Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 19.djvu/58

 48 AUSTIN MIRES and at the same time Luetta Grubbe was teacher of music. Curtis possessed a kindly, humane disposition, and loved to associate with young people and to see them advance. At the first home calling of her children by the old Umpqua Academy, June 1, 1917, among the prominent speakers were Judge J. W. Hamilton, George M. Brown and Robert A. Booth. These three gentlemen indulged in unrestricted crimi- nation and 1 re-crimination, in which not only they were included but others of the old students as well. These accusations went not only to the transgressions of the rigid rules of the Acad- emy, but also to the laws of the State, such as chicken and watermelon stealing, and other such misdemeanors, and as the statutes of limitation had long since run, we heard no denials. To the later generation, and especially those who were never fortunate enough to come within the magic circle of the moral influence of the old Umpqua Academy, it can be but a matter of wonder how such youth, as the aforesaid were shown to have been, could ever develop into law-abiding, law-enforcing, useful citizens. But the facts only demonstrate the mighty influence for good 1 exercised by that pioneer institution of learning. It was, indeed, the crucible into which was cast the crude ore of youth, full of human frailties and baseness, to yield a product of unalloyed manhood and womanhood. That youth would have proven morally leprous, indeed, who could for any considerable time abide under her influence and receive no permanent impression of righteousness. The children of Umpqua Academy are to be met with all over the northwest, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Alaska. The boys, now men, are patriotic, indus- trious, capable and useful citizens. The girls are now mothers and grandmothers, and their sterling precepts and examples guarantee through their offspring for time to come a citizenry upon which our country may rely with simple faith. Umpqua Academy, insofar as its corporate entity is con- cerned, is now a thing of the past, but its spirit, like the soul of old John Brown as portrayed in song, is marching on, and the force of its influence will not end with this generation.