The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-02-12
To the Editor of the PRESS:

Gorham. February i'll see by this morn
| ing's PRESS. that friend Phoenix has sent
to you an deliberately written article in re.
| gard to our Normal school. 1 understand
| the committee will decide the matter of re-
building a dormitory tomorrow afteroon,
and the articles of Mr.. Phoenix and Mr.
| Emery were evidently written at this late
date in order to give us no opportunity
TOR an extended reply. Therefore, what
say must be brief.
Mr.. Phoenix. are you citizen of Gorham,
OF are you not? II you are, have you any
regard for the welfare of Gorham? If you
have, you certainly profess the part of cen
cealir.g our feelings completely. In all your
elaborate article, probably the work of one
or two weeks or more. where have you said
one word favoring the town, or the people.
or the village of Gorham? Not one soli-
tary word. We believe the people of this
good old town have rights as we'll the
Normal school. We wish we'll to the Nor
NAL school. We want it to prosper-and we
wish to prosper with it. We think the town
and the school should prosper together,
should help each other-not one built up at
the expense of the other.
You admit that the one hundred students
in the school are provided for. But, you
ask. if in the future, We have one hundred
and fifty students, where shall we place
them. Seyenty-fye, you say, is the present
boarding capacity OF the village. You
know, sir, as well as l, that is not the full
boarding capacity. as has been proved in
the past, time and again. If you really
don't know. consult the catalogues.of by
gone years. But admitting that sGorham at
present is able to receive only seventy-five,
you.knowthere are other. families. respcnsi-
BILE parties, ready to engage in the business,
if assured it would be permanent. I'LL ows d oes
Castine manage without boarding house?
And that, too with half our population?
If Gorham can't do 1t with twice the num-
ner of families, and twice thefnumber of
houses, it must be sleepy business. town,
as one of the speakers remarked at the
hearing. The Representative from Castine
told me emphatically. that ''they would not
accept dormitory if the statesshould offer
it," / am told that the Harrington princi-
pal says the same.
Is Gorham more weak. imbecile, .or i'm
moral than those towns? don't believe
it, Neither do you believe t,.Mr. Phoenix.
You say. eighty letters were sent to par
rebuilding. OF course. The :senders Eknew
whom to send to. All the teachers are in
favor of rebuilding, say yol. Of course.
Who would dare meet Mr.. Corthell's terri
bic frown?
In the catalogue of Gorham Seminary
for lS47. which l have lately seen, there is
given the number of $50 students. Taking
out seventy for Seminary Hall. there would
be left one hundred and eighty to be pro-
yided for by tho people of the village. And
they were provided for. We have twice as
many houses nowsassthen. and we couldn't
provide for zone hundred and fifty, you
think. should they come. say. should they
come. But, pray, Mr.. Phoenix, don't count
your chickens before they are Matched, for
think that number will be long time in
coming.
Finally, Mr.. Phoenix. let me advise you to
be a good citizen. love your schools, love
your church. love your fellow citizens. and
not the least. be a patriot. and love your
town of which you should consider it an
honor to be citizen.
A GORHAMITE, a