The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-12-22

]
The total of direct gifts and be-
ouests during the first half century
of Williams College, now one of
the most richly endowed institu-
tons of New England, did not ex-
coed the amount subscribed in the
early days for the founding of this
school. Narrow as We're the re-
sources of the Lyndon Institute in
its first days, it was only repeating
the history of many of the lnstltu-
tions of the country which have
become famous. At the time OF
the founding of the school it was
almost the rule that some religious
denomination should especially
make itself used as an agency IN
the founding of institutions. The
Free-will Baptist Church in this
village was the central force in es-
tablishing this school, That de
nomination had a liberal creed and
an intelligent membership. But
except in times of profound reli-
gious reformation, it has never
been easy to found a religious de-
nomination to order and the Free
will Baptist denomination had diff
Guilty in getting a firm foothold,
but it was supported in the move
ment by the people irrespective Of
their sectarian beliefs.
You all know the details of that
early history. $4,000 was sub
scribed for starting the school, d
large sum for this neighborhood at
that time. A building was put up,
excellent teachers were employed
and the good work was begun. But
in those times, much more even
than in our day, it was easier to
subscribe than it was to pay, and
half dozen years after the build
ing had been put up barely $4,000
had been paid, and there was debt
for the greater part of the cost of
the structure.
1t has been the happy fortune
not the solution of this school that
at every period of its life there has
been some strong man especially
interested in it who was willing to
take the laboring car. Our college
and other higher institutions have
usually had a strong man upon
their boards of government but
they have commonly served in an
advisory capacity l doubt if there
has ever been an institution in
the country, great or small, which
has had in succession in a position
not merel y of responsibility but of
direct management such men as
have in succession served in this
institution. Nothing can be said
adequately about the history of
this school, without mentioning
particularly the work of those men
They were, in the order in which
they have served the school:
Sumner S. Thompson
Theodore N. Vail and
Elmer A. Darling.
In the industrial history of the
nation there has been written no
more imposing chapter than the
history Of the building of its rail
roads. Without the railroad our
population would have been con-
fined to the regions near the sea
and to the shores of the great lakes
and rivers. But the railroads
audiciously threw out their lines
over vast uninhabited plains,
across mountain ranges, over riv-
ers, and finally to the Pracific
Ocean. The vast iron net mesh
ed the continent, dotted it over
with cultivated fields, with thriv-
ing villages, and great cities and
made it possible for America to be
one people. Beginning at this
work when a mere boy in the ear
ly days of railroading it became
Mr.. Thompson's chief life work
and for fifty years he bore a most
honorable part in creating this
instrumentality in the de-
of America. While en-
gagged in building the Connecticut
and Passumpsic railroad he pur-
chased a residence here intending
to depart when his particular work
was done, but the charms of the
place made such an appeal to him
that he cast in his lot permanent
ly with this people and wherever
in tn country his work might call
him, Lyndon ever afterwards re-
NAMED his home. No community
was ever graced by a nobler citiz-
en-. He was one of the early sub