St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1891-10-01
A NOTABLE REUNION.
Scholars of the Old Branch Ridge Dis
fricf in ST. Johnsbury Meet Aeain-A
Rare Occasion.


success, visits your locality, take him
to Concord avenue, and when you
reach the summit, between Passump-
sic and Moose rivers, point him to a
garden plot on the left, level with
the highest point in the road, and
which continues on that level until it
terminates in a rocky wall on the
east and south Sheer down to the
road and river and tell him that the
first 40 years o. this century that
garden plot was hard-trod lawn
whereon stood low, plain, wooden
building that for six months in each
year resounded with the various
kinds of music which is produced by
a school of so or so scholars of all
ages from 3 to 20. Tell him that
this school was where all the chill
dren east of the Plain and south of
the Butler meadow were graduated,
equipped for the battle of life, and
but few of them ever went to any
other Show him on the right a lit
tie piece of interval, growing smaller
each year, which fifty years ago was
heavily timbered with butternut,
elm, maple, birch, and beech. Tell
him that this grove was vocal with
the joyful songs of summer birds;
that the streams gave nice bathing
places and the trees were beautiful
to climb, and so we all learned to
swim, climb, read, spell and make
our manners. Tell him the children
educated in these district schools, of
which this was sample, had a hard
working, industrious parentage; that
they were plainly fed and clad; that
the stirring school life they led gave
them a bounding vitality; that
fights were frequent and towards
few; tell him farther that the great
worlds of thought and business today
are ruled by these country, schooled
boys and girls.
A few days since there were gath
cred near this "Old Rock" some of
the old Branch bridge school boys
and girls, with their friends and rela-
tives. When the school roll was
called, under Mr. L. c. Morris
shady elms, the following names re-
sponded aye"
Almira Parker Marshall
Orris Paddock L. c. Norris
Sam1 Graves. Henry French.
Harvelin Paddock. William Graves
Jonathan Graves. Lewis Young
Walstein Morris. Willard Gibson
William Higgins. c. F. Ramsay.
After roll call H. Paddock was
chosen chairman and c. F. Ramsay
secretary. The meeting was formally
opened with prayer by Rev. Sam'l
Graves, D. D., followed by opening
as to conduct of the meet
ing, with cause and object This poem
by H. K. Flint of Cramer Hill, N. T.,
was then read:
Mr.. FIint's POEM
Written for q reunion of the sur
viving scholars of old district No. 8,
whose school house was at the juno
ton of Moose and Passumpsic rivers,
St. Johnsbury, VT.
BIRD of the wildwood.
Happy and free,
Songs of my childhood,
Sing thou to me-"
Sing we again that beautiful song
Heard when to school wandered along
The bank of the river, thinking that she
Her glorious song was rehearsing for me.
I sole listener, none other heard,
None were in sight, not bird.
1 was a lover of song-birfs and she
Knew it full well and was singing for me,
So believed. you may think it absurd,
Foolish or weak, you may any word
You see fit, but you'll mediate long
Before you will prove my thinking was
wrong.
Then further past the steep wooded hill,
Over the bridge and beyond the old mill,
Down on Moose meadow boisterous flock
Hurry on gaily beyond the big rock.
Where hum of voices and pattering feet
Blend where the Moose and Passumpsic meet.
>
High hills above it and lodges below,
Temple of Leaning with many degrees
Mostly in mischief; but recollect, please,
The pupils ready from dawn to dark
To make their manners and ''toe the mark
The summer school had Mistress then,
Keen of vision and ready with pen,
Understood sampler, bodkin and lace,
Knitting and patchwork, all having place
In feminine lore, whose lack was disgrace.
Kindly she when words did not prove
Sufficiently strong the urchins to move.
We then had our choice when all else would
fail,
To sit with the girls, 'hold down nail. ;
Her seat of empire, a plain bare room,
Was deity swept with hemlock broom.
The benches proved by their very looks
a line of study outside OF books;
Scared and scratched by mischief and strife
And constant peril from keen jack-knife.
Branches of maple and bittersweet