Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-07-04
DOTHEBOYS HALL.
SeW Facts Concerning Squeers and the
School Described by Dickens.

| NeW Facts Concerning Squeers and the
School Described by Dickens.
All our informants - country cler-
yymen, intelligent residents, -.oldest
inhabitants, and such natives as
lid not feel themselves in honor
bound 10 keep their mouths shut
agreed on one point, that the sys-
tenn of Yorkshire schools was mon
strOus and iniquitOus to an Incredible
sxtent; that frightful cruelties were
practiced upon the boys-who were
chiefly the illegitimate offspring of
London parents-but that the school
/ typiied by Charles Dickens was the only
one to which he could gain access, and
was the best of the lot. There were
two other schools at Bowes, one at Gill
monty, one at Cornerstone, and one at
Barnard Castle: and the proprietors of
these, suspecting the presence of a ia
nous literary Londoner among them,
refused him admitta nee; but at Shaw
he was made welcome and shown over
the premises. But in other respects
! the evidence was so conflicting that we
must simply give itwithout pronouncing
any opinion on its value or the reverse.
| For instance. one woman, native of
BOwes, whose sympathies one would
naturally imagine to be with the ma
! ligned Squeers. told us that she dis
tinctly remembered the boys coming
in summer time 10 her fathers fields to
| hal In in no hoy I'D ~ hn n-y
of horses by ushers armed with whips.
On the other hand, a gentleman whose
father, being schOolmaster, used to
90 up TO the Saracen's Head with and
on the same errand as Squeers, de-
clared that the One-eyed schooimaster
was an estimable man. who cared for
his pupils properly, and was generally
respected and liked. He further stated
that his father related to him how he
happened to be AZ the Saracen's Head
with Squeers after the Dotheboys Hall
numbers of Nicholas Nic6leby" had
taken the public by storm; that the
crowd literally besieged the inn, with
the intention of lynching Squeers; that
the commo;ion had such an effect upon
the schoOlmaster as to deprive him of
reason, and that Mrs. Squeers died of
a broken heart. Another gentleman
once in holy Orders-told us that he
was at Bowes Grammar School con-
temporaneously with the existence of
Shaw's school, that Shaw was known
as the king of the Road" because
every half year he hired a special coach
to bring his pupils from London, and
that the arrival of this coach at Bowes
was the occasion of universal excite.
ment and enthusiasm. He further
more cited. as a proof that Shaw
was maligned as to his treat
ment of his pupils, that great
rivalry always existed between the
grammar school boys and those of
DothebOys Hall; that they played tre-
mendous football matches together,
and that every Easter Sunday it was a
custom to appear in new suits and to
pelt each other with Easter eggs. A
fourth informant told us that the
deaths at Shaw's school were frequent;
that large proportion of the boys
were manned by i'll usage, and that the
neighboring cottages were continually
giving shelter TO runaways. A fifth
spoke of the prototype of Fanny
Squeers as a woman universally be.
loved and respected, who did infinite
good among the poor and sick of the
parish. All. however, spoke of Shaw
as man subject to fits of violent pas
sion, and admitted that he was addicted !
to using the cane numerically when |
under these influences. In other in
stances when we ventured to PROFOUND |
questions to more illiterate folks, We
found that without committing them !
selves to giving any definite opinion,
they tried to evade the questions, and |
thereby tacitly admitted that there
was great deal more truth in what
Dickens had written than their local
patriotism allowed them to express.
The graves of "Squeers," his wife, of
Fanny Squeers. and of young ''Wack-
ford" who died at the age of twenty
four, are to be seen in Bowes church.
yard. The late assistant station
master at Barnard Castle, MacKay by
name, was said to be son of the origi-
nal of Nicholas Nickleby. John Brow
die was one John Todd, of Barning-
ham. and died not very long ago, and
the original of poor Smike is said to
have died during the year 1885, aged
-Tar,11la Rar