Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-03-24

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be It Understood. Amity College IL
located near the Iowa-Missouri line.
New buildings were erected in 1853 and
while the college was in the midst OF
great improvements the civil war
broke out. and for n year there was
no school.
The buildings, however, were utilized
meanwhile, for being so neal the Mis-
souri, line and the people in Amity SO
clearly ab%olitionists they did not
feel safe at any time FROM attack by
the rebels. Indeed, one branch Of The
underground railway Of John Brown
ran thru 1t and 1t is a matter Of history
that many slaves were assisted in
escaping to other points on the line,
many Of them being aiken to Tabor,
Iowa, where another station Of the
underground railway was in active
operation.
"Home Guards" Protect College.
Home guards were, organized with
the late Mr.. j. w. Mckinley as cap
tain and application for arms was
made to the state. Eighty muskets and
ammunition were issued to them, SEN
tinels were nightly placed and at all
times a strict guard was maintained,
the brick college building being used as
the fort and where, at a moments
call the inhabitants gathered for de-
Tense from attack. On the evening Of
the 18th of May, 1861, the alarm was
sounded. The Missourians are COM
ing to burn the town. was the cry,
BY midnight 800 men were gathered
from the thinly settled country in the
brick building prepared to give the
rebels a warm reception. They waited
in anxious suspense for several hours
when a venturesome scout went out
and returned later with reassuring adj
vices. Nor did the rebels ever come,
save to be healed Of their wounds and
to be fed.
During the years Of 1sS2-64 the
school had about 100 students, about
one-fourth Of whom were negroes
some Of them grown men and women
who took their first lessons in chart
and primer.
Dark Days Of War.
With the war came great financial
depression and privations for the col.
lege. immigration almost ceased, there
was no demand for land and not
enough a sold to pay taxes but to the
heroic efforts of Mr.. Joseph Reid and
others, the school was saved and the
organization maintained intact and BY
an appeal to the sympathies Of J. Gala
man, Of Des Moines, who had bought
considerable Of the holdings for taxes
the Amity organization was permitted
to redeem it all.
Thomas A. Preet, an E%nglishman
was one of the early trustees Of the
college, and TO him much credit is Civ.
en- for pulling the college thru the per
ilous times. At the close of the war g
retaliation of the school lands was
made and fixed in excess Of $780, 900
which seemed a great sum to the
founders and supporters. The school
faced the proposition of caring fol
many who held paid scholarships anG
little or no none with which to carry
on the school work. A plan was sug-
gested of leasing the property and fol-
five years the school was in the hands
Of a company which assumed all IMAM
cial responsibility and who, at the ex-
piration of that time, turned the prop.
erty back to the association with a
profit.
Strict Rules Are Observed.
At this %juncture Professor Armour
and wife were again employed to con-
duct the college and the college took or
new life and encouragement. The
founders Of the college had very set
tied ideas about how the college should
be conducted in a general a and OF
the regulation Of The conduct Of its
students. Among the rules and regu-
lations which were strictly enforced
were that students are not to join in
parties OF pleasure, or excursions
without the consent Of their teacher
Mrs. Annie Morrison, now a resident OF
Washington. d. c., broke the rule and
went sleigh riding and for a whole
term she was compelled to remain at
home and was denied attendance at
any social event. mo society can o
tinue its meetings after 9 o'clock with
out special permission" "Habitual
filtration and excessive gallantry are
prohibited" All are expected to be in
study Industrious; in recitation, faith
full, punctual and teachable; in lcport-
ment, blameless." Two young mel
who chafed under the restraint once
boldly faced the head of the institution,
who was always reminding the stu
dents Of the rule against flirting, and
asked him if he did not believe in mar
riage. The reply was characteristic Of
the time and place. "Amity college is
a college, not a match factory"
The m Of the community in 1854
gave a chicken pie dinner and with the
funds purchased a bell for the college.
The bell was so large and heavy it
could not be placed in the college GU
pola and was hoisted to the top Of a
specially built platform. It's peals
could be heard in Clarlnda, twenty-f five
miles distant. Apparently it had a
flaw for q crack developed in the bell
one frosty morning and it was short
lived.
Fame Of College Spreads.
In 1876 the fame Of the college had
idly that two wings were built to the
original main college building. Rev,
A. T. McDil was al this time in charge
Of the college. The annual commence
ment exercises ,altho they were not so,
strictly speaking, were occasions of
great Joy at the college; it is related
that people drove to Amity College
from below Tarkio, Mo, and from. as
far in other directions to attend and
the festivities lasted two or three days.
The first classes were graduated from
enrolment was about 800 and DR.. s.. c.
- W. NJ