Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1904-06-21
Hebron Academy Centennial.
ABLE ADDRESSES BY HON. JOHN d.
long AND OTHERs.-AN HISTORIC
EVENT.


LONG AND OTHERs.-AN HISTORIC
EVENT.
A century is long time to look for
ward-not so long in looking backward
Hebron Academy celebrated its Tooth
anniversary Thursday in a manner to
mark a milestone in history. 1t was
one of the great events in the history
of time honored institution.
Early in the day long lines of teams
centered at Hebron from every direction
and when Judge Percival Bonney, presi.
dent of the board of trustees, called the
assembly to order and introduced He.
bron's most famous living alumnus,
Hon. John d. Long, the large audi.
ence room was crowded to its full ca
pacity and many were pressing about the
doors unable to obtain admission. Ex-
Secretary Longs address was one of
those able and scholarly productions,
clothed in the most pleasing diction,
for which ne is noted. While We re-
greet the lack of space to give it in full,
the following extracts may give some
idea of its quality.
This is Commencement month for
many institutions in New England, and
is cOnsecrated to the education of the
young and enriched with all the glory of
the perfect June days. l have had &C.
caSion in recent years to be at many
representative gatherings similar to this
which calls us together tO-day-anniver-
saries, centennials, graduation days.
Some of the institutions have been those
of long standing, gifted with large en-
high in the range of prestige
and honor. But none of them have
touched me SO closely as this modest
academy, nestled among the Oxford
hills, characteristic of the best qualities
of our Maine rural life, now celebrating
the hundredth year since its foundation
by the fathers. AS Webster said of his
Alma Mater in the famous Dartmouth
will case, with pathOs that brought
tears to his own eyes and the eyes of all
who heard him, at is n small college
but there are those who love it," Per-
haps in its present expansion and rapid
growth that adjective is no longer n cor
rect one to be applied to Hebron Acad-
envy, but many of us who are here think
of it as it was fifty years ago, when the
only building was the modest brick reel
tation hall, surmounted by the bell
which SO many years and to SD many
classes rang its summons far out over
these hills and valleys, the removal of
which is sad regret to me and many
others, to whose boyish eyes it was as
as SolomOn'S Temple, and
rs sacred as family altar.
1t was the day of small things, but
even then we of that day looked half
century farther back to the beginning,
IN which, never dreaming of the present
consummation, we felt we
had made great advance.
But whatever the expansion and
growth, whatever the building or the
casing, the spirit has always
been the same; the spirit of education,
If provision for the mental and moral
development of the youth of this sur
community. And that spirit
never had a finer manifestation or,
against every obstacle and lack of re-
source, wrought out finer result than
in the men who founded and set on its
way Hebron Academy hundred years
lgo.
1t was the best blood of Massachusetts,
pure English stock, little changed even
TO this day, the best families of Pilgrim
and Puritan descent-which after the
Revolutionary War made its way to Ok
ford county. They had little of this
worlds goods and brought little except
their splendid Inheritance of worth and
character, their brave hearts and honest,
hands. We talk nowadays
Of poverty; we pity our cities full of
poor; we create and foster there our as
ISOLATED charities; and yet we have in
them few families so Scant in their
means and comparatively so comfortless
in their homes-thankS to the inventions,
and distributions of mod
ern times-as were the pioneers of Ok
ford County little more than hundred
years ago. With what profound emotion
we recognize the resolute and fruitful
purpose and force which they put into
their farms and toll. 1t was worth and
driving the oxen afield,
cutting the wood, tending the saw mill,
active in the training field and the cleo
ton, doing neighborly turns and kind
nesSes, bartering the wosted mitten over
the counter, and making the wholesome
texture of pastoral, provincial life the
world has ever seen-the ideal cOmbina-
ton of industry, equality, freedom, in
telligence and high character. Through
all the toll. privation and hardship there
ran an infinite cheer and humor, and
also the courage, the Pilgrim earnest
ness, the religious faith, the love of
family and country, the hope and sacri-
flee for children, the Unborn instinct of
the freeholder which redeemed and
all else, and which today COM
mand our respect and pride as the quail
ties of no other ancestry could.
Such were the men who founded
Hebron Academy. Among them stands
out conspicuously the figure of William
Barrows, deacon of the church and the
leading founder of this institution, good
old hero, benefactor and patriot.
Its charter of incorporation was grant
ed early in 1904 and signed by Caleb
governor of Massachusetts,, OF
which Maine was then part. Among
its incorporators were Ezekiel Whitman,
afterwards Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court of Maine; Cyrus Hamlin, father
of Elijah l.. and Hannibal, whose de-
scendants still honor name which is
one of the foremost in the annals of our
state; and John Trip, the first pastor
of this church, who was Deacon Barrows'
right-hand man, adding to the deacon's
vigor and force the culture and love of
classical learning and high conscientious
standards which distinguish his ministry.
That these men had in their minds some
thing more than the mere lesson of the
school book is evident in the foundation
rules they laid down for the government
of the academy, making it the duty of
the preceptor to ''instill into the minds
of the pupils the whole circle of social
Duties" "politeness and condescension
to all men," ''and also the beauty and
excellence of truth, justice, honesty,
fidelity and every principle of morality
and the superior advantage of regulating
and governing their conduct thereby"
Could there be nobler or better founda-
ton for the education of youth?
On this foundation Hebron Academy
was erected and on it has stood from
that day to this. 1t has trained not only
the scholar but the man. 1t has given
L.. ,ot only LEARNING hut charactar