The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-05-19
Portland Schools In the oIden Time.

To the Editor of the Press:
Reading an article in your issue of today
headed Master Libby's School. has brought
up "reminiscences of my childhood and school
days. think your contributor, S. HI. c., is
not quite accurate as to statements respect
ing the central schoolhouse. l am native
of Portland, and at the age of seven went
to the North school, at that time having a
Master Loring. Boys and girls both went
there. At about eight or nine years of age
Il was born in 1916 / went to the Central
school. which was for girls only, and was
presided over by Miss Sarah Thrasher. 1t
was in two-story wooden building, painted
yellow. and Opposite the Third Parish
church. The upper story was occupied by
Master Libby and his pupils, the lower story
by Miss Thrasher and her girl pupils. The
last named school was exclusively for girls,
and was conducted on the Lancasterian sys-
TEN, and was for number of years mon.
itor and taught reading to the younger schol-
airs, beginning with baby lessons and ending
with the English reader, book of selec-
lions OF prose and poetry from English au-
thors. l think | continued in that school.
Schools nnt about 1885, During that Pti te
(from about 1924 or 1925 there were no town
meetings in that building; they were held In
a one story wooden building next south of
the schoolhouse nearer Lime street.
selected as teacher in 1920" If so, when
did teachers Moody, Hall, Prince. Chase
and Winslow serve? / remember no teacher
over our heads but Master Libby from years
1924 or 1926 to 1880.
As octogenarians and septuagenarians are
ant t0 have dafAattvQ nAunriQa T fa thfc
merely that differing recollections and state
ments may be reconciled. During my at
tendance at school sad event happened,
which brought Master Libby and some Of
his boys down stairs to our help. On very
cold day some of the larger girls were per-
mitted to bring their states and arithmetics
down by the stove to do their examples. One
of them, Sophia Baker, was sitting In front
of the box stove, and her apron was carried
by the draft Of an opening door into the hole
in the door Of the stove, and Immediately
caught fire, and her clothes being of cotton
blazed up over her head. The teacher at
once came to our assistance and made every
effort to exringuish the flames, but was una
BILE to do so, and Sophia. in agony and terror
broke from her and rushed up the north
aisle after the shrieking and screaming girls
who fled before her. Then she ran between
the desks, across the schoolhouse, down the
south aisle to the door and into the arms Of
Master Libby, who had come to know the
cause of the terrible cutlery. He took her
out on the snow, but it was too late to save
her. Her clothing was all burnt off except
the bindings of her skirts, and when he at
tempted to lift her by her arms the blood
gushed from the crlsped skin. She was tax
en- into the corner house, occupied by some
good Quakers-the Husseys-and after many
days of suffering died there. Some of the
scholars who witnessed this fearful scene
may be living now, though most have passed
on. There were among them two daughters
of Mr.. Dudley Cammett, Elizabeth and Mar
garet; two daughters Of Simeon Hall, Sarah
Elizabeth, who married Abner Lowell, and
Mary Jane Plummer, now Jane Thurston,
and others. If, in the above, have through
inadvertence or failure Of memory, misstated
aught, shall be most happy to be set right.
May 14th, 1891. FL. b. T.