Evening star., 1907-08-27
MT, HERM0N SCHOOL
Where Boys Are Taught to
Earn Their Own Living.
FOUNDED BY HIRAM CAMP
Grown From a Dozen Students to
Over 700.
MANY SUPPORT THEMSELVES
Only IS Per Cent Are Maintained
by Parents or Friends-Annual
Deficit Of the Institution.
BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
eciai Correspondence Of The Star and tn

BY WILLIAM e. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
td-Herad.
NORTHF1ELD. Mass, August 20. 1907
One day in the summer of 1850 Mr. Hiram
Camp Of New Haven. Conn.,. came to Mr
| Moody to ask advice respecting certain leg
acies for benevolent purposes he desired to
| include in his will.
BE your own executor and have the
pleasure Of seeing the good that you do
| with your own money" was the prompt
reply.
Mr.. Camp asked what Mr. Moody would
| suggest for him to do, and Mr.. Moody out
| lined the project OF school for boys SIM
| liar to Northheld Seminary for Girls which
had then been in operation about four years
| and was already demonstrating it's useful
| ness. Mr.. Camp then and there gave $25, 600
for the purpose and Mr.. Moody rented
farm four and half miles south of North
| field on the west bank Of the Connecticut
river. and placed the first building on the
top OF an eminence. which he called Mount
Hermon. The school was opened May /.
1881, with less than a dozen students, and 1t
has grown to an annual attendance of over
100. while at least twice as many applicants
are denied admission. If the capacity Of
the school were enlarged fourfold 1t would
be crowded every year. AS it Is. about 100
boys can he accommodated during the year.
Last year the total was 732, but 45O Is the
| maximum that can be taken care of at any
one time. Some Of them can afford to stay
only one term. Only about 60 per cent are
able to pay for the entire year.
The Mount Hermon School.
Mount Hermon is a beautiful location for
an institution of the kind, and Mr.. Moody
increased its holdings from time to time as
| funds We're offered him. until the plant now
represents a value of about half million
dollars. There are twelve brick and stone
buildings including handsome chapel
thirteen frame buildings used as residences
for the faculty and the farmers and as a
hospital. besides number Of barns. stables,
tooihouses, carpenter shop, laundry, a
storehouse and other accessories The farm
| comprises LOO acres of land, Of which 25O
are meadow that yields an abundant sup
ply Of fine timothy hay; 150 acres are under
the ploW and are planted to oats for the
horses and vegetables for the use Of the fac
ulty and students. There are eight paid
farmers and hired men. who are assisted
by students who work in two-hour shifts
six days in the week. arranged SO that their
studies will not be interfered with
The academic department Is intended to
give the students sound. practical educa-
ton sufficient for farmer ordinary
business man. If they want to 20 into the
professions they can supplement their train
Ing by college education, as many of them
do: The ruling idea Is to arrange every
thing for the best advantage of boys who
are required to earn their own living and
will be compelled to take care of them
selves after they leave the school. That was
Mr.. Moody's purpose-to provide a place
where poor boy can prepare himself for
farming or business life at small cost and at
the same time be grounded in the faith, for
Bible study is the specially and the chief
feature of the curriculum. At the same
time. Mount Hermon is not theological
seminary. nor a sectarian school. Contro-
verSfal points are avoided Mr.. MOody's
object was to train boys to become good
citizens and useful members Of the Chris
tian church.
Students From Every Quarter.
The students come from every corner of
the earth During the last year the 1872
boys represented forty states; the Dis
trict OF Columbia. Porto Rico and thirty
one foreign countries. Most of the 1T
students from foreign parts were the sons
OF missionaries or native Christians who
were studying for the ministry Every
BODY will he Interested in 10 lSt.