Appleton Reunion 1909 - Part 1
Prandial - adj. - during or relating to dinner or lunch. "a prandial conversation"
August 25, 1909
This is a lengthy news article and will be serialized over several days.
NEW IPSWICH - 1909 Appleton Academy Alumni.
In response to nearly 1500 invitations, a large number of the alumni of Appleton Academy attended the re- union, August 25. Some came who had not visited here for 40 years. A large flag floated over the entrance to the academy. The building was open to all and its many innovations and improvements were inspected.
Wright's orchestra of seven pieces furnished music. At mid-day, upon the ringing of the bell, 200 guests sat down to the dinner served under the trees north of the academy by Caterer E. M. Read of Fitchburg. After dinner the guests assembled in the large hall to listen to the post-prandial exercises. President George A. Kimball presented the speakers. A letter was read from Will Chick, mailed from London. Myron Taylor, the treasurer of the trustees, reported of the past and present financial condition of the institution.
In 1787, thirty-two men formed a trust and opened a school, the first period, which I shall call the preparatory period. The second period we will call the experimental, which lasted two years or into 1790. The tuition, twelve shillings a quarter, amounted to $351, the first year, with expenses of $431, which excess the subscribers were assessed. The third period was the heroic which commenced in 1790 and ended in 1853.
The academy was incorporated and a small fund established at the commencement of this period. In 1807 this fund was $2014.75. The usual vicissitudes of prosperity and depression attended the growth of this school, and it was seriously thought that project would have to be abandoned at one time.
The fourth period begins with 1853 and ends with 1904. This is the Appleton period, but Samuel Appleton gave $5000 in 1850 and $4000 in 1853. The name was changed and the present structure erected. Mr. Appleton later gave stocks with a par value of $20,000. Jonas Chickering gave $1000 and in 1876, by the will of Isaac Spaulding $5000 was obtained.
One Hundred Formulas -
George Carmichael donated a copy of Stephen A. Thayer’s “One Hundred Formulas” which was published in 1883. It contains recipes from everything from printing ink to pain killers. Today we will share the formula for another ink concoction:
NOTE: Logwood - The heartwood of Haematoxylum campechianum. Logwood yields deep, rich, red-purples to orchid blues and has been prized as a dyestuff since the 16th century. The logwood tree grows in Mexico, Central America, The Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Brazil, the Guyannas, Madagascar, and India.
This book sold for a dollar and was one of the many enterprises that Steven A, Thayer was involved with. The book is filled with promotional material:
James Roger diary entry
October 8th 1908 (Thursday)
Frosty fine cool day. Wind westerly. David at Preston cabin with Henry Royce fixing wall for breakwater. Mother and I cleaned up church vestry & c and I filled lamps in Hall and vestry and picked 2 roosters. At Grange tonight there were 19 present, 2 visitors. Rehearsal of 3rd degree short literary program. Closed 1115 pm.
Were the current Thayer’s Slippery Elm Lozenges originally created by the same Thayer of whom we’ve been recently reading? Wonder where he boiled up all of his historic concoctions. The wallpaper must have been peeling off there. Much as one”s stomach lining would have been peeling off upon ingesting some of these preparations.
Where are the Appleton alumni who should be reading this and sharing their experiences at Appleton? The last Appleton class was 1968, my sister's (Eva) class. Appleton was such critical part of New Ipswich life, I'm sad that it is gone.