Springfield 1636-1886, History of Town and City, by Mason A. Green ...

SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1886. 397
Specimen question: ''Are well-regulated theatres injurious to hu-
manity?" Probabl}^ not five per cent, of the debaters had ever been
inside of a theatre. In August, 1829, came the first annual examina-
tion of the Springfield High School : average age of the boys, twelve ;
number, fifty ; special efficiency in algebra, natural philosophy, and
mental arithmetic, reflecting the commercial trend of the day. The
infant school, in the centre of the town, numbered sixty. One was
started also near Ames's mills. It was in 1829 when Miss Hawkes
opened a young women's seminary here with eighty and more pupils.
The triumph of the Jackson party in national politics intensified
the feeling locally for some time, even to the invasion of patriotic
events. March 4, 1829, was a famous day in Springfield. The im-
agination of the man of battlefields challenging conflicting; feelings.
Cannon was thundering at daybreak on Armory hill and again at
noon, and a few hours later artillery was drawn into Court square,
where Jackson powder was burned for a long time. Meantime one
of the new public storehouses was transformed into a banquet-room,
and fully two hundred and fifty gathered about the board, delegates
coming in from neighboring towns. Before the banquet Samuel
Johnson, of Chester, delivered an oration. The banquet-room was
elaborately decorated. Colonel Lee sat at the head of the table, and
John Chatfee assisted at the bottom as vice-president. We have no
such days now. In the evening the hall of the Hampden coffee-
house, '^ where so much good living and fine dancing has been seen,"
was taken possession of by the John Quincy Adams men. They
were cheered by a band of music and a good supper, and, " willing to
hope for the best, were rather disposed to be merry than sad."
Fourth of July was made the occasion of another display of
patriotism decked with the robes of party ; a banquet was served at
the armory, and a young man stationed on the field of ordnance yard
swung a flag when each speaker sat down, which was the signal for a
volley of cannon.
The removal of Postmaster Lombard Avas tlie first realizing evi-