The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-01-20
had a prominent school at


Hillsboro.
Rev. Adam Empie, ID. D., rector OF
st. James Parish, was the next to as
sumo charge OF the academy, but soon
resigned il in order TO open a private
select school. OF excellent repute. He
was an exemplary man, of wide useful
ness and influence, Of learning and real
worth. Marrying a daughter of Judge
Joshua G.. Wright, he left numerous de-
scendants TO inherit his virtues.
The next teacher was a marked con-
trast to his predecessors. He was a
stern diseiplinarian. and gave the i'm
preston TO his pupils of deriving pleas
ure from the infliction CT pain. Cor
porai punishment was inflicted On boys
and girls alike for the slightest mis-
AXE In recitation or the least impro-
priety of behavior. Such is the testi-
mony of one of his pupils now living.
a man of recognized intelligence and
accuracy.
The succeeding masters Of the acad-
envy, in the lively language of the ex-
cellent gentleman from whom this in
formation is derived, were " the Rev.
Mr.. Lathrop. Mr.. --Hartshorn with
his slender legs and s~pectacles on nose,
VIM. Lowry, a good natured, double
joined Irish man, who subsequently re-
moved to Alabama, where he became
judge;--Joy, whose nam was a
misnomer, for he was never known TO
laugh aloud,- Wilkes, who was an
adept at squirting tobacco juice from
his lips and could send it in a cOntin-
uous stream almost any distance, and
strike the bulls eye every time: Rev.
John Burke, who delighted in the clas-
sizes, and in calling the roll Of the
school, would never use the Christian
name, but would substitute the Latin:
thus, Jones, primus, Jones, secundus,
Jones, tertius, and other teachers who
hal f1ourishing schools in the academy
building, but after awhile 1t was al
lowed to fall into decay, was not used
for educational purposes and in conse-
quence the corporation became extinct.
But during its existence it exerted a
strong influence for good"
In Whining ton, as in New Bern,
Edenton and many other towns
dancing was considered a part of
polite education. General Davie ex-
pressed much qualification that pol
ished French refugees from Hayti and
III lloIh 1lohSC w PAS
cured. One Of the best markers in
Wilmington appears to have been -
Clay, who, among other beautiful fig
ures, promised to instruct in the my
stories of 'Parsby's R%igadvon."
From the we'll posted antiquarian,
Rev. Dr.. J. D. Hufham, 1 get the fol-
lowing:
Two brothers, John and Joe Elliott,
/ both Yale men, came out from New
England in the closing years Of the
last century, and became pioneers of
higher education in the region which
borders on the Neuse and extends south
to the Cape Fear. Joe taught a large
school at Spring Hill, Lenoir county.
1t was greatly prosperous as late as
1S12-'13, and many of his boys, among
them William D. Mosely, Governor of
Florida, went to the university" = =
DR.. Hufham further states thet John
Elliott's school vas even superior to
his brothers, situated in Duplin coun-
ty, three miles north of Faison,~ called
Green academy. Major H.. w. Hustled,
afterwards a lawyer of repute, who
graduated at Yale, taught here. The
father of DR.. Huffman, Rev. George w.
Hufham, went from this school to the
university. The eminent teacher, John
Ghost Elliott, mentioned under Samp-
son county, was a son of John Elliott,
who married a Cogdale. a relative of
George E. Badger.
DR.. Huffman adds: up to 1880 there
were no Baptist schools in North Caro-
lima. There were schools which were
taught by Baptists. There early grew
UP a custom of establishing schools near
the churches. = = = There was such
a school in the New England settlement
at Sandy Creek, also among the
churches of the upper valley of the Yad-
kin and elsewhere. Henry ABBOTT, the
most prominent Baptist preacher of his
day, taught both before and after he
entered the ministry. Others did the
same"