Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1885-08-04
rnE FLAT SCHOOL DIST. BETHEL

THE FLAT SCHOOL DIS H. bhthh'~
some mon,hs ago you Published let
ter from Mrs. O. Howard. In which she
kindly spoke Of myself As one OF her old
teachers. and a. ! read IL, my mlhd
turned backward TO the days Of my earlier
years, aud the thought came TO me that
few lines from me might be OF interest
TO some Of your many readers The hrs'
school | ever attended was on the Flat
!, was taught In a par, Of Nathan 0rov-
er's house the teacher was Miss Sarah
Straw Of Nswheli. and sister OF the
wives Of Hon. Onisl W Robinson. ID.
Nose. Mason and John Has'ing.. all OF
Bethel. and think Hon Caleb X Aver
OF Cornish. Miss Straw aftefwAfds be.
came the wife Of DR.. Wilson. the father
Of Dr. Wilson Of Waterford. IL was
her fir, school During tha, summer.
the disiric, built new school house.
IL was small but comfortable IL was
heated by means Of low BRICK arch. on
which vas placed an inverted potash
kettle With a hole made Ia the bottom
into which was inserted funnel which
ran 10 the ceiling over head where Il
entered . brick chimney. When thai,
old potash kettle 20, full Of hard Goals
and became rcd hot. !, made the small
boys on the front seats sweat. The
teacher fof the winter term ~As Samner
Towne. of Bethel. an elder brother Of
Tyler Z. Townc. esq lie was athofough
scholar aud model icseher for those
time. a great disoiplinArian. always de-
msndlng explicit obedience from all bis
scholars. both large and small. but Al.
ways Kind aud just lie AhsrwArds
zen, South 81. . teacher and early I'll a
victim % the climate. The time q which
| write wAs ffy.sis years ago we'll
remember al o. those living in the place
then. Ebenezer Greenwood lived on the
farm where Nslsoa Mil. now resides.
lie bad number Of scholars bis sons
were Noah G.. and Abnst ; Noah e.
no~ lives in Fafmingioa. Ne and {.
very prosperous farmer. Abaer ). ~as
a very extensive cotton dealer 10 Appeal.
ehicola. Florida. lie died Joung The
father moved 70 farmington many years
ago With biz family. and died theirs q, a
sfeat age Joha A Tsiichell lived On
the farm nov osnsd BY Charles merrill
he soli cat IN isg9 AMI moved 20 Bethel.
where b, died few years $50. lis all.
90 "a r,i,eshifn a. a very slsspoed age
lie i, esrPenierby trade Instantly con.
sisted Of three sols Ani four Daughters.
Thomas r. ha, been for many years a
leading merchant IN Portland. And has
twice represented that city Ia the Legs
lature of the State. lie va, for = long
time member q the firm Of DAVIS.
Twiiehell N ChAmplin. Afterwards Of
thA, u Locke. Twiiehsll 4 Co, bat nov
Of Tsiiehell. Chapman n Co Daniel
A. vas a smart boy. and Vas q, the time
OF bis death ihnving, energetic young
merrhan, on Bethel Hill. The youngest.
John q vel remember q. Jolly. ever
active liiile boy. lie and his brother,
Daniel. attended school when | taught,
AMI they sho~ed BY their attention 20
their studies and pfomPiness With all
their lessons that they meant business.
John. 81 the age Of seventeen, len the
old farm and VIA, little school there sas
and vent into h.. brothers store 10 Port.
land. ~hsfc be- soon became = thoroughly
,ihsisn, employee for iha, large businss
establishment How long he continued
IN this capacity cAnno, tell. bat when
be lsf, BE- ~cnt into the wholesale and re-.
fsl. hour aud grocery business on Com
mercial Street. Portland. under the firm
name Of Twiichell 4 Champlin. lie
early developed wonderful capacity for
business. and all bis plans have been a
success They have greatly enlarged
their trade A. the old stand was no,
suilic.en, fof their accommodation. and
l.., summer they purchased a whole
wharf, and their main store house i 200
fe,i long The name u the firm l. nos
T~iiehsll. Champlin. s. Co; the elder
brother now being member. Col I'll
T~itchell. brother Of A. lived On his
father. The late Capt Peter T~iehelll
Old farm They have all gone away or
are dead he has been dead bat fee
yeAn--his widos u still living Ia Brtnel.
George II keeps boarding house Ia
B.-ion. Ani The others are lot 10 my
kno~lrdge Tho old buildings on thi'
farm ate ,orn down and moved OF and
nothing remains 10 mark the 30, but
the old chimney. The farm i nov a
part Of The late Abners estate. On What
i known a. the Abner Bennett place.
lived jeremiah Grover Tie moved 20
lllinoi. - since died His widow
!. Yet living I think. in Kansas lie had
large family Among them WAS A. j.,
= noted lA~yer and banker u Chicago.
lie MAS a, one time prominent poll
tician. AID believe claimed 10 be the
father Of Greenbackism. OF the life bis.
tory Of the Others kto~ nothing lawson
Mason lived in a house ,do~n Ia Daniel
y. Bean. field he moved away from
there and he and his wife. who are lv-
ing a, Albany have passed more than four
score years. Nathan Grover lived IN
What j. known a. the old House, on the
cas-, sile Of the ro.d. opposite ID. b
Beans he was a prominent man IN
hi. day; be held the Office Of Selec,mln
Of Bethel, and represented bis Dsirie, IN
the Legislature lie was great friend
Of education and many orphaned children
found a home Ia bis house. and father
and mother in him and his mos, excellent
wife. His two sons, Oscar ID. and Dan
lei b.. live upon the old farm. They
are both men Of education. and Of un-
spotted characters. good industrious farm
ers, useful citizens, IN the fall enjoyment
Of the confidence and respec, Of the whole
town. remember them well {. sckol-
Ars, and in their case the old proverb
",he boy is father 10 the man IL fully
verifed-no better scholars ever went 10
school George W. Grover, brother OF
Nathan. Is nov living on the same farm
be then occupied. q, the age Of eighty.
- ...... M. ..t,A 4. k.Hiv chatter.