The Newtown bee., 1897-08-13
Town Topics.
Our Sandy Hook Schools
AND SCHOOL BOARD TROUBLES.

been called to some recent articles I'D
THE BEE by your we'll known cores
pendent, the good Pastor of st Johns
in Sandy Hook, concerning school
affairs which are highly misleading and
calculated to spread wrong ideas. The
first of these refers to bueiness before
the school toard when the undersigned
was a member and the others purport to
give a resume of the dOings of Sandy
Hook district, its teachers, and COM
mittee for 10 these many years, as well
as recently. All were written by the
good parsop, and doubtless will be read
and admired by number of good
people, notwithstanding he reports
upon occurrences he never witnessed.
He has very vivid Imagination, and
many good friends Of mine frequently
get into exstaces over how much the
good parson knows, and how charming
ly he writes, forgetting that cele-
brated humorist has said: "It is better
not to know so many things, as to know
so many things that aren't So"
But the reovrend parson has seen fit to
attack, in scandalous manner, certain
friends of mine in his attack upon me,
and l claim the right to be heard in de-
fence. Personally 1 do not care straw
for | believe the public generally is
firing of what is denOminated in de-
rsion down our way "TheiBEE Bug
| have tired long ago. But puncturing
the professions and poses of this pulpit
purst is now necessary, and | hope it
may prove as efflcacious as bloodletting
for swelled head.
In the first article to which 1 object
the good pa-son hints at some Irregular
tiles he discovered in the doings of GER
tain members of the school beard two
years ago, by which dictionary or two
got lost in the shuttle, and some money
wasn't paid the district to which it
belonged, on time. Now the good
parson, doubtless, never played poker,
yet he knows how to put up bluff
He SO worked this article as to cast sus-
piCion on the Democratic side of the
board, and Infatuated that they could
unearth the colored gentleman hidden
away in the wood pile if they chose.
Now this was bluff on the part OF
the parson for when Secretary North
rop "called" his hand by demanding or
inviting an investigation the good parson
dropped the matter, and nothing has
been heard from him since on that score.
Now in poker bluff is a great thing,
but you want to be able to made your
hand good, If you are called" This
the good parson was unable to do when
his hand was called by the Secretary.
But | need not name the epithet by
layers to the buffer who fails to back
p his hand when his opponent tcalls.''
rhe parsOn can find what it is by refer
3nce to any book on the game. L will
say however, it is highly expressive of
the sentiments of those on the other
side of the board from him. So much
for the so-ealled school. book scandal.
Lately the good parson has been
housing among the records of the
Sandy Hook District, and has dis
covered something. Just what is diff
cult to tell; but the facts are we'll known
to all the people of the district interes-
ted enough, including the special COM
mittee whom he seeks to enlighten.
His efforts in that direction, therefore.
are worse than wasted. But knowing
the facility with which innuendo and
insinuation creep into certainty in minds
of certain calibre, desire to write a
small bit of history of the Sandy Hook
District for the Information of the gen.
eral public.
In 1888, the writer of this article was
first employed as principal of the Sandy
Hook schools and teacher of its Senior
Department for 1926 per annum and
whatever might save by careful man
agement out lof the incidental fund of
800. This sum had been allowed for
this purpose since the establishment of
the graded school. L drew $433 that
year in round dollars, showing a bonus
to me of obout IS. For this extra sum
| acted as ianitor for the whole school.
and this service was the quld pro quo in
the transaction. made the same con-
tract the following year, but as the good
paraon neglected to give the figures for
the year, am left in doubt whether
my venture yielded anything for that
year, or not. suspect it did not, from