The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1900-12-01
Coyrespondence Baltimore County Union.
RECALLING OLDEN TIMES.

WARREN Nd. November 26th. 1900.
Nessrs. Editors - Belonging to the old-time
brigade myself took quite an interest," IN the
Communications recently published in THE
UNION in reference to the old school house near
Warren and some of its pupils. l was absent
from the neighborhood the most Oh tne aime at
an imperfect knowledge of the facts, but / know
enough of them to be sure that both your cor
RESPONDENTS have made some mistakes.
IN the first place they do not agree as to the
name of the teacher, and think they are both
wrong. / had never previously seen MS name
either printed or written. but had often heard it
spokep. and always understood it to be Willig-
man. Mr.. Minnick, too, says he was an English
man. AS to this 90 d not tS oHs aeafu him
at ST. Johns College, Annapolis. for years." If
This be so, and he English born. he must have
emigrsted when quite young graduate in mod
icine but not practican" 1t was my UNDER
standing that he was not "a graduate in medi-
that and Ser
nracticed medicine. ] never heard him called
HDoctor" and think. as 1t Is so common to give
titles even when undeserved, that he would
have been SO designated, at that time, had he
been a graduate. Mr.. M. is certainly IN error
in one respect. He speaks of Mrs b. X. Ridgely
as one of Mr.. VS. surviving scholars: She says
she never attended the school until Mr.. w. had
left.
what as follows: In, and before, 1887. school
houses were scarce, and far apart, in this sec
tion. Before 1900 my uncle, aunts and mother
used to walk four miles daily 10 ScnOOi ana my
brother in 1890 even, miles. This state OF af-
fairs continued up to 1887 when some of the
neighbors determined to build house, nearer
home for the use of their children and those of
others. After looking around they couclu-
ded that the most central and convenient site
for the house would be on the farm of the late
Aauila Talbot. Accordingly committee
waited on him and asked him The was bache-
lori to donate a piece of land for the purpose.
This he agreed to and on April 22, 1887, made
deed for the same to J.FC.Talbott, John Harry
man. Anon Bosley, Thomas ID. Cockey OF 1hos.,
and Micajah Merryman, trustees. These gem
tlemen soon raised the money and built the house
and employed Mr.. Willigman, / think, as the hrst
teacher He continued in this position qptll
about 1916, when he went West. After he left
Joseph B. Mitchell. think. was put in charge
and from about this time it was conducted by
the County School Commissioners, though still,
legally, in the possession of the trustees who
never charged the county rent for the ase OF
the building. Later Marshall d. Berry. grad
uate Of the University of Dublin, ireland, was
teacher, and others followed. The asst was
Frank Crosby, in 1865, in which year The county
built house nearby, more convenient for the
neighborhood and the old one was abandoned
and, finally, torn down. HE
AT the time of the building of the old house
the present system of public schools had not
been inaugurated, or. if SO, was judimentary
and crude and the children had to BE- sent to pri-
vate schools.
Yours, &C., B. !. RIDGELY.