Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1891-11-26
WALTHAM. Mass. Nov. l3, 1891.

Jls
Editor of Amer,cdn
In looking over the AMERICAN a few
weeks ago, noticed the death Of Miss
Lucy J. Henry of Brooksville, Maine, and
1t caused my mind to revert to the days
when attended school at Bluehill Acad-
emy, then under the instruction Of Horace
Silsby. think no teacher ever tried hard
er to make his pupils learn than he did
But he had rather a hard job with some of
Us, as we had rather be out sliding down
Tenney's Hill, or down on the little bay
skating, than attending to our studies
Under favorable conditions, when the road
was hard and smooth, we could start from
Parson Fishers on top of the hill, on the
road leading to Brooksyille, and slide
along down Tenneys Hill, past the Acad-
envy. through the village. over as far as
Gaten O>good's, without stopping; then
walk up to the top of Treworgy's Hill,
(now Green's) on the Ellsworth road, and
slide back again, the whole distance being
mile and one-half or more remember
very well that one pleasant afternoon a
number of US boys made up our minds that
We would stay out an hour or two and
have skate and while in the midst of
our sport, who should appear among US
but the preceptor, Mr.. s., and he marched
us back to school in double quick time.
We were occasionally given permission to
go up stairs in one of the ante-rooms and
practice our pieces for defamation. One
day we were gone rather longer than usual
and Mr. S, thought he would come up and
see what was going on. and he caught
fou'r of us deeply engaged in game of
."high-low jack" 1t was genuine surprise,
for we had heard no sound of footsteps,
the first intimation we had of his presence
being cuff on the ear. and the order to
march down stairs at once. The cards he
consigned to the flames. Whether Mr.
Silsby is living or dead know not, but he
was an upright, conscientious man, and a
good teacher Although | have not seen
Miss Henry for twenty years or more, yet
| remember her as an excellent scholar
in later years as a successful teacher She
could unravel intricate questions in math-
ematics with an ease and readiness far be-
yond ordinary mortals, and as she acquired
everything with great facility, study was
in general not so much labor to her as
it was TO many Of US. But She has finished
her work here and has crossed the "Rubi-
con" Many Of the scholars whose names
were enrolled upon the Academy register
of those days have also crossed the River
Of Death, and many that remain are scat
ern coast of Maine to the shores of the
Pacific. 1t would be interesting to hear
from some of them through the columns
OF the AMERICAN. Among the many
names which | can recall just now are
David Brainerd Silsby, B. Frank Silsby
and sister of Aurora Ephraim Harden,
Miss Loreuda Harden. Mariaville; Sher-
lock Colburn, Miss Anna d. Colburn. Oro-
no; John Babson. Brooksville; Horace
Perkins, Penobscot; Miss Kate Tuthen.
Columbia; Miss Angie NJ. Haskell, Deer
Isle; Miss Alma Richards. Ellsworth; Miss
Mary Tinker, Ellsworth, whose father |
think was killed by one of the prisoners
during his term Of Office as warden of the
state prison at Thomaston, Me- Miss
Sarah +. Stevens, teacher of painting and
drawings Miss Abby Clough, teacher of
music; Miss Hattie Grindall, later Mrs.
Brown Of Washington, d. c.; Reuben
Nichols of Cherryfeld, and many Others
too numerous to mention at this time.
Oace in two weeks, Wednesday afternoons,
we had declamations consisting of da-
logues and single pieces. We had quite
number Of very good actors in the school;
Fred Norton, Fred l.. Fiske. N. b. Holt;
remember we'll the latter and his soldier
ly bearing when marching out of the
oner and delivering him up to the proper
authorities with these words "Out among
the hills We surprised sn old Peruvian
escape by hight he could not, and We
seized him uDreslsting." Ed. H. Ellis as
an Irish character was very good. The
name of Chilcott strikes me as familiar in
connection with the school days of those
times, but cant seem to place it exactly.
Perhaps the editor of the AMERICAN was
one Of the students during the years l,j6
or o. But, Mr.. Editor, writing for the
press is entirely out of my line of business,
as you will readily perceive, and will stop
right here. JoHN.
'The editor of the AMERICAN was student
at Bluehi Academy during the winter of 1854
>. Perhaps he might have been mentioned az
terward for eccentric department as stu
dent.-ED. AMERICAN.