The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-14
One of Them Wanted to
Pummel Inspector MCNair
There and Then.

1 ~
things here much longer. Truth
crushed to earth will rise again. Ut
ter1ng the foregoing observation with
all the dramatic intensity and lungs
at her command, the muscular woman
stalked out of the room. But in less
than a minute she was back again to
hurl anathemas at Inspector McNair
Superintendent Curtis looked shock
ed. Inspector Wilkes smiled and re-
marked as the tall woman made her
| final exit that he had never so
| thoroughly enjoyed a board meeting
before. Then the board resumed it's
| business session.
Prior to opening the doors to the
public the board, acting as a commit
tee of the whole, held a secret session
for about an hour in the superinten-
dents room. Meanwhile a delegation
OF considerable proportions waited in
the outer office and in the main hall
way. There were at least forty or
fifty citizenS-Some of them well
known-in attendance. Among them
were William Pitt Murray Esq, Gen.
Moses E. Clapp, Col Albert Scheffer,
e1-Deputy Sheriff George Irish, N. S.
Beardsley, Mr.. Beaver, George Brook
fns, DR.. J. G. MacNamara, Dr. William
Dinwoodie and others. Mrs. S. v.
Root and Miss Rebecca Taylor were
among the few ladies present
1t was evident that there was some-
|
| superintendent office was opened to
admit the people. Miss Rebecca Tay-
| lor fitted about the outer room and
then--out into the hail. conversing with
this one and that one. From the en-
couraging handshakings and smiles
that greeted her it was plain that she
was "in the hands of her friends
AS soon as the door was opened, as
many as could squeeze into the room
faced the school board, which was StiH
in session as the committee on schools.
The committee first disposed of the
protest of eight or nine citizens from
Hamline living within the old boundary
line of the Hancock school. The sign
ers protested against being compelled
to send their children to the McClel-
| Ian school, and asked that the bound
ary lines be so changed as to permit
them to send their children to the Han
cock school, Inspectors May and Corn
ing were appointed a committee to in
vestigate the boundary.
Then the trouble began. George II.
BrookinS, of the Second ward acting
as spokesman for some of his fellow
citizens, wanted the board to reinstate
Miss Lydia Judd as a teacher at the
Sibley school Two years had elapsed
since her resignation had been request
ed. and the citizens of the Sibley
thought it time a great injustice was
righted.
eve have very bad system out
there and we want it remedied," said
Mr.. Brookins, Miss Judd was unjustly
treated. She was a competent teacher
and ought to be reinstated. We know
| how things were done in those days,
how teachers were removed without
cause, but we don't want to rake up
any of those dark things"
/ Inspector McNair-If you can rake up
anything dark or bad in the public
schools, you go ahead and do it.
Then followed an extended contro-
versy between Mr.. Brookns and the
various members of the board. Inspec-
tor Yoerg being the only absentee.
Brookins insisted that Miss Judd was
a competent teacher. At last it was
made plain to Mr.. Brookins that the
reason assigned by Supt. Gilbert for
requesting the lady'S resignation was
incompetency. The members of the
board all expressed the opinion that the
citizens could not expect the present
board to drop a teacher to make a
place for one who resigned two years
ago. At last the discussion ended with
out the committee taking any action.
Then the committee adjourned and
the board met, President Zimmerman
taking the chair. The time had come
to hear the case of Rebecca Taylor,
the committee on schools having pre-
viously considered her application for
appointment as teacher.
"Does any one wish to be heard?"
inquired President Zimmerman in his
mild way.
A brief interval of silence followed
the invitation, and then William Pitt
Murray announced that the friends Of
Miss Taylor desired to be heard. And
they We're heard.
The first to speak was School Inspec-
tor E. o. Zimmerman, who said that
Albert Scheffer being unable to remain
I,a1 nrlyn hi tn hot hn VI
Scheffer, was a member of the school
board when Miss Taylors resignation
| was requested, and that subsequently
| he had made an investigation of the
| matter and was convinced that there
was no cause for her removal
E. J. Hodgson said he would be glad
to see Miss Taylor reinstated in the
public schools. Mr.. Hodgson regarded
her as a teacher of good ability and
urtiring industry. Her reappointment,
he thought, would be doing great
good to the schools. Mr.. Perkins, from
the Eighth ward, and Francis H.
Clarke. from the Fourth ward, coincid-
ed with Mr.. Hodgson.
Then Mrs S. " Root added her rec
| onmendation, explaining as she did so,
that she represented the Women's
| Christian Temperance union, which
| espoused the cause of social purity.
"I plead and beg of you, gentlemen,
to reinstate Miss Taylor" entreated
Mrs. Root, for have come to the con-
clusion that our children are STEPPED
in immortality, and we feel that we
must have teachers to look after them
who possess the high moral principle
| of Miss Taylor
n. S. Beardsley, of the First ward,
contributed his Endorsement. Mr..
Beardsley knew what he was talking
| about. for he had been a teacher III
the st. Paul schools, and Supt Gilbert
had dropped him without cause.
DR.. ]. MacNamara and DR.. William
| Dinwoodie added their recommended
| tions in behalf of Miss Taylor, and
| William Pitt Murray made the clos
ing speech for her.
s'Does any one else wish to be heard"
blandly inquired President thinner
| mann Nobody responded.
Then resigning the chair to E. 0.
| Zimmerman, the president of the
| school board took the floor. Without