Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-10-16
TOOTH ANNIVERSARY
EXERCISES OPEN At
NORWICH UNIVERSITY

State. We are all Interested to have tho
highest moral standard In Vermont.
Now In the past we have had what
was called our old red schoolhouse. 1t
was good In Its way, and did great work
at that time. 1t wouldn't he good to-
day. We are beyond It. We have a
teachers corps in this State, and we
spend money for education In way that
would have thunderstruck the old fathers
if they had dreamed of 1t.
Think of our highways. Think Of
what we have done with the roads. They
are not perfect. We haven't done as
much good work this year as | would
like to see done, but what were they 100
years ago. or even 80 years ago? We
have got the main lines of travel to-day
In comparatively good condition for sum
mer travel. In the spring and fall they
are not good. We have got to devise
some plan that will better their condi-
ton In those seasons, but during the
time when almost everybody wants to
use them they are pretty good, and
vastly improved over what they were
In generations past We are all the time
looking to the future, and for better
things, in the belief that better things
are coming to us all the time
Now Just as much as we can gain
Just as much as you young men can put
into this State in work, and in better
conditions, just SO much will N,. .olt
gain. and 1t is everybody's duty to 1. u,
to the future with hope and belief, and
faith that the future is going to bring
to the State the best that it can bring
to any State in the Union"
COLONEL TOMPKINS
Colonel Tompkins said in part:
When | came to Norwich University
nine years ago Captain Chapman was
professor Of military science and tactics.
He took me over that evening to call on
the president, and the president showed
me a very attractive plan OF a cavalry
stable and riding hall. ! asked him what
this thing was expected to cost. and he
said $4,000 Wen, | thought that was
pretty good, and they thought they would
have that well erected sometime during
the summer. We'll for one reason or an
other, | think principally because they
couldn't get money, the building wasn't
started
1T may be we'll to state that this col
lege is reserve officers training CORDS
1t Is a senior division, cavalry unit of
the reserve officers training corps That
means that when n man graduates from
here he is qualified to become d reserve
officer of the cavalry, and in time of war
these graduates are qualified to be COM
mlssioned in the cavalry branch OF the
service Nine years ago there wasn't
any reserve officers training corps here
but there was military training at Nor
wien University, and many of our gradu-
atos went into the service mostly into
the cavalry. although we have them in
the field and coast artillery and also in
the infantry they were commissioned into
the service of the regular army Three
years ago Congress passed Il law making
a reserve officers training corps, and Nor
wlch University was admitted as Il unit
OF this training corps. Having been
cavalry school for number of years nat
urally the authorities wished to maintain
the cavalry feature Of the military train
ing. Due TO the Mexican trouble, and the
World War, the college got by with what
they had to furnish in the way of shelter
for their horses, but last winter the COL
leSe authorities were informed that il
they expected assistance from the federal
government for their cavalry feature they
would have to provide a suitable stable
for cavalry horses.
Henry Orser, Il man who is always
working hard for the college, wrote to
me in Washington and asked me IL |
wouldn't go on a tour Of the United States
and raise funds for this building. I wrote
to Henry and told him that ii was i'm
possible that | would have to take a .ong
leave of absence in order to do it, which
would not be approved by the adjutant-
general Of the army. shortly after that
was detailed as professor of military
science and tactics. Henry met me at the
train, and the first thing he said was
that we would have to raise money for
Il stable or send the horses back. and
have some other instruction besides
cavalry. We made all kinds of schemes
and plans for raising money. The Gov.
ernor came over at commencement and
handed us some very nice compliments
as TO our military training, and I got 10
thinking about that so in about ten days.
from the time he was here | went over
to see him and told him about the
necessity for raising the funds. and he
SAID that there was no reason why we
couldn't raise 100000 in Vermont. said
that suited me all right, and ] ddn'.
care to go any further, so the Governor
has been coaching me all summer abou,
raising funds for this stable, and we
raised the funds AL right, and the stable
is buit, and the reason i, is built Is be.
cause we have had such splendid as.
astance from the Governor. We thought
1t would cost about s3E, 900 to build this
stable. and that Is what we figured on
raising. We looked around to get IL man
to boss the job. and we picked out Mr..
Walker of Ncrthfield, and due to his skill
and tire'ess energy and keen enthusiasm
in the Interest of the whole work wo
have completed this building at u cost of
about $4,000. Now we ought to give that
100000 10 Mr.. Walker, but l am sure that
he doesn't expect Il, and instead OF that
we AFRO going to build riding hall next