Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-13
OLD TOWN OF DURHAM
Home of Gen. Sullivan of Pow
der-PuIpit Fame.
WORK OF APPALACHIANS
Of Course There's a Tavern Where
Washington Slept.
LEGENDS AND TRADITIONS
Amos Tuck, Who Nearly Got in Lin
coins Cabinet, Lived Round
This Way.
BY WILLIAM F. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.


Special Correspondence of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
EXETER, N H.. August II. 1907.
The ancient town of Durham. which lies just
north of Exeter. on the road to the White
mountains, is the seat of the State College
of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts. 1t
was established at Hanover in 1863. but
was removed here in 1893. to take advan-
tage Of the will of the late Benjamin
Thompson AN eccentric bachelor of n ancie mt
colonial family of distinction. who gave
large farm and other property. which will
realize about million dollars upon the
maturity of the trust in 1910 He did not
die until 1890 but made his will in 1856.
providing that his estate should be devoted
to the establishment of an agricultural
school upon his farm in the village of Dur
ham, and everybody knew about 1t. To Sc
cure this endowment the State Agricultural
College was removed here, and w. d.
Gibbs of Texas, graduate of the Ohio
State University, is the president. But it
Is not SO strange as you would think to
fnd Texan at the head of Yankee col
lege. The principal of the Exeter Phillips
Academy. of the oldest and most cele-
brated institutions in New England, is
western man.
Among other securities inherited from Mr.
Thompson are 10000 in the repudiated
bonds Of the state of North Carolina which
have not yet been paid. although. as l I'M
derstand 1t, the taxpayers of that state are
responsible for them. according to a de-
ciSion of the supreme court. The college
has a number of substantial buildings in
the village and occupies attractive loca-
ton. 1t Is co-educational. and there are
about 40 young studying agriculture
and the trades. and half as many young
women preparing themselves for teachers
and studying domeSti cscence.
Powder. in the Pulpit.
Durham was the birthplace and home of
Gen. John Sullivan. the son of an Irish
schoolmaster, who led the men of Durham
to Portsmouth one dark night in Decem-
Der. 1774, and stole the powder of the
British garrison in Fort William and Mary.
He brought it back to Durham. and hid it
under the pulpit of the Congregational
Church. where 1t lay concealed unit! it was
needed by the New Hampshire Minute Men,
who went down to Bunker Hill and took 1t
with them. The old church stood until
few years ago, when it was accidentally
burned. and a new modern building occupies
its site.
John Sullivan made splendid record dur
ing the revolution. and was quite brave
and useful to the colonies as Gen Stark.
He was much more popular. and was the
only major general in the revolutionary
army who was created by an act of Con-
gress. He commanded an expedition
against the Six Nations in ITO. and led an
expedition to the valley of the Ohio river
to cut off communication between the Brit
ish and their Indian allies. He died here
and was buried here, and in front of his
house is big granite shaft inscribed:
I'm memory of
John Sullivan,
Born February II. 1740:
Died January %. 1888
Erected by the State Of New Hampshire
Upon the site of the meeting hoaIsc
Under which stored the gunpowder
Take from Fort liar nd fnry