Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-12-24

glass. Many a night, too tired to
walk the four miles to his home, he
lay down on the shavings and slept,
and many day when no one offered
him food, he went out and hunted
pawpaws and berries to keep him
self alive. Fired by his vision, and
the actual appearance of his build
ing, others came and began to help
him with days work, and so the
building was erected.
The school was opened in 1899.
with one hundred pupils and three
teachers, the Rev. James A. Burns,
the Rev. C. A. Digger, and the
Rev. H. L. McMurray. Mr.. Burns
had to support his mother and six
orphaned children of his brother and
find the income for the school and
the faculty, and at the same time
acquire enough book learning" to
keep ahead of his pupils. He smiles
slow smile as he tells YOU how he
used to set out trot-lines for catfish,
and so get food for the day and
save time to study and conceal his
ignorance. When | was begin
ming my work in Latin and some of
the mathematics" he said, my
boys in the school up yonder on the
hill were crowding hard on my heels
all the time, and knew about as
much as | did. | was on the jump
and just day ahead of them. If
it hadn't been that we were favored
in our fishing | don't know what
might have happened to Oneida Col
lege."
The school grew steadily larger,
and since its opening the old feud
spirit has steadily declined. In
deed, since Oneida opened, there
has not been one serious outbreak,
and to-day there has grown up a
generation of boys and girls who
hate bloodshed. Moonshine whis-
key is rot so easy to get rid Of yet it
has constantly declined in popularity
and profusion, The affection and
admiration of the mountain people
for Professor Burns, as they nearly
all called him, is almost pathetic.
One great burly man confided to me:
Most of these people don't under-
stand James Burns. He is too deep
for them. But some of us can ap-
preciate what he has done for us.
To tell the truth, | don't suppose
I'd be living to-day but for h m, "
pointing to where Mr.. Burns stood
whiting stick and talking earn
estly to a mountain man. Il guess
I'd been shot long before this and
my children would be orphans but
for him"
The gift of persuasion has won
for Oneida an Overwhelming circle
Of friends, and first one building
and then another has been erected.
To-day in that lonely place in the
heart of the mountains is school
property valued at 100000, - -four
fine buildings, a farm, a sawmill
and woodworking shop. The orig
inaI wooden building has been en-
larged and is used as q boys dormi,
tory, but is far from being ade.
quate. A little community of three
hundred persons has grown W
aroand the campus, and for beauty
of surroundings it can scarcely be
equaled.
The only endowment that the
school has is James Burns gift d
! persuasion, and it can scarcely keeI
up with the demands of the boyi
and girls who crowd in there t.
learn. Last year there were nearly
five hundred scholars registered
Some time ago Mr.. Burns felt tina
they did not reed a school Of full
collegiate grade, but that gooC
high-school training was all tina
they would need. Those VIII,
wanted more could 60 outside tn
mountains and find it. He has in
creasingly felt, however, that h
. must give much vocational training
The boys are taught agriculture
numbering, and woodworking, sue
simple iron work as they will nee
to use on a mountain farm, cemen
work, and similar things. The girl
, are taught sewing and domesti
science in all its branches. incluC
ing the simpler forms of nursing
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