifelong Methodist, can say this is the
best class meeting ever attended. (Cheers).
| have been surprised, taken aback and
stirred up to-day, and | don't know what
| to say. | couldn't say enough for this In
stitute il had the heart of an angel. But
| have the heart of man, and have been
| strangely interested in looking at these
graduates. l was thinking I would rather
sit with this spectacle before me, if | were
| DIR. Nichols and Mr.. Foster, than to be an
| a lpyapIpr in a pOl1pu chariot I wOulI
rather be in their places than to have been
| in General Grants when he took the sword
from General Lee. (Applause). l have
been sent to Montpelier to occupy the pull
pit of the Methodist church, but / don't
| know but | ought to leave it, | have been
thinking tonight of my native land across
the sea, of the drunkenness there, and of
the drunkards l know there, and if it is
possible for me to induce them to take this
treatment | don't know but l ought to go
and do it. 1t is the best work a man can
engage in. You have my best wishes and
| hope the blessing of the Lord God AL
mighty will rest upon your labors. Before
next year | hope your number will not be
367 but 1000. (Applause). Graduates, don't
bury your talents. | believe this gradual
ing class is superior to the graduating class
of any college in our land, and that more
good will come from this class than from
the classes that come out from Harvard or
| Yale" cloud cheers).
THE EXCURSION.
The morning of Friday broke with a
heavy rain falling, but between two and
three hundred graduates boarded the excur-
sion train for Missisquoi Park. The band
accompanied the excursion, and by the time
the park was reached the rain had ceased
falling. A delightful afternoon was spent
in that beautiful spot, and Montpelier was
reached before dark.
A reunion of Kelley graduates was a new
1taNsf
that crowned the undertaking is as crafty
| ing to the better class of citizens as it was
satisfactory to the management and enioya-
BILE TO the graduates. Commencement at the
Kelley Institute will be feature of the June
festivities at the capital in the years that are
to come. Great things are expected of the
Institute in the future. Manager Foster
and DR.. Nichols are no longer strangers
with an untried experiment. They have
now the confidence Of the community and
the affection of all who go to them for
treatment. The clergy the press and the
people of the town are interested in their
/ e |, ola