The Portland daily press., 1895-06-27
ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.1

ESPECIAL TO THE PREss.1 M
North Bridgton, June 26. This is an
important day for Bridgton Academy.
The alumni are gathering in larger num-
Der than usual, for the special reunion; !;
and this beautiful village on the fair pond
is to-day rejoicing in the presence of faces
missed for many years. Bridgton academy
is one of the oldest and most famous in
the State. 1t was incorporated by the
legislature of Massachusetts in 1903, and
by its charter received donation of land.
The sum of 4, 600 had been previously con-
tributed by citizens of Bridgton, Water
ford and Harrison to form permanent
fund for it's support. The first officers Of
the institution were Rev. Nathan Church
President; Ezra Deane, Vice President
Samuel Andrews, Treasurer, and Stephen
Chase, Secretary. The first principal was
Bezaleel Cushman. The original academy
was erected in 1926. Another and larger
was built in 1879, for a lecture hall and
library. Since them other buildings have
been added, notably the Farnsworth
building
j The principal events will occur tomor-
row, and will include the alumni meeting
at a. M, and the alumni dinner at 2. 30
p I'm.
/ This evening the exercises began with
lecture by Mrs. Kate Tryon, of Cam
bridge, Mass.
Mrs. Tryon was peculiarly happy in the
treatment of her favorite subject on this
occasion. 1t was a surprise to many to
learn that she was born at Naples, the
picturesque village at the opposite end
Of the lake from Bridgton. It was with
delight therefore that she dwelt upon the
birds in this region-the home of her
childhood-familiar also to most of those
present. In beginning she told laugha-
Bile and significant incident, well illus
trating the appearance between the past
and the new generation. Her grand
father, the late Nathaniel Walker, a SOL
emn church deacon, was very curious to
know the use of an insect-net carried by
that charming local naturalist, DR.. Per-
ley When the doctor had told him, he
shook his head sadly and said: All,
you're a foolish oner' ''I often wonder, u,
Mrs Tryon remarked "what my grand
father would have thought of me who
make it profession, to talk about such
frivolous things as the birds of the bush
and the butterflies of the meadow"
Mrs. Tryon showed her bird paintings,
as usual, from well-lighted easel, and
the entertainment was very pretty one,
the platform well filed with June roses
and greenery setting off the speakers
whitegowned figure. All the typical
songsters of the region were characterized
by habit, haunt, note, cry or song in such
a way as to recall them yividly even if
one was only half familiar with them.
The talk abounded in pleasant word pic
lures. One stood on the drawbridge by
the lake at evening and saw the martin,
swooping Ger the mirror-like waters
heard in the stiffness more frequently as
dark fell the call of the whip-poor- will,
giving place to the anxious NEW of the
cat-bird, the merry syllabling of the
Maryland yellow throat, the quayering
whistle of the Peabody bird, and the yes-
per anthem of the hermit thrush, echoing
from shore to shore. Or again on the
pasture away from the lake, ssback of
Wentworth S, :" that true vesper-sparrow
last pink had faded from the west and
the upland showed in dark tones. We
saw the unfamiliar chenink, whose dis
tinct: "Drink-your-t -tee-eee p Every
twilight. stroller in the bushy lot has
heard The source of the rainy day woods
whistle '.Old Sam Peabody, Peabody,
Peabody was made clear, much to the
pleasure of the many who have for years
loved this most beautiful of our bird
songs. The hermit thrush was given the
place of honor in the discourse which, of
course, he deserves. Yes was born and
brought up with the hermit thrush, as
you all were if you spent your childhood
anywhere in Maine-you were educated
with him while you were at Bridgton
academy. Did you know him in those
old days, this bird of f,ours which ranks
with the purest songster of the worlds
did not. When as a bird student in
Massachusetts, heard of him for the first
time, only few days ago. I had to come
back here and learn him. Truly, "eyes
n aC nh
they were facts would be plentier. , +"