The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-13
HOW FORK UNION
CANE into BEING.
Military Academy Had It's Be-
ginning in "Encampment
OF the Unrested."
STORY OF ITS GROWTH
Founded by DR.. w. E. Hatcher.
1t Has Become Known Far
and Wide.
BY e. 8. LIGoN, VI. A.,
,ndmnster Fork Union Military Acad-

emy.
About fifteen years ago DR.. Wtllianil
f. Hatcher. then of Richmond. erectedl
a summer home, since known far and
wide as Careby Hall. in the little VIII
lage OF Fork Union. in Fluvanna ooun-
~. Va. The location was chosen be-
cause OF it's proximity to tho Blue,
Ridge, Its varied scenery and Its celeb-(
rity as a health resort
Not long after opening his new
home the doctor invited number OF
congenial friends who had had no sum-I
mer vacation to spend a weeh with
him in mid September, calling the little
entertainment tie "Encampment of tho
Unrested." 1t turned out to be AMI
event OF most pleasing interest to theI
community. and tho visitors were tfeat-l
ed handsomely by the neighbors ofl
Careby Hall
How School Was Started.
one day DR.. Hatcher ventured to hint
to MS visitors that he would be- con-
straired to make some contribution TO
the neighborhood in return for thel
noble hospitality OF his neishbors and
mentioned casually that he had an nm
ripencd thought of establishing a littleI
school for boys. in order to enlarged
the educational opportunities of thel
youths Of the community One mem-1
oer or the encampment. in momentl
OF undue candor. told an irnpressiye(
man OF the neighborhood of what thel
| doctor had said. The revelation Vac
made on a public occasion, when thai
whole neighborhood was practically
together. The secret famed like al
conhagration, and before the setting Of
| the sun the Heighborhood was aITl
asiow with the thought OF having a
sen 1901. And although it was in the
middle of September. a fine young
graduate of Richmond College. Julfan,
81 Martin, was summoned to the VIII
| lagc. and in n few days. in a rental
| mouse. without advertisement and with
nothinG certain except a guarantee Of
l the young mans salary, the school wa.
opened.
Ihat session there were nineteen stu
uents ana the next year another teach
er was added. and there were thirfvs
eight students, about half of them be-
ing boarders. BY the opening of the
.hird session handsome school build
ing was so FAR advanced that the work
OF the school was taken into it. Dur
ing that session the matrfculation
neared seventy-five. and the fame Of
the little Fork Union enterprise began,
to spread. The pride of the comnun,t,,
purses of the people were opened ard
as the needs of the school multipliedI
the SUITS OF the people kept apace and
provided all ADEQUATE facilities for
growth and usefulness.
Al the request OF some of the stuj.
dents. who found themselves grtev.b
ously crippled In their school work byI
u. o, cigars the trustees adopted
regulation forbidding the use OF 90
naeeo In the school. That rule contin-
ueS' ana while 1t is not an EASY rule
10 enforce thoroughly, 1T hae workedj
wen. 1t has resulted in the reforminp-
OF many boys and in the prevention of (
many more from falling into the hurt n
full habit
i Adopts Military Feature.
After about six years OF successfnJi
HE the academy decided to edon+ thai
'hiitary feature, and l.. H Walton ua,i
put IN charge OF 1t. 1t was q DARING
Undertaking as all attempts at anal
teur military work must necessar,Iyl
De diihcult and imperfect. But II ia
uue 10 say that the experiment had at
,'., enough vitality In 1t to show
"hat would be the almost limttlesa ga
Vahtages of real military denart-
hent IN an academy which was undar
t"h'hs 10 do only the best quality of
secondary school work. 1t was da+ar
mined with no great hope OF success
70 invite tho War Department OF wash,
.hstoh 10 send IN Inspector to looki
.".o the 3ohaition OF the school and to1
| hee whether II was really worth, ~ .
military equipment and or ,ho
/ OF united States officer as commend
"ht ana instructor In mllitarv scia,..
anu tactics To the most gratefu, ,s+
| isiacton of the authorities the rsnor.
10 the department OF War at wasi,ine-
acaa WIS iavoraole. and Fork Union
,oauetny became the Fork Union Mil
I i'ary Academy. under the rarulattar
and government OF the Denartn,an.
: War ''epaFlhent OF
MS arrangement has now continued
ior period of seven years. and tbs
"Hole character OF the school Is ,inl.ad
I ana blended with it's military feature
N"ne IL mas constantly advanced in ito 4
aca'emic standards. and holds an hon.
- rank IN the sisterhood of acade-
us m'iitary feature gives IL one
ol nS chief distinctions and confers
upon the school reputation at on.a
national and honorable
/ Has Been Footunnte.
i The school In the fmain has 49,
sNceedihsIy fortunate. both In it's aca-
ueh'ic and It's military faculties, az
.o"Ise IN all schools there are mis-
rseS, ana sometimes grave insists.
and FORK Union does not claim exenn,
uoh from lis share in the trials OF
conducting an unendowed school II
rnns far' however the academy has
maintained Its credit as bustnaass
enterprise. and has been able to dfaws
/ ITS patronage from many quarters OF
our Amerioan republic and also from
the foreign countries s
| The school s.lrted with the coedu-
cational feature. hut tha. has been
gradually eliminated
! his Institution has ITS own system
/, ~ housing the cadets. hut II is very
! comfortably supplied with barfacks
| armory, recitation halls, library
rooms. etc f. s. Lyon. % experiences
Continued on Second pags.l ~