Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-11-12

| Sunday from 1867 to 1871. Though a
Congregational church, at the request of
the church, the Methodist conference
permitted Elder Cook to fill the pulpit,
but not to preach the doctrine of Method
ism.
Dying at North Pownal in 1875 Mr..
Cook was succeeded by Rev. Henry F.
Button, who came tn the church from
North Adams. At Hartford, where he
had preached, Mr.. Button had fallen into
disgrace and had been expelled. He ap-
pealed his case. During the intervening
time he came to North Adams and ten
dered his services as one of the editors of
the HOosick Valley News. Causing the
church people to believe that he would
win his case, he was engaged, but never
installed as pastor, for in a short time
the higher theological court held that
the lower courts were right in their find
ings and that he was guilty of the mat
ters alleged in the charge. Forth with
the North POwnal church had no further
use for his services, and, in 1S79 let him
90. His successor was Rev. Mr.. Scott of
"White Oaks" Williamstown, Mass. He
served but one year. In 1880 Rev. Mr..
Stocking of the same place was engaged.
He served one year also-1SSl. Under
his direction the church, which needed
repairs, got it, but it entailed a mortgage
of 81, 900, which in time was lowered to
S700 and which afterwards rose to 5000,
where it now remains. Then came Rev.
Mr. ROke, Congregational minister of
New Hampshire, serving until 1892. Mr..
Roke was succeeded by Rev. ". w. Win
chester of Williamstown, Mass. He
served the people from 1SS2-S6. Mr..
Winchester had beer chaplain in the
army, and, in the estimation of the peO-
pie who remember him, is said to have
been the most eloquent, forcible and log
ical speaker who ever graced the pulpit.
In 1886 Rev. Mr.. Fay of ThetfOrd, Orange
county, Vt, was engaged Mr.. Fay
served from 1886 to 1889. Rev. Mr.. Poor
succeeded Mr.. Fay. He was Lutheran
minister of the Troy conference.
hitch having occurred as to the Con-
gregational preachers supplying the pull
pit, an agreement was made with the
Methodist Episcopal conference to have
them furnish the preachers. Under the
new regime Rev. Mr.. Goettel, a graduate,
was called. He was a young man, but
displayed SO much ability that his servI-
ces were retained from 1889 to 1892. He
was followed by Rev. Thomas Monroe Of
the Troy Memorial church, situated on
Hoosick street in that city, which had
been built through his efforts. He
served the people from 1892 to 1894, and
was succeeded by Rev. E. l.. Arnold. the
present pastor, who in ali respects, will
compare favOrably with his predeces.
sOrs.
From small beginning of only ten
members in 1851, in this church. has
been converted over 104 persons. who are
now scattered over the various States,
the present membership being reduced
to 30. The total valuation of the church
property in 1851 was about 81, ,500-now
it is rated at $1,000. OF the original
trustees but two are alive They are B.
E. Brownell and Green Brimmer, both
of whom now live at North Pownal.
Both have served continuously as trus-
tees since 1851 to date.
While the church has passed through
so many trials, the academy, in the base
ment, has enjoyed an era of prosperity
seldom equalled by any school of similar
size in the country. Long ere the
church was completed school had been
established therein, in 1S49, the first
teacher employed being l. H. Nutting,
of Williams College, who taught through
the fall and winter of 1S40-50 Follow
ing him came man named Peckham, of
Rhode Island, who taught through the
fall, winter and spring of 1S50-51.
Then came Chester A. Arthur, after
wards President of the United States.
Arthur, at the time, was but q years of
age. Graduating from Union College at
the age of IS, this was his first school.
He taught most acceptably for one year,
1S51.52, and was succeeded by a Miss
fnUlor Of IVi1lio xryhn fonnhf for
one term, the summer and fall of 1852.
She, in turn, was succeeded by a Mr.
Jones, of Williams College, who finished
the year 1923. Then came a Frank
Sheperd, also of Williams College, who
served as pedagogGe during the years
1S53.4-5.
In the winter of 1S54-55, James A. Gar
field, then % years of age, who was a
student at Williams College, with the
permission of the board of trustees, was
employed by Mr.. Sheperd to teach
night writing school," class in Latin
afterwards being added. Aside from
these duties, Jimmy" as the boys
fondly called him, being a Campbellite,
preached that doctrine Sundays into
willing ears at Petersburgh, N. Y. Gar
field and Sheperd, in 1S55-j6, were sue
ceeded by Jarvis Jacobs, who afterwards
became member of Congress from New
York.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
academy students were afterward taught
by such parties as 7. f. BrOwnell, d. j.
Barber, S. Wright and Mrs. Harwood,
formerly " Miss Mary Sibley, of Benning-
ton, it went the way of all the earth"
fell into "innocuous desuetude," and fl
nally collapsed. Many of the students
of both Arthur and Garfield are still
alive and residents of New York, Yer
mont and Massachusetts,. Among those
whom Arthur taught were William Van
Avery, of Troy, N. y; Y. E. Brownell,
lawyer and Marcus Whipple, merchant,
of North Pownal; S. Wright, manufac-
turer, and Orrin c. Bates, of Pownal
Colonel Merritt Barber, of the United
Statcs Army; b. n. Foster, of the Chi
c3go board OF trade; % daughter of
judge Waite. and Horace and Edward
Green, uf patrHwgG: 20 daughter of
Mr. Fuller, of Berlin, aud Maria Wilcox,
Of Petersburgh. Altogether, Arthur had
from 40 to 30 in his class.
Garfield had for students: Georg6
French, insurance agent, and James
Hunter, iron founder, of North n dams,
Mass; Mrs. I. E. Brownell. Ms. C, A.