“Therefore, Mr. Chairman of the 
Building Committee, I accept in the 
name of the Town of Manchester, 
the John Price Primary School 
Building, and desire to thank 
through you, the members of your 
committee, for the careful and effi- 
cient manner in which they per- 
formed their duties. Another pleas- 
ant duty now befalls me and that is 
to again turn over to other hands 
this same school building, and as 
Chairman of the Selectmen of this 
town I give to you, the Chairman 
of the School Committee, this John 
Price Primary School Building, for 
the use, benefit and occupancy of 
the school children of Manchester. 
“In the words of our late Gover- 
nor Greenhalge: “A Common- 
wealth can only rest on the founda- 
tion of the Free Public Schools.’ ” 
Mr. Lane said in 
Response to the Selectmen: 
“As Chairman of the School 
Committee, I accept from you, for 
my associates and myself, this add- 
ed responsibility that has been 
placed upon us, and assure the 
citizens of the town that we con- 
sider it a sacred trust. The open- 
ing of this building for school pur- 
poses, is a step forward for the 
cause of education in Manchester, 
and enables the committee, with 
the liberal appropriations provided 
each year, to place our schools 
upon an educational basis second 
to none in the state. It has al- 
ways been our aim to provide all 
that is good for the education and 
welfare of the boys and girls in the 
Town of Manchester.” 
After a selection by the orchestra 
Town Clerk Alfred S. Jewett was 
called upon, and he gave a_ very 
interesting sketch of Deacon Price’s 
life and influence. He said: 
Address by A. S. Jewett. 
Ladies and Gentlemen: Through 
the kindness of the School Commit- 
tee I have been invited to say a few 
words upon this exceedingly inter 
esting occasion with reference to 
the beloved teacher and _ public 
spirited citizen whose name _ has 
been honorably connected with this 
latest acquisition to the educational 
equipment of our beloved town. 
When the names of several of our 
citizens who had rendered such 
conspicuous service as_ to place 
a them in the list of eligibles to the 
honorable distinction, were sug- 
gested, and our mind passed in 
rapid review their life work in this 
community, it was no easy task to 
single out from this noble company 
one who should command the 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
united support of all the people re- 
gardless of age or sex. However, 
the time finally came when the 
choice must be made, once and for 
all, and when the motion was of- 
fered that the new primary school 
be called the “John Prince Primary 
School,” not a dissenting voice was 
heard. No doubt it will be inter- 
esting to some who are here present 
today, to take part in this dedica- 
ALFRED S. JEWETT, 
One of the speakers. 
tory service, to learn somewhat of 
the history of the man thus brought 
prominently into notice. 
Deacon Price, as he was familiar- 
ly called and known to his widely 
extended circle of friends, first saw 
the light of day in a little hamlet at 
the base of Mt. Chocorua, known as 
the village of Tamworth. In this 
mountainous region he passed his 
boyhood days, gaining that knowl- 
edge of practical life which the 
daily duties of the farm so thor- 
oughly teach. 
At 17 years of age, anxious to be 
of service, he secured the position 
of teacher in the near-by town of 
Ossipee. Stalwart in size, although 
of youthful appearance, the 
scholars soon realized that the 
committee had succeeded in hiring 
a master who would teach them not 
only traditional three R’s, but also 
that which for true success in life 
is of equal importance—good man- 
ners. It was our good fortune that 
in some unaccountable way his 
steps were turned toward this fa- 
mous seaport town and in chill No- 
vember, 1828, he was placed in 
charge of what was known as_ the 
Newport school. Remaining here 
3 
but a few months he was promoted 
to the principal school in the centre 
of the town where he taught ac- 
ceptably for five years. 
After a brief absence in Salem of 
a little more than two years he re- 
turned to Manchester and opened 
a private school, in which he 
labored with great success for 21 
years. 
During this prolonged period his 
success as a teacher had become so 
widely known that not only foreign 
countries sent their eager youth, but 
even the isles of the sea had their 
representatives. The commanders 
of merchant vessels of former days, 
brave and hardy men, made known 
to these far away people the man to 
whom they were indebted for their 
splendid training. Possessing a 
heart so warm and tender that even 
the hardened culprit nursed no re- 
vengeful purposes, but accepted his 
deserved punishment with the feel- 
ing he had received only what was 
properly his due. 
He was of a commanding appear- 
ance, erect in form, stately and dig- 
nified in manner, courtly in address, 
yet withal so approachable that the 
door of his hospitable home seemed 
ever on the swing, so wide and ex- 
tended was the circle of his ac- 
quaintance. The desire which for 
a long time had been welling up in 
the hearts of many of his former 
pupils, to give expression in some 
public manner to their kindly feel- 
ings, found vent in 1891 on one Sep- 
tember day. Never before had the 
Town hall witnessed such a gather- 
ing. They came from all directions, 
from the north and south, the east 
and west, to lay upon the altar their 
tribute of love and esteem. Our 
honored friend was at his best; his 
cup of joy seemed to be running 
over. His declining years were 
filled with pleasing memories of 
that resplendent Red Letter day. 
Perhaps some stranger may in- 
quire, what further claim had he 
upon the good-will and esteem of 
his neighbors and friends? For 62 
years every Sabbath found him a 
devout worshipper at the church he 
loved so well, save temporary ab- 
sence on account of sickness, or be- 
ing away from town. For 33 of 
those years he could be found at his 
accustomed place as the faithful 
superintendent of the Sunday 
school, giving to it that electric im- 
pulse which his abounding vitality 
could so easily impart. As an hon- 
ored member of the Board of Se- 
lectmen for the period of three 
years, the town was enriched by his 
service. Chosen to fill the re- 
sponsible position of Town Clerk, 
