The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-02-07
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1922
AN EMINENT vERMoNTER

- pgloDi WIZ - CdpdBlC VI lHpIUY-
ing his own condition is spurred for.
ward by the example and success Of
others. The success Of one Is never
exactly like the success OF anotaer
but If one man can succeed It is Ger
tain that others may.
III there is any one thing that The
ranner likes to do Is to print the
story o. a man who has started un.
der the ordinary conditions wh'ch
surround every boy and from those
ordinary surroundings and meager
advantages mas risen to eminence IN
his chosen profession.
No country ether than America Of.
fers the chances to the young man
that are found in t1e United states.
It makes the person Of ordinary
Iccmmonsense tired to watc1 the an
ticg and listen to the mouthings Of
the demogogues and theorists who 90
ranting around the country trying 70
tear down the ideals and institutions
Of America and replace them with the
lhumbug paternalism that brought
Europe to disaster.
The proof OF their error Is TIE
thousands and scores OF thousands Of
American young men who have had
no special advantages, never knew
what q pull was. yet have worked
their way to the ton by Their own in
dustry, ambition and force. Probab-
" no otter state in the union has, in
prcpoi ton to its size, sent out SO
many successful men as Vermont
and the following from the Boston
G.cbe IS the story Of a Vermont boy
Of measor opportunity who became
the head OF his pro ession Charles
n. Bradley who died last week
II is impossible to be In Boston
long without learning Of Thompsons
Island and its famous farm school
In fact. It IS impossible to DO any
Wlerc IN the United States and take
any interest in the histories 0. earn
est citizens without sooner or later
coming across one OF the schools
graduates-for It has sent men into
honored prominence by the hundreds
since H. foundation in 1874.
II is equally impossible % think OF
the Thompson Island stllo with
cu' az once thinking Charles r.
Bradley. rs superintendent, Mr..
bradley was recognized as one OF
the great gen uses Of education in
this country. and 1t was 70 hi3 de-
yotion and brilliant mind his almost
uncanny understanding OF the boys
point OF view, that the school owes
nue. of its great success
/ Mr.. Bradley was born Feb. Is, 1850,
in Johnson. Iamo.lle County, Yer
mont. He was educated In the
schools Of his native town, and then
went 10 the state Normal School lo-
Gated there.
In 1880. being then just 90 years
jo'd. Mr.. Bradley went to work os 4
teacher IN the State Primary School
at Monson. under Col Gardner Tufts.
lie was at once successful as a
/ teacher
Eight years later, upon the death
To-. William Appleton Morse, Mr..
| Bradley was appointed superintend-
ent of the Farm and Trades School
In that position he remained the
rest OF his life, though he received
many pressing offers to go to otler
and larger institutions. He always
| felt. however that the opportunity to
do great work lay at Thompson s,
and refused to leave the island
He had boon married FIVE years
when he came TO Boston Harbor His
wife was Miss Mary Chiffon Brew
ster. q direct descendant Of the fam
GUS Elder Brewster OF the Maydower
expedition. They fad one SON
Charles II. Bradley. Jro who, with
Mrs. Bradley. survives
Mrs. Bradley became the matron
Of the island institution, and her per
sonal,ty and, influence have had in
dnitely to do with the characters OF
hundreds of boys who have passed
through the school and gone out into
the world
When Mr.. Brad ely came to Thomp-
sons Island, the school had been IN
existence 70 years 1t had fine his
tory, and a set Of wonderful tradi.
tions. the general lines Of its policy
had long been formulated 1t had
established, even, brass band
among the students some 80 years
before; It is believed to be the old
est boys band in the country Incl
dentallv. IL Is 40 good q band that