The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-06-27
YARMOUTH ACADEMY.
Celebration Of Its Eightieth Ami
versary Yesterday.
DELIGHTFUL GRAFTON BY GEN
o. o. HOWARD,

Extraordinary Rejuvenation of Interest
in the Famous Old Academy-Nearly
200 Visitors in ToSn-Nearly 100 New
Members for the Alumni Association
Poem by Hon. f. NJ. Ray - Speeches
by Many Prominent Men General
Opinion in Favor of the Old Classical
Education.
Yesterday was one of the notable days in
the history of the old town of Yarmouth.
The eightieth anniversary of famous old
academy and the gathering of aged and
eminent alumni in appropriate reunion ex-
erc1ses, Is notable event anywhere.
There had been extensive preparation by
the good people of the town for sthe host of
visitors who were to return to the pleasant
scenes of their youthful school days. Mrs.
A. d.. Burbank of Yarmouth, secretary of
the Alumni association, had held cores
pondence with nearly four hundred, and
had received from one hundred and fifty an
assurance of their presence
The exercises began in the afternoon. and
the noon trains brought large number, be-
sides those who had arrived earlier,
Beneath the verandas and within the
huge pillars of the old Royal River house
thereswere many pleasant reunions of.old
teachers and pupils and fellow students,
who had not seen each other for many
years. Some thought that the town hadn't
changed any in forty years, others thought
that it had changed good deal. according
to the point of view. Following is partial
list OF some OF the older of the many alumni
who returned to the Alma Mater, after
r1,oy af
alumni present were H. G.. Small of Port
land, class of 45 and his wife, formerly Miss
Sweetsir of Pownal, 80; A. G. Stocking of
Boston, 43. with Houghton, Mifin & Co.
(He has charge of the school books depart
ment) Samuel W. Lowell of Westbrook, AS;
Q. A. Hill of Deering, Al; Hon. ". H. Vim
ton of Gray, AS; Reuben Bryan of Portland.
'35; Edward S. Blanchard of Yarmouth, '54;
]. H. Hutehins of Deering, 81 DR.. David
D. Spear of Freeport, SO; DIR. W. r. Stock
bridge, of Boston, '37; John c. Stockbridge
of Providence, '33; VIM. W. Graves of Port
land. '35; j. B. Choate of Boston and wife,
who were both teachers in '6S and $50; Mrs.
Choate is also an alumnus; Prentiss Loring
of Portland, 40, who was also assistant
principal in 1856; George o. Robinson of
Cambridge, 40. who also taught in the class
ical department in so, 81, 80; Daniel Lin
scott of Boston, so; John Dinsmore, COL
Henry Osgood, class of '52: W. W. Merrill of
Deering, 63, and John O. Rice of Portl nd,
| Co.,
Thomas j. Emery of Boston, who was one
of the teachers at the acade my in '67, while
| student at Bowdoin. He taught the Gree
ley Institute at Cumberland, 1.-The first two
years of its existence. Then he taught in
the Boston High school, and is now lawyer
| there. He was glad to meet an old class
mate at Bowdoin in the person of Rev.
Charles G.. Holyoke of North Edgecomb,
who was student at the academy in the
class of 81, then went to the war, taught at
the academy in the winter of '67-s, and
graduated at Bowdoin in 6S, in the same
class with Hon. Orville D. Baker.
The afternoon exercises were held in the
Congregational church, which was elabor.
ately, yet tastefully decorated for the occa-
sion. There were banks of flowers every
where about the platfom and background
| of evergreen, that gave to the speakers
stand almost the appearance of an outdoor
bower. On the organ was the following in
silver letters: ''18l4 N. Y. A. l894.n The
exercises began in the afternoon at about
| three o'clock. DR.. David D. Spear of Free
port, president of the Alumni, presiding.
lucy were opeuou Will prayer py Gue heV.
John G. Stockbridge, D. D., of Providence,
| whose venerable presence and earnest,
simple words in invocation to the Deity con-
| stituted the most impressive part of the
occasion.
| DR.. Stookbridge was probably the Oldest
alumnus present, and there were many
other old men. He was born and brought
| up in Yarmouth, and at the age of eight
years began to study Latin at the academy,
and graduated in the class of '33. His
brother, DR.. W. R. Stockbridge, of Boston,
was also present. He was a member of the
| class of '37. They were a venerable and
eminent pair; two of the Oldest natives of
the town and the two oldest alumni
| present.
| A year ago they bought the old home
| stead in Yarmouth, fine old colonial
mansion. They made the very necessary
/ repairsiand now occupy it as summer resi-
| dence. The house was built by an uncle of
theirs in the year 1900, and is intact as far
as the main structure is concerned.
After DR.. Stockbridge's prayer and the
music by Grimmer's orchestra, DIR. Spear,
whose class was $50, delivered his address of
welcome. He declared that the grand old
| town, with its elms and river and kindly
| faces was a beautiful place for preliminary
education. Whatever page of history he
turned he found old North Yarmouth
academy always progressive, always exert
| ing healthful, Christian influence, because
| of the noble Christian men and women of
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