Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-06-25

certainly well protected from the
temptation incident to rapidly increas-
| ing wealth. In 1868 the first class
from the ladies' collegiate course was
graduted and by the authority of the
legislation the school conferred upon
these graduates the degree b. L.
baccalaureate of letters. In the first
class to graduate from this department
was Mary C. Lowe afterward the first
woman to be graduated by Colby Col
State librarian.
In 1869 the institute building was
enlarged by the addition OF three
wings at an expense of A.433 of which
the college furnished $4,000. DIR. Kicker,
secretary Of the Maine Baptist Mis-
sionary convention, collected 1924 i'll
the State and DR.. Hanson collected
S1S45 in Waterville. The excellent work
done by the institute under difficult
circumstances was wildly recognized.
In 1870 President Chaplin at the semi
centennial of the founding of the COL
lege:
1.-The academy was built as feeder
to the college and when in good hands
has always proved an important
auxiliary-never more so than at pres
ent. Many a year has furnished a
large proportion of the incoming COL
lege class and beside by it's better
teaching has helped us to keep up the
standard of fitting for college. 1t were
well for us If we had many more such
feeders in other parts of the State
1.-THE last words quoted are signifi-
cant of what followed for in 1877
President Chaplin appeared before the
Baptist State convention in Bath ami
pleaded for an endowment of $4,000 for
the institute and for the choice and en-
dowment of two other academies which
might prove of similar advantage TO
the college. Plainly it was the mag
nificent work which this school had
done for the college which led to the
movement which has added Hebron,
Kicker and Higgins to the list OF COL
by's preparatory schools. Judge Bon
ney in his report to the trustees in re-
cent years makes the statement: IN
fact l think that from the close of the
war until 1873 if it had not been Tor
this school. the college classes would
have been without students. On
April 4, 1874, Ex-Governor Abner CO.
burn of Skowhegan offered to give S5o,-
600 for the endowment of the institute
on condition that $4,000 be raised Tor
the other preparatory schools. The in
stitute finally received $50,546 all OF
which was from Governor Coburn.
With the year 1876 the name of Rev.
Asa l.. Lane appears in the catalogue
as teacher of mathematics and the
natural sciences. 1t was the begin
ming of twenty-five years of faithful
work in a department which included
many departments. Mr.. Lane was an
enthusiastic naturalist and by his per-
sonal efforts gathered the collection
which is now preserved in the Lane
museum DIR. Hanson during the en-
tire period of his principalship re-
ceived no regular salary. He received
the tuition fees and from them paid the
salaries of his assistants and the other
expenses of the school except as above
stated. In 1876 the establishment of
the Waterville high school withdrew a
large number of the towns scholars of
that grade from the institute, although
the semi-centennial of the academy
was fittingly observed. The Grafton at
that time was by Gov. Nelson Dingley
one of the old time pupils of the
schools. DR.. Hanson in his report to
the Colby trustees in 1881 made urgent
petition that steps be taken to provide
a building for the institute. The board
at it's meeting in June 1882 did not see
it's way clear to do anything in that di-
pointed committee ito obtain sub
scriptions for the erection of a building
for the classical institute and to pro-
coed to the erection OF suitable build
ing, none of the invested funds of the
classical institute to be so used" The
committee consisted of Hon. f. f.
Webb, Hon. Moses Giddings and DIR.
Joseph Kicker. In the autumn of the
same year ex-Gov. Abner Coburn
agreed to erect a building for the
school in memorial of his brother Hon.
Stephen Coburn and his nephew
Charles NJ. Coburn of the class of 1881
of Colby who died July 4. 1882. No
more fitting memorial could have been
devised of a life that had won honor by
it's worthy service in important sta
lions and of another already noble in
character and rich with promise. This
building costing over $4,000, one Of
the finest in New England for its pur-
pose. was dedicated during the college
commencement of 1884. On July 3,
1883. the trustees of She college passed
the following resolutions:
Resolved, THAT as a slight token of
our appreciation of the magnificent
gift of the Hon. Abner Coburn, the
name of Waterville Classical Institute
be changed to Coburn Classical Insti-
tute and that the building committee
be instructed to cause a tablet. suita-
bly, inscribed to be placed in the front
wall of the main building
The building met the desire and the
dream of those vino had loved the
school and hoped for its larger influ-
ence. At a meeting of the trustees
July 1. 1889, the following letter was
read by DR.. Hanson:
Waterville Feb. %, 1889.
To the Trustees of Colby University
and of Coburn Classical Institute:
In memory OF my honored father,
Timothy EoutelIe whoSa iptaract in