Newspaper Page Text
THE BARNESVILLE GAZETTE.
Gordon Institute.
THIRTEENTH ANNUAL COMMENCEMENT.
A Sketch of the Progress and
Success of the Institute.
In view of the fact, that Gordon
Institute, is to-day, more prosper
ous and useful, than ever, we will
give a short sketch of its origin and
progress, before presenting the
incidents, of this its Thirteenth
Annual Commencement. The In
stitute was organised in the Fall
of 1872 by the present popular and
faithful President Charles E. Lamb
din, and our young townsman and
rising attorney, A. A. Murphey
Esq.
These two gentlemen began the
work of teaching in Murpheys
f 'ail, over a store room, ou the
public square, where they taught
throe months with sixteen pupils.
During this time the old Barnesvilie
Academy, on the site where the
prelent magnificent building
stands was undergoing repairs.
Messrs Lambdin & Murphey re
leased the building, first from Prof
J. P. .Speir, Who was then teaching
school in Barnesvilie, and held a
lease on the building for three! or
four years. These gentlemen sup
plemented the lease of Speir by
leasing the building for ten addit
ional years from the trustees
of the Academy Messrs
Lambdin & Murphey then
spent 11,000 in improving the buil
ding, in addition to several hundred
dollars subscribed by many citizens
of Barnesvilie. The Spring Session
of 1873 opened in the New build
ing with more than 150 pupils, and
this number was slightly added to
till the end of 1874, wh n Col. A.
A. Murphey sold kis half interest in
the school to Prof. T. M. Means for
$2,. r jOO cash. There were six schools
in Rarnesviße when Gordon Insti
tute was organized and in a short
time Gordon Institute was the on
ly sbhodt in town.
Hie and iaeiplinc of Messrs Lamb
din & Murphey was rigid and evry
boy and girl was pushed to do
his untmost. The discipline of the
school soon gave it character and
notoriety all through Middle Geor
gia. Among the first boy* prepared
for College in the Institute were
Messrs A. G. Murphey and T. K.
Murphey. The first of these went
to the University of Georgia at Ath
ens and the second to Mercer Uni
versity at Macon, Georgia, and
each of them graduated with the
highest honors of their class.
The merits of the school soon
went through the columns of the
press, the Gazette giving from time
to time, the merits of the discip
line, thorough teaching and the
work as it appeared on the various
commencement occasions, in a
candid way.
Through the pupils, sent from it
to the Universities, the Institute
soon became known in the Colleges
as the best in the state.
Almost every boy, or girl who
has gone from it to the Colleges,
has etood highest in their classes
and the reputation of the school
is not confined to the state, but
has a national reputation, espec
ially among the educators of the
country.
About one year after Prof. Means
purchased an interest the progres
sive public sprit of Barnesvilie
united and appropriated. 18,000 for
the purpose of erecting the present
degant building, for the school
vhieh had for outgrown its quar
rs.
PROF CHAW,ES E. LAMBDIN,
President of Gordon Institute,
{aduated with the first honor of
f class, composed of men who are
leading citizens of Baltimore.
.1 Baltimore City College, Mary
d. Soon after graduation,
a mere youth, he went to
illatin Tennessee, and taught
bool there two years. From there
Ame to Georgia and built up
in Upson county about ten miles
from Barnesvilie, one of the most
flourishing country schools in
Georgia. Here he taught not only
to the satisfaction but to the de
light of his many patrons until the
recent war came on. He then en
listed in the third Georgia infantry
where he served about eight
months, and from which he was
taken and placed in the medical
department, and served as hospital
steward the remainder of the war.
After the war he resumed teaching,
and in 1868 he Barnes
vilie where he has been JJacbipg
ever since, except the y£WWB7I.
There having been some edlraUint
by the patrons that he was too r%id
in his school discipline, he sold out
the lease, he then held on the school
property in Barnesvilie, feeling
confident that his former patrons,
after trying a school government
less rigid than his, would fully en
dorse his course.
