St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1897-08-20

the institution good notes amounting to
$1,000. In his communication to the
trustees b%estowing the donation he calls
it a "semi centennial gilt"
On his death DR.. Shedd increased his
legacy to $4,000, and his wife, Mrs.
Lydia Sbedd, daughter ofGeneral Cham
Berlin, left the further sum OF $1,000, the
interest only to be used in paying the
tuition of INDECENT students.
What became Of those twelve students
of the Caledonia County Grammar school
concerning whose early discipline the
trustees were so careful and faithful?
Tradition says they all, or nearly all,
turned out useful and worthy men.
Some reached exalted station, and one
became our greatest alumnus, the pride
and glory of the school. Remembering
what human nature is, we may c%onjec-
ture that the boys were chagrined by
their humiliation, but not all showed it.
Judge Parker certainly did notearly die of
a broken heart, for he lived to the age OF
%ninety-two and furnished, in one Of his
boys, a trustee and president OF the
Board for many years. Abel Walker yet
lives in his stalwart, worthy sons, who
have always been an honor to Caledonia
county. DR.. Fisk won world. wide fame
as a great preacher and leader in the
Methodist denomination. Hon. Samuel
Merrill became an eminent lawyer in the
West and gave the name, Indianapolis,
to one of our great inland cities.
David Gould became a man Of promi-
hence in the communityin which he lived.
But Thaddeus Stevens, the ringleader
OF this refractory band of performers,
took his humiliation less philosophically.
Wiliul, headstrong, he yielded only be-
cause he could do nothing else; but it
was probably the last time his imperial
will ever bowed to the will OF man. Poor,
lame, his only support his Woodworking
mother, his one overmastering, burning
desire was to secure an education.
One day a fire occurred at school and
burned up the books and hat of Stevens.
Coming down the hill, bareheaded, he
met one of the citizens whom his cotem-
poraries called Jack Mattocks, but whom
all posterity call Governor Mattocks.
The general handed the boy two dollars,
saying: Here, Thad, take this and buy
some books and go to college without a
hat"
He completed his fit, but never forgot
his chagrin. | used to hear the older
men OF this town, who knew him well,
saythat after he reached national renown,
although they often invited him. they
never could get him back to Peacham to
make a speech. Poor Thad! Even while
he was undergoing the humlliating act
OF signing that paper in the presence OF
those ard-hearted, uncompromislng
trustees, pledging himself never more to
act a part i'll any tragedy in the Academy,
there had already been decreed, in the
mind and will of Omnipotence, one OF the
awiullcst tragedies OF human history, and
in that tragedy Thaddeus Stevens was
destined to act a leading part on a stage
OF which not America alone but all the
world were to be spectators. After
leaving college, as DOR as he could earn
his way, he prepared himself tor the bar
and made the great stateot Pennsylvania
his home. In the political ground-swell:
OF that state we finally see him in The
legislature. His poverty, his early strug
giles, and his hard lot taught him tC
make his life work n constant, never
ceasing battle in behalf of the weak
down-troddeu and oppressed of every
race and color. His career in the legisla
ture was at the time when Pennsylvani;
was in the formative state in regard tt
her educational system. Stevens at ono
] espoused the cause of the youth and tn
public school.
With %tireless, unflagging energy h
wrought, dav and night, to bring within
the reach of all the boundless blessings @
t the free public school. The turning poin
had come. 1t was in the House of Repre-
sentatives at Harrisburg. Everything
looked as though the bill destroying tn
free school would pass. Stevens rose Il
. make, perhaps, the greatest forensic effor
of his life. He was iorty-three years ole
in the very prime of his majestic mar
hood. Soon every whisper was hushe
S in that great presence. every eye wa
riveted upon the great orator, every ca
{ was strained to catch the slightest wor
that fell from the lips of the Caledoni
. county boy as the fires OF his geniu
flashed forth while he pictured the meas
ureless evils that would follow in tn
' wake of ignorance and vice, and tn
boundless blessings that would folio,
in the train of the free school. 1t was a
if Webster were pleading the cause {
Dartmouth college, his cherished Aim
Mater; or Burke were impeachin
Warren Hastings OF high crimes and mi:
demeanors in the great historic hall
' William Rufus. He ceased and before tn
] vote was taken every one knew that tn
tree school was secured to the great Key
. stone state, forever and forever. Thac
| deus Stevens was now famous, but h
] was not yet thoroughly prepared Tor til
1 great tragedy that was to open upon hi
, native land.
True, David Chassell, d. D., and TIL
Academy lyceum here in Peacham ha
t done the intellectual part well, but ther
was yet a moral preparation which shout
fit him for the great part he was soon t
take. l have called him headstrons
e wilful. He cared nothing for the conve
/, tionalities OF life nor did he conside
whether his meat and drink would max
his brother to offend. The Lord had
{ finish with him what the trustees ha
r tailed wholly to accomplish.
There was in his neighborhood a societ
2 of young men, and Stevens was one {
e them, organized tor personal enjoymen'
They played cards and drank rum.
4 One night one of Stevens companion
D got so much enjoyment into him tina
\ two associates had to take him HON,
e He was so drunk that his helpers coul
S not get him up stairs and lett him t
J. sleep off his drunken stupor. When hi
d wife came down in the morning she foun
her husband dead. Stevens was inexpre;
e sibly shocked. He took an axe and brob