The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-18

was no Episcopal Church in Media and
services were held in the courthouse.
What were Mrs. McKinley's charac-
teristics then as regards dress2
WAS FOND OF DRESS.
''She was rather fond of adornment; that
is, she was always attractive in appearance
It might be said she was fond of dress. But
she was transformations; free from conceit
or anything that might suggest that she
thought herself better than any one else.
Media third of a century ago was a
small village. In favorable weather the
students took a walk every day. The semi
nary could accommodate fifty, and the
number Of students was always up to the
limit. 1 was the walking member of the
establishment, and it usually devolved on
me to pilot and chaperone them. Our IA
vorite walk? Usually we marched around
the courthouse square and sometimes out
W washington street east. Think % having
half a hundred young ladies on YOUR hands.
any trouble in getting them to mind.
Among the girls we had at Brooke Hall at
different times was the present Mrs. John
K. Mclean of Washington. Kate Chase,
daughter of Chief Justice Salmon Il. Chase,
and who married Governor SprdgCe of
Rhode Island, was also q student at Brooke
Hall. So were the wives OF Major General
Wheaton and Major General BROOKE and
ex-Congressman John Findlay, Of Baiti-
m more. daughter Of General Daniel
Sickles Of New York, was also a Brooke
Hall girl. l mention these few rames
merely to show the class of patrons we had.
When Miss Eastman died, two years ago
last February, all the papers of Brooke Hall
were destroyed. There were the roll books
and examination papers, catalogues for all
the years that the school was in existence,
ETC. did not have room to store them, and
the thought of going through them all
and cutting out what wanted particularly
to save was a task of sadness that | did
not feel equal to then. Among them there
must have been an examination paper of
Mrs. Mckinley, for Miss Eastman was al
ways particular to save sample of each
scholars work"
Has Mrs: Mckinley ever visited Media
since she left SCHOOL,"
After Mrs. Mckinley left Brooke Hall
she and her sister went abroad for about a
year with their father and on their return
TO OHIO they stopped over at Media sew
eTal days. 1 have never seen her since,
although we have kept up a correspond
ence. Miss Eastman also used to receive
letters from her occasionally"
DO you feel confident of getting the post
Officer
Il am hopeful. but not confident My
competitors are men, and are interested in
politics. A few years ago lost in bad in-
vestments what money had saved from
life of teaching. | have no income. The
pCStoffice would be of invaluable aid to
me, and I feel that 1 am competent for
prompted me to write to Mrs. Mckinley.
IF [ get the place it will be through the
influence Of Mrs. Mckinley and her friend
ship for me-"
MKNIFF ALSO REMEMBERS.
The only male employee at Brooke Hall
while Mrs. Mckinley attended the school
was James McKniff. He is now chief of
police Of Media. 1t was an exceedingly
quiet day when L was there, and McKniff
kindly volunteered to visit the old semi
nary with me. A more beautiful place for
a school would be, indeed, hard to find.
The grounds are a veritable Arcadia. If
they were pleasant thirty years ago they
are doubly so now. Then the trees were
young and the branches gave little shade.
The Brooke Hall grounds embrace about
eight acres and extend from Washington
street, one of the main residence thorough
fares of the borough, to the Pennsylvania
Railroad tracks south. Brooke Hall is on
the summit of the grounds, and is of stone,
with q pebble dash covering. 1t is a plain
building of three stories, with big, wide
porch, after the Southern plantation style,
extending along the south and east side.
The south porch is 10 feet long and was
intended as a place for exercise when the
weather was unfavorable. 1t was along
this roomy old piazza that Mrs. Mckinley
as q school girl marched with her COM
panions.
There was large schoolroom on the first
floor, opening off from which was large
on Wednesday and Friday nights. There
were also on this floor rooms for recita
tons and practice. East of the hallway
was the parlor, library and a number of
smaller rooms. There were also a few rec
itation rooms and rooms for piano practice.
A few unimportant changes have been
made in the interior in recent years, other
wise everything looks as it did a score and
ten years ago.
Through the southeast corner e Of the
Spanning this and leading to the railroad
station is a rustic foot bridge. Down
somewhat steep ambankment, at the rear
of the seminary, a winding path leads TO
the old springhouse. on the walls within
are to be found still undimmeC the names
of many former students of Brooke Hall.
Among them are the names of Ida SaXton
and Mary B. SaXton, her sister.
Il knew all the girls by name. and / well
remember Mrs. Mckinley" said McKniff.
IT had charge of all outside work for Miss
Eastman, and it was not infrequent that
was asked by the girls to hitch up horses
for them. Mrs Mckinley, or Miss Saxton,
as we knew her. seemed quiet and unas-
Stunning. She was rather more stald than
many of the other girls. Her sister APP
parently had more fun and frollc l had
hardly thought of her in more than thirty
years until Major McKinley's candidacy for
the presidency"
Mrs Mckinley worshiped while at Brooke
Hall. 1t is a stone edifce of pleasant arcn-
itecture the walls of WHICH are ciad VIII with
ivy. With the exception CT slight altera-
ton in the chancel the interior is UNI
changed The church rolls do not show
that Mrs. Mckinley was a member Of
Christ Church.
Another person who remembers Mrs. Nc
Kinley well when she was at Brooke han
is Mrs William Berron, of 1924 East
Thompson street this city. In those days
she was Mary Gavin and she was known
to the people of Media and the students or
Brooke Hall as Miss Eastman's Mary.
Those were good old days., she said, I
always got along well with the girls, and
they did everything for me. l guess l
do remember the day that Mrs. Mckinley
and her sister arrived at Brooke Hall
Their father came with them l showed the
girls to their rooms. l am pretty sure that
they had Room q on the second floor. 1t
was near the northwest corner of the build
ing She al once became tavorite with
how she was i'll, and | brought some little
delicacies to her room. | often waited on
me- l guess she remembers Miss East