In this he was not mistaken for
about the end of the year 1871,
some of his former patrons made
him up a school of thirty subscrib
ed scholars, the number he asked
for, at seventy five dollnrs a scholar
per annum. In the year 1801 he
and Col A A Murphey formed a
partnership mid worked up a suc
cessful school as mentioned above
—aided by other competent teacher.
Under the wise administration of
President Lambdin the growth of
thelnstitute has been remarkbly
steady, healthy and vigorous, and
to-day no school in Georgia, has
its excellent record for good dis
cipline, thorough teaching and
splendid progress of pupils.
President Lambdin possesses in
a marked degree liberality, firm
ness, competency in point of scho
larship, indefatigable labor and gen
eral administrative ability. He
lias spent his money liberally when
the interest of the school could be
advanced, which has been shown in
advertising, purchasing apparatus,
furniture and fixtures. ‘Owing to
this fact the Institute is to-day one
of the best furnished schools in the
State. His positions are' taken
from convictions of right and he
must be convinced of error, which
is seldom the case, being endowed
with fine discrimminafive powers.
Possessed of naturally strong mind
which has been well trained, he
comprehends very clearly, every
thing he teaches. His great will
power and tireless labors combined
with proficiency enable him to
make thorough his pupils. Ho
believes in presistent work,and does
much of it himself, hut his leading
endowment for the Presidency of
the Institute, is his administrative
ability. In governing the school, he
is entirely fearless of public opin
ion, and he is respected and impli
citly obeyed. He is kind and affa
ble toward his teacher, if thore is a
lack of harmony in the faculty, the
discordant teacher is asked to re
sigen. Teachers, patrons and
pupils confiding in his judgement
and motives willingly acquiesce.
President Lambdin makes no
pretensions, but Gordon Institute
will never have a more conscien
tious, hard—working, able Presi
dent and teacher. Baruesvillo will
have no riper scholar, liberal, use
ful citizen, and cultivated Christian
gentleman than Prest. C. E. Lamb
din.
His work of twenty four years
school life cannot be estimated in
dollars.Barnesville will never repay
him for the financial prosperity his
labors have wrought in building up
the Institute. And as for the high
er work he has done God alone un
derstands its great influence for
good, and He alone can reward it.
MISS BALI.IE 8. CANDLER.
Daughter of Hon D. G. Candler
and sister of Hon A. D. Candler, is
a graduate of the Southern Female
college at Covington Ga. She first
taught, two years to the perfect
satisfaction of a large and intelli
gent patronage, at the Cherokee
High School, Ac worth Ga. At
Jonesboro she at once won the ap-
BARNESVILLE, GA:; MONDAY, JUNE 29, 1885.
probation of her patrons and the
love of the pupils of Clayton High
school, where she taught three
years. Being then called to the
principalship of the Gainesville Fe
male High School she filled this
position with signal ability until
the school was merged into the
Gainesville college in which she
taught three years. Against the
strong importunities of her patrons
she then accepted a position in Gor
don Institute.
She was at once placed in charge
of the room, which was then, and
has been since occupied by sixty of
the largest, mossed vunced young
ladies of the Institute. On the
President suggesting that he would
assist her in controlling any incor
rigible pupils, her characteristic re
plly was; “Thank you sir, but I al
ways fight my own battles.” This
she has emphatically done preserv
ing unusually good order in her
room on the part both of the boys
and girls at all times.
Under her teaching rich and poor
faro alike and tire scale of justice
is always carefully poised. Strict
impartiality combined with strong
poetical common sense and a sym
pathetic nature make her a very
fine disciplinarian.
Miss Candler is very thorough,as
a scholar, and well informed, by
general reading,and is therefore lu
cid and interesting in talks to her
pupils. Faithfulness to duty is a
prominent characteristic, as she
finds her highest pleasure in the
discharge of her duties. She is
never absent except by serious
providential cause. She is .pains
taking and patient often giving
her own time to aiding pupils.
