Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-12-24
"a MEMORIALA ADDRESS
AHlLIP BATTELL THE SUBJECT OF A
FOREFATHERS' DAY DISCOURSE.

President Brainerd of Middlebury College
Tells of the Founder of the Local ObscrV-
apce of the Day--A Graphic Account OF
His College Iife-Character and Works.
At the annual celebration of Fore
father's Day, held in the Congregational
church on Tuesday evening last, Presi.
dent Brainerd gave the following
memorial address on Philip Battell
For fifty-four years the good people
of NIiddlebury have celebrated the an
niversary of the landing of the Pilgrims.
With solemn prayer and hymns of
praise. with reading of Holy Scripture
and with eloquent discourse on the
memorable events of our New England
history, the occasion has been made in
structive and impressive. Then the
assembly has adjourned for the less
formal exercises of the social banquet.
The place is adorned with the portraits
of good and noble men who have passed
away-the sire and grandsires, whose
memory we honor and for whose ser
vices in the cause of education and gov
ernment we would be forever grateful.
The tables are covered with the substan-
tal and tempting dishes that our grand
mothers knew 50 well how to prepare,
and the preparation of which their de-
scendants prove is not lost art. Then
follow social converse, sOul-stirring song,
the sparkling wit of after dinner speech,
and "reminiscences full of pathos and
humor-until the evening hours have all
too quickly passed. and the company
separate to their homes, feeling that
this is the most wholesome and enjoyable
festival of the year.
Tonight we have met again to celebrate
the founding of New England. The
again, as we have sung,
''The breaking waves dashed high,
on n stern and rock bound coast
We have listened to an able discourse
on the stalwart character of Nermonts
first governor. But there has been an
undertone of sadness in all our exercises.
The spirit OF mourning has been in our
midst. The room below will toHight be
silent and dark. We miss the venerable
form of one who for over half century
has been invariably present with US on
these occasions, who has arranged the
details of these exercises. who by his
enthusiasm and energy and liberality
has made the celebration of Forefather's
Day in Middlebury so famous success.
Ii j, Gtin- ;hgt we pause tonight for :"
few minutes to pay a tribute of respect
to the memory of our honored friend
who has so recently passed to his re-
ward. Less than four weeks ago he was
walking our streets i'm his usual health,
ENJOYING the family reunion Of Thanks
giving Day. planning for this evening ;
exercises Now he is gone to Join the
invisible company of the sanity men and
women whom he so much revered, and
we are left to execute his plans without
his genial presence.
Mr.. Philip Battoll was permitted by a
kind Providence to reach an extreme
old age with an unusual degree of physi-
cal and mental strength. Three score
years and ten, according to the psalmist
is the allotted life of man, or by reason
of strength it might be four score. But
our venerable friend reached fOur scor'
and ten. The date of his birth, lSO1
carries us almost to the historic times OF
which we have Just heard. He was bOrr
in Norfolk, Conn. His father was {
successful merchant well-known for his
benevolence and for his afiectionate in
terest in children. His mother was {
daughter of the Rev. Ammi r. Robbins
the beloved pastor for fiftv-two years o
the Norfolk church. Under the. guild
ance of his maternal uncle, DR.. Thomas
D.,k loft of a
of six, commenced the study of Latin
and first acquired that taste for Language
and for letters that characterized hin
throughout his life. lie attended schOO
for some years at LenOX academy, ant
at the early age of fourteen successful.
passed the examinations for entering
Yale college.
1t is matter of interest to us here a
Middlebury to learn why Mr.. Battel
attended college here rather than a
Yale. We must call to mind the fact tina
the towns of this region were settled prir
cipally by people from western Connect
cut Peter Starr, Esq, the father q
Charles and Egbert Middlebury'
princely benefactOrs, was one of the earl
settlers of our town, and an own cousi
and intimate friend of Mr.. Phil
Battells mother. Because of this rels
tionship her son Joseph entered Mic
dlebury college in 1919 and his brothe
Philip, three years later, in 1922.
1t is not difficult for US, even after tn
lapse of so many years, to draw
tolerably clear picture of Mr.. Battell
college life. 1t was during the palmie'
DAYS of the wise and energetic admins
tration of President Bates. ProfessC
John Hough was at the head of tt
classical department, an accomplishe
scholar, an eloquent preacher, perfeC
master of Johnsonian English. Anon
the undergraduates also, were stron
men who afterward became eminent {
governors of states, as senator's, |
doctors of divinity. | need but mentlC
to this audience the honOred nam
among his classmates of Solomon Foot
for fifteen years United States senator al
for much of this time its able, presidiI
oAfoar Of nr Eduard Hall nf Anhul