St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-07-05
Notes and Comments by the Moral
iZer.

average human being is thought
lessness. We have been told this
thousands of times and yet the
average man continues to pursue his
own pleasure regardless of others.
have been reminded of this because
I sometimes ride a wheel and / have
noticed that after the cyclists have
beaten out for themselves very
narrow path on the edge OF the
highway, the average driver along
the highway will be almost certain
to allow his outer wheel to cut up
the narrow path when there is
twenty feet Of well beaten road for
his horse and carriage. Kind driver,
think Of this when next you travel
the broad highway and thought
fully, graciously spare the narrow
path.
And speaking of thoughtlessness
leads me to turn to a very different
matter and record some thoughts
regarding it. St. Johnsbury seems
Justly proud of her Academy, and |
note with pleasure the effort that is
being made to awaken the interest
Of old students in their Alma Mater.
1t is too bad that the powers that
be" did not think of this twenty-five
or thirty years ago and show little
more regard for the graduates OF
the Academy. Had more interest
been shown to the members of those
large classes made up, not OF st.
Johnsbury boys and girls as now,
but of boys and girls from all over
the Union, they would not now be
so Indifferent to the we'll being of the
institution.
A little criticism along this line
may be of use in the future and
should do no harm. For years st.
Johnsbury Academy has been send
ing out men who have been and are
an honor to all the professions and
business callings, yet when there has
been a vacancy on the board of
teachers Of the institution the posi-
ton has been almost invariably
filled by other than Academy grad
yates, and the alumni have asked,
"Can it be that we are all incompe-
tents or does the Academy's interest
in US cease when we receive our di-
plomas?" Rather a pertinent ques-
ton, is it not?
St. Johnsbury is to have a new
superintendent of schools. There
will be an opportunity to show ap
probation OF some man who ha:
G spent three or four years in St. Johns
bury schools. 1t would be highly
commendable act to select such al
/ one and the Academy alumni will b.
!. interested in watching the appoint
n ment.
+ Principal Comstock, by the way
q seems to be the right man in the RICH
y place. 1t is truly refreshing to Sc
"a the push that the man displays, hi
a personal interest in his pupils AM
f. his desire to make the Academ,
homelike and have the graduate
L look upon it as place to which the
~ will want to return in after years
" One of his old Andover pupils sale
N I'D go farther out OF my way t
he shake hands with Mr.. Comstoc
;. than for any other living man."
n he inculcates that feeling into his S
ID Johnsbury pupils there will be n
I'd need to complain of alumni apathy
One of the pleasant signs OF res
IL interest in the Academy alumni WE
be shown this year in securing the Sc
he vices OF recent alumnus to deliv'
1t the baccalaureate sermon. 1t was
ne good one, too, and simply prov
u. what l have said regarding Il
&c alumni. Now let the work continu
st and let some other alumnus adore
nd the next graduating class. The
may be little things but they mes
lis much to old students.
III Kind reader, don't think for
# moment that these are the words
or one who has an lake to grind" F
OF from it. My only object is to CT
" attention to some past failures, ur
~ prevention of similar ones in t
its future, and help in the revival
SIS, genuine interest in the old school
us dear to us all.
as An old student returning to t
,st village SHOULD say city?) won
mt be astonished at the changes tn
ct, have taken place. The familiar f
-a' ures of those men who made
bic Johnsbury %nonym for all that