With great natural gifts and ac
quired fitness put into action,by in
tense energy and enthmuasna, she
has not only commanded a situa
tion here, but other communities
have eagerly sought her services.
She also impresses her pupils
with appropriate social and moral
lessons whenever opportunity pre
sents so that none have gone from
her as dudes or butter flies of fash
ion. *
MKS LOULA KENDALL ROGERS.
From early childhood, Mrs Rog
ers has been devoted to literary
pursuits, particularly in her early
life, of the poeticaljorder. So promi
nent was she in this arena that in a
collection of “southland writers’’
her biography is given in full, and
productions both poetical and prose
are spoken of as models, and her
genius,as being of the, highest order.
She graduated at Wesleyan Female
College and spent much of her ear
ly life in studying and writing. She
taught music in Thomaston two
years with great success and satis
faction. She was called at the ope
ning of the spring session of 1878
to a professorship in Gordon Insti
tute where she entered on so impor
tant a work with a practical,finish
ed education. Being the widowed
morther of several bright and sweet
little children her life in the house
hold as well as in the school room
for the last twenty odd years has
been spent in training the young
mentally and morally. She there
fore adds to the faculty a richness
of cutturcfof the highest order,a full
of experience, rarely attained and a
Christian chacter unsurpassed.
This latter element is an important
one in calming the billows that of
ten surge high in the life of a teach
er and in this case enables the phy
sically weak to wield a monumen
tal influence in moulding the char
acter of those who must guide the
destiny of nations in the future.
Added to thees qualifications Mrs
Rogers possseses great resolution
and untiring industry. Outside the
arduous work in the Institute she
has written the poem'Toccoa’ which
has won her most enviable reputa
tion, bringing to her a prize over a
number of able compositors for a
Similar production. She was the
first to weave the warp and filling
of poesy into a composition which
she did in her graduating effort ->ii!
“The Beautiful of Earth.” Sever I
al of her poems are bound in the
Southern Amaranth. She has a
contribution in Representative men
and has written Bongs for several
books north, in addition to her la
bors in the Institute. She is there
fore, is not only developing the
young minds'in the school room,but
is feeding the intellects of men with
substantial food and filling the
souls of all with the poetry
of music.
MISS LAURA BACON.
With the opening of the spring
term this year, Miss Laura Bacon,
an accomplished artist, was engag
ed and an art department opened.
Miss Laura is well educated, and is
thoroughly drilled in china, land
scape and portrait painting. She
has been working but one term,
and all may see at the Institute
samples of her work. She lias been
liberally patronized and the art de
partment is a valuable adjunct to
the school.
PROP. ROBERT B. BROOKS.
Entered Gordon Institute in the
fall term df 1878; and was assigned
to the Freshman class. By hard
work, he Completed the studies of
Freshman and the Sophomore
classes in one year, then went regu
larly on with his class till he gradu
ated in 1881. Desirous of entering
Emory College and completing a
full course there, and not being
financially able, he secured a school
in West Pike at Union Academy
and went at once to teaching. His
patrons Were well pleased with his
teaching*and at the end of the first
term he taught, offered him a good
salary for the next year. This he
accepted, and went to work to build
up a first class country school.
In this task he succeeded well. At
the end of the first year and a half*
work hi- renounced to his patrons
that he wished to go through Emo
ry College, hence would have to
give up his school, but they were so
anxious to retain him that they
shortened their scholastic year so
he could spend the fall term and
a part of the spring term at Emory,
and in this way he lacked only a
few months work completing his
course ut Emory.
When Prof W. H. Woodall re
signed his position in GordonJlnsti
tute last year, Prof Brooks was
choscVi to fill the vacancy, and he
acepted the position, which he has
filled in a manner very eerditable
to himself and very satisfactory to
his patrons. He governs well,
without much seeming effort. Asa
teacher he is gifted with the power
of importation, and displays such
patience and perseverance in his
school work. His thorough educa
tion, studious habits, persevering
sprit, and perfect conscientiousness
will soon place him in tho very
front rank of successfuljinstructors
In Georgia.
