The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-07-17
OUT IN WESTBROOK.
The A. T. A.. the Parochi al Schools
and the Starry Flag.

of the neighboring city of Westbrook, q
petition bearing 1852 signatures was pre-
sented praying that no Catholics be en-
ployed as teachers or janitors in the city
schools. 1t was evident that the members
of the committee did not attach much
Importance to this document from the
fact that at the meeting at which it was
presented, they reelected the school
teachers who have served during the past
year including two Catholics Two
Catholics are also now ON the rolls as
janitors, one, Mr.. Doyle being in charge
of the high school building.
There seems to be a long story con-
nected with this petition, and it Incl
dentally includes the A. P. A., the
parochial school and the Stars and
Stripes. The American Protective Asso-
citation established a branch in Westbrook
about year ago. The branch has grown
and now has large number of members,
just how many is not known. A gentle
man evidently himself member of the
order, when asked if theWestbrook branch
had one hundred members, replied "Oh,
yes" in tone which indicated that the
membership was much larger. Now the
| A. P. A. men are said to reside largely
in Cumberland MI lis and it was in Cum
| berland Mills that the petition in regard
to Catholic teachers was generally
signed.
Mr.. Charles Graham who was instru-
mental in securing signatures to the
paper, says it did not emanate from the
Protective Association. Still it is evident
that among the signers are many mem
bers of that organization and that its in
| f1uence in the community had much to
do with the movement In fact, that is
the way Mr.. Graham himself, explains it,
The petition is headed by Mr.. James
Graham, an overseer in the paper mills
and the father of Mr.. Charles Graham
| Next comes the parochial school. In the
spring of 1894, the parochial school here
was greatly enlarged and many scholars
were withdrawn from the city schools
The petition in question states that,
whereas, the power of the Roman
Catholic church has established a
parochial school and withdrawn three
hundred children from the city schools,
the petitioners pray that only Pedestrians
be employed as teachers and janitors The
parochial school was the cause of little
breeze in the mills some time ago, but
one that was soon lulled into a summer
calm. When Factory Inspector Chalk was
on his spring tour of inspection he
learned that some of the children en-
ployed in the mills in Westbrook had not
the certificates required by law that they
had had the amount of schooling which
the statutes says they must have. These
children were those of Catholic parents
who had attended the parochial schools.
AS none of the teachers in the Catholic
schools had received authority from the
school board to sign the certificates, the
children had been sent into the mills
without them. Mr.. Chalk of course re-
quired that the children should be pro
yided with certificates or taken out of the
mills. Thereupon, upon invitation of
Rev. Father Decelle, who has charge of
the parochial school, the Westbrook
school authorities inspected the institu-
ton, and after looking it over authorized
one of its teachers to sign the certificates.
That ended the incident.
In Westbrook as in everyFother town and
city in the state the American flag is
hoisted over the school houses. Now the
Brown street school has had a Catholic
janitor, and in it has been employed Miss
Doyle, one of the two Catholic teachers
1t was some months ago that there was a
good deal of talk in the Brown street dis
trict over the manner in which the flag
flew or failed to fly over the school house
All sorts of stories were told, and it was
even reported that the flag had been taken
from the hands of a pupil and trampled
upon. These absurd reports were prompt
ly denied, but while they were in circula
ton they evidently created more or less
feeling. Committeeman Sullivan, who
is a Catholic, said yesterday that when he
was told one day that the flag was not
flying over the Brown street school house
he asked the janitor for an explanation.
and found that Old Glory was being
mended. No one now seems to rive
credence to the reports circulated at the
time, but there are those who still insist
that the flag did not fly over the Brown
street school as often as it should.
AS before stated, these things were not
directly responsible for the presentation
of the petition to the school communities.
but they played part in producing the
feeling which prompted the movement
The names of the prominent citizens of
Westbrook are not on the paper and SO far
as could be learned from those with whom
the writer talked about the matter thew
are generally opposed to the petition. Mr..
Sullivan said that he understood that
among the signers were some of the EN-
ployers of the paperscompany who lived
in Windham, and conse quently had no
direct interest in the Westbrook schools
y Mr.. Kicker, the chairman of the school
board, said that Miss Doyle and Miss
Conroy. the only two Catholic teachers
are graduates of the Westbrook Hirb
school, and the Gorham Normal school,
and are teachers of ability and exper;enoo
Mr.. Kicker could see no reason wbv tbov
l. q