Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-11-12


 cellent scholarship, ripe judgment, un- tiring zeal, unfagging devotion to the cause of education the schools of the district owe most of the progress which they have made for some years. Hence without questioning the good taste or nice sense of justice of the members who now seem so thoroughly oblivious of. the past, we respectfully submit to the petitioners that if we have placed Mir Hovey second to MT O'Keefe our action did not lack fair cause.
 Respectfully,
 A DEMOCRATIC MEMBER OF THE BOARD.
 EULOGIsTIC OF MIR O'KEEFE. Some Letters From People Who Know
 the Man.
 Below will be found few of the testi- monials received by MT O'Keefe from Protestant ministers. of Lynn and others:
 A Gentleman and a Scholar.
 Cry OF LYNN,
 Office of School Committee,
 July 24, 1891.
 Dear Sir-Mr John A. O'Keefe has held the position of principal of the Lynn Classical Hi h school, with thirteen as- sistants and nearly four hundred pupils, for about ten years. My personal acquain- tanee with him began shortly after he as stunned the duties of the position, and during the last six years, as member of the Lynn school com mittee and also of the sub mittee on High schools, have had an opportunity of seeing a great deal of MT O'Keefe and of his work. My expe- rience in the matter warrants me in the expression of the highest personal con sideration for MT O'Keefe, who possesses in high degree the rare combination of great administrative power and the cul- ture of an accomplished scholar, while his personal character gentleman is beyond reproach. I deeply regret the fact of his retirement, believing that the Classi- cal High school loses highly accomplish ed principal, and none of the circunl- stances connected herewith reflect in any manner upon his ability as scholar or his character as gentleman.
 Yours very truly,
 c. J. H. WooDBURY. Christian Gentleman and True Teacher. To whom it may concern
 This is to certify that I have known Mr John A. O'Keefe as principal of Lynn High school for some six years I have been in at the opening of his school in the morning. I have heard him read as was his custom, a select portion of King James, translation of the Hebrew and Greek scrip lures. I have witnessed every head in the room bow in prayer. I discovered no sign of levity or irreverence of any kind. The evidence of good teaching and extra l ordinary proficiency in the Greek classes was most remarkable. The interest mani | fest in civil government on the part of the scholars reflected the highest credit on the | teacher; and so of other branches of study. | The evidence of ability as 8 disciplinarian 1 on the part of the teacher was manifest wherever one happened to look, giving the impression that the boys and girls knew well that they came there to work and that they did work. Every one in | those school rooms seemed to be self gov erned. Indeed as an educator of unusual ability, and as citizen deeply interested in the highest welfare of the entire commu- nifty ,and as a christian gentleman, I regard it as a loss to the city of Lynn not easily estimated to have MT O'Keefe leave. Two of my daughters have been his pupils, one of them having taken four years course, and year of post graduate work, and | both of them look upon him as a remark | ably able teacher, and true gentleman. HUGH MCLEOD, Congregational Minister. Cambridge, Mass, July 1891. Rev MT Moore's Endorsement. | LYNN, Mass, July 23, 1891. l I have lived in Lynn during Mir l O'Keefe's entire term of service as princi- pal of the High school, and. during the larger part of the time two of my sons have been under his instruction. I take great pleasure in tcstifying that, to the best of my knowledge and belief, none of his pupils have ever heard him give utter ance to sentiments which would suggest to them that his religious views We're not in accord with theirs, or to which the most sensitive Protestant could take exception. I am confident that reflect the sentiments of the intelligent and fair minded portion of this community when I express the belief that MT O'Keefe may be trusted to teach an American public school as an American citizen and free from the influ- ence of all sectarian bias.
 ALBERT w. MOORE,
 Pastor Center Cong church. The Man For the Place and the Hour.
 WooDFoRD's ME, 7-24, '91. To whom it may concern:
 During residence of nearly four years