Besides being a teacher, he ,is a
preacher of fine ability to his age
and practice. Asa man he is an
honoi de solid, well,balanced Chris
tian gentleman.
Vet' few men are more symme
trically developed mentally and
morally than lie is, and while he
may not reach special eminence in
life soon as some others, yet, not
even adverse circumstances can
prevent him from making his life a
splendid sucess. He has baffled
with financial difficulties and unto
ward influences in the past, having
to vork his own way through col
lege, but he has come out of every
eon i bat a complete conqueror, and
ids future is sure to be onward and
up vard, and ornament to the com
munity in which he lives, and a
blessing to the world. Self made
men are the best made men that arc
made.
I'HOF. CHALKS GUTTENBERGER.
The popular and excellent head
of the musical department, was ed
ucated in Macon, Ga. His musi
cal training was received from his
venerable father, who was the pro
fessor of music for twenty-seven
years at Wesleyan Feriiale College
With natural talent of a higlfcAder
find a preceptor so experienced and
thoroughly a master of the Bcience,
he was eminently fitted for the du
ties of teaching, though he began
quite young. His first class was in
Griffin just after the late war. He
went from there to Furlough Ma
sonic College, Americus—thence to
Marshnllville, Jonesboro, Gaines
ville, and thence to Gordon Insti
tute. So successful was he that he
could not remain long at a place be
fore some other would induce him
come.
When he was induced to come to
Gordon Institute, President Lamb
din was not certain that the music
department would enable him to
engage so efficient a teacher,as there
were then only ten pupils in this
department. Prof Guttenberger had
not worked six months before he
had a full class, so persistent was
his effort and so faithful his teach
ing. In a short time the class
so increased that his services
had to be supplemented by an
assistant, Miss Kate Chambers.
And this state of things has gone
on for the nine and one-half years
of his administration, this depart
ment growing stronger from year
to year. Miss Belle Goodwyn is
now rendering him excellent ser
vice as an assistant.
For the first five years of Profes
sor Guttenberger’s service, he nev
er lost a single recitation, and in the
$4 years he has had only two or
three days sickness. The music de
partment of the Institute is an im
portant one, and the thoroughness
of it cannot be better seen than the
musical feature of the Commence
ment programmes always display.
PKOE. W. H. WOODAI.I,.
Though not a teacher in the In
stitute now, has had much to do in
the work of making it so]popular
and meritorious. He founded and
built up one of the finest country
schools in the State,in Talbot coun
ty, where he was born and raised.
So popular was this school that
pupils from a distance came to
hoard in great numbers. Professor
Woodall came to Gordon Institute
in 1878 as the successor of Profes
sor Means, where ho taught most
successfully and efficiently to the
end of 1884, when he resigned for
the purpose of building up his
health and physical strength by
conducting his extensive farming
interests. He is a self-made man
and largely educated himself. He
was a most efficient and conscien
tious instructor. President Lainb
din valued his services very highly
and regretted to give him up, as a
co-laborer. No teacher was ever
more faithful and punctual, as dur
ing the six years of his service he
lost no time. This community owes
him much, and we hope to see, as
we shall see, his great success in
farming.
PROF A. A. MURPHEY.
Who graduated at the state Uni
versity with the first honor became
a partner of Prof Lambdin Jin tho
founding and starting the Institute
forward, He was very ardent and
threw into the work all the fervor of
his nature. His purse, hand, head
and heart were always ready to aid
the Institute. In teaching he did
so on the intensive system as he do
es everything absolutely requiring
pupils in h!s department to pro
gress. He gave the Institute an
impulse and vigor that has contin
ued. He gave his undivided atten
tion and emergies to the school
two years and a half with signal
success. The community are
greatly indebted to him for the
work done in the Institute and will
be pleased to see him succeed in
the profession of the law which he
has chosen and in which he is so
rapidly rising and making charac
ter.
Though not connected with the
Institute as a member of the facul
ty he yet feeles a deep interest in
its Wcllfare and success.
MISS AUGUSTA RIVIERE.
