The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-08-27
Represented Embodied Things Are Not Evenly Ds
TWO.THlRDS OF A CENTURY.
interesting "Reminiscences Of the Town Told
BY the Venerable M Yates.

by the Venerable M Yates.
In the fall OF 1885, n years ago, l
rode into Bennington Center on the
top OF a stage coach, drawn by four
horses. came TO attend Bennington
Seminary, Rev James Ballard, princi'
pal. was II years old and six feet
tall. Mr. Ballard had decided and ad-
vanced views on moral and religious
questions. He was anti.slavery, anti
alcohol aud anti-tobaoco all the way
through, and with marked enthusiasm
impressed his views on many OF his
pupils, myself among the number.
After the summer vacation OF 1896 !
was at the school again at It's opening
In September. Mr. Hinsdale, large
manufacturer at Hindsdaleville, North
Bennington, whose daughter Mr. Bal
lard had married, put up the buildings
for the school and owned them.
II was co-education school with
about as many girls as boys, all very
much interested In their studies and In
each other. There were strict regu.
lations as regards conduct, but the
pupils we're permitted TO take sleigh
rides in companies. one OF these | well
remember when ten OF us boys chose
ten girls for a sleigh ride. Plenty OF
straw and buffalo robes made us com
Portable in a long hay rack on a sleigh
drawn by four horses. There we're no
back to the seats but the young gentle
men saw TO II that the young ladies
didn I fall on. On the way 10 North
Bennington al the foot OF hill there
was a short turn but the driver let the
horses 20 straight along into snow
nearly three feet deep The gentlemen
could easily reach the road but all
had 10 get out before the sleigh could
be got back into the road. The ladies'
could not possibly wade through the
snow, so each boy took his girl safely
to the beaten track
The terrible financial crash OF 1887,
came during the winter term, in Feb
ruary, running almost everybody. Mr.
Hinsdale failed and his failure car
ried down the school which broke up
with many affecting partings, as the
pupils departed for their homes, and
Billiards. Seminary was no more.
The church at the that time was fitted
up with large square pews TO accom-
modate the large families, then the
fashion. Rev DR. Hooker was the pas
tor, whose sermons we're too long to
be remembered, usually one hour.
Later have read bis writings with in
ierest and profit.
MIR Ballard was an excellent man
and famous instructor. He inspir
ed my ambition to be a teacher and |
hoped at some future time To have just
such an establishment as Bennington
Seminary.
Time and the wheels OF fortune
brought me to Bennington in 1856,
just 20 years after my inspiration to
have such school. The buildings
were vacant and school was wanted
Judge lsham and Aaron Hubbell own
ed the property and urged me to pur
chase, which / did and changed the
name to Mt Anthony Seminary which
conducted for q years with varied
success.
was superi ntendent for eleven years
and conducted the singing In the Sun
day school during the p years we
lived in Bennington. introduced the
first Sunday school hymn books ever
used in the school and secured an or
gan for the school which one OF our
daughters played all the time we were
In Bennington.
Mrs Yates, myself and our five chill
dren belonged to the old church when
we went to Saratoga in 1888. When
our letters to join church in Sara
toga were sent to us our pastor, Rev
Isaac Jennings, whom we dearly loved
sent with the letters very kind testi
monial which we carefully preserve
and prize very highly. Mrs Yates and
| spent the best of our active life at
the seminary and In the church.
Flattering expressions from many OF
our former pupils add greatly to our
comfort during the declining years of
long life. Mrs Yates is nearly "a
and ! am approaching 80.
We are glad the Rev. Isaac Jennings
the son of our dear old pastor now
occupies the pulpit his father filled for
50 many years with great acceptance
and popularity.
Please give our best regards to Mr.
Jennings and his mother and all in
curing friends. We hope that the old
church will have great prosperity dur
ing the next century and be, as she
has been in the past, power for good.
Very sincerely yours, an
Geo. W. Yates.
FELIX BLEI NEW LESSEE.