St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-07-10

tons in getting into fair working
order. Recruits were only obtained
at first by the most persistent solicit
tation. The facilities for advertis.
ing were very meager. The only
paper published in this part of the
state was the North Star at Danville,
and the stage coach was due only
once a week, the driver having a tin
horn which he always blew just be-
fore arriving at postofice to give
the people ample notice OF his COM
ing. The locality also was compare
lively new. By the census of 1920
Orleans county had only 5,457 in
habitants. A large proportion OF
these were the first settlers, who had
only fairly begun the race for liv'
ing on these rugged hills. They had
brought the district school with |
them, the support of which was not
onerous, and their children could
learn all the common branches and
board at home. The idea of sending
them out Of town at an extra ex
pense for board and tuition they did
not take in readily. They had to be
educated up to it. Mr.. Woodward
remained till 1927, and the two fol-
lowing years were filled by a Mr..
Hill and Judge Isaac Parker OF Gov
entry.
In 1929, two years after the death
of Mr.. Baxter, Rev. A. L. Twilight
came to the head OF the institution.
With his coming new history COM
mences. He was bora in Corinth,
VT, in 1895, son of William and
Mary Twilight. His father was
farmer with moderate means and
died when Alexander was a child.
He was then left to rely on his own
resources. Having, however "a love for
books and a great desire to acquire
a liberal education he worked his
way through college and graduated
at Middlebury in 1928. He taught
at Peru, New York, four years and
at Vergennes, VT, one year. lie
came to Bloomington with five
years experience as a teacher with
the intention of making it his life
work. His ambition was to make
this one of the best academies in the
state, and he entered upon the work
with the requisite zeal and energy
There was no endowment and thu
only funds available outside OF thl:
town were those coming from tn
S rent of the school lands. But thi
!. item increased from year to year a
] the lands became settled and in a few
' years was an exceedingly importan
i. factor. The number of students ais
n increased from term to term AM
a hardly two or three years had passe
f before the success of the school wa
n assured.
n His life work was compressed int
# the next Is years. The odds agains
!. him were tremendous but he ovel
= came them all. In a new countr
V and sparsely settled the students ha
l.; to be won from long distances. In
r. village that had no compactness an
, no large buildings, no commerce.
S centre and no money capital, ever
IS advance was only by great labo
J. and self-denial. An increase of scho
!. ars required a boarding house an
a Mr.. Twilight built it out of scant
t. means. The school soon outgrew
IS and Mr.. Twilight began to uri
Sc upon the trustees the Importance
IS having a boarding house of large c
d mansions, if the growth and inti
Or ence OF the school was to be sustaine
The trustees delayed to enter up(
III this work and finally declined
lis erect such building as he thong
ed necessary. The discussion OF TT
Is question and other matters relatil
,e to the school and church went
n. far as to become acrimonious, al
M the unity of feeling that had been
nv characteristic of that people, w
Dr. destroyed for the time and some
lid his friends were estranged and
re- some years Mr.. Twilight was
at alone by the trustees to run
RIM school as he saw fit. Nothing daun'
Jus he determined to enter upon
work of building a house hims
hit Getting what he could by voluntf
ad subscription, part of which the 81
wo scriber had promise would be
inp turned to them, he commenced
ROE erection ofwhat has since been kno
Law as the "stone boarding house,
as what MANY used to call 1T IN