Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-04-23
An Old Fashioned School Master.


An Old Fashioned School Master.
Marcus Peake, who taught school in
barnard village number of years, sum-
mer and winter, is remembered by only a
very few OF the old residents. He met
with an accident, being thrown from a
horse, which dislocated one hin in man.
ner that could not in those days be put
back in place necessitating the use of two
crutches, but his original great strength
remained in his large hands and sinewy
arms. No unruly school boy cared to
! grapple with old Peake but once. He
was a strict dsciplinarian and Thorough
educator. Elementary studies were en-
| forced TO the letter, and when Uucle Peake
was satisfied, the boy or girl had good
education.
In school days we boys used to hate
hum, but now in looking back he seems to
have been an ideal teacher, and what little
education was forced to our brain came in
the first place by order of Marcus Peake.
The village school was large, numbering
so OF over, and once so.
What would our present directors say
when told that one teacher on crutches
managed, controlled and kept in place a
school OF 60, majority boys, and in win
ter some Of them large, almost men grown,
while no school was kept in better order
and none more thorough in the lower
branches?
The writer remembers a parent sending
note to Mr.. Peake asking for list of
books to buy for his son. In answer he
wrote on the margin, "Webster's Spelling
Book" So it came TO be that his school
exhibitions and especially his spelling bees
were the admiration OF Barnard.
Our school directors, with their present
system and instructions, would say no
child could get even fair education in a
school with one teacher having a number
OF over 20.
Now let us look back to the large schools
OF Mr.. Peake's day and see il they actually
did get even fair education. Without
taking too much space, allow us to name
some of the professional men, natives OF
Barnard, who received their main educa-
ton under the home rule, or old school
district system, where each district man.
aged its own affairs.
Commencing with clergymen we have
Rev. Paul Dean; Paul Townsend; Lucian
w. CLANCY; Rev. VIM. NJ. Newton, pres
emit presiding elder of Montpelier district
in NJ. e. conference.
Lawyers-Amos Dean, once president of
Albany Law school and one Of the most
eminent lurists in New York state: Frank
l.. Bowman, at one time a bright Young
lawyer in the city of st. Louis; {. W.
Clarke, who stood at the head of Orange
county bar; Hon. n. L. Boyden, now Of
IL
Mass; ClaudIus Pierce of Kansas.
Doctors-Samuel Parkman Danforth.
died in Royalton; Isaac n. Danforth,
specialist, practicing physician, professor
and lecturer in number OF medical col |
leges, Chicago; DIR. Gardner Cox, Holyoke. |
Mass. DIR. Mp. Wood of Mortified. Mass. |
DR.. G. w. Brigham, Pittsfield; DIR. Thos. |
Cootey, Mt. Holly; DR.. Clarence Perry. |
Rutland; DIR. G. o. Boyden, Bridgewater;
DR.. Joseph Bowman, Minneapolis; DIR. |
George Bowman, st. Louis; Dr. Parkman |
Gambeli, Pittsheld, Mass; DIR. Joseph /
Winslow, Northampton, Mass.
Editors and publishers of their own /
papers,. B. Danforth, Jr., Rock Island. /
III; Angrew j. Aikens. Milwaukee,. Wis
Albert Atwood, Kansas; Lewis p. Thayer,
Randolph.
Eminent large business men prominent /
in other states-L. X. Blackmer, head of /
the great firm of Blackmer & Post, ST.
Louis, Mo-; Lucien Paige, member of a
large firm for raising and milling rice in
Texas; Lorriston Danforth, millionaire
manufacturer and business man of Iowa.
Some we may have forgotten, but here
IS enough to show the quality our old dis
triet schools used to educate.
Now take look ahead and see where
duplicates Of those eminent men are COM
ing from. viii the slim gatherings of 10
or y scholars, their desks loaded with
books, maps, globes and other modern
appliances, fill the place Of Uncle Peake's
spelling book?
The fact is we are in the hands Of the
American Book Co.. and other like in
realized Dec. LIST. when taxes
are paid. Our school officers are working
like beavers to make the best out OF the
situation.