The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-08-21
JUDGE PARkER'S BOYHOOD
chum OF the Presidential Candidate Tells of
Life at School.

guished jurists. One Of the girls. later
I in life, became the wife of Judge Par
( ker.
4 remember one hot summer day"
/ says Professor Lusz. when I was
grading oats, of receiving a letter from
Alton Parker asking me il would take
/ his place for the next few months he
cause he wanted 10 take a course in the
Albany law school: that the desire to
become a lawyer was too great to resist
and that the favor would be az preci-
ated.
Deciding to accept, took the stage
and after much travel over the noun
taIns, Fart of the way going on foot, I
| arrived at Accord. Parker was hearth
" glad TO see me, introduced me to al
of his friends and made everything as
pleasant as possible.
Shortly afterward Parker went to the
law school at Albany. lis work was
not particularly brilliant there but he
made a fairly good record Professor
Lusk visited him AT the school and has
| called on him several times since.
Part OF Judge Parker's school teach
ing days were spent, in Stella. a suburb
Of BinghamtOn, and the little red
Schoolhouse where he used to inculcate
mis- ideas of reading, writing and arith-
metic still stands. Although he had
little experience, he was given the place
because he impressed the trustees as
being bright and ambitious young fell
low
The year before, after being gradu-
ated from the Cortland academy. he
started out with d horse and wagon 20
interview school trustees who were in
need or teachers lie was successful in
nndlnS q place. but the wages were
small When he arrived home his cha
grin was great after having signed the
contract TO find that his father and I'M
Gle had found a place for him at 50
cents a day more than he had contract
ed for.
Well said young Parker, II viii
give up that school at Virgil because
/ they can't hold me to the contract any
way and take this one"
You Will do nothing OF the sort" re-
piled his father. Il have noticed that
a young man who starts out in life bv
falling 10 keep his promises fails in
everything else, and you are going TO
teach at Virgil" And he did
! The school house in Stella. where the
presidential candidate once held SWAY.
has been moved away from its former
location and is now used as a residence.
but its owner is the same man. who
years ago as school trustee, hired Alton
Parker to teach the school The build
ing is small, being only 1exIS feet, and
: twenty-five students came to learn
AAOAiA ZIG AAt6AA-nAOMEt I'll aDQ stern young
| teacher. The seating ARRANGEMENTS
were peculiar. On three sides Of the
room was a continuous long desk and
long bench behind IT. A stove was
! IN the middle Of the room. and lust in
side the door was the teachers desk.
Several Of his former pupils live at
stella now, and they remember the
times when he used to come early i'm
the morning, build fires and ring the
bell The school district extended about
mile IN either direction, and the pu-
pills used 10 come on horseback. IN
wagons and by other methods.
He used 10 tell the students stories
after school hours of his life on the
farm One of them was OF a time when
he. in company with a young friend
tackled the job of moving a big log
! from farm back near his old home.
Twenty oxen would have had a hard
time in moving the log, and the boxs
had TO give the task up On their wav-
home they passed by new fence. Both
of the oxen started for the opening at
the gate When they had passed
through the gate a good share Of Il
went with them The boys fsters set
tied the damages and the boys we're
happy 10 get out Of the scraps.