One of the graduates of Gordon In
stitute was engaged at the begin
ning of the year, and has proven
herself both efficient and popular
with the faculty, the pupils and
public. We should be pleased to
say more of her but our space is fill
ed.
Professor Means, Mrs. B. M. Tur
ner, Mrs, Keys, Prof. \V. W. Lamb
din, and perhaps some others, did
a work that needs mention also if
we had space.
A Golden Opportunity.
The Barnesvilie Fire Company,
realizing that a large crowd would
be assembled here during Com
mencement, and wishing to add to
the pleasures of the occasion, have
engaged some of the most eminent
musicians in the South to give a
Grand Musical Concert on Wednes
day night of Commencement.
It is a sufficient guarantee of the
success of the enterprise for us to
add that the name of Prof. F. L.
Frayer, the eminent,violin virtuoso,
is on the programme. To all mu
sic lovers his name is familiar, not
only asthe sole agent of the Kranich
& Bach pianos in the South, but as
the greatest violinist of the age,
For years he travelled with Ole Bull,
the celebrated European violinist,
whose music attracted the attention
of the civilized world, and by the
magic touch of his how, illustrated
the fable of the “Pied Piper of Ham
lein.”
Prof Frever was associated with
him, and shared some of his most
brilliant successes. |le will play
some of the that
were played by Ole Bull, and, we
can safely say, will render them in
manner that will do justice To the
a memory of that eminent violinist.
Profs. Schneider and Schano, of
Atlanta, both eminent and noted
usicians, will assist him, and our
best home talent will also render
some choice instrumental music ou
the occasion. It will be a recherche
affair, and nothing but the best and
most classic music will bo played.
The admission ! e only 60 cents,
and every lover of music is cordial
ly invited to be present.
Tickets can be secured at O. S.
Higgins & Son, the Gem Drug Store
or at J. W. Hightower’s.
College Athletics.
Professor Richards, of Yale, has
made a comparative examination
of the conduct of the students to
establish the influence of athletics
ou deportment. The two decades
from 18G2 to 1882 “is the period of
the growth of foot-ball and boating.
During the first of these decades
he finds that tho eases of severe
discipline averaged a little more
than 3-1-2 per cent of membership,
while for the latter decade the aver
age was less than 3 per cent The
decrease of disorder betwe.-Vi, the
classes shows greater improvement.
During the first decade the cases of
this nature which required severe
discipline were 0-8-10 percent.,and
during the last decade, 3-4-10 per
cent. The general wholesomeness
of professional athletics at college
seems, therefore, to outweigh the
hindrance to scholarship in special
cases.
Mr-. E. L. Rogers.
In our advertising columns this
morning offers visitors bargains to
be selected from a large- and 1 hand
some stock.He desires to acc-<;,..,imo
date the trade next season to the
largest and best stock he has —r
offered. To do this and because'
the spring season is about ended,
lie proposes to make the tfoeds go.
You have but to ca® and' li e
in order to be conwit—d. die isal
ways on hand, and aid of.
Mr. C, T. Tyler, alLwh'6 aav call
can be promptly wWtod on.
Our Commef -vvent.
We desire to eomtm,Jo 'Lis week
40. sell three farms, tw ” jre hous
es Several vacant lots, t jggawelliags
two buggys, three horses', Pratt gin, -
and will close out on tho
provocation our present stack Tlurd
ware, Stoves, Rubber bolting and
wrought Iron ranges &c. at just a
little above cost to mafic room for
more sewing machines stoves Hard
ware &c. thankiii<fV>ur manv pa
trons &c. Very Respectfully,
H. R. Chambers, Principal.
Fine Watepielons.
Mr. .1. E. Redding has jfjjsi re
ceived a car load of a- fine v*ter
melons as will probably he shipped
here during the Season.
They are fresh, from the vines,
and will give satisfaction. We know
what we say tp bo true because wo
saw the car unloaded and hav
shared the sweets that flowed froi
one of the hansomest in the wh
lot. .