Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-09-03

On eighth month, twenty ninth, nine
teen hundred and three, most pleasant
occasion was held in the old brick school
house at Mickieton (then known as
Upper Greenwich, n j., where as pupils
of Benjamin Heritage from 1855 to 1866,
frolicsome boys and modest maidens
wendell their way mostly from farmer
homes to the familiar school house with
its spacious playground and shady grove.
The word had gone forth that on the
above date school would again be called
at the long remembered and cherished
spot; an invitation was extended for all
such former pupils to meet school mates
and teacher of forty to fifty years ago
and again answer the roll call.
As OF yore, school time appeared to
come to soon, while those whose fortune
had carried them far from the old FAM
liar haunts and school mates of by-gone
years, were enjoying friendly greetings
and "reminiscences of those good old
school days. School called and John
Tonkins one of said pupils was chosen
chairman, who remarked upon taking
the chair, ut is evident that those who
conceived the purpose of holding this
reunion have been heartily seconded in
their efforts, as this company in which
are SO many who between thirty-six and
forty-eight years ago were wont to assem-
BILE here oblivious to care and ignorant
of what the future had in store, in that
seeming great length of time; but the
years in their flight have come and gone
until to-day under different circumstances
we meet to greet our esteemed friend and
teacher and recognize if we can, in each
others faces the boys and girls of our
school-going days. Not only we our
selves but everything around us has
changed. Upper Greenwich (now Mick
leton) which was then only a village Of
three or four houses besides the meeting
house and school house, is transformed
into beautiful and prosperous town
with houses more or less compactly built
in every direction of approach. Out
there where we chased each other
around are grown the thrifty oaks. The
old school house and meeting house have
retained their outward form but we no
sooner enter their doors than we find
that things within have changed. We
may enter the graveyard and there too
we note that vacant places have been
filled and on the stones we read the
names of some who were our school
mates. But the chief feature of this
occasion is our tribute of respect and
gratitude that we express to our teacher,
whose efforts made the time spent here
so profitable; while imparting instruction
to us, he aroused love of study, with
true conception of a teacher he stood
before us, an example worthy of our
most careful imitation. We were proud
= har1 of Ot1r faoohavs bo. al
of him since as we have noted his consis-
tent life. We rejoice to meet him to-day
at the age of three score years and. ten
with form erect, with vision clear, ever
ready to lend assistance to the inquiring
mind"
William NJ. Carter was then chosen
as secretary, who called the roll to which
sixty-fve of the former pupils answered
present" At the conclusion of the call,
Joseph J. Currie, NJ. D., of Beverly, N.
j., in well chosen remarks said he was
pleased to be present and proud to say
that he was a pupil and among the first
who attended the school at Poplar
Grove, then known as Dutchtown School
with our esteemed and beloved friend as
its teacher and he felt that the pupils of
that school also should have right to
answer the call. A list of the names of
the pupils of that school being furnished
by the then teacher of said school and at
the call of the same. but four, Joseph J.
Currie, Mary Ellen Bradshaw, Joseph B.
Owen and Hannah Owen, were present
to answer. The invitation had been
extended also to relatives and friends
who out-numbered the old pupils two to
one, who were present to share in the
festivities of the occasion.
Annie L. Clement then read most
paper entitled ''School
Days" which like apples of gold in pic
lures of silver carried us back to those
good old school days, at the same time
reminding us that we are still going to
school rehearsing the lessons of life and
one by one we will be called upon to
answer the final roll call.
Alvin Haines being called upon said
he was disappointed. He had come to
school to meet boys andIgirls, 'but where
are they 2" In their place he found gray
bearded men and the girls with silvered
locks. He asked the "boys" do you
remember where the teacher kept the
switch and the impression it made,
to which some answered they did. We
are learning the lessons of life reciting
them day after day; we should also
attend the school of Christ and thus pre-
pare for the closing day.
Matthew Allen one OF the first pupils
said he still retained the old school books
and a few days since while looking over
them found the name and signature OF
him our former teacher, whom we have
ever loved and respected and who by his
teaching and upright living has given US
q legacy which he trusted has been put
to good use and sacredly kept
The chairman called upon Hannah A.
Heritage who had been foremost in
bringing about the occasion OF this
reunion, who in kindly words most feel
ingly referred to our former teacher who
in years past had sought to impress upon
our seeking minds words of advice and
wisdom.
Daniel L. Pine. while not a pupil of
him whose teaching we commemorate
in this same school building and made
mention of the changes in the interior
thereof, of the change in
the locality since he was a school boy
and made mention of some of the teach
ers of said school in former years.
Gideon Peaslee then read an article in
verse entitled "Benjamin's Tribe, . which
recalled pleasant "reminiscences of by
gone days and was much appreciated by
I'VE olde pupils"
The secretary then read a production
from the pen of Emily 7. Clement (nee
who regretted that she could
not in this season of Renaissance and
retrospect be present to grasp in friendly
greeting the hand of him whom we
today have come together from far and
near to honor.
Our teacher" then responded by the
reading of paper (Which we trust will
be printed together with the other papers
above mentioned), in which he expressed
the great pleasure it afforded him to
meet his former pupils face to face, and
greet them with a hearty welcome.
a desire that each and all
might extend to one another the right
hand of fellowship, recalling pleasant
of the past, he also noted the
great changes which have taken place
around us since last we met, his former
pupils being scattered far and wide, some
having taken agriculture, others mechani-
cal pursuits, arts, contractors, builders,
some chose teaching, surveying, civil
medicine, law, journalism,
one funeral director and others bank
business men, ETC., while still
others have passed from works to reward.
After which the chairman remarked
that as some of the small boys were
becoming uneasy two or three of the