Shattuck School - Shad Yearbook (Faribault, MN)

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s 2:12 9'4ifYwers.1-f -f - -' X Ks.-,Q -. V: a . ---- u. I - ,lf-hgrl'-1 '-taj.,Z.1'- -iv ':5'f3'f,'f321625-2,L', ,J-, ., .- L' - 'N .'-'D 1.5.2-F 'f? '32.i-lam'-'-5' 'VL F' ' P''JT'-'3f f5'f-flfI'3'3F'1FJW11'-iff'-ak' Y?-ff be-v. f 'if-'ff e-5 S X A S' err-4? wiv-41, ' if . F--as V Li is HQ' P W, , N: S ' I r L 3, gf -IME , , I I A PAGE IFIRUM AN COLD SHADQS DIARY UT was a cloudy morning in October, fifty-eight years ago. There were Il threats of rain. The weather was autumn, the winds were growing cold and rustled in the tops of the trees, which surrounded my house, with a ' 4' wail, a more dismal wail rose from the older scion of the house, for the com- mand had gone forth, You must go to schoolll' My trunk was packed, good- byes were said to all the boys. The bus', arrived. My luggage Cno suit cases in those daysj was loaded in. My mother, never loved more than at that moment, looked tenderly and smilingly upon me, yet through tears. One las: embrace, one parting kiss, her boy had gone. After a dayis tedious ride by boat and car, the town-now city-of Faribault was reached. Entering an oldfashioned Concord Coach, wl1icl1 stood in waiting at the depot platform, I was driven to the old Hliar- ron House, which stood on the site of the present palatial Brunswick.H After a meal gulped down amid various and sundry sobs, on my part, we were summoned to tl1e door by old Captain Bradley, the major domo of Shattuck Grammar School who was to take me to call on Dr. Breck, the founder of the school, and at that time, its Rector. The drive after Old Black Bessi' was not particularly interesting to me. Now and then my handkerchief was slyly smuggled outside without turning, so that I could wipe my eyes before the old Captain should see me. fhe river was forded near the Faribault Furniture Factory. There were but two bridges over the river, one at Second St., the other at Fourteenth St. The ford was the short cut to Shattuck. Driving around the base of the bluff past the bubbling fountain at the foot of the hill,', we made our way fa difficult ascent in those days of long agoj up the hill, around the turn, bringing up at Old Seabury, which stood on the brow of the bluff overlooking the turn, quite a hamlet as compared with tl1e pros- perous city of the present day. The whole surface of the bluffs and country on this side of the river was at that time covered with a heavy growth of elm, maple, and linden trees, a veritable forest primeval. The only clearing on the grounds was about an acre, where the walk now leads to Smyser Corridor, and used for gar- den purposes. Seabury Hall stood just south of the present hospital in the cen- ter of the circle and facing the west. Shattuck Hall of the present day is an exact replica of Old Seaburyf' I was ushered into the presence of good Dr. Breck, a tall, stately gentleman of the old school. I had been told at home not to fear him, as he was an uncommonly kind man. He said that he hoped I would be a good boy, and patted me on the head. He quite won my heart. I was then presented to the matron, a motherly looking woman, with a great many ribbons on her cap. She shook me by the hand-but so stiffly that I didn't care to look at her face. I wan- ted to go home. The good Doctor, noticing my quivering lips, proposed that we go out for a stroll about the grounds, first pointing with his hand at the new building erected somewhat southeast of the present hospital tennis court, saying at the same time, Our new dormitory, provided at great expensef' This building was forty feet by twenty, of two stories, the lower hall used for drill room and laundry-each room twenty by twenty feet, the upper for quarters for twelve boys Con the al- cove systemj, each alcove furnished with a single bed, wash stand, bowl, pitcher, ua

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EDITORIAL

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A 4' '- .ff -fT. '1.is4.'1:l'g' -5- ':.r ':'.'f12.225-1.--' ,. 1-'-.-.-'T-..-F - '-' .'. i,. .g-F- .tl-:wi 'UM'-:5t '9Q.5.f, 'F' ..-13'Q-...ECA-iF.f,f,f3.'f:3irj.:Pxizi'-tiki.. Q2-571jf.7tJg.QE?ibiS,-Q.-ylr' 14131 I,-,lg.j,,., f f e' +3 at 1-ff-fa.. ' if I ' 1 - - ,:,-,i:- :-:wrt : Q c 2. I - 121914 521.2-YS! 3 . ta 1 A Q, . L .-IW. ...A .k. X Ti v 3 I 1 1 I and a closet for clothes, etc. The whole building was heated by stoves burning wood, which was carried in and up by the boys, the Dormitory Master standing guard. Here we lived and enjoyed life as well as possible away from home. The drill room was used also for bathing purposes on Saturday nights, tub night. We were provided with wash tubs and procured our hot water Cwhen there was anyj from the laundry cauldron. Many were the pranks played during the bathing or- deal, which usually ended with Old Dan Tucker, to the music of iife and drum. After surveying this building carefully, the Doctor showed me the gym- nasium situated on the ground where Shattuck now stands. This gym con- sisted of a framework of beams, on which there were suspended a trapeze and one pair of rings, while at thc east end was a horizontal bar of iron, where, winter and summer, all of the bar, ring, and trapeze exercises were performed, especially the giant swing, all in the open. Seabury Hall contained the kitchen and dining rooms and the library, matron's room and parlors were on the first floor, rooms for Seabury students on the second, and the drmitory for Shads on the third. We rose at 5:30 a.m., studied from 6 to 7, then roll call for the household, Mr. James Dobbin acting as First Sergeant. Breakfast at 7, full morning prayers at 8. Study and recitations from then on to 12. Dinner at 12:30. Recitations to 41. Drill at 111. p.m. Evening prayers Qfull servicej at 5:30. Supper at 6. Study hour from 7 to 9 in the school room and chapel, a small building situated where the walk now leads to Smyser. This building was burned to the ground Calmost 56 years to the day of the recent fire in Shattuckj The outcome of the fire was Shattuck Hall, built in 1868-69. From the very first beginning of the school, and at its inception, the mil- itary system has been prevalent. The iirst company, consisting of Seabury stu- dents and Shattuck boys, was in charge of Captain Thomas G. Crump, the First Commandant, who saw service in the Indian campaign of 1862. Only company drill was used, the Tactics of Casey and Hardee being the text from which our drill- master derived his knowledge. No drill grounds! Of necessity, long marches to town by way of Fourteenth Street were the order of the day. Ball and other games requiring open space were played on vacant lots near Tenth Street and Central Avenue. As improvements continued to be made, the grounds were changed several times in the course of the season. T he mill pond at Fourteenth afforded good opportunity for boating, swimming and skating. The water in this pond was from four to six feet deep, covering the whole flat where the Rock Island railroad now runs. The site of the Memorial Chapel of the Good Shepherd was often the scene of dances by the Sioux Indians, to the music of the crude flute and tom-tom. Dr. Breck resigned his position in April, 1867, and went west to found other schools in California. In the long stretch of years while the school has been growing little by little, most of those who had a hand in its beginnings have fallen by the way. The master spirits, Dr. Breck, Bishop Whipple, Doctors Dobbin, Manney, Thomas and Tanner, the trustees, Dearborn, Wilder, Wells, War- ner and others, Plummer, Collester, MacKay, Whipple, and others of the faculty, are all, we fondly hope, reaping the reward in Paradise for what they did for it. Many of these men saw only the feeble commencement. They helped sow the seed, those who remain are reaping a far more abundant harvest than anyone in that day of small beginnings ever hoped to see. l15l -n.....L. . AMW, , H