The Newtown bee., 1892-02-05

dllOuS to come. nOTdCe DLd pies Will ldlI
 asleep; even so, "but he, being dead, yet
 speaketh" and future people will still
 congratulate him as we do to-day.
 HORACE sTAPLES'S RESPONSE.
 Mir Staples had prepared a response,
 but, owing to the lateness ofthe day, he
 thanked the friends for their kind atten-
 tion, stating that his remarks would be
 printed by the press. They are as fol-
 lows:
 Through Divine goodness, we are per
 mitted to meet the eighth time on this,
 as you term it, "FOunder's" day. The
 3lst day of January, 1892, commences my
 9lst year. If l could properly reply to
 my esteemed friends address, it would
 give me great pleasure. His congratula-
 tory remarks set forth more praise than
 can bear without feeling vain. He seems
 to have clear views of what l have seen
 and experienced in the 90 years of my
 past life and has very clearly set forth the
 wonderful changes that have transpired
 in the time I we'll remember, when A
 --~~1u "IIcu 1 wore slipper Cor
 ffock) as it was then called and consulted
 him about sending me to school. As he
 came in, slipped out and hid away, de-
 termined not to let a teacher see me in
 such dress.
 When got so as to spell in words of two syllables, a Miss Hall was the teach CT. l wore little wool hat and, as the school closed, 1 put the hat on my head and became drenched with water. Miss Hall called the school back, paced all around the room, rod in hand and asked each one who put the water in the hat. Samuel Woodruff proved to be the guilty one. She took him by the collar and thrashed him tremendously. Miss Hall was severe. One of her rules was that scholars were not allowed to stop on the way home from school. My sister, two years my senior, on the way home made every effort to keep me from stopping, but on one occasion she was powerless and l would stop. Of course tell-tales reported to Miss Hall; sister was punish ed and myself very slightly, being so young. That was the only time sister was ever whipped in school. She often refers to my bringing the disgrace upon her, to this day and, what made matters worse, some of the scholars cried when they saw me whipped, but were glad to see her punished. My dear sisters grand children are here with us to-day and she Hnnld haUa hanp haI ha ha1 f She has always been noted for venera- tion, for which 1 venerate her as resem- bling our deceased and beloved parents. No children had better parents than we four who survive them. My grandfather was born in 1736 and my father in 1776 The former built the house where my father was born and where my sister and three brothers were also born. Grand father was deacon of the Baptist church in Stratfield nearly half a century and my father, John Staples, Jr, nearly 50 years more.
 My father was S5 years old when he lied in 1862. He went to school to Abel who taught the district school one mile north of Greenfield Hill until 1920. I have once described the school house as being 16x1s, with stone chim- ney, probably built in one corner, where ;he scholars had to take turns to 20 to warm themselves; often the smoke was 50 thick as to drive all out of the door. I attended this school Summer and Win ter, until the Summer was 10 years old; hen Winters only, until I was 15 years old. l never saw or heard of grammar n that school. My fathers house was on the line between the two districts, one md half miles from each school house. When 16 years old, I went to the eastern district, where Bryant Glover taught, md was well fitted for a teacher. He vent to the Staples Free School in East on, or, as now called, academy. That academy has fitted more professional nen for college and for teaching than any other institution, think, in the State.
 After going to MT Gloyer's school two Winters of about four weeks each, fin- shed my school learning by going to William Belden's Greenfield Academy 40 lays. Then Icommenced trying to teach, worked hard and taught most of the time or six years. In 1927, commenced bus ness and, in 1929, built the house where f now reside, which was then in Norwalk nd continued so until 1885. Have lived n NorwaIk eight years; in Fairfield 25 ears, less than three years on